A visit to the 9/11 memorial

I still remember looking at the clear blue sky over Sydney Harbour from our apartment in Wolloomoolloo on that fateful and imagining the terror that New York was facing. 

It was also a beautiful day in NY, with a cloudless blue sky as the backdrop for an event that changed people's lives and the world. 

Today, on our trip to New York, A and I spent a few hours visiting the 9/11 Memorial Museum and its surrounds. We booked a tour which was hosted with tact and respect by Meredith. She was able to explain to us on the 1 hour tour the events of that day and the importance of some of the artefacts preserved in the collection. 

When we arrived, it was snowing outside over the Memorial pool. 

We first entered the Hall where we were awed by the original slurry wall that was part of the Twin Towers. 

This wall is punctuated by tie backs that helped support the original structure. 

This is the last column to be removed from the site and formed a makeshift memorial at the time. 

It's important to remember that many people were saved by the valiant efforts of the first responders.  Around 15000 people escaped. Some of them used this staircase which led to Vesey Street. 

This beautiful artwork tried to capture thousands of different shades of blue- referring to the gorgeous cloudless sky of that day. 

These granite walls reference the original footprint of the towers.  Having visited them in 1991, I can tell you they were huge.  

You can see some remnants of the supporting steel. 

The exhibition had a vast collection of personal artefacts both large and small, including this crushed fire truck and twisted metal.  

The central hall houses two exhibitions- a memorial to the victims as well as a explanation of the events- both before and after.  You could not take photos in these areas, but the collection is vast and personal at the same time. 

I would recommend a visit of around 4 hours. It is truly worth it. 

After our visit, the weather had brightened so we spent some time looking at the memorial. After our visit we started to recognise some of the names of the people who lost their lives and their personal stories. 

The Millennium tower is beautiful. 

The top of the new transport hub. 

The tickets for the Museum can be booked around 3 months before your visit at www.911memorial.org 

what's new

First of all, me wish you all a happy year of the fire monkey.   Actually, the monkey is my sign and 2016 has already started off brilliantly!  It's going to be a great year.   

I've been contantly travelling.  We managed to fit in a ski trip to Zermatt which was fabulous!  Lots of great food and drink, as well as the skiing of course.   I injured my thumb which I never realised was so crucial to holding objects so am in a splint for 3 weeks....

Here's a pic of me and my number 1 guy a in front of the Matterhorn.  

Some cool new products have been released.  

Isn't this solid marble bathtub from kreoo magnificent?  The shape apparently echoes tibetan bells.   We just love the look of it.   It's carved from one solid marble block.  

We have been busy doing some ordering- the first on our list is the Randaccio mirror from GUBI designed by Gio Ponti.   

It has a light vintage feel and would look great in a hallway.    It also comes in a rectangular shape- perfect for someone's boudoir.   

Armadillo is famous for their neutral rugs- we love them.  They just introduced a new weave- the sherpa.   

It's available in 3 colours- sand (above)

pumice

Charcoal

Incredibly soft underfoot!  We love them.   

We also love this image of how they make the sierra rugs: 

Each individual part is hand made.   Glorious!  

We've been checking out some Jane Churchill fabrics-  

This geometric pattern on linen is really lovely-especially the blue colourway

This design comes in a printed velvet as well as a linen.   

This is probably my favourite- you all know I love a bit of ikat.   

This mottled fabric looks great from far away.   

love this one too.   

I usually find them a bit bland and conservative but I am loving the embroideries and the prices are great too.  

Finally, we have been working with an illustrator to produce fab images of our store and some of the pieces we stock.   Here's a sneak peek.   

Can't wait to share with you the rest of the images!  

Here's our new signature: so signing off.....

Gerringong to Kiama coastal walk

This 12 km walk is one of the highlights of a stay in Berry. Hugging the coast, the walk passes through country meadows, ancient remnants of rainforest and sea platforms.

We started our walk from Loves Bay in Kiama.  

Along the walk, there are plenty of signs to tell you what you will be looking at. 

As you can see the walk passes through tribal lands. The totems seen here represent the trees that once covered this area.

This land was cleared by early settlers who were given the right to live on the land rent free as long as they cleared it for farming. 

For many years, this walk was not open as there were disputes about the ownership of parts of the walk. Lucky for us, the local government was able to settle with the then owners.  

 As you can see the views are incredible.

I love these pebbled beaches and the coastal flats. A lovely sunny day is perfect for a walk like this. 

gorgeous!