On day 10, April 10, I let the disappointment and frustration get to me today. I did not venture out of the apartment until late this afternoon. I spent the morning reading. One of the great things about the apartment where I am staying is the library. And, but library, I do not mean a room. The entire space is filled with books. There are bookshelves in most of the rooms, and more often than not, there are books on any flat surface in each room. The books cover a wide variety of subjects. There are a few fiction books, but by far, the largest number of books are about art, painting and history – my favorite topics, except the books on painting techniques; my interest in painting is confined to finished works. 

Among the books were several on the artist Pierre Bonnard (French b. 1867, d. 1947), a post-impressionist, founding member of the avant-garde group Les Nabis, and a favorite artist of Saul Leiter, one of my favorite photographers. Although not considered among the greats of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist eras, he was well regarded by some of his contemporaries: Henri Matisse was not a man who passed out compliments lightly; but when he was taken to the Phillips Collection in Washington and found that Bonnard was given more prominence than himself he said, “And quite right, too. Bonnard is the strongest of us all.” (New York Times, Gallery View, “Pierre Bonnard’s Genius, October 23, 1977).

I read all morning, had a long leisurely lunch and then another nap. I have always been a napper, a trait inherited from my father. Few luxuries can compare to an afternoon nap, and hey, this was supposed to be my time, a celebration of my seventieth birthday. Still, I felt guilty that I had not been out making images, so I ventured out and back to Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters. 

My struggles continued, and the images I made were mediocre at best. At least I got out of the apartment. I have decided to eat out tonight, my first real splurge on this trip. There is a creperie a few blocks away, and I plan to have a savory crepe followed by a sweet crepe and possibly two glasses of wine.