June 9

We decided to visit the 9/11 Memorial today. We had thought about taking a tour but decided to do it on our own. Driving the streets of New York is a daring feat of courage. I think David's time driving in Israel gave him nerves of steel. The cars do not have lanes. They just travel in a river, honking constantly. It reminded me a lot of the Philippines. We did finally arrive at our destination but only after missing a turn which forced us to go through the Hal Carey tunnel - we had to travel a couple of miles before we could exit and U-turn and additionally, we got to pay $8.00 toll BOTH ways. Gotta luv New York.

We did eventually arrive and found a place to park that only wanted your firstborn child for payment. We walked from there to the Memorial spot. These Memorials are so beautiful and evoke emotion that is hard to express. There are two pools built in the footprints of the towers. It is hard to describe - the pools are gigantic walled fountains where water flows down the wall, into the pool and then disappears into a hole in the middle of the pool. It is so beautiful and somehow conveys the heartbreak of the lost lives perfectly. Although Avi had studied this event in school, he was only four years old when it happened so the events of this national tragedy were not clear to him. We spent a lot of time talking about what happened and the impact to our country and the families of those whose lives were lost.

We went from there to the new One World Trade Center, the building that has replaced the Twin Towers. This building is absolutely mind-blowing! It is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and was built to last - purported to be the strongest building ever built (how they determine that, I have no idea). We went to the observatory at the top where you get 360 degree views of the city and it was incredibly beautiful. To end our visit there, we had lunch in the café at the top and celebrated the moment.

Our evening activity was one I have wanted for many years and it did not disappoint. We went to the play Les Miserables at the Imperial Theater on Broadway. I made sure we all read the Spark Notes prior to the play and was glad I did; it would have been impossible to follow the story if you were not familiar with it. Avi was a good sport but plays and musicals are not really his thing. David and I loved every minute of it and when it was over, I had tears streaming down my face. It is the most amazing story of love and forgiveness and just reminded me of Mom and Dad so much that I could barely contain my emotion.

We left the theater and braved the Time Square crowds to find some dinner. We ended up at an Italian restaurant and enjoyed some New York pizza. It was OK - I know that is sacrilegious but I like the pizza at home better. Sorry New York. Avi was having one of those nights where he could not get enough food so we wandered from there into another diner and ate dessert. Avi got a huge banana split and David and I shared Apple Crisp with ice cream. It was too much food for this lady. Too. Much. I won't be doing that again. It doesn't feel good. I don't care how much you walked.