A Spa for the Soul

Loyola Retreat House

Dear Postcards from New York Reader,

Passover this evening marks the beginning of the most solemn week in the Jewish and Christian year. Some thoughts on a unique way to spend some time this week.

Spa vacations have become a staple of our youth pre-occupied culture to allow time to overhaul one’s body through vigorous exercise and pampering, explore diverse methods of relaxation from yoga to tai chi, and rediscover the benefits of healthy eating. Loyola Retreat House shares much in common with luxury spas like Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, and the Golden Door in Southern California, with one distinct difference. The beneficiary of your workout here, will be your spirit. This Retreat House is a "Spa for the Soul."

The house, set upon exquisite grounds reminiscent of a remote hideaway in upstate New York or Vermont, is very accessible, only minutes from downtown Morristown, New Jersey. Surrounded by thirty acres of lawns, sunken gardens, and woodland forest, the grounds are serene and beautiful no matter the time of year. Spring, summer, fall and winter, the special beauty of each season makes Loyola the perfect setting in which to explore and reawaken the innermost part of ones self.

Designed for quiet reflection and contemplation, Loyola’s magnificent grounds are a welcome respite from today’s fast paced technology-driven lifestyle. From the moment your car makes the turn onto the grounds, passes the gatehouse, and follows a tree-lined drive leading to the graceful white column façade of the mansion, the peaceful landscape begins to work its magic. The frenetic energy of the world left behind seems a million miles away as this restful haven breathes a warm welcome to all who enter – from the first-time visitor to the seasoned retreatant returning for a 50th anniversary stay.

A typical weekend retreat begins on Friday evening with a scrumptious homemade dinner and ends Sunday after a delicious brunch. Jesuit priests and religious women present readings from scripture for meditation based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Spaced throughout the weekend, the readings are voluntary and one can participate in some or all. There is ample time for personal contemplation, reflection, study, consultations with staff members and communal reception of the sacraments of reconciliation and healing. Inspired homilies enrich daily celebration of the Eucharist.

Comfortable sitting areas throughout the house, gardens and footpaths, a library lined with books, and a swimming pool for a leisurely dip during the hot summer, provide a quiet oasis to relax and take a deep breath.

Next month marks 80 years Loyola’s tranquil beauty has been a welcome beacon to thousands of guests. Many retreatants have made a yearly visit a priority for the last 25, 50 and more years!

However long or short the visit, one departs refreshed, inspired and invigorated. Imagine! All this for a tiny fraction of what you would easily spend for three days at Canyon Ranch or the Golden Door Spa.

Open to all faiths and denomination, a special Holy Week Sacred Triduum Retreat begins this week April 4-8. Days of recollection, weekend, mid-week, directed and preached retreats, as well as the entire Spiritual Exercises are available throughout the year.

Jacqueline Cable
For Postcards from New York

Address to remember: 161 James Street, Morristown, New Jersey, 973-539-0740. http://www.loyola.org/.

Directions: Community Coach from New York Port Authority 8th Avenue and 42nd Street to Morristown, NJ. New Jersey Transit Morris/Essex Line from Penn Station to Morristown. Call Loyola for pick-up.


Photo courtesy of Loyola Retreat House


© Copyright 2007 The Cable Group

Calder in the Park

The Cock's Comb by Alexander Calder

Dear Postcards from New York Reader,

One of the best things about New York is you don't have to pay or even go into a museum to enjoy great art. Just look around, you will be surprised how much art is on display in public spaces.

There is nothing more visually compelling than sculpture in an outdoor setting. Who can forget Cristo’s “Gates in Central Park?”

Right now, you can head downtown to the Park at City Hall for a visual treat. Five brilliant works by Alexander Calder are on display, set against the backdrop of the imposing elegance of City Hall’s 19th century architecture.

I'll wager no sculpture looks better out of doors than Calder's. His sculpture and mobiles are alive with movement. No matter how effectively presented in an interior space, they somehow appear confined, cramped ready to take off in flight. Many of his works certainly make me feel like flying.

You decide. Experience these best by walking around them a few times. See how they change, as the environment changes with your every movement. Notice how different the shapes appear when viewed close to the nearby trees and shrubs. Now look at them from a wide angle against the buildings across the street. You'll find the mobile, Untitled, in the rotunda stairwell of City Hall.

I hear you; "Sure I'd like to see them, but go downtown just for sculpture?" Think for a minute, isn't there something you have been meaning to pick up at Century 21? Keep in mind, St Paul's Chapel features a special 911 Exhibit, and there's great shopping on Fulton Street, in Chinatown, and at the Seaport; while there, visit "Bodies, The Exhibit," an educational treat that's terrific for kids as well as adults.

Finally, don't forget all the restaurants at South Street?

Enjoy.

Jacqueline Cable
For Postcards from New York

Address to remember: City Hall, Broadway and Murray Street, New York, NY 10007, 212-980-4575.

Directions: MTA from 42nd Street Grand Central Station, 4, 5, 6, to Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall. From Times Square 2, 3 to Park Place or R to City Hall. Bus M1, M6, M15, M22, and M103.



Photo by Joseph Knight


© Copyright 2007 The Cable Group

20 Minutes from Midtown: A National Treasure

The Bronx River

Dear Postcards from New York Reader,

This past weekend, a friend and I decided to head up to the New York Botanical Garden to see the Orchid Show. The plan was to stay out of the cold and leisurely linger over the exquisite flowers; in the hope their vivid tropical colors would hasten spring.

We never made it.

Despite the brisk wind and chill in the air, the open sky and white untouched snow was too bewitching to resist. We quickly forgot about the cold, the comfort of being indoors and opted for a walk around the grounds.

Snow on the streets of New York City is white for only one day before it is piled high and dumped on the sides of streets, where it quickly turns black from air pollution and the constant churn of traffic.

What a difference here, just 20 minutes from Grand Central Station, it feels like you’re in the country; with forest so dense you could be in the Adirondacks. Pristine snow blankets the landscape in silence. Bare leafless trees stand out from the endless varieties of evergreens and pine, their stark beauty a pronounced contrast to the bushy pines.

On the way to the Native Forest, I interrupted a family of boys in the middle of a snowball fight with their Dad. Further on, I met a young man, about four years old, walking a distance from his father, who proudly told me about the many birds he had just seen; one actually ate from his hand. His eyes lit up with excitement when he described a swooping hawk.

My favorite thing is to follow the forest trail. 25 acres of untouched woodland looks very much the way it did when Indians inhabited the region centuries ago. The deep snow made a trek impossible, so I walked along the forest perimeter and discovered something I had not seen before; a rustic stone mill. Built in the 17th century, it stands at the edge of the Bronx River where the sound of rushing water is overpowering. Look below the bridge nearby to capture a mesmerizing view; you’ll see the river frozen in sections, full rapids in others and then a cascading waterfall.

The changing vistas of sky though the course of the afternoon coupled with the buzzing activity of wildlife, from busy squirrels to varieties of birds, made every moment special until we were chased from the grounds at closing time. Click here to see more pictures. Go to: A Day at the Botanical Garden, and select view as a slide show.

Don’t let the cold weather pass before you see the New York Botanical Garden in its winter beauty.

Jacqueline Cable
For Postcards from New York

Address to remember: New York Botanical Garden, 200th Street at Kazimiroff Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458, 718-817-8700.www.nybg.org.

Hours: Tues-Sun 10 AM – 6 PM.

Directions: Metro North from Grand Central Station to Botanical Garden Station.

Photos by Joseph Knight

© Copyright 2007 The Cable Group