Sunday, October 5, 2008

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Just returned from our annual trip to the Big Apple and again, we had a great time. The first day DH and I did some exploring on our own. I had always wanted to see the old Custom House in Battery Park so that is where we started.

The architecture was beautiful





Grabbed a Subway and ate lunch in Bowling Green Park
Fraunces Tavern-- such an interesting museum within the Tavern. A lot of history

within these walls




Hadn't walked the lower section of the Hudson River Park and

it is beautiful.



DH just had a birthday so I was looking for a gift and this is what he chose.



and a Bentley Convertible.

I had heard about the Irish Famine Memorial and this was our destination
as we headed up the Parkway.
We were not disappointed. What a incredible oasis of beauty with towers all around.
Seems like New York is full of places this wonderful.


The Memorial was created by artist Brian Tolle to remember the events that led to the famine of 1845-52 and to encourage efforts to address current and future hunger worldwide

It was this famine that led to the mass immigration the middle of the 1800's.


There are many large rocks with beautiful engraved names of the county's of Ireland

on individual rocks. I'm assuming the rocks actually came from those counties
considering the effort put into the Memorial.




Central to Tolle's project is an authentic Famine-era stone cottage donated to the memorial by his extended family, the Slacks of Attymass, County Mayo, Ireland. The cottage has been painstakingly reconstructed on the memorial's half-acre site.


Reconstructed potato rows
A recreation of an Irish cemetery is in the elevated portion to the left.

A beautiful oasis

I can't imagine what it would be like to construct a memorial this beautiful around
an actual stone cottage of a long ago family member.
If you think you don't have time to read the panels of quotations along the entrance, please
reconsider. They are touching, imformative and add to the total experience.


Chess table toward the end of this portion of the Parkway.
Such a goooooooood day.

3 comments:

j said...

Looks like a wonderful trip with your husband (snazzy car!!). Love all of the photographs. Makes me able to travel vicarously through you!

Have a great week.

Ming the Merciless said...

Wow, you did and saw a lot in that one trip.

I, myself have only recently "discovered" Battery Park so the images in your photos were still fresh in my mind.

Glad you and DH got to visit.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I love your photos of the Irish Hunger Memorial! Glad you had fun in NYC!