Visiting the 9/11 Memorial

{This is a guest post by Elsa Bearden.}

 

On my first trip to New York in 2010, the Freedom Tower was still under construction. Six years later on my second trip, I knew I had to visit this iconic monument as well as the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. I felt a little guilty though for wanting to visit these places; how could I enjoy visiting a place where hundreds of people died as if I was touring the Empire State Building or going to see a Broadway show? 

Our hotel was only two blocks or so from the Freedom Tower, but it wasn't until we walked upon the memorial fountains that I realized this visit would be completely unlike the others. Even with hundreds of visitors snapping their photos, there was a somber, quiet atmosphere which only thickened as we entered the museum. Two large beams, remnants of one of the towers greeted us as we entered the museum.

We spent hours making our way through the pictures, videos, and stories of that horrible day. We heard sniffles from other visitors and saw tears on a glass case which held the belongings of people whose stories we would never know.

Some content was disturbing and may not be suitable for younger children; some adults may not want to view these portions either. The notices for these areas in the museum were surprisingly small, so be sure to pay attention to any new sections or rooms you may be entering. If you're planning a visit, know that it will be an emotional one. I realized that our visit was a way to honor the memories of people like you and me, and I'm glad we had the chance to take this trip. 

After our visit to the museum, we bustled over to Ladurée where we enjoyed lunch in an elegant setting. I felt like we had stepped into a scene on Downton Abbey, even if the restaurant is French. It was really nice to spend this time talking and catching up on faith, family, and the future. 

 

Later that day, we did go see a Broadway show, but that was only after Deli and I visited the TKTS Discount Booth in Times Square and purchased same-day tickets at a lower price. We dressed in our best outfits and hurried to the theater, since Abby and Sara decided to get lost taking the subway. We saw a new show based on the movie An American in Paris, which I've never seen. It was a fun, romantic drama with love triangles, ballet dancing, and even some history. It reminded me of the movie White Christmas, as the setting is after World War II and of course, there's singing and dancing.

Exhausted from our long day, we made our way back to the hotel and geared up for the next day's adventure: a trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island! 

We'll Always Have New York

Photo by Deli

I was recently in New York City for a couple of days with my sister, Elsa, and two lovely friends Deli and Sara. They flew up from Texas, which lucky for them was a straight flight! Unfortunately for me, I was coming from the EU. Flights out of Cyprus can be interesting...in my case, they have been crazy. Flights are either very early in the morning, or late in the evening with an overnight layover somewhere. But to me, it's all part of the adventures of traveling.

I flew out Wednesday and had an overnight layover in Vienna and wouldn't fly out Thursday morning until 10:45. I stayed at the NH Wien Airport for the night. I booked this hotel on Expedia because I was able to use points I had accumulated over the past few months. Being a VIP, I was upgraded to a nicer room and was able to help myself to the mini-bar, which included plenty of delicious snacks. You also can't go wrong with breakfast at the hotel! It had a very large spread of food and cappuccino machines everywhere.

I got pretty lucky on my Austrian Airlines flight. It wasn't full. I was in the very back of the plane and waited for everyone to board. Once boarding was complete, I snagged the 4-seat row next to me. After having another small lunch on board, I laid out and fell asleep. Traveling can take all the energy out of you!

Because my friends and I were arriving at different times, I chose to hire a car from Luxor and have a meet and greet when I came out of the terminal. My flight was two hours early though. By the time I went through customs and baggage claim, I still had about an hour to wait. I called the company to inform them, and the lady I was speaking to put me on hold to inform my chauffeur. The lady got back with me and said my ride was 5 min. away, which was nice. I waited by the curb and just a few minutes later he arrived, loaded up my luggage, and we were on our way. I was provided with water and mints, which I graciously took.



After about an hour and a half, I finally made it to the Financial District and pulled up to the NY Marriott Downtown. I went to the room and was welcomed to a king-size bed. I knew this would not do since there were four of us! I went downstairs and asked for two full-size beds. He assured me they had plenty of rooms and that it was just one floor up. I finally settled into the room, called everyone to let them know I had made it, and took some snapshots of our view. It was wonderful!



I had skipped the meal on the airplane and soon realized I was hungry. Connected to the hotel was Bill's Bar & Burger and I stopped in for a quick bite to eat. I still had many hours before the girls were supposed to arrive (they didn't arrive until almost 1...in the morning). It was a nice evening and hadn't yet cooled down, so I walked to Brookfield Place, which has a few shops. I walked by the 9/11 Memorial and the Freedom Tower. We bought tickets for the museum, which we will talk about in a few posts to come. At Brookfield, I visited Gucci to look for some espadrilles, but wasn't able to locate any, so I went back to the hotel.  

