Loose ends from a few days of travel

The first glimpse of a new place is always exciting: the descent through the clouds, the distant snow-capped peaks, the sprawl of the city, then trying to put names to features and spot buildings.

On this trip, though, the flight attendant insisted that all cameras be shut down  during the descent with the argument that they were battery-powered devices, like MP3 players and cell phones, that must be turned off.

I took a picture just for spite.

I brought a tie and jacket for a nice dinner out, but the latest style being shown in the shops was not flattering.  Sort of a cross between an ascot and a traditional tie, it was wide, loose, rumpled, huge.  Maybe the vest and matching handkerchief would help?

I can’t imagine dressing for business like this.

I read a book once that recommended paying attention to the small things in cities: how the overhead wires run, where there’s a track of an abandoned streetcar line, how they cap their downspouts, what they mount on their doors.  In short, look up and down, into corners and through windows, rather than just following the street signs.

  I find that there are always interesting and unique little artifacts to discover, like this doorknocker.

Several of the local bloggers I follow have raised the ethics of including photos of people in blog posts without their permission. Some have started blurring faces or avoiding people entirely in travel pictures.  In public, I assume that everyone yields their privacy, and I don’t worry about street pictures.  But I’ve become much more circumspect about pictures from stores or restaurants, cropping people out or only taking pictures from behind.

But street performers are always fair game.

and cows…