Sorry that the photo of us together is a little dark, but we were standing on the end of Pier 17 in a shadow under the overhang, so that we could get a view of The Brooklyn Bridge.
Sherry, and her daughter-in-law Chris, were on the last leg of a two week driving tour of many states, visiting other bloggers along the way, as part of a special celebratory birthday trip for Sherry. .
Sherry and Chris went to the Empire State Building in the morning and in the afternoon took the subway downtown to meet me on Wall Street. The New York Stock exchange on Wall Street is in the photo above.
There were also many sailors and marines in New York this weekend as there were Navy ships in the harbor for the 22 annual "Fleet Week." There were a lot of tourists in the area, too. I think Sherry was a little surprised by how much "hustle and bustle" there is on the streets of New York!
We also saw Federal Hall National Memorial across from The Stock Exchange. It was the first capitol of the United States of America and the site of George Washington's inauguration as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789. It is also the place where the United States Bill of Rights was passed.
We walked over to Trinity Church at the end of Wall Street and stepped inside tp spend a few quiet moments. There have been three Trinity Church buildings at Broadway and Wall Street. The present Trinity Church, designed by Richard Upjohn and consecrated on Ascension Day in 1846, is considered a classic example of Gothic Revival architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
We also strolled around the burial ground at Trinity Church, which includes the graves and memorials of many historic figures, including Alexander Hamilton, William Bradford, Robert Fulton, and Albert Gallatin, as well as many old headstones dating back to the 1700's.
Sherry giving a very regal pose as she stands on the plaque that commemorates the spot where on July 9, 1976, the church was visited by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and she was presented with a symbolic "back rent" of 279 peppercorns.
We then walked passed Ground Zero. As you can see there is a large construction fence around the area and many construction cranes at work as the rebuilding is in progress.
We then walked over to St. Paul's Chapel, located directly across from the World Trade Center site. St. Paul's, is the only surviving church in New York of the Revolutionary era. It is also the oldest public building in continuous use in Manhattan.
This sign describes the importance of this little chapel.
George Washington worshiped here on Inauguration Day, April 30, 1789, and attended services at St. Paul's during the two years New York City was the country's capital. Above his pew is an 18th-century oil painting of the Great Seal of the United States, which was adopted in 1782.
The ornamental design of the "Glory" over the altar in St. Paul's is the work of Pierre L'Enfant, who designed Washington, D.C. The "Glory" depicts Mt. Sinai in clouds and lightning, the Hebrew word for "God" in a triangle, and the two tablets of the Law with the Ten Commandments.
After the attack on September 11, 2001, which led to the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, St. Paul's Chapel served as a place of rest and refuge for recovery workers at the WTC site. There are still many exhibits inside St. Paul's in remembrance of that time.
I then took Sherry and Chris over to Pier 17 to see the Brooklyn Bridge and the view of the northernmost part of my borough of Brooklyn. As always, there was a lot of ship traffic in East River!
Chris and Sherry enjoyed this little tour of some of the sights of Lower Manhattan, and I think I wore them out a little with all the walking and sightseeing that we did!
Sherry and Chris at the Irish pub where we had dinner together. We had a lot of fun together and I'm sure Sherry will tell you more about that on her blog, and more about the other stops of her trip, when she has the opportunity to update it when she and Chris both return to Ohio on Sunday.
We joked that good bloggers have to take photos of the special dinner they have at restaurants so here is a photo of my delicious Shepard's pie and salad. Pub food is usually wonderful in NYC and this dish was no exception. Sherry and Chris had fish and chips and we even indulged in dessert. I surprised them with a box of Italian cannolis to take back to the bed and breakfast they were staying in on Staten Island, as Sherry had told me that she was hoping to find some to eat while she was in NYC. I hope they stayed cold enough in the cooler bag I had them in, Sherry!
We also exchanged little gift mementos that we had for each other during dinner. Sherry gave me this wonderful patriotic themed bag that she made! I'm always carrying books, a newspaper and an umbrella when I travel, so it will be a perfect accessory bag to take along to hold those few extras. Thank you so much Sherry! It was so nice to meet you and Chris, and I was so happy to show you a little bit of my city and spend some time getting to know you better. I hope you had another wonderful day in New York on Saturday, and were able to do all you wanted to see and do!
Isn't it wonderful how blogging has made the world a smaller, more friendly place? It's so nice meeting new friends!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend. Please take some time to honor the brave men and women who have served our country and have protected our freedom.
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