Looking from the park towards the new WTC
The 9/11 memorial featuring The Sphere and eternal flame
Squirrel!
Upon going through airport-style security and boarding the ferry, we camped on the top deck to score some photos on our approach to the first stop, Liberty Island!
Yep.
Spu getting excited!
Looking back towards Manhattan
Hi there, nice to meet cha
And then mock ya
There is an avenue with sculptures of prominent people associated with the Statue of Liberty, such as Gustave Eiffel who engineered the internal framework
Look, it's a crowd of Dads!
Following this, we went to Ellis Island and visited the Immigration Museum located in the former processing centre.
On the way in
The Great Hall where immigrants (such as Vito Corleone) were processed
A card with German text used to test the literacy of someone claiming to be German. WTF, I can read German but I'd fail that test because I can't read that gothic font!
The Ellis Island flag at half-mast. It was actually 9/11 when we visited and there was also a small exhibition showing pictures of what the view used to be, the reports from staff who witnessed the event, and how Ellis Island was used as a triage centre following the attacks.
In addition to a permanent exhibition outlining the immigrant experience at Ellis itself, there was another outlining the history of immigration to the US - reasons and wherefore, political action and reaction to various waves, etc. This was actually really interesting and we both wished we had more time to go through it more thoroughly.
Following this, we decided to head to Chelsea Markets to get some lunch and then go to the High Line in the Meatpacking district.
Mmmm, so many foods to choose from...
The High Line is a former elevated rail line that fell into disrepair by the 1980s, was overtaken by weeds, and is now being redeveloped into a park.
Spu relaxing on a bench...
...that has been built on top of the rail lines so they could be pushed together!
Enjoying a cupcake purchased at the market.
Depending on where you are, the elevation gave nice views over the Hudson river...
or the meatpacking district
Asian-Australian Gothic. The people who took this photo thought we were a couple until I said Spu was my brother. Don't people notice we look like each other?!
Plants growing through the rails
That evening, we met up with Drs. I-K and the new addition to the brood whom I'd never met - Maddie! We had dinner at their local on Roosevelt Island (burgers!), which turned into a trivia night in which we came second. Awesomeness all round.
Nance and Maddie
Marcus and Maddie
Even I had a shot at cuddling her! Spu did as well but I don't see to have a photo. She took to us pretty well given that we were complete strangers.
Also, to get to Roosevelt Island, we had to take the tram. There's a little park where you catch the tram on 59th and this sign in the park sums up my feelings exactly.
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