This was maybe the shortest weekend on record here but for some reason the post telling you about it is quite the opposite.
Sorry.
Hubs was in Taiwan last week and didn't get home until Saturday morning.
We promptly went out to breakfast.
Raise your hand if you love to go out for breakfast.
Monday rolled around too soon and my hubs left for Belgium today.
Now, had I been the one arriving home after eighty seven hundred hours of flying across multiple time zones knowing there was another long haul flight just a day and a half away...well, there is only one place I would have been.
On the couch.
Napping.
And in between naps I'd probably be a little bit cranky too.
When I travel I need lots of time on either end of my trip to recharge. But my hubs arrived home looking like himself and full of energy...we ran some errands, went to the movies, shopped for his mom's birthday gift and went out to dinner too. And there is for sure no way I would have spent Sunday afternoon traipsing around New York City but he was up for it so...
We took the pup and headed over to Battery Park. The park is in the financial district, not far from the World Trade Center site. We tend to think all things modern when we think New York and we sometimes forget New York was an early settlement. The fort known as Castle Clinton sits in Battery Park.
Today you buy your ferry tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island here.
Old world meets new.
Battery Park gets its name from the cannon battery installed here in colonial times to protect the settlement from invasion by sea. A portion of the wall of the original battery is still here in Castle Clinton. It was discovered during subway excavation.
Revolutionary war soldiers had no idea.
Also sitting in Battery Park is this metal sculpture known as The Sphere.
It sat for many years in the plaza of The World Trade Centers but was badly damaged during the 9-11 tragedy. It was placed in Battery Park as a temporary memorial to those who died in the attack.
We headed out of the park and we came around by Ground Zero.
It is full of cranes and rubble and construction.
It is still astounding to see.
And sad.
Especially against today's bright clear blue sky.
We continued walking and passed St. Paul's Chapel which is located just across from the WTC site. This sculpture is known as the Trinity root.
There was an enormous old sycamore tree outside St. Paul's chapel which helped shelter the chapel during the blast. The tree itself was ripped out of the ground and an artist made a mold of the stump from the tree and used other tree segments to make the sculpture.
Life and the resilience of the human spirit.
Further up the road is the magnificent Trinity Church which is very similar in design to St. Martins in the Field in London. It is Gothic and so beautiful. Alexander Hamilton is buried here.
Anyone see National Treasure? At the corner of Broadway and Wall?
We kept walking.
Did I mention that we walked a lot?
Hubs had the brilliant idea that we should head to Little Italy and get a cannoli
from Ferrara's bakery.
Uh, okay.
I don't think I'll say no to that.
If you are in NYC you must go to Little Italy and have something wonderful from Ferrara's.
It's an institution.
And right across the street is this amazing shop know as DiPaolos.
The cheese.
Oh my.
We bought some fresh mozzarella and parmesan along with wonderful bread, sausage and antipasto and headed over to the nearby park to eat.
The area around City Hall and the Courthouse is lovely.
And full of squirrels which put Dixie on high alert.
On the way back to the car we decided to walk onto the Brooklyn Bridge.
I had no idea there was so much foot traffic on this bridge.
It's designed for both walkers and cars so we figured why not?
Empty Nesters people.
At this point our feet were pretty much screaming so we headed for the car.
I couldn't resist one more picture.
Too bad my camera was in the backseat because on our way out of the city we stopped at a red light and glanced over to see John Stossel on his bicycle. He was easily recognizable but you'll have to take my word for it.
This kind of day makes me long for spring.
Not a speck of snow on the ground in NYC but our yard is still covered.
I know it was a bit of a tease but I'll take it.
And for an abbreviated weekend we managed to pack a lot in.
I think this says it all.
