The floating city; a mirage in the heat of a summer day

My brother came to visit for a few days. We had an adventure-filled weekend, and I’m thankful for his visit, as I was when my older brother and his family were here earlier in the month. Not only to have spent time with them, but also because visitors ensure you get out and do things. Jon and I crammed a lot of summer into three days.

Above is the view of Lower Manhattan from Governors Island. Seen this way, it seems less an island than a mirage or some kind of magic allowing myriad structures to float upon the surface of the water.

Above are some scenes while wandering around on Governors Island. Its sort of refuge where the pace feels slower and the sky much larger; one feels much farther removed from the city than seems possible.

Castle Williams! From the outside, it looks as though you’ve stumbled into Scotland, with those variegated sandstone blocks

It’s an imposing structure; once a fort, then a prison, and even a hospital, its varied history is exhibited on signs inside. There’s also a minutely detailed scale model, complete with a cutaway to show the structure of its walls and towers.

Where does the model end and the actual begin?