Daff's Deliberations: When the bells didn't ring out for Christmas

Part Two of our adventures December 2019, which I never got round to chronicalling at the time. Sunday 22nd December

After bagels for breakfast in Brooklyn we begin the day by catching the first of many subway trains as we were introduced to New York. I recorded the moment for posterity, in case we ever decide to release an album and need a suitable photo...

First stop Fort Stirling Park with panoramic views. It may look like a virtual backdrop, but it really is the iconic view of New York. The KHT was delighted to see the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

Virtual background or iconic view?

"Ferry or subway?" asked our personal guides

"Ferry!" I replied, knowing the KHT would adore the boat and we had plenty more subway rides to come before the day was done. As it was Sunday we had an hour wait - time for a coffee then...

Ticket to ride

From the ferry we walked up Wall Street, past Holy Trinity church (12 bells) dwarfed by the neighbouring buildings. The bellringers had hoped that they could ring for Christmas, but the church was undergoing major renovations so it was not possible. We will just have to return then!

There were various statues to pose besides,including this one 'Fearless Girl'. Tourists politely waited their turn to have their photo taken as a virtual souvenir of their visit.

Fearless KHT

George Washington also found himself in a Humphrey sandwich...

The KHT had requested to visit Ground Zero - a vast open space amidst the architectural giants. Despite the crowds there was a respectful hush that contrasted with the noise and busyness of the rest of the city. Visitors lined the perimeters of the vast pools, reading the names of strangers they will never meet, feeling a connection with the images imprinted in their brains of that September day, when blue skies were turned to grey as violence tore into and wounded the heart of this city.

Next we passed through the World Trade Centre Transportation Hub - a stunningly beautiful building and one of my favourite in New York. It may be designed for retail use and to provide access to the subway network but has both the atmosphere and dimensions of a cathedral.

On Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas, New York's Transit Museum runs trains with carriages from 1920's onwards - an opportunity too good to miss and to gain the envy of our train geek friends back home.

As we hurtled through subterranean New York in our vintage carriage, the sliding door at the end of the carriage had a tendency to slide open, revealing the gap between the carriages where a few chains rattled in the hope of preventing a catastrophe! I found myself praying that no-one slipped.

Time for lunch, we decided to visit an Irish pub. On the Sunday before Christmas it was busy and we had to wait for a table, but it was interesting just to stand and watch, particularly as the Catholic priest greeted his flock. There was clearly a regular clientele as well as tourists such as ourselves.

The food was well worth the wait :)

Confession time

Our visit to America was to see our son and his partner, to see their house, where they live and work and to experience a little of America. I was not particularly interested in New York (other than the opportunity to ring some American bells - which we were not able to do. )

"It is just a city full of tower blocks - how can it possibly be interesting?" I would say, and those who had visited New York would just smile.

I have to admit that I was fascinated by the architecture, especially the iron staircases with pull up ladders that were fixed to many of the older buildings.

What was it like to be behind that strange kink in that wall of glass? Did the people in lower part look up at the sky more and did those behind the upper angled section feel as if they were about to fall into the street?

I could have wandered the streets for hours just looking and taking photographs, admiring the architectural quirks, such as ancient water tanks on roof tops.

I found the reflections of buildings upon buildings fascinating.

A reminder that nothing exists in isolation, everything has an impact on its surrounding.

We visited the Grand Central Station - sorry Birmingham, yours is nice, but doesn't quite have the grandure of its name sake

Off the station was a train shop with extensive train layout

A guy tried to spin us a yarn about the nuns in the model...

Then we did a whistle stop tour of New York Public Library, housed in another impressive building, which I think was close to the church we didn't ring at earlier...

By now it was getting dark so we joined half of New York in trying to admire the stunning computerised display at Macy's, complete with interactive windows if you could get near the shop frontage.

"Can we go and see the Rockefeller tree?" requested the KHT and so we did.

This seasonal arboreal delight was not really on my radar, but the KHT had obviously seen some reference to it and it was well worth getting a glimpse of, as was the adjacent angel.