Today we got up, caught the train and then a Lyft to Pier 83 in Manhattan. There we got on the "Circle Line Tour". This was a 2 1/2 hour boat ride that took us all the way around the island of Manhattan.
We can’t repeat all of the interesting facts and sites that we saw during the time, but it was fabulous. We had a chance to see how large Manhattan is with its two really large areas of skyscrapers, as well so many other businesses and apartment buildings. Our tour guide, a retired Navy vet and New York native, reminded us that basically everybody who lives in “The City“ lives in apartment buildings. We went under many different bridges, including the famous Brooklyn Bridge. We also got a chance to get fairly close to the Statue of Liberty. It just makes your heart beat a little fast when you get to see the Statue of Liberty. We weren’t able to take the ferry over and be on the island, but it still was stunning to see her standing and imagine her welcoming all of those immigrants coming to New York and the United States. Right next door to Statue of Liberty is Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants came seeking a new life. The tour was really stunning and we appreciated taking lots of photos and hearing about the history of the city.
From there, we walked over to the Hell's Kitchen area and had a delicious lunch at aThai restaurant. The place had fun food and we were happy to get out of the heat into some air-conditioning.
When we done with lunch, we took a Lyft over to tour the United Nations. Our friend Gere had done a lot of work through the United Methodist general church body that included work in the United Nations at various times. We were very moved to be on a tour lead by a young man from France, and one that included people from around the world who were interested in coming to visit the United Nations. The UN is a place dedicated to working out conflicts and creating peace in the world. It was a beautiful tour with many lovely moments. We were not able to get into the chamber where the Security Council meets because a meeting was in session. We often hear about decisions made by the United Nations, and it was very sobering to know even as we are on vacation, people are toiling to try to make the world a more peaceful place.
We made a couple more stops as we were leaving, including the chapel and office that Gere had worked out of for the United Methodist church. We also went into the Chrysler Building which was stunning. And we spent a little quiet time in the Ford Foundation Building, which had a garden quiet area for people just to come and find peace in the middle of the city. All of these were lovely and gave just a little bit more sense of the richness of the City.
Then, we stopped at a trendy urban food court. Good food, but it was unbelievably noisy!!! We couldn’t talk at all, but just ate and watched the very cool young workers flirt and drink. Then we left and then took our train back to our place. Even though we had tried to cut down on walking, we still walked over 7 miles today. New York is tiring!
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