In New York City with Jasmine – 9/11 Memorial

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I’d been to the memorial before, back in October 2013: (See: New York 9/11 Memorial).

According to Sowing Seeds of Faith:

The 9/11 Memorial is no ordinary tourist attraction. We were enjoying the sights and sounds of New York City but once we stepped on “Ground Zero” the laughter and chatter ceased. We were fellow mourners paying our respects. The 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 people from more than 90 countries. Everyone over the age of twenty still remembers where they were on September 11, 2001. How could you visit New York and not feel compelled to see where most of 9/11 occurred?

The 9/11 Memorial opened exactly ten years after the attacks. There are two pools set in the foundation of the former twin towers. Thirty-foot waterfalls – described in the brochure as the largest in North America – pour into the pools and then vanish in the center.

The names of every victim are inscribed in bronze around the pools. Not in alphabetical order as you would expect but based on “layers of meaningful adjacencies” that reflect where victims were on 9/11 or as relationships with others killed. To find specific names you go online or use a nearby electronic directory. Each name has a symbol beside it. For example: S-50 means South Pool, panel 50.

As I leaned over the wall to gaze at the waterfall, I couldn’t help but rub my hand over the engraved names and pronounce each one out loud. There were miniature American flags embedded in the lettering of a few. Some of the names were familiar. Like many churches, ours regularly listed the names to pray for their families.

Surrounding the pools are many precisely placed trees planted with the purpose of adding a sense of peace and serenity. All but one are Swamp White Oaks. But a solitary pear tree is the “Survivor Tree.” Badly damaged, near death, the tree was discovered by workers shortly after the tragedy and nursed back to health. The “Survivor Tree” is now over 30 feet tall and stands as a testimony to the fortitude of he survivors that is such an important part of the 9/11 story.

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

In New York City with Jasmine – DJango

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As mentioned in an earlier post, the reason we stayed at The Roxy was because we were going to spend the evening at, Django, a jazz club on the lower level of the hotel.

Django’s website describes the club as follows:

Descend into The Django and you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world. The subterranean jazz club, with its vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, was modeled after the boîtes of Paris. The venue consists of two cocktail bars, open dining space and a stage for live performances with the ne plus ultra: a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system. The Django has become a place to call home for musicians and audiences alike. Providing opportunities for rising stars, seasoned performers, and eager audiences to enjoy a range of jazz music 7 nights a week complemented by a hand-crafted cocktail program by award-winning mixologist Natasha David and an elevated dinner menu.

We were supposed to see two performers: Loston Harris and Benny Benack III. Before going down to the club we met with some of Jasmine’s friends in the lobby, one of them Scott McDermott a well-known photographer. I don’t get a chance to talk to other photographers, especially those of Scott’s caliber and I was really enjoying the conversation. Unfortunately, this meant that we were rather late and, I believe, missed most of the first set.

However, we were able to watch all of the second set. I’m not usually a fan of Jazz, but I enjoyed Benny Benack (see pictures below, except for the first two).

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Taken with a Sony RX100M3

A visit from Alexander

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Alexander is my grandson. He’s the only male (among seven females in my immediate family). He recently graduated from University in the UK and has come here, I imagine, to explore his American Roots (his mother was born in the USA).

I went into New York City (Manhattan) to see him. We had a pleasant lunch and a few beers at The Perfect Pint on 45th street between second and third avenues.

I haven’t seen him for a sometime so I’m glad that he’ll be in New York for a while.

Taken with his phone. I don’t know what brand/model it was.

A Walk through Peekskill – Ice Cream

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As I mentioned earlier it was a very hot and humid day. As I left Ramenesque I noticed this group of people eating ice cream. A wonderful opportunity for a bit of street photography, I thought. Pity the guy on the far left was not a foot or two away from the rest. I could perhaps have waited to see if he would move, but I had to get to my train and I was a little concerned that they might notice me.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV