Yesterday we jumped on the subway and went to what looks like a Tuscan monastery, right here in Manhattan. The Cloisters, which houses the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s medieval antiquities is a world away from the hustle and bustle of City streets.
Jumping off the train at 190th Street, it was like we had been transported to a European village, with virtually no traffic and large stone architecture everywhere. A gorgeous stroll through a peaceful park lead us quickly to the impressive Cloisters with its magnificent views of the mighty Hudson River.
Built in the 1930s to resemble French medieval 
abbeys, it is the area surrounding the Cloisters that takes our breath away. The grounds were painstakingly planted according to ancient manuscripts and the plantings and herb gardens are simply magical.
We were warned by the jolly head gardener not to touch some of the plants in the herb garden as some were real poison. Deadly Nightshade grows just a few feet away from luscious sage, evoking medieval tensions and traditions.
If you are staying in the City this holiday weekend, then visiting the Cloisters will give you the feeling that you’ve gone to Southern Europe for a day, and all via subway.
The Cloisters. 99 Margaret Corvin Drive. New York. 10040. Tel: 212 923 3700
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