I arrived in New York yesterday, on the 7th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Coincidentally my hotel is just a few blocks from Ground Zero, so I took a walk down to see what was happening. It was kind of as you'd imagine – lots of flowers and photographs, people singing hymns, firefighters and police officers, bagpipe music and the odd conspiracy theorist thrown in. What surprised me were the number of people hawking
9/11 souvenirs – neon glass ornaments depicting the twin towers, commemorative programmes – even a pair of fireman's boots at one stall. Tourists were posing for smiley photographs outside the construction fence: "And here's me at a site of a terrorist attack where thousands of people were killed!" There was all the usual I ♥ New York stuff too.
Later in the day I strolled down to Battery Park, where
The Sphere now stands. It's a sculpture of the Earth created by Fritz Koenig, as a monument to world peace, which used to stand in the WTC plaza and was damaged when the planes hit in 2001. When it was moved to Battery Park, an eternal flame was lit in front of it in memory of everyone who died at the WTC. Last night it was surrounded by 'flags of heroes' – stars and stripes banners featuring the names of all the firefighters who died on 9/11.
Everyone 'ooooh'ed when they turned on the twin towers of light. It did look pretty cool.
Later in the day I strolled down to Battery Park, where The Sphere now stands. It's a sculpture of the Earth created by Fritz Koenig, as a monument to world peace, which used to stand in the WTC plaza and was damaged when the planes hit in 2001. When it was moved to Battery Park, an eternal flame was lit in front of it in memory of everyone who died at the WTC. Last night it was surrounded by 'flags of heroes' – stars and stripes banners featuring the names of all the firefighters who died on 9/11.
Everyone 'ooooh'ed when they turned on the twin towers of light. It did look pretty cool.
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