Coffee in a can

(Street sign in NY)

It’s Monday morning, and I leave the hotel to join the New Yorkers at breakfast in the Diner. This is getting to be easy already, and I sit at the bar and drink coffee and read the paper as my eggs are cooked. Although I’m not off to work like most of the people here, I will be joining some of them soon on the subway - my very first New York Subway trip.

The first strange thing I find about the subway is how close to the surface it is - it seems you only go a few steps down and you’re on the platform. I struggle a bit with the ticket machine, but only because it’s new to me, and soon get my ticket, and I’m on the platform and waiting for the train along with a mixed group of city dwellers. And I feel strangely at home - yes it’s all different, the trains are different and the people talk in strange accents - but it doesn’t feel at all threatening. In fact, I feel quite at home here in the hustle bustle of the subway. I get the train and actually find a seat as I start the journey down from 86th Street to South Ferry.


(The island in the distance)

Emerging blinking into the bright and windy day at South Ferry, I’m disoriented and walk round for a while looking for the ferry - no, not the Staten Island Ferry, although that looks a nice trip, but the one that will take me to Liberty Island. When I find it I see that there is a long queue but my pre-booked tickets get me to mid way along the line. There is a guy there entertaining the people with one of those metal steel band drums - chatting to the queue and playing snatches of songs appropriate to the people in line. We move slowly, first snaking back and forward along the shoreline, where we get pretty views out over the water, and then inside for security checks and more queuing. One boat leaves as I watch, but another ties up and we’re soon on board. My choice is to stand by the railing on the top deck - a good place to see things, but also probably the coldest place ever to stand!


(A picture perfect day on Liberty Island)

The boat gets steadily more full - there are so many people of all nationalities here - again, many accents! But eventually we are full, and head off - it is blustery out here but sunny, and there are a lot of us on deck cameras in hand. Slowly the island grows bigger and we get to cruse round it, and see the Statue for all sides before landing. It takes quite a few minutes for us all to disembark, but then we are walking towards the monument - it’s real, I’m actually here!


(Manhattan across the bay)

The first thing I do is go to the Visitors Centre to collect an audio tour, and then it is out to commence the tour round the island, hearing about its history and construction. Some of this I’ve known, and some I’ve now forgotten - in advance I always think that these audio tours are a Good Idea, and sometimes they are, but often they either tell you what you can see for yourself, or go into such detail that only the most ardent student would in interested. This tour veers on the side of too little information, but generally is good on guiding me around. I guess I’ve never though about the island itself - but the grounds are neatly trimmed, and there are some statues of the people who made the monument possible. And it is an island in the middle of a bay, so it’s surrounded by sea birds and the actual water lapping on the shore is attractive too. But in the end, the point of coming here is the statue herself. And she really IS impressive close up - I walk around and take photos from every angle - even a close up that works really well.


(Lady Liberty)

When I visit, the viewing gallery way up at the top of the statue is not open, but you can go into the base of the statue and view this, and the museum. However, you need to book in advance, and when I’d tried a month before all the dates were already fully booked. Even so, just walking round the base of Liberty on this cool spring morning makes me feel blessed to be able to be here, and to admit to being a tourist. I walk round twice - take a lot of pictures - and then - well, that’s it really, isn’t it?


(Welcome to America!)

So I get back onto the ferry, which goes on to Ellis Island, and the museum there. This is a picture-book pretty island, with its manicured lawns and trees just coming into bloom, and even the buildings look inviting on this bright day; I’m sure this is a far cry from the impression that the early immigrants had of the place.

(Ellis Island)
This would be a fascinating place to visit for those with relatives who come to the USA via Ellis Island, however, I decide to stay on the boat, rather than explore here. The boat empties and then fills again, and we are off back to Manhattan. This time all eyes are on the skyline - iconic and seen many times on film and TV, yet being actually real against the sparkling blue sky, with the occasional white fluffy cloud making it almost too much - is this real, or is this a film? Just as we approach shore the Staten Island ferry pulls out - just like they planned it for the a shoot.

I’ve been standing all this time on the top deck, so by the time we land I am really cold, and need to just walk for a bit to warm up. It’s now around mid day, and the queue for the ferry, which I had though was long, is now enormous! It must have taken over an hour for the people at the end of the queue to get to the front. As I walk I see a hot-dog stall, and they are advertising Starbucks Coffee - this sounds a good thing to warm me up so I order one - and it’s the first time I get coffee in a can! It comes ready sweetened, which is not something I’d have asked for if I had the choice, but it does at least warm me a little. There are the normal stalls here selling tourist trap stuff - a sun-visor in the shape of the Statue’s pointed crown, and everything you could think of with “I love NY” on it.



(War Memorial and Eagle)

The area round the ferry terminals is not just for waiting - there is also a garden of remembrance for the Second World War. This is a simple but moving monument - a swooping eagle made of black marble, which is guarding eight obelisks maybe 10 feet tall, each covered with the names of those who lost their lives in the Atlantic.


(Korean War memorial)

A bit further along is a memorial to the Korean War, and this is an interesting statue dedicated to “the universal soldier”. It is a solid block, with the silhouette of a soldier cut out of it, and the flags of many nations shown below.

And then further along still, a play area, with musical stones that a youngster was jumping on - free and abandoned and having a fun time - just like we should all do on this bright day in the land of the free.