After a very long day, I snuggled into bed and turned the TV on. I dozed off several times before I got a message from Deli that they had landed. Less than an hour later, Elsa texted me that they were just a few minutes away from the hotel and to meet them in the lobby.  I sleepily (and grudgingly) changed and went downstairs. As soon as the elevator doors opened they were standing right in front of me! I quickly woke up and hugged everyone, and I just became so excited.

Our coats were all the same color, and we named ourselves the Trench Coat Mafia.

This was going to be a fun weekend!

Capri

Before we left for Italy, I had done some research on what to do while in Capri. One of the things I discovered was to purchase a pair of handmade sandals. Well, guess what I just had to do? I was super excited about this day. I was also sad, though, because it was the last day of our trip. I wanted to soak it all in before we flew out.



After breakfast, we took a bus to our boat that would take us to the Island of Capri. We were given options to walk around and do as we please or take a boat ride around the whole island on a tour. We opted for the boat ride, and I'm glad we did.

Before our boat tour, we had time to shop, and I visited many shoe shops that made sandals! I looked around and settled on a pair which were handmade in 10 minutes. We stopped at a coffee shop, and I drank a cappuccino while Zach had gelato. The weather was perfect. I couldn't have asked the good Lord for any better!

For the boat tour, our captain pointed out interesting things about the island. There is an archway called Faraglioni, and you are supposed to go through this rock formation and kiss your sweetheart. If you do this, then you and your sweetheart will be together forever. Well, from a distance it looked like a rather small opening, yet our captain drove his boat right through it. 

After our boat tour, we sadly said goodbye to Capri and headed back to our hotel in Sorrento. We freshened up and took our last tour to Positano, a beautiful area of houses, shops, and eateries on the seaside cliff. Unfortunately, the weather was gloomy, the drive was very windy, and I became car sick. I did not get to enjoy my time there but still managed to eat gelato. This made me feel a little better, until our drive back.



That evening we had one last farewell dinner. We had a nice, last evening of delicious Italian food. It was very fresh. This lovely place was more like a home. I'm sorry I did not get more information about this place, for it really was a treat. The chef prepared a dish of rice with a lemony sauce. Sounds simple right? It was so much more than that. Not only did I eat my portion, I ate Zach's...I am ashamed. Not really. It was really good!  But the time came for us to say goodbye to our fellow travelers, our tour guide, and our bus driver. After hugs and kisses, we found what time we should be in the lobby to leave for the airport and got some rest before our outgoing flight the next day.

We awoke early and headed to the Naples Municipal Airport. It is always sad leaving a country you fall in love with, but I have been back to Rome since then. Italy will always have a piece of my heart.

The Lost City of Pompeii

I will always remember this wonderful day. Not only was I visiting a place I dreamed to visit, but it was also my birthday. Happy birthday to me! 

Photo by ZH

As we left Rome, I began thinking about our next stop to a city buried and discovered over 1,600 years later. When I was a wee lassie in school, we would learn about Pompeii in class. I always did research on it because this lost city was so fascinating to me. Since the internet wasn't easily accessible at the time, I would check out books from the library about this once prosperous place.

Seeing Mt. Vesuvius was surreal and being in Pompeii was even more so. This once flourishing city (AD 79) was completely buried in ash and rock and wasn't discovered until the 1740s.

We spent two hours with a guide learning all we could. It simply wasn't enough time, and there was so much more to see! But our knowledgeable guide took us to some interesting sights. For instance, we visited the dwelling place that might have once belonged to a nobleman and his family.

Photo by ZH

Photo by ZH

Our guide also showed us these stones along the road that rise higher than the rest of the road. These were used in case of flooding, and people could take care in crossing the street. I tried walking from one to another, but my short legs would not allow me to. I would have been completely drenched by the time I got home or swept away by the water.

Because the ash preserved Pompeii, we were able to see different possessions and items that might have been used during everyday life. Sadly, we also saw the cast of bodies of people who once lived there.

Photo by ZH

After Pompeii, we drove to Sorrento, our stopping place for the night. We visited a store that makes wooden items, and I purchased a music box while Zach bought a mini travel chessboard. Happy about our purchases, we headed with our little group to a restaurant. Oh, did I mention it was my birthday? Ciro, our tour guide, told the manager of the restaurant, and the staff brought out a piece of cake with a candle on it. I was grinning from ear to ear!

Photo by ZH

Back at our hotel, Zach and I were still thinking about Pompeii. We found videos on YouTube and watched documentaries until we were so tired we had to go to sleep. Visiting Pompeii was a fantastic birthday gift!

Photo by ZH