I found myself working in Washington, DC again this year for the Thanksgiving holiday.  My wife likes to visit her family in NJ for Thanksgiving.  This provides me with my annual opportunity to take the Amtrak Acela Express along the Northeast corridor.  I wanted to share my impressions of American train travel in the twenty-first century.

Union Station: (Washington, DC)

Airplanes have airports, and trains have train stations.  Historically train-stations have been grandiose facilities meant to impress people about the city in which they have arrived.  Until the jet age arrived taking a train was not only the primary method of travel for most Americans, it was also an adventure that most people looked forward to.  People would dress nicely for train travel.  (This later point is something that’s even been lost with air travel. I see people in first class on international flights in shorts and t-shirts.)

As the jet age came and air-travel became the primary method of transportation most of these grand train stations fell somewhat into disrepair or closed altogether.  For the ones that remained operational, they became the centers of beggars and vagabonds.  This became especially bad in the 1970s.  Fortunately for some cities (especially along  the NE corridor) there has been a resurgence in train travel. 

Union Station today, for the most part has retained it’s grandeur.  The main building is beautiful.  In addition to being a transportation hub, it is also a shopping mall and home to a massive food court.  While there is still some filth and a few beggars in the “gate area” (where you board the trains) for the most part, Union Station offers a pleasant experience. 

Station amenities and boarding:

I traveled on a first class ticket.  I would love to tell you all about the ClubAcela lounge in Union Station.  But I can’t.  It was closed.  No sign or anything, just a locked door.  So, we shall move on.

The boarding process could be better.  In an airport everyone sits around and waits for their row (or “zone”) to be called.  then they get on the plane.  In the train station everyone sort of gets into this massive line and stands there until the door is open.  Today it was a 30 minute wait.  I could have sat down because apparently only 2 persons (including myself) were booked into the first class car.  I had no way of knowing that though.  So, I waited in the cattle line. 

One note: You do NOT need to get to the train station 2 hours ahead of time.  Unlike airplanes there is no massive security line that you need to go through.  You can literally show up 10 minutes before your train and head to the platform.  It’s quite nice.

On-board experience:

The Acela is a beautiful, bullet-shaped train.  If the word “train” makes you envision those 1960s-1980s era subway cars, prepare to be impressed.  The modern Acela trains are nothing like that.  These are clean, comfortable, technologically advanced machines. 

On the technological front, these are 150 MPH (240 km/h) trains that operate using the ancient American rail-system!  The goal in building Acela was to alleviate  the need to lay new track.  They accomplished this by making the trains “tilt”.  They don’t need to make a banked track turn if the train itself does the banking.  The result: high-speed trains at a fraction of the cost.  That’s pretty slick. 

As for interior amenities,  if you are in first class you will be treated to a lot of leg-room, a comfortable leather seat. a table to work on, a power-outlet for your laptop, and onboard music via a headphone jack in your arm-rest. Business class has all of this sans the leather seat. 

In first you will also have cocktails and a menu food service.  Unfortunately they were out of everything on the day I traveled, except for some fruit.  (So I can’t tell you about the stuffed Belgian waffle that was on the menu.) 

Overall:

I generally like train travel.  It is extremely comfortable. This is especially true when compared with over-stuffed modern jets.  You are treated to a great view of America as you travel, and it’s fast.  When I factor in the security lines and advance arrival time at the airport my trip was faster on Amtrak than Delta.  (WAS-PHL) 

I sincerely believe that although trains glory days were in our history, we may yet see trains again in our future.  Especially for domestic regional travel.  Acela high-speed trains will play a major part in this. 

Just to be clear: I wouldn’t take the low-speed train from Washington, DC to Atlanta. (14 hours!!)  The Acela train is however my first choice for travel from DC to Philadephia, NY or Boston.

Not the most glamourous of design jobs, but the re-design of these two book covers from their drab originals has put sales through the roof!

Saw this on you tube. It’s a bit of a giggle

A good few weeks back our tutor set us our first challenge- to go and interview a complete stranger on Princes Street, the main shopping street here in Edinburgh. Obviously I wasnt really looking forward to this task- talking to strangers has never really been my forte. However, I set myself all up for it, got completely ready and went. Two hours and 3 cappuccinos later I still hadn’t interviewed anybody and had begun to panic. I have a tendency to leave assignments to the last minute. I tell myself I work better under pressure, I need to justify it somehow. So here I was, alone on Princes Street with no story. I decided to give up and meet up with my friend in Glasgow. I hadn’t seen her in ages and needed a break. Luckily for me I ended up sitting next to someone rather interesting on the train…..

~~~~~

Sahila, whose name has been changed for legal reasons, appears to be the epitome of happiness . She is rich, young, beautiful and smart, currently living in a stylish apartment in the west end of Glasgow. Her air travel tycoon father has always taken care of her: she was home-schooled from an early age and speaks fluent English. Now studying in Scotland her father foots her mortgage, credit card bills and living costs. To an outsider it may seem she is living the flawless, celebrity-esque lifestyle that most of us can only dream of. Unfortunately for Sahila, not everything is quite as it seems.

‘It’s my father’, she informs me beneath hooded eyes. ‘He wants to keep his money in the family.’

The law in India is such that money can only be passed down from father to son or son-in-law, not to a daughter. Sahila’s father has therefore orchestrated an arranged marriage for his daughter, to her cousin.

‘At first I was OK with it, but after living here [in Scotland] for a month I’ve realised what else there is out there’. ‘My cousin is a kind man, but I do not love him’.

Sahila is now facing an extremely difficult decision: either submit to her fathers wishes and face a lifetime of unhappiness or follow her heart and risk being ostracized from her family.

‘I realise that it’s my culture but I dont know if I agree with it any more.’

There are many girls in Sahila’s situation throughout Asia but few are offered a taste of our Western culture and the freedom which it offers. Despite this, Sahila feels compelled to fulfill her fathers wishes.

‘Losing my family would be the worst thing that could happen. I would loose everything.’

47% of arranged marriages in Britain are deemed ‘unhappy’ with a staggering 9% considered ‘violent’, according to BBMS, the British Board of Marital Studies.

~~~~~

This article obviously has its weaknesses but I must admit I like it better than others I’ve written. Perhaps thats just because I ended up with a great story? Even so, I find it amazing how you can search and search for a good story and not find anything but all of a sudden, when you least expect it, there’s one right under your nose. Lets just hope things stay that way!

And the kids, they were thankful for Grandpa’s Christmas train.

And it’s possible that, in spite of the fact that it squeaked and played “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” in a distressingly loud way, Mommy was thankful for it too.

Because for five minutes, it kept Little One out of the dog’s dish. And these days, that’s all it takes to make a mommy a little more thankful.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

(In a clear attempt to detox me, my family is taking me out of wireless range for the next few days. I have some posts scheduled to run in my absence, but I won’t be around again till Sunday. And I will miss you guys. Have a great weekend!)

Nothing like a gorgeous train ride to kick off a long Thanksgiving weekend. The weather in Portland was crisp and clear, with Mount Hood outlined by the bright blue sky and yellow trees on the horizon.

I love taking the train because it allows the time to decompress and prep for vacation; like a buffer zone between everyday life and relax time. A lunch of goat cheese, salami and satsumas along with a thermos of cider makes that trip even more perfect.

And of course on beautiful late autumn days, you get amazing views like this one:

Practice video…

Virgin trains was too hot today!

The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad provides a shuttle train that makes hourly trips in and out Weirs Beach from Lakeport or Meredith. It runs all week with the exception of Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.  Traffic is usually fairly light during those days, so you don’t really need the train anyways.

There is some free parking at both Meredith and Lakeport, but don’t be surprised if the free spaces are full.

The round trip fare is $15 per person and (surprise!) no discounts or coupons are honored during bike week.  If you’ve got beer, drink it before you get aboard, as no alcoholic beverages are allowed on the train.

Check schedule before heading out in case of any last minute changes

• Link to schedule

Laconia Bike Week – The Top 5 List

Bike Week on Lakeside Ave.

Author: Byron Mackelroy

Born from the “Loudon Classic”, a motorcycle race that started in 1923 Laconia Motorcycle Week is one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the United States with attendance of up to 400,000 visitors in some years. Every year the nine days leading up to father’s day brings in a groundswell of bikers and bikes of all different varieties. From souped-up super customs to rip-roaring race bikes, Bike Week is sure to tickle the fancy of any motorcycle enthusiast. Here are the top 5 things to ensure you have the time of your life during the festivities.

The Loudon Races and the Gunstock Hill Climbs

Laconia Motorcycle Week started as a rally to watch the local bike races. The Loudon Classic Race, the original event, is the longest continually running motorcycle race in America. If you enjoy racing, make it a point to visit the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon. For those of you looking for something a bit more unorthodox, the Gunstock Hill Climbs are the event for you. Watch from the base of the local ski resort as daredevils on supercharged hill climb bikes race up the slopes for the best time. This event always has a few close calls that will leave you with a few stories to tell your friends when you get back home.

Cruising the lake

There is no other way to say it, Lake Winnipesaukee is one of the most scenic lakes in the world. Covering almost 69 square miles, Lake Winnipesaukee’s stretch of pristine water harbors hundreds of islands and numerous towns and villages. During your Bike Week Adventure, either by car or Harley, make it a point to cruise the circuit running the perimeter of the lake. Your trip will take you through quaint harbor towns like Meredith and Wolfeboro. Each village and town has its own character as well as numerous restaurants and stores to visit. The scenic stretches of road running higher up the mountainside will open up panoramic views of dark blue lakes and rolling green mountain spanning out as far as the eye can see.

The Weirs

Everyone knows that the Weirs Beach area in Laconia is the heart and soul of Bike Week. This boardwalk and beach area offers host to many of the vendors and drinking establishments that make Bike Week such a crazy event. While it may not be “kid friendly”, the Weirs offers some of the best people watching in the world during the rally. Throw on your leathers, show off your tattoos and add some extra time to find a parking spot, a visit to the Weirs is like stepping into one of the Mad Max movies.

The Train

For those of you who want to take in the festivities, tip back a few drinks and avoid the parking problems, be sure to check out the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. This vintage railroad offers transportation directly to the train station on the Weirs Boardwalk from the more Quiet towns of Meredith and Lakeport. With tickets pricing in at only $12.50 for a round trip, this ride is well worth the investment.

Lodging

With all the opportunities for a goodtime during Laconia Motorcycle Week one thing is for certain, at the end of the day you are going to be exhausted. Planning for this fact ahead of time can make the difference between a good trip and a great trip. For those attendees looking to be in the thick of the action, make sure to get your reservations early and look for a New Hampshire hotel like the Summit Resort (http://www.summitresortnh.com/) near the Weirs that fits your needs. The Summit Resort, just walking distance from Weirs Beach, offers fantastic amenities from indoor pools and roman spas to saunas and a weight room. If you are looking for a bit more peace and quiet after a long day, check out Steele Hill Resorts (http://www.steelehillresorts.com/) right outside of Laconia. Steele Hill Resorts, the largest resort in central New Hampshire, offer close proximity to the rally with killer views and a list of amenities that will make your head spin.

Bike Week is a unique New Hampshire tradition. The Lakes Region is proud to host such a colorful event. If you are a hardcore bike, someone looking to experience something new or just a fan of the races, make it a point to plan out your trip and get ready for a goodtime. Don’t forget your bandana.

Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/laconia-bike-week-the-top-5-list–781403.html

About the Author:
I am an aspiring travel writer. My goal is to provide helpful travel tips and highlight exciting destinations.

Eastern & Oriental Express

When I visited Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Railway Station on Tuesday afternoon I was lucky to see the Eastern & Oriental Express preparing for departure.

This train was due to leave at 15:00 and travel overnight to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. The train looks absolutely splendid in its green, cream and gold colours. Such a contrast from the worn rolling stock the state-owned railway has to use.

I remembered Michael Willem’s advice here and under-exposed for the back light on the platform. It’s not as dramatic as his example, but I think it works photographically.

Each entrance was guarded by a uniformed security officer. I didn’t have the cheek to ask if I could take a look around the interior.

According to the E&O web site this is the last departure to Chiang Mai in 2009. The fares are eye-watering: US$1,400 for a “Pullman Superior / Single”, US$1,890 for a “State Cabin” and US$2,500 for the “Presidential Suite”. The site says that:

Prices are per person based on sharing accommodation and include: All table d’hôte meals on board, with complimentary tea and coffee in your compartment, and sightseeing tours.

Table d’hôte is a hi-so phrase for a fixed menu.

Since it is an overnight train passengers miss most of the scenery. The sun sets about 6:30pm at this time of the year. I don’t think the Bangkok Frugal Photographer will be taking this train any time soon.

