Just got back from NYC and was so disappointed that the bulk of the museum's permanent collection was not on display. Instead, they had a retrospective of Louise Bourgeois, who needs serious counseling instead of more art supplies.I'm as sophisticated as the next person, but ewwwwwww. Seriously depressing. Great building, though!

This is my favorite museum of all the ones I've visited so far.

I especially love their Sargents and Whistlers.

Not to miss: Seurat's Grande Jatte, of course; the Caillebottes, the Chagalls. My friend and I were laughing at the Met when we saw a color study for La Grand Jatte (which was about 2' x 3'), saying that they should put a disclaimer next to it so that people wouldn't think that they'd seen the finished piece. Can you imagine? "Uh, ya, I saw that. What's the big freakin' deal, man?"

I took a semester long course here when I was in college....The entire collection is truly impressive -- even the stuff they hide in storage in the basement....

The Met's permanent collection is almost obscene. You can't even hit the highlights in an eight-hour long tour. Unless you're going for a marathon art tour from the beginning of time to the present and plan to visit every day for a week, go to the museum's site and sign up for the My Gallery function. Choose the works you have to see and print it out, then take that with you. It will help you to keep on track. Then you have to stay FOCUSED. :o)

The fist time I went to Europe I was only in London for one day. My tour guide tried to come up with the most comprehensive "mini tour" we could manage in the one day. We went here and Harrod's and Buckingham Palace before the jet lag kicked in and I had to go back to the hotel and pass out.

It was so worth it! Wasn't it? LOL!

Amazing pieces. I love Holbein's Ambassadors. It has all kinds of hidden messages about Anne Boleyn.