A train to the 9-11 Memorial and museum was planned for today and I had my first experience of the New York subway which today was oppressively hot and humid. Thankfully the carriages were air-conditioned.
We got off our train at the Oculus, which is a new train station that was built to replace the one destroyed in the 9-11 attack. Its a vast, modern space and apparently the architect designed the outside to look like the wings of a dove. From here we walked to the memorial itself, twin pools of cascading water that are set within the footprints of the original towers. There are 400 White Oak Trees surrounding this area, and despite the crowds of people, it is a tranquil and beautiful place. A sanctuary. The names of the almost 3000 people who died are honoured in bronze around the pools. Security is visible but not intrusive. One World Trade Centre ( also known as the Freedom Tower) is the main building of the rebuilt area and is a soaring gleaming skyscraper of glass that looks over the pools. It is the tallest building in the US and the Western Hemisphere and is higher than the Empire State Building. Building began in 2006 and was completed in 2013. From here we walked down to the Hudson River with the intention of doing the river cruise that goes past the Statue of Liberty. It was fully booked so we decided to do this another day. We walked along the Hudson River with many people out jogging, walking and cycling. I have noticed that so many people here wear AirPods - Its a New York thing! We stopped for bagels with an endless choice of fillings and bagel type at a nearby eatery before continuing on to Brooklyn Bridge. The idea was to walk across but it was so blazingly hot and there were so many people that we decided to leave this for another day.
Next it was Grand Central Station which is still operational and very impressive. Although it was bustling with commuters and tourists, the main concourse with its distinctive architecture and interior design was impressive and seemed to retain a sense of coolness despite the heat outside. Just a short distance from here, Kevin showed us ’The Campbell Apartment’, a popular watering hole and we were glad to sit and relax with some drinks in its cool and subdued lighting. From here we caught a subway to Central Park. There were hundreds of people, both young and old out enjoying the day and we strolled along the paths and sat and watched a baseball game for a time. We retired, hot and tired back to a mercifully air conditioned apartment . Tonight Kevin and I ordered Chicken Tikka. Wow - pretty amazing and first class!
