We got a stunning view of the Statue of Liberty at the end of Cunard’s 175th birthday celebration on July 14 when the Queen Mary 2 was docking at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. We were sailing up the Hudson at 5:30AM. Fireboats surrounded us adding to the spectacle. Suddenly the Statue of Liberty appeared by the side of the Hudson River. The statue has a way of becoming the centerpiece of whatever is going on. Everyone was snapping pictures of her. She seemed to be welcoming us back to the US after our long absence. Other monuments seem to get dirty and dingy after awhile. This one never does. She defines New York better than any other building, statue, or monument. She’s like New York City’s Eiffel Tower. Built in 1886 even those coming to the US one hundred years ago during the Great War would have seen her as a welcome sight. The statue helps me to remember the anniversary of WW1, one of the themes of my trip to Europe and the reason I’d been so long away.
