If i’d understood sixty years ago that atheists are not forgiven for their sins, i’d have been nicer, sooner. Or just rekindled my faith.
Well, i’d almost given up hope, but it finally happened. I encountered a rude Portlander.
I was out on this morning’s photo foray and was gliding smoothly and cautiously to a halt at a stop sign, still a dozen feet back of it, when a young bicyclist approaching from my right screamed at me to stop. With an obscenity. I laughed loudly at her because that enrages them.
The foray continued well. I rode north along the riverside to the Steel Bridge, crossing it today on the upper level with the cars rather than on the lower level with the railroad traffic. Got good shots, including this one that shows a train crossing on the lower level while on the upper level you can see a light rail vehicle, Portland’s handsomer version of San Francisco’s Muni. If you look closely, you can also see trucks on the upper level. For the cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists you’ll just have to use your imagination, but i promise they’re there because i was.
And here’s the Fremont Bridge in the background with the Broadway Bridge in front.
This afternoon i swung by Baan Thai for an early dinner on Larb Chicken and then headed to the river for my riverboat cruise. On the way, i got busted by a transit authority guy for riding the Segway on the part of the street marked for light rail transit. Told him i was a tourist and wouldn’t do it anymore. Well, see, in San Francisco, you can legally ride in some parts of the track areas, with the forbidden parts marked by clear signage, but since it’s illegal everywhere in Portland, there’s no need for signage.
The river cruise was enjoyable, delightfully narrated, and full of photo ops. I snapped 200 of ’em, so i should get three or four good ones. Oh, and the cruise ran from the dock between the Hawthorne and Morrison bridges all the way up to the Columbia River and back, much of it at 40 knots. Never been near that fast in a boat before, and it was thrilling to do so.
OK, one photo. This one of the Broadway Bridge off the stern of the boat. I’m now thinking that that’s the loveliest Portland bridge other than Tillikum Crossing, and besides, the engineering on the double leaf bascules is fascinating.
Well, since you already had one of the Broadway Bridge, here’s the St. Johns Bridge.
And OK, that’s it for Portland bridges. I return home in the morning. Good trip.