According to the State Railway of Thailand web site here the regular train fares from Bangkok to Chiang Mai are: 593 Baht First Class, 281 Baht Second Class and 121 Baht Third Class. According to the online currency converter at Oanda.com thats US$17.91, 8.49 and 3.65 respectively. But you do have to bring your own food.

Note: there are supplements for sleeper accommodation in First and Second Class that I have not included here.

The SRT makes huge losses and safety is a challenge, but the difference is immense.

I wish I had waited to see how many passengers boarded the train.

Note that the SRT could not provide a posh engine for the journey. It was a regular 34 year old Alstholm ALS diesel locomotive.

I was finally able to photograph the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus Train during it’s home run to Tampa, FL. I have been trying to catch the train for several years during a jump and was able to catch it today as it came through Knoxville.

2009 Blue Unit Circus Train:
—61 cars (40 conventional passenger-type cars; 21 TTX-[type] piggyback flats)
—4,490 Tons (when fully loaded)
—5,409 Feet (WITHOUT host RR’s power attached; 1 mile = 5,280 feet)

The following links will take you to the two sets of photos I shot today.

North Group – Ringling Bros. Blue Unit

South Group – Ringling Bros. Blue Unit

Additional Reference: Trainorders.com, Yahoo Circus Train Group

(click on images for a larger version)

On Saturday, Hailey and I did a family portrait shoot with the Halls — Bryce, Marni, Oliver and Harrison — at their Centennial home. Marni is my sister-in-law’s sister; she was the maid of honor at Ben and Amy’s wedding while I was the best man.  So we’ve known each other for roughly 15 years, and it’s such a treat to see her and her wonderful family these days, especially since Hailey and I are expecting in March, making their two-month-old son Harrison an automatic play buddy for our baby.

We did much of the shoot in their front room, which for me was conveniently empty and east facing, making it very studio-like with lots of natural light (yes!). Their two-year-old son Oliver took only a few minutes to warm up to us (after all, it had been a few months since we last hung out). He showed us some of his awesome toys in his play room, and then he had fun jumping off an ottoman onto a massive, pillowy, stuffed sheep chair. He’s also a natural in front of the camera. Look at that smile and pose!

Harrison was born just two months ago, and he’s at that super sweet age where his eyes search everything and he’s smiling a bit. The blanket in these images below was knitted by Harrison’s grandmother.

After the shoot at their house, and a little lunch, we all went to the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. This place is awesome. Locomotives and cabooses of all kinds, a Galloping Goose engine that makes circuits, and all sorts of memorabilia in the gift shop. I’m not a model-train collector by any stretch, but we’re definitely hitting this place up when our child is old enough to love it like Oliver does.

Thanks to Marni and Bryce for such an awesome shoot. Really fun, really engaging and easy-going. What more could a photographer ask for? We had a blast!

Disaster Alert

South Carolina –  A 10-car train, that carried hazardous materials, overturned in Lexington County and prompted the evacuation of local residents on Sunday, November 20. The evacuation was issued as a precaution in case of a spill.

Central South Carolina chapter deployed Disaster Action Team (DAT) and temporarily opened a shelter for the evacuees while cars were being placed back on tracks.

Monday November 23, 2009 5:46 pm.

it continues to feel like the middle of the night, when it is not even considered evening.  got a job today, at the school in Tarnów, which is where I wanted to work.  They want me to show up by Thursday, so that I can start right away.  That feels a little crazy.  That means we have to leave Wednesday, or Thursday, but the latter would suck;  to travel for 8 hours and then start the next day.

hooray that they were desperate enough to hire me, boo that they are actually desperate and need me there right now.

still, that settles a lot of the worry in my mind.  and it is close enough to prague that i could go visit, and it is only an hour from Kraków, so i can hang out there, too.

also, there is family nearby.  Maria Kawa and her awesome husband.  they live on a farm in a village about 15 minutes outside of Tarnów, in two rooms, with an outhouse, geese in the trees and ducks underfoot.  they have lived in the same house for forever.  my mom has pictures from when she went to visit them in the 80’s, in that two room house.  they came into a little bit of money, so they bought a fridge.  and that’s it.  the rest is for their children, who are living in London and Ireland, working construction.  maybe they are back now, who knows?  i haven’t met their kids, though i did meet their grandkids.  that little brat.  some aspects sit uneasy with me.  like the preferential treatment of the boy, while the older girl is blamed when he hits her.

