The tourists were all in the hansom cabs having their tourist experience. Whenever I pass them, I love the timeless sound of the clip clop of the horses -- there's something so resonant about it. Then there were more tourists in pedi-cabs -- little carts powered by a guy pedaling a bike and pulling them. Even though two people fit in the pedi-cab, I could never do it. I'd be too concerned with the poor guy pedaling, but people don't seem to mind that. Heck, I sometimes feel sorry for the horses.
Anyway, I'm enjoying the sights and sounds and we're coming out of the park at 72nd Street and the driver, who is a woman, asked me if I knew who Luciano Pavarotti is. I said yes, and she points to a bench and says, "I can never pass this bench without thinking about him."
Turns out that was Pavarotti's favorite bench and she would always see him sitting there. I said that was a nice memory to have of him and I looked at the bench, trying to imagine him sitting there, watching the world go by.
She then told me she used to see Eartha Kitt out very early in the morning walking. She told me she almost didn't pick up Nathan Lane once because he was wearing a beanie hat with a propeller on top and she thought he was nuts.
Anyway, I think now when I pass that bench, I'll also look close to see if I can see the ghost of Pavarotti still enjoying his bench.
PS: I was looking at Google Images to see, if by some chance, there was a photo of Pavarotti sitting on his bench and when I added "Central Park" to his name for the search, there are photos of him performing in Central Park with an audience of thousands of people -- just seas of people. How odd, I thought, that one day he's sitting there on his bench with no one noticing him and then he is peforming for thousands in the same place.
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