I'm Back!

Wow! Did I miss all of you!

I left telling you we were going on vacation and packing my son off for his trip to Norway. He's arrived safely and having fun and we were off to NYC to see the sights in our own backyard...part of my staycation theme this summer!

We stayed in Manhattan for two nights and three days...boy did we pack quite a bit in! The first leg of the trip was to the Statue of Liberty. When we entered Battery Park in lower Manhattan, it was deliriously hot. I am under the impression the expression "you could fry an egg on the sidewalk" was invented for New York heat and humidity. The ferry over to the statue was jammed with foreign tourists. Because of the strength of the Euro, kroner, etc. New York is filled with Europeans. Before embarking, one of the security officers asked us where we were from and we said New York. "You must be the only New Yorkers here today!", she chuckled.

As we were crossing to the statue I was melting. And in my mind I am sort of asking myself why am I doing this on such a hot day? Then I remembered my great-great grandparents came to Ellis Island from Italy in the late 1890's with two toddlers in tow...and a baby who was born on the Atlantic crossing. What a wimp! I thought to myself. If your great-great grandmother can handle this for 8 weeks surely you can bear the insane heat for 25 minutes!



A view from the ferry of the Manhattan skyline...

Nearing the shore...

Part of the tour included a collection of luggage brought by immigrants from their native countries. They are housed in the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Also included were the list of destinations where people settled all over the country. My family--Italian and Irish sides--settled in Brooklyn. We are still in the area! Family members still own our original brownstone for over a hundred years now!

An amazing part of Ellis Island is the exterior Immigration Wall of Honor. This wall extends the perimeter of the Great Hall and many names of immigrants appear on it. You can get your relatives named inscribed on the wall here.

Below is my great-great grandfather's name...Alfonse Apicella...he had 6 daughters so the name has gone with him! It's such a sight to see your ancestors name on the Wall of Honor!

A statue of Eiffel who did the structural framework for the statue...

When we disembarked we saw the eternal flame in Battery Park. This globe had been in front of the twin towers and has been moved here, kept in its original condition from Sept. 11, as a tribute to all those who lost their lives on that day.
In all, we had such a great visit to the Statue and Ellis Island. If you ever get to New York, you've got to come see it! It is absolutely awe-inspiring!

Now, I need to catch up with all of you!