Hallowed Ground

Willie and I are in NYC and have had a non-traditional Thanksgiving day. We decided that we wanted to visit the newly opened 911 Memorial at the site of the World Trade Center towers. So glad we did, as it is a lovely special memorial to those nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives that day.

The memorial is very simple which seems appropriate. Their are two huge reflecting pools, one where each tower stood. It seems very right that nothing was erected on this sight and that it is a permanent place of quiet and peace. Around each pool, the names of all who lost their lives that day, as well as those who perished in the 1993 Trade Center bombing, are etched. The grounds are planted with trees and there are benches for quiet reflection. The sides of each pool are huge waterfalls, probably 30 or 40 feet at least.

So in this photo you see part of the North Tower pool with some of the names visible in the foreground. Behind it is the building that will become the 911 Memorial Museum, and further behind it you can see the WTC 4 building which is under construction as well as some of the lower Manhattan skyline. As you can see, the sun was shining and the weather was lovely. Odd as it may seem, it was a perfect way to start the day.

We walked for several miles, I took well over 100 photos today, including some local birds, some scenes of the remnants of Occupy Wall Street, and some shots taken along the Hudson River from Battery Park. Its been a lovely day. Once I get home and sort through them, I will post some to Flickr. But for now, I think a nap is in order, followed by something interesting for dinner...maybe Vietnamese or perhaps Belgian...whatever tickles our fancy!

I hope that all my friends in the US are having a wonderful Thanksgiving, and those in the rest of the world are having a wonderful Thursday!

Debbi