The awesome weather continues, 12 degrees, bright and sunny. Unfortunately Mardi has done something to a toe. It looks swollen and very sore, so she decides to put her feet up for much of the day.
I nick out to the chemist and get some antiseptic cream, drugs and bandages. I also stock up on water and some milk.
When I get back, after playing nurse, I’ve got some work to do, so use the time to do some reading and preparing for a couple of meetings. We eat some left overs for lunch.
As Mardi is resting easily for the afternoon, I head downtown to the World Trade Centre. I catch the 1 train downtown and get off at Cortlandt Street. The station reopened 17 years after the attacks and the walls are tactile in nature featuring words from key documents: the Declaration of Independence and the UN declaration of human rights.
I come out in the Oculus, which is a white structure that resembles a large skeleton, think rib cage of the biggest whale or dinosaur you can imagine. Inside at the lower levels are a host of transport options. The upper two internal levels are upscale shops. Including a massive Apple store. I wander from end to end and back again. I’m not looking at shops, I’m actually trying to get out. Eventually after a few laps across the multiple levels I find the exit.
I enter the streets at Greenwich Street and my breath is taken away from me. The mammoth 1 World Trade Centre towers above me on the right, as the memorial ponds from the original buildings are in front of me. I’ve been here before, but it never gets old. Such a special space.
The sun is shining, but a cold wind blows, swirling the autumn leaves at my feet. Some catch on my jeans as I walk. The ground is thick with autumnal colour. The space is still very solemn and eerie some 22 years after that unforgettable September. I sit and take in the area. It’s quiet, the sound of leaves being moved along by the wind comes in waves. A plane overhead sends a chill down my spine as sirens in the distance blare. There aren’t many people about and the roads are free of traffic.
I get up and walk around a bit. The sun dances off the massive glass building offering interesting photographic opportunities. I walk to Liberty Park and absorb the view and my surrounds again. The Koenig Sphere stands defiant – the only piece of public art/sculpture that survived the attacks 22 years ago.
I slowly make my way back to the oculus. Some art installations are on display. A collection of animals on a bike and an elephant and rabbit sit chatting on a bench. The bronze sculptures are by Gille and Marc. Learn more here: https://gillieandmarc.com
I explore the sculptures for a while, before descending into the belly of the oculus. It’s a lot easier finding the 1 train home. Mardi has had a good rest. We pop out for dinner, more street food, and bring it back to our apartment. Simple and easy and not too much walking.
