Wednesday, our grand tour of New York City begins. Our first stop was at the UN Building. We were indeed fortunate to be able to watch proceeding of the General Assembly from the balcony. The building and exhibits were impressive.
As we left the UN Building it was inspiring to see the flags of all the nations that have joined together to promote peace in the world.
Our next stop was Grand Central Terminal. This is the hub of transportation for New York City. Trains from the suburbs transport people to New York daily. It is a convenient link to the subway system which also connects New Yorkers to the rest of the city and boroughs. We ate lunch and people watched as they hurried to their destinations.
After boarding the bus, something that we did a lot of, we disembarked at Central Park where we walked through Strawberry Fields, a section dedicated to the memory of John Lennon.
Stopping at St. John's Cathedral was impressive. It is huge, and reflects the architecture of churches located in Europe. It is amazing that it continues to be an active church in downtown New York City.
Later we ate at a restaurant that served pork BBQ. After dinner we went to Times Square, had a cup of coffee and "people watched". It was one of the more relaxing times during the trip. Bettie and I were both surprised at the cleanliness of the city. We did not vagrants and felt safe when walking around in the city. We ended the day by attending theBroadway Musical, "South Pacific". Although we had both seen this musical before, the production was outstanding. The orchestra's live music was excellent and the singing made the entire evening a delight. We were amazed at the scenery and props. One scene included a life size airplane.
Bettie and I both agreed that the "noshing" tour was one of the highlights of the trip. We were treated to a tour guide who lives in New York and knows Greenwich Village like the back of her hand. During the tour we stopped at several businesses and sampled true New York food. Samples included New York style pizza, a rice ball that was fantastic, cheese, salami, and cream filled pastries. She also told about the architecture and tales about past residents. One tale was about two sisters who were feuding and their father built them both a house with a common courtyard. One day only one sister returned home..... Humm.
Bettie and I both agreed that the "noshing" tour was one of the highlights of the trip. We were treated to a tour guide who lives in New York and knows Greenwich Village like the back of her hand. During the tour we stopped at several businesses and sampled true New York food. Samples included New York style pizza, a rice ball that was fantastic, cheese, salami, and cream filled pastries. She also told about the architecture and tales about past residents. One tale was about two sisters who were feuding and their father built them both a house with a common courtyard. One day only one sister returned home..... Humm. Bettie was intregued with a restaurant that we walked through and behind the building was a house that they used for parties. It was the original home of a Dutch family before businesses were built in Greenwich.
We left Greenwich and traveled to Central Park where we took a carriage ride. It was fun, but it only lasted 20 minutes. The driver said that they work seven days a week, but the horses do not work the entire day. He stressed that the horses were of more value that the carriages. He also said that they work in the winter and are in the park except when the temperature drops to below 20 degrees.
After the carriage ride we traveled down Broadway in preparation for our second Broadway show. We attended another great show, "Chicago". The orchestra was on stage and the actors performed in front of the orchestra. There was no scenery, and the dancing was excellent.
On Friday we visited another cathedral which was as grand as the first one that we saw. All the churches in the Midwest were dwarfed by the St. Patrick's Cathedral. The building materials were of the highest quality and the cost to build it had to be exorbitant.
We ate lunch at the Tavern on the Green. We had heard on the news the day before that the restaurant had filed for bankruptcy. In spite of their financial problems we had a delectable lunch which included a salad, chicken, and scrumptious desert. As you can see the furnishing were ornate.
When we traveled we knew why we had paid for a tour of New York City. The streets are narrow and crowed. Our bus driver took the traffic in stride. Sometimes there was less that a couple of inches between the coach and a truck or other obstacle. We just sat back and relaxed, as least as much as possible.
It is amazing that the Empire State Building still stands majestically against the sky. When you see the sturcture up close you appreciate the architectual design and the engineering that went into the building of this skyscraper. After seeing it you truly understand why it was called a "skyscraper".
To the left is the Stock Exchange. The picture was taken on Wall Street. We wondered how the trading was going as we passed, but all seemed quiet.