“you should know better than to sit that close to him.”

for reals.  puke.

anyway, whatever, it is not my place to say.  just makes me grumble a little is all.

but i will be living near them now, and i still have to work out all the details with the school.  i wish there was more time to get ready.  not at all any time.  fuck.

wish i had taken the time then, too.  but last week at this time i was sitting there, feeling flushed, waiting to go, not wanting to go.

what the hell kind of hold is that?

being purposely obscure.  again.

damn straight.

anyway, sara and i are sitting in café katyrenka, which does not have internet, but does have celebratory wine.  another aspect of me having to leave so quickly is that i don’t want to leave her behind/unsupported.  but they need me there so fucking quickly.  i want her to come with me.  she is waiting to hear if they have another opening.  argh.

not sure what to do.

one thing is for sure, i am sick of this in-between.  i need to feel a settling of things, which has eluded me for 6 months or so.  it’s fine to be a world traveler, but really i need to put down roots every now and then, so i can not feel as crazy.

there are so many things that make me feel crazy.

one of them is the fact that i do not have my glasses.  they are in the shop, since they fell apart all on their own.  they couldn’t fix them in-shop, so they had to send them out, which means everything is a little bit foggy, or far away.  there is a buffer between me and the world, which makes me feel drunk even when i’m not.  so then i figure, might as well get drunk, right?

good thinking.

today is the day of short declarative statements.

i hope that everything turns out well with the school, as i have high hopes about their thesis statement.  they are all about engaging students, and having fun.  every sunday is baseball sunday, though it’s really more a kind of softball that they play.  they have extracurricular clubs and drama societies and a lending library.  awesome.  i am really excited that they have given me the chance.

arggh.

anyway, i never wrote about the train to warsaw, or to toruń.  there was too much going on, and then we were here, and it was raining, and we had a cat mewing outside our door and we were walking across the bridge and being busted by the transit police.  it was really nerve-wracking, the train, because we were sitting in the restaurant, saying goodbye to Thomas, and waiting for sara to show up, so we could head back to hotel pivovar and get all of our fucking luggage.  oh god, there was way too much luggage.  well, she didn’t show up, and 6:30 rolled around, which was panic-time, so we said our goodbyes and ran for the metro.  we were hoping to see her on the way to the metro, but she was somewhere in the vicinity, lost, unable to find the restaurant.  it is a Mexican restaurant run by expatriates.  i wasn’t hungry, so i didn’t get any tacos or anything.  i was also worried that they would not be any good, or that they would be too good, and the melancholy of missing san francisco would merge with the poignancy of leaving prague and make my fucking head explode.

plus i wasn’t hungry.

so we rushed to the hotel, grabbed all of our luggage, remembered that the wheel was broken on the big, heavy suitcase, dragged it up the fucking hill, sweating and cursing, wondering how we have so much stuff.  down the elevator to the metro, and then on the train, switch to the red line for one goddamn stop, argh, too much luggage, and then we had to drag everything down the platform to the elevator.

and sara and leo were waiting for us in the train station, near the ticket counter.

they had shown up at the restaurant shortly after we had left, and CR had taken them to the train station.  what a nice guy.  she already had all of her stuff, so it really worked out for the best.  if she had met us there, we would have had to part ways anyway, so we could go get our stuff.  it just sucked that it was so uncertain for so long.

anyway, we had to wait for the platform to be announced, which they only do about fifteen minutes before the train leaves.  then drag drag drag, and then wait for the train to arrive.  we devised an awesomely cunning scheme to get all of our stuff on the train, which involved me getting on the train, and mom and sara throwing everything up to me.  this backfired, though, when all of our stuff took up the only available space by the door, and still there was stuff to get on the train.  i had to throw it in an empty compartment and rush back for more, hoping it would not be noticed/stolen.  somehow we got it all on the train, and started to settle down for the night, when the ticket collector came by and told us we were in the wrong car.  the next car down was for warsaw, and the train was going to separate in the night so we had to make sure we were in the right car.

flashback to three years ago.  mom and i are taking a night train to warsaw, and we have second class tickets, so we climb on the train that says “2” on the outside.  we don’t pay attention to any signs inside the train.  if we had, we would have noticed that they all said “pierwsze klas.”  oops.  first class on the inside, second on the outside.  not really our fault, would you say?

