Rail travel

And now for my new hobby, photos from trains. The Vermonter in particular offers a slower mode of travel, as do most Amtrak trains, given how little funding that form of transportation receives compared to rail systems in other industrialized nations. We see America's backyards, junkyards, and the infrastructure looks tattered at times, travelling at relatively slow speeds. It's a marvelous vantage point, elevated, looking down and outward. I like to place my phone right up against the glass but at a slight angle, and ideally, there is a little swoosh and another area in perfect focus.

 Riding the Vermonter from White River Junction to New York City and back again, a train that skirts the Connecticut River until it reaches New Haven more or less, I also find tremendous pleasure in the variations in light and color through the seasons. I don't quite know what to do with all these photos. I've hung some of them on my wall, horizontally, in sequence, to make them evoke a train and respect the chronology of the journey. They might be nice to publish in book form, with pages unfolding outward, representing each journey.

For the time being, I begin with the most recent ones, north to south, south to north, taken in August 2018. It was 70F southbound and 90 F northbound, hence the contrast between the crisp blue skies on the southbound route vs. the hazier light on the northbound route.

Southbound

 Northampton MA

 the Bronx, NYC

 Queens, NYC

Northbound

 Springfield MA

 Southern VT

 Brattleboro VT

 Bellows Falls VT

 North Walpole NH

 Windy Hill Road, Claremont NH

 About to cross into Windsor VT back across the Connecticut River, Mount Ascutney in the background

Bogart Street, Bushwick

Bogart Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NYC. "They" have figured out that the walk from the Jefferson Street L train station stop to Beacon's Closet is five blocks long. Five blocks to entice used clothing shoppers to stop and have a look before their predetermined destination. I did find a really nice cardigan at aforementioned BC. The vibe is mainly young French tourists looking for bargains and Boopsies on a Sunday trying the hipster vibe. Lots of coffee and beer joints to keep you hydrated between Williamsburg and Bushwick if you care to walk. This is what gentrification looks like. I am a guilty party, even as an out of towner. But, I do try to support the independent bookstores. Fortunately NY still has a few scattered around. I dropped off copies of my graphic novel "Empty Nesting" at Bluestockings on Allen Street (Lower East Side) and Desert Island Books in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 

Recycled hats

I just stumbled upon these hats made in Portland Oregon, Flipside Hats,  at my local food coop. Too cool for school and good for the environment! I had to buy one, and it fits nicely in my bag, folded up, waiting for the sun. And they're made from recycled fabric!

Comics conference

Brussels, vintage capital of the world

Good bye England, hello Brussels. After my Bournemouth conference and two train rides, I ended up at Brussels Midi where bus # 27 to Archimede (end station) took me on the Rue Haute, a street in the Marolles district that abounds with antique and vintage shops. The next day, which was a Sunday, with great anticipation, I walked from our nearby airbnb, and entered Melting Pot Kilo where I found a denim jacket for 5 euros in a shop that sells by the weight. 

Brussels is a city of many villages. It's also a vintage city in and of itself, as it preserves its old character, with streets still named after the trades that were practiced there hundreds of years ago. The old manual trades are still alive and well, as evidenced by the "cordonnerie" or cobbler photographed below. I was also stunned to see an old-fashioned camera shop still open for business near Place Saint-Boniface. 

The  chain smoking, dialect speaking locals still hang out in cafes, either settled comfortably for the day, slowly consuming coffee and beer, or working behind the counter. 

near Place Saint-Boniface

This vintage shop in the same Rue Haute was a little more upscale. It puts suspenders to creative and practical use. 

love the three-dimensional top. 

                                                                     totally retro

When we arrived, the Chaussée de la Toison d'Or was festively celebrating the inauguration of the Place Lumumba, named after the slain revolutionary leader of Zaire at the time of independence from Belgium. Matonge, the neighborhood where the square was inaugurated, is a historically Congolese neighborhood. The locals had much to celebrate! Let's see if Belgium makes it to the final of the world cup to have even more to celebrate.