| What a full day we had yesterday. We had a | | | | proceeded to Ground Zero. The area is fenced |
| delightful breakfast in our bed and breakfast | | | | off with various posters showing the history |
| at about 8:30 am and shared some nice | | | | of the buildings, the events of 911, and the |
| conversations with a young couple from Sweden | | | | names of the more than 2700 victims. The |
| and an older couple from Holland, the hostess | | | | tragedy of 911 is very hard to grasp and when |
| was participating as well. This is one of my | | | | you are right there where it happened, you |
| favourite things about bed and breakfasts, | | | | remember all the horrible pictures and the |
| usually they offer really tasty filling meals | | | | even more horrible events of that fateful |
| and a great conversation to go with it.We got | | | | day, now more than 31/2 years ago. It is so |
| going at around noon and hopped off the | | | | hard to imagine these 2 enormous buildings |
| subway just before the Brooklyn Bridge and | | | | collapsing, surrounded on all sides by other |
| ended up exploring the historic Brooklyn | | | | highrise towers, and what it must have been |
| Heights neighbourhood a bit, a place with | | | | like that day, with people running through |
| many well-preserved brownstones and expensive | | | | the streets, debris raining down, rescue |
| apartment buildings with a perfect view of | | | | workers risking their lives to help the |
| downtown Manhattan. Then we started our walk | | | | victims. The police presence, by the way, was |
| across the Brooklyn Bridge, and started to | | | | very strong and we weren't sure if there was |
| soak in the vistas of the famous | | | | a special reason for that or if that was the |
| skyscrapers.The Manhattan Bridge is very | | | | case every day.After reflecting for a while |
| close to the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire | | | | and absorbing the incomprehensible nature of |
| State Building is visible on the horizon. | | | | that tragedy we walked south on Liberty |
| Tons of walkers and bikers were making the | | | | Street into Battery Park. Lots of African |
| trekk across the bridge and the weather was | | | | entrepreneurs were around with suitcases and |
| pretty decent, sunny with about 16 degrees | | | | bags full of merchandise and it seems they |
| Celsius.After the bridge we arrived at NYC | | | | were very careful not to be seen by the |
| City Hall which was blocked off to pedestrian | | | | police. We had a beautiful view across the |
| traffic and there was a big congregation of | | | | bay towards the statue of liberty and |
| media people on the front steps. Tons of | | | | proceeded to our next destination - the |
| people were sitting around the beautiful | | | | Staten Island Ferry terminal, where our next |
| fountain just outside of city hall and with | | | | adventure began...Susanne Pacher is the |
| the blue sky, the blooming trees and the | | | | publisher of a website called Travel and |
| surrounding architectural arrangements this | | | | Transitions( Travel and Transitions deals |
| was just the perfect place to snap away with | | | | with unconventional travel and is chock full |
| the camera. I particularly fell in love with | | | | of advice, tips, real life travel |
| the ornate spires of the Woolworth | | | | experiences, interviews with travellers and |
| Building.Then we headed further west, | | | | travel experts, insights and reflections, |
| explored the yard of St. Paul's Cathedral | | | | cross-cultural issues, contests and many |
| which is right across from the World Trade | | | | other features. You will also find stories |
| Center location. As a first place of refuge | | | | about life and the transitions that we face |
| after the tragedy, the churchyard has many | | | | as we go through our own personal life-long |
| plaques commemorating the events of 911 and | | | | journeys.Submit your own travel stories in |
| it took more than 2 years to clear all the | | | | our first travel story contest( and have a |
| debris from the yard that had fallen down | | | | chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on |
| with the collapse of the buildings.We then | | | | the Amazon River. |