Beautiful Statue of Liberty. View from the side of the island where we arrived on the ferry, and the black thorns look a bit like barb wire surrounding her. Very deep. I like her toga.
The front of the Statue in all its glory
The Statue of Liberty
The days are going more quickly! After an easy-going start and a good breakfast we're out into the surprisingly non-freezing streets. Cheered by the increased warmth, Tim and I go to Madison Square Gardens to try and get tickets for that night's Knicks Game (basketball, for those who don't know, like us!). When there aren't any tickets together left - and we did try and buy earlier, but non-Americans aren't allowed - we take the tour again. Hopping out after the World Trade Centre site, the bus eventually brings us around to Liberty Island. Here we can swap tickets to catch the ferry over to Liberty, although the guy we're supposed to swap with goes AWOL and we have to wait for the next bus to appear - after thoroughly searching Battery Park - before the guy appears and we can get aboard.
The ferry ride was fun and not too crowded, so I take loads of pictures of Liberty as the ferry circles the island and drops us off on the opposite side. It's an impressive site - Liberty is frozen in a half-march towards NYC, and the details of her robes as they flow are something I've never seen before. I continue taking hundreds of pictures. The sky is overcast but the air's considerably warmer - if we'd come here yesterday it would have been really bleak.
The obligatory gift shop turns up some fridge magnets and mugs, inside what feels like a marquee. I'm still searching for a baseball but there still aren't any. I'm saving my t-shirt money for one of those $10 for 7 shops I've seen all over the place near Times Square.
Me and pet hat in front of Liberty. Expert photography c/o Tim
The real headache comes when we leave the island. It's almost 5pm when we leave, and getting darker and cooler again. This wouldn't be a problem if there was a bus waiting to collect us, but it doesn't show for ages. When it does turn up, there's no room ,adn people are hopping mad. We give up on the tour bus and head for the tube. The tube is easy to use, and we're back at Times Square in ten minutes! And we're warm!
We return to the hotel room that evening to check our photos of Liberty and relax til tomorrow.
