Pope Benedict XVI in New York City

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, I took a once in a lifetime opportunity to see His Holiness. As a result, this crossed off another thing on my to-do list of life, which is to see a world leader in person.

Pope Benedict XVI was visiting New York City, his first time in the United States as the Pope, and part of his itinerary was to have a motorcade and escorted procession down Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan. This was the rare opportunity that most average people would have to see the Pope while he was in town.

On a whim, I decided to make the trip down from Albany by car and train to take part as a spectator to this procession. It was very much like the atmosphere leading up to a rock concert and there was very little protest at all. There was chanting, music and signing. There were a good number of Catholics who had traveled from far away to see the Pope, as well as curiosity seekers such as myself.

As the Popemobile came closer, there was a sense of excitement in the air and it was hard not to get caught up in the moment. As the Popemobile passed by, with the Pope inside, cameras everywhere were taking pictures. And then, it was all over. Some people chased after the Pope, but most people went along their merry way, to continue enjoying what was a spectacular day outside in New York City.

Curious to see how the Popemobile is shipped when the Pope visits different countries? Click on this link. Also, here are a few photos of my experience.

Comments

Anonymous said…

Congrats on reaching one of your goals. I was standing next to Billy when you called and later texted him.

I got to see Bush 43 in London, Ky. in 2003. I still have the ticket stub from the event, and I have several photos as well. I was sitting far away but still got some decent ones.

A friend of mine actually got to shake his hand.

9:03 PM

Laura said…

Those are great pictures! What an awesome experience!

11:02 PM

The 1915-era Teilman Bridge (the only known Concrete Pony Truss Bridge in California)

The Teilman Bridge is a semi-abandoned structure over Fresno Slough west of Burrell siding near the intersection of Elkhorn Avenue and Elkhorn Grade. This structure is the only known Concrete Pony Truss Bridge constructed in California and was designed by Ingvart Teilman. Teilman's Bridge would open in late 1915 when the Elkhorn Grade was the primary road between Fresno and Coalinga. The structure would be replaced in 1991 but was left standing as it carries pipelines over Fresno Slough. Part 1; the history of the Teilman Bridge In the early Twentieth Century the most direct highway between Fresno and Coalinga followed the Elkhorn Grade. The Elkhorn Grade began at Fresno Slough a short distance west of Burrell siding. From Fresno Slough the Elkhorn Grade followed a generally southwestern course through San Joaquin Valley into the Kettleman Hills towards Coalinga. The Elkhorn Grade can be seen on the 1914 C.F. Weber map of Fresno Coun...

The Dummy Lights of New York

A relic of the early days of motoring, dummy lights were traffic lights that were placed in the middle of a street intersection. In those early days, traffic shuffled through busy intersections with the help of a police officer who stood on top of a pedestal. As technology improved and electric traffic signals became commonplace, they were also originally positioned on a platform at the center of the intersection. Those traffic signals became known as " dummy lights " and were common until traffic lights were moved onto wires and poles that crossed above the intersection. In New York State, only a handful of these dummy lights exist. The dummy lights are found in the Hudson Valley towns of Beacon and Croton-on-Hudson, plus there is an ongoing tug of war in Canajoharie in the Mohawk Valley, where their dummy light has been knocked down and replaced a few times. The dummy light in Canajoharie is currently...

Prunedale Road (Monterey County)

Prunedale Road is a short 2.6-mile-long frontage corridor of US Route 101 in the namesake Monterey County community of Prunedale. Prior to 1932 US Route 101 bypassed Prunedale in favor of the San Juan Grade to the east. Prunedale Road along with nearby Moro Road served as an alternative connecting highway between Salinas and San Juan Bautista. Following the realignment of US Route 101 onto the Prunedale Cutoff the former through route along Prunedale Road would be rendered as a western frontage. Part 1; the history of Prunedale Road Prunedale Road is located in and is named after the Monterey County community of Prunedale. Said community was founded near the junction of San Migeul Canyon, Langley Canyon and Echo Valley. Watsonville settler Charles Langley (namesake of Langley Canyon) was one of the prominent early community settlers. The Prunedale Post Office would open for the first time in 1894 but would close by 1908. Early agricu...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog