Today we met up with Carlijn in Downton Manhattan to take the ferry to Governor’s Island. The ferry ride was only 7 minutes, so we didn’t get seasick.
A Leaky Boat
Making it to the ferry had been quite an achievement that morning. We were just about to go, and already running late… Nowadays we are terrible at being on time. It really stresses us out to actually have to be in a certain place at a certain time – pathetic I know! Max was about to lower our dinghy into the water when he noticed that the plug was gone. Dinghies have plugs so they can be drained. The plug is tied to a string so you don’t lose it. Somehow, the string had broken off in the night, and the plug was now adrift in the Hudson.
Off course, we discovered that it would have been great to have a spare plug onboard, and that we did not have one. Max covered the hole with a homemade plug, cut down to size. He added plenty of duct tape for good measure. Off we went, bail buckets at the ready.
Luckily we did not need to bail water out of the dinghy. We made it to the harbour safe and dry!
Carlijn awaited us at the ferry building. We arrived just in time to be the last passengers to board. Hungry from all the excitement and the ferry ride, we headed for a park as soon as we set foot on the island. Picnic time!
Getting Away from the City
Governor’s Island is a small, green Island. It has had different names, owners, and uses over the years. At the moment, it is a relaxing place for city dwellers to enjoy green surroundings, cultural events and outdoor art. There is also a playground! Nobody lives there permanently, so people come and go for the day.
Max and I enjoyed catching up with Carlijn while the kids ran around the park. Time to go for a post-picnic stroll! We walked along some abandoned buildings, and some beautiful but rundown old houses. Many of them are now used by artists and cultural organisations.
We went into one building celebrating bird life. They lent us some binoculars for bird watching. We looked through them for about 12 seconds, sighed ‘no, there aren’t any birds here’ and gave them back again. The artwork in the building was cool though.
Somehow we ended up in the playground! The kids became instant friends with some of the other kids in the fountain. They then moved onto the big swing. It was fun.
It was time to go home. We rode the ferry back, enjoying the views of Lady Liberty and the skyline.
