It was an overcast day today, with light rain, so Tracee and I purchased a couple of poncho's and cheap umbrellas. Our first drop off point was the Battery Park pier near the financial district. We then had a 20 minute walk up Broadway to the 9/11 Memorial. The Freedom Tower is impressive, towering over the site of the former Twin Tower buildings. When attacked, the enormous weight of each building was supported by an inner wire cage, which melted from the heat of the fire caused by the two aircraft that were flown into the towers, causing them both to collapse. Security is very tight here (understandably) as work continues on the rebuilding of the World Trade Centre buildings. You have to pass through airport type security checks to get in. The memorial is comprised of two fountain pools on the sites of the North and South Towers. The surrounds are engraved with the names of the 2,983 men, women and children who lost there lives in the terrorist attacks. It is a very solemn place and really hits home the magnitude of what happened that day in 2001.
We walked back down to the pier and caught the next available water taxi across to Brooklyn. We then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and back again. This bridge is unique in that the pedestrian and cycle walkway is above the traffic lanes. When it was built in 1883, it was at that time the largest suspension bridge in the world.
We then waited for the next water taxi to come along and cruised out to see the Statue of Liberty. You used to be able to walk up to the viewing platform in the crown, but this ceased after 9/11.
We returned to Pier 84 and then did some shopping for dinner and walked back to our hotel. We had walked some kilometers today!
No comments:
Post a Comment