This was supposed to be about Les Halles but my plans were changed a bit.

So I have been in Jersey City for a conference and the plan has been that on our free night a co-worker and I would head over to Les Halles so that I could prove to Tony that I truly do care. I am not just any stalker who is all talk, I am action my friends and will complete the circle that is my Anthony Bourdain obsession.

Anyhoo, we had a reception in Midtown and definitely enjoyed some wine and cheese, which in hindsight was just a silly thing to do as we were just too full for dinner. Boo to me! A pow wow was had and it was decided that Les Halles would have to be another time. Going to Les Halles is my pilgrimage and I want it to be a fun and joyful event.

As much as my heart was set on it, things actually worked out really well. It was a gorgeous day in NYC and we walked from 33rd and Park down to ground zero. That is a little over 3 miles, but I needed that after engorging myself on cookies, cheese, crackers, and all the usual conference fare that I make very bad decisions with.

For all my times of going to NYC I had never been to ground zero. It is not something I had really wanted to go to. For me it is a little hard to grasp as I never saw the Twin Towers when they stood there. Back on that fateful day I was in Cali, sleeping in (since my class was not until noon), and woke up to the sounds of screams and crying. I know that when those towers fell it was our, as a nation, collective tragedy. Yet I feel so far removed in my understanding of it all.

Looking at it now, at least what little you can see beyond the gates and cloth that enclose where the towers were, it is a huge crater. One that would be made by a special effects team for a sci-fi flick. It is one of the few places in the city where air and light permeate. It is shocking to see all that light coming in when you have been walking in the shadows of the "cement jungle" that makes up what we all think of as New York.

Seeing ground zero just put me in awe and made me wonder at the strength of this city. I love New York, I would like to live here some day, and I hope that if that happens I could show the same grit and determination.

After this impromptu journey we headed back up a couple blocks and found a great indian restaurant. I think we were on the border of Tribeca and the Financial District but I am not really sure. It was delicious, thats what I do know, and though it was not what I thought I wanted to do it ended up being a good end to a long day.