The View from a Drawbridge

Tag: train

  • Bits n’ Bobs About Florence, Italy

    Bits n’ Bobs About Florence, Italy

    Here are some of the fascinating things most tourists overlook.

  • West Coast Wander, Day 12: Riding on the Coast Starlight

    From here on, our trip was more of a swaying glide than a wander.

  • The Deadliest Avalanche in US History

    96 people were killed.

  • On Making a Fool of Oneself

    I just watched a short Youtube video about a guy in Perth, Australia who likes to start impromptu dance parties with strangers on trains. What fun! Before long, most everyone on the train is getting their groove on, and I’m sure they all have smiles on their faces for the rest of the day. I…

  • A Really Bad Day in the Life of a Bridgetender

    1:00 – 5:00 am: Dog periodically wakes up, dry heaving, causing me to periodically wake up. He has gotten into the landlady’s compost heap again. 6:15 am: Alarm goes off. I sit up in a fog. Room spins. I feed dogs, one of whom is predictably not hungry. Let the dogs out, watch them head…

  • Patience, dammit!

    It’s 7:20 a.m. on a Monday morning and I’m opening the drawbridge for a sailboat. Traffic is backed up for a half mile in either direction. Joggers are jogging in place at the gates, and a few are giving me dirty looks. Horns are honking. Then the sailboat radios in to ask why the bridge…