Despite the rain and wind, I enjoyed the tour on Saturday and definitely learned a lot. My favorite spot on the tour was the statue of Die Lorelei. I volunteer in the South Bronx so I walk through that park and pass that statue once a week. Somehow, I had never stopped to look at the beautiful statue. Hearing the incredible history of it and its place in history made me appreciate it even more. I will definitely stop and look at it for a moment next time I pass it.
To me, the most significant part of the tour was the emphases Sam put on the idea that just because a neighborhood is poor, does not mean it has to be ugly. When we walked into the lobby of the first building on Grand Concourse and he showed us how much planning had gone into the building of the lobby so that there was a perfect view from the corridor of the fountain and the light, I was blown away. This, along with the statue in the park are things I would have never noticed but do make an incredible difference in the aesthetic of the neighborhood. It does prove that sometimes all you need is a little thought, not money to improve the way a place looks.
I have attached a picture I took of the statue and an English
translation of the poem that the statue is based on.
know not if there is a reason
Why I am so sad at heart.
A legend of bygone ages
Haunts me and will not depart.
The air is cool under nightfall.
The calm Rhine courses its way.
The peak of the mountain is sparkling
With evening’s final ray.
The fairest of maidens is sitting
Unwittingly wondrous up there,
Her golden jewels are shining,
She’s combing her golden hair.
The comb she holds is golden,
She sings a song as well
Whose melody binds an enthralling
And overpowering spell.
In his little boat, the boatman
Is seized with a savage woe,
He’d rather look up at the mountain
Than down at the rocks below.
I think that the waves will devour
The boatman and boat as one;
And this by her song’s sheer power
Fair Lorelei has done.