We viewed the "Ground Zero" from the World Trade Center. Today you can't see much at the site because of the fencing and escavation. It is almost erie to think that eight years ago two towering buildings stood on this site.
On Saturday, we walked through Chinatown and Little Italy, but the highlight of the day was the evening cruise. We were told that we needed to dress up for the cruise, but we didn't have a place to change clothes. The bus driver pulled under an underpass and the women got off and the men changed on the bus. When they had finished changing the women boarded the bus and they changed clothes. What a riot. Trying to find the right tie, shoes, or sweater.
After a late night, we were on the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty at 7:30 a.m. The view from the ferry of the Statue of Liberty is breathtaking. It truly is a symbol of the freedom that we enjoy in this country. Unfortunately we were not able to climb to the crown, but there are 156 steps to the top of the base on which the statue stands. The view of the Hudson River from the base was awesome. We then traveled to Ellis Island which was the destination for many immigrants who entered the United States. Bettie and I were tired and planned to only spend a short time on the island, but we got caught up in the exhibits.
As we walked through the immigration building we felt a great deal of pride in our country. We read quotes from many of the immigrants and realized that they had given up everything just to travel to the U.S. It was hard to imagine traveling to a foreign land and not being able to speak the language with plans to start a new life. For some of them their trip was not over after arriving in New York, they still had to travel to some distant city to find relatives who had sponsored them. It was a very moving experience and will not be forgotten.
It is amazing that the Empire State Building still stands majestically against the sky. When you see the sturcture up close you appreciate the architectual design and the engineering that went into the building of this skyscraper. After seeing it you truly understand why it was called a "skyscraper".
To the left is the Stock Exchange. The picture was taken on Wall Street. We wondered how the trading was going as we passed, but all seemed quiet.
We viewed the "Ground Zero" from the World Trade Center. Today you can't see much at the site because of the fencing and escavation. It is almost erie to think that eight years ago two towering buildings stood on this site.
This day we also toured the NBC Studio where we saw where the news was broadcast. In fact we were allowed to produce our own news broadcast, but on a much smaller scale. Two of the members of the caravan participated. One sat behind the news desk and read the news from a teleprompter and the other delivered the weather using a "green screen".
We toured Radio City Music Hall and met a "Rockette". The Rockettes only perform around the Christmas Holidays in New York, but they also perform other times at other venues around the United States.
On Saturday, we walked through Chinatown and Little Italy, but the highlight of the day was the evening cruise. We were told that we needed to dress up for the cruise, but we didn't have a place to change clothes. The bus driver pulled under an underpass and the women got off and the men changed on the bus. When they had finished changing the women boarded the bus and they changed clothes. What a riot. Trying to find the right tie, shoes, or sweater.
We arrived at the ship which had one deck with a glass bubble over the entire dining area. The view was spectacular and the food was unsurpassed. We were served lobster bisque, oven roasted salmon, and a chocolate torte or New York style cheesecake. Needless to say, we relished every bite.
After a late night, we were on the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty at 7:30 a.m. The view from the ferry of the Statue of Liberty is breathtaking. It truly is a symbol of the freedom that we enjoy in this country. Unfortunately we were not able to climb to the crown, but there are 156 steps to the top of the base on which the statue stands. The view of the Hudson River from the base was awesome. We then traveled to Ellis Island which was the destination for many immigrants who entered the United States. Bettie and I were tired and planned to only spend a short time on the island, but we got caught up in the exhibits.
As we walked through the immigration building we felt a great deal of pride in our country. We read quotes from many of the immigrants and realized that they had given up everything just to travel to the U.S. It was hard to imagine traveling to a foreign land and not being able to speak the language with plans to start a new life. For some of them their trip was not over after arriving in New York, they still had to travel to some distant city to find relatives who had sponsored them. It was a very moving experience and will not be forgotten. Bettie and I are glad that we made the trip, and we have a new appreciation for city life and our country.
