Sunday, June 17, 2007

A different kind of birthday

This past week's weather in NY has been,to say the least, spectacular with my kind of temperature between 58 to 72 degrees F! Because of it and since the week included also my birthday I decided on that day to decline another luncheon invitation (had 3 last week) and just be outdoors as much as possible.

The morning went by very quickly with phone calls galore, also from Albania and Italy, but in the afternoon I took a ride all the way to the very tip of Manhattan island, and, when there, I couldn't resist getting on board the Staten Island Ferry which crosses the large bay of NY. It was the perfect day to be on the water!





I hadn't been in that area in years and I was very pleasantly surprised about the many changes that have occurred in it, not only in the skyline, but also at the ferry's terminals. They have been completely modernized inside out, with roofs made of solar panels, spacious terraces to relax on, and digital display monitors for the many bus connections at destination.


(solar panels barely visible amidst the highraisers)


The rides scheduled every half hour are one of several free things that NY offers not only to tourists, but also to its residents, many of whom commute this way every day.



The boats remain crowded, as usual, with people armed with camcorders and cameras, and one has to elbow his/her way to the outside railing to be able to snap pictures, especially on the side that faces the Statue of Liberty.


The Brooklyn's commercial waterfront



The old fort on Governor's Island



The Verrazzano's Bridge (= port of NY entry)



The Manhattan's skyline seen from Staten Island



On right, low, flat, Ellis Island against the coast of the state of New Jersey



Liberty Island


Differences noticed on board from the past are the presence of uniformed policemen that patrol the decks, and the fact that the return trip cannot be taken anymore without disembarking. One has to leave the boat at destination and use a different one to get back.


Downtown Manhattan (void of the Twin towers on the left)




By the time I returned home I felt drunk with air since I don't normally spend so much time in the wind and in such bright sunshine that reflects its rays over the water. I hadn't played tourist in my own town in a long, long time and enjoyed it!

2 comments:

ITS said...

That's wonderful... I tell almost everybody that visits New York to take the ferry to Staten Island and back for some spectacular and cheap form of entertainment...

You made me all teary-eyed... with those photos...

Happy B-day!

U bofsh 100 vjec, ose sa te dush vete....

© DAI - 2004-2014 said...

Thanks, ITS! I reciprocate the wishes for your B-day that, I know, is coming within the current zodiac time period, right?