Lady Liberty

After being in New York for 4 days we are nearly locals; the continual stream of beeping horns and sirens no longer bother us, nor the traffic, (like the rest of the crowd we ignore the signs and just keep walking) and we have become expert weavers through large groups of people. Something else we have become accustomed too is staying up late and sleeping in. So this morning, we decided to break the cycle and get up early - I managed to get up at 7am, the rest at 8 ..... well it was early enough.

Today was all about "The Lady". So with snacks and lunch packed, we again tackled the subway but with our inside knowledge, we knew what we were actually doing today. Penn Station, Subway E downtown to the last stop The World Trade Centre but from the correct platform this time. So like the locals, we were calm, confident and on the right subway train.

At the end, we had to make our way to Battery Park. So rather than walk through the city streets again, we decided to head directly west and hit the water (the Hudson) and follow the esplanade around to the park and Ferry. As soon as we turned west, the cold breeze which we have been avoiding or hasn't actually been around till today hit us quite promptly. Gloves, beanies, vests and scarves came out and we rugged up to walk 15mins to the Park. Last night, we discovered that the Concierge could not book tickets for the Ferry or the walk through The Lady. This, of course, did not worry our fearless travel guide who whipped out his computer, booked everything in the blink of an eye and even organised for our tickets to be collected from the

ticket office in the morning.

We knew the weather would be a bit colder being on the water; however, my comment about the weather being so beautiful was a little too early. Today was quite cold and windy, and no matter how many times Hayley asked to sit upstairs and outside on the Ferry, we refused.

The Lady Liberty statue was given to America by France in recognition of the 100 years of independence when the French fought alongside the Americans in the War of Independence. After entering the statue, we visited the museum which told the history of the statue, it's making, it's journey and it's establishment where it lies today. In this museum, there were exact replicas (in size) of the statue's face and left foot which were incredible. Her story was quite incredible in terms of how she was designed, forged, moulded and then created. I had no idea that the actual thickness of the statue itself is only as thick as two pennies, to think she stands so firmly against the elements on that river is quite impressive. While her construction was done so in France, the base on which she stands was created in America.

After the museum, we had purchased tickets which allowed us to climb to the top of the pedestal on which she stands where there is a small balcony. After many stairs, we were able to look out over The Hudson River back at Manhattan and over to New Jersey - it was quite pretty and very cold. A quick bite and we caught the ferry over to Ellis Island.

Originally, this island was the port of immigration and to imagine the number of people who would cross the oceans and walk through the halls of this building was amazing. Although there was really nothing to view or even do, except look through the historical museum, it was clear that many people would come to the island in search of their ancestors.

Another Ferry ride ("can we please go outside ......") to return back to Battery Park and New York to get the subway to our favourite shopping Centre -> Whole Foods, and then a quick walk "home". We had been in search of a laundromat to do some washing and planned to ask the hotel concierge. On our way up to our room, I wanted to inspect the fitness room, since I had time today for a quick run, and to our surprise, what was right next door but a guest laundry. Needless to say what our evening was filled with (plus a jog). This was while we enjoyed another beautiful steak, a sausage burger for Hayley and some fresh seafood chowder for Miranda. Am glad chef Pe're could join us on this trip.