the first ticket collector said nothing about our misplacement, a fact that would return to piss me off greatly later.  we went to sleep, and were woken in the middle of the night by a woman who my mom later dubbed “hitler’s girlfriend.” she told us we were in the wrong class and would have to move.  granted, she did ask where we were going first, so she would have let us stay had we been going anywhere but the big city. but, well.   so she kicked us out.

let me tell you how hard it is to find two open places on a packed train to warsaw at 3 in the morning.

let me also tell you that polish men are so determined to help a lady out, that if you are put in their already over-crowded cabin, they will wake from sleep and put your luggage up on the rack for you.  then they will give you their window seat.

even if you are not a lady.

though it is possible that mom stole that window seat.  as she is wont to do.

so, when the ticket collector told us that we had to be in the next car down, and then i saw that the next car down said first class, i grew a bit uneasy.

she assured us that it was fine, it had been made second class just for the journey, don’t worry, sit down.

so we moved all of our stuff, and mom stole my window seat.  we tried to turn out the light (you can’t), luxuriated in our first class cabin, and tried to fall asleep.

i think it was in Krakow, the first separation of the train.  i can sleep on a stopped train, and i can sleep on a moving train, but when one state becomes another, that’s the end of that.  so, we stopped, we backed up, we moved forward, we crashed into other cars, and then we moved on.  but that was the end of my sleeping for pretty much the rest of the journey.  we stopped somewhere else, as well, and did the same thing.  but that second time it was three times as long a pause in the journey.  then i remember looking out the window, later, and seeing a sign for Katowice.

then someone came into our cabin and asked if we were going to Katowice.

we weren’t.

at some point some folks came on the train and settled in the cabin next to ours.  i know that they were speaking very loudly, and i was trying not to listen, because it was interfering with my trying to sleep.  i don’t know what the hell was going on, all i know is that we were woken by a gentleman coming into our cabin and asking us to make sure that we had all of our things.  i couldn’t figure out why.  apparently there were police on our train, and someone had had something stolen, and oh my.  we tried, valiantly, to sleep through it all.

except sara, who just slept through it all.

sara is a really good sleeping person (from terry’s offhand compliment to Melissa, after she dropped her F-bomb at the white board: “and you are a very good … drawing person.”)  she can sleep through anything, including policemen on the train and strange men asking us to make sure that we have all of our belongings.

mom later said that she thought one of the men who came in “was a communist.”  i’m not sure what she meant by that.  i think it was that she was all asleepy, so the figure of authority at the door threw her back to visiting the country during the communist occupation.  or maybe she is just nuts about communists.

i know some communists, and they don’t generally look like that.

anyway, we got to warsaw with all of our things still in our possession, and, exhausted, got tickets for the next leg of our journey.  we had to wait an hour on the platform for the train to toruń, so we had the worst coffee ever and laughed about all of our stuff.  i was surprised to hear that the announcements for the trains are in polish and english now.  a couple of years ago they would make no concession to english speakers, even in the capitol.  weird.

i did make sara go outside and look at stalin’s palace of culture and science, behemoth skyscraper across the street from Warszawa centralna station.  then we waited.

the last time i took the trains here, they would barely stop.  you would throw your things on, and hope to get yourself on before they took off from the platform at speed.  things have changed a little, because we had time to get all of our crap on the train.  a gentleman asked me if i needed help with the luggage, but he did it in polish and i was not at all present to hear what he had to say.  we ended up sitting in his cabin, and mostly sleeping, before we got into a discussion about the “pig flu” and the storks that sit on the chimneys and how western Poland has much more beautiful architecture than eastern Poland, because the Russians tore all of the beautiful ancient buildings down and constructed their “building monsters.”  he may have said “monsters of buildings.” his english was pretty good.

english is definitely more prevalent than it was just two years ago.  weird.

anyway, he helped us get our things off the train, and then he went off to Bydgoszcz and we went to our camping site hostel room and the rest, well, is history.

i think i need to head back to the house now and see about getting my shit together.

ok, love love. 6:52 pm

p.s. there is a guy in the corner playing the repertoire of hippie shit nora loved, redemption song, break on through, all sorts of crap, on a guitar, and singing along in his thick-accented english.  love it.

underellakesttracks, originally uploaded by sherrykeating.

Combination of black and white fade along with a little HDR and focus color. From here to infinity…