The Pringle Plan: Art, Gardens, and Music

Last year, I went on a bus trip with Friendship Tours. Long distance driving isn’t much fun on I-95, especially as you get closer to New York. So, it was wonderful to sit back and let someone else do the driving. It was also fun to meet and talk with other people. I’ve always liked tourists. They’re in a different mindset. It’s all about getting away from their everyday routines and stresses. Tourists just want to have fun, relax and enjoy the sights. What better place to do that than at the New York BotanicalGardens!

The best part isn’t the gardens. It isn’t the art. And it isn’t the music. The best part is the way it’s all tied together. I was there during the Frida Kahlo exhibit. A native of Mexico, Kahlo’s paintings feature fruits, vegetables, plants and animals native to her homeland. Her paintings are beautifully done with exquisite detail and brilliant color. The plants of Mexico were featured in the conservatory buildings, which were decorated with deep blue and pink walls inspired by Kahlo’s own courtyard garden, Casa Azul. Musicians in traditional costume played lively Mexican music and posed for photos. Even the restaurants and food trucks featured Mexican food.

Kahlo didn’t leave home much. She had been in a car accident as a teenager, and suffered life-long pain as a result. Kahlo’s marriage to the artist, Diego Rivera, was childless having suffered several miscarriages which only added to her pain. Many of her personal self-portraits feature lonely gruesome depictions of blood, miscarriage, and the heartache she felt when her husband divorced her. Other paintings feature themes of feminist issues, and many portray her beloved pets – cats, parrots, monkeys and deer, and always the native flora and fauna that soothed her soul.

The trams weren’t working the day I was there, so I was only able to see what was within walking distance, but that was enough to keep me busy all day. I think that is the best way to experience the gardens anyway. I was able to walk about at my own pace, sitting when I just wanted to relax, moving on when I wanted to explore. The café was undersized for the number of people, and the prices were far too high for the quality, so if I were to go again, I would bring my own lunch and find a nice place to sit, relax, and enjoy. Experiencing the great outdoors is always the best way to play tourist. But who knew that by taking a few hours ride to New York, I would be transported to a whole other world in Mexico!