Sydney quick quick

I had a 48-hour trip to Sydney earlier this week, a follow-up to the recent Melbourne jaunt. I stayed in a neighborhood I didn’t really know, although not all that far away from places I’ve been before. I got out for a couple of early morning walks… here’s some pics.

I saw a lot of architectural old-meets-new juxtaposition. I bet an architectural walking tour of Sydney would have really good examples of every style building from the 1880s to now.

The ibises are one of the most obvious reminders that you’re not in, e.g., Chicago.

Dead umbrellas.

This photo only works if you can zoom in to read the small sign on the door.

Street furniture. Someday I’ll look up why cities used these glass blocks, always now turning violet, in their sidewalks. Is it just to let in light to the basement?

This little plaque was part of a series on The Goods Line, which is a very cool space I walked along.

And finally… me helping one of the students in my class. Here’s what I look like in my usual habitat.

April 26, 2024 0

Tauranga

Weekend before last we drove the three or so hours south to Tauranga for an overnight getaway. Above is the boutique hotel we stayed in… the old Post Office building. It was quite nice. We appreciated the mocktails in the beautiful lobby bar as our Dry July experiment continues.

Google recommended this fish n chips place. We were warned of the wait, which made it slightly easier… but still it took a looong time. The food was good, but actually, we’ve never had fish n chips that was any better or worse than any other. One’s perception of fried fish in NZ might be all about the day one is having, I think.

We walked around downtown, sleepy on a Saturday afternoon in winter, even if it was a holiday weekend. Some pics…

And then we had a good Vietnamese dinner that nostalgically reminded us of the surprisingly good Vietnamese restaurant near Bradley Airport that we used to go to sometimes.

But Sunday was the main event… a truffle hunt! Next post.

July 26, 2023 0

On the ground in New Orleans

I’m headed home today after a successful week of standards development in New Orleans. I did manage to get morning and evening walks most days, and I ate and drank well all week. No complaints at all.

But the Spanish moss and wrought iron pictures just weren’t happening for me, so I reverted to type and snapped pics of the vibrant and varied access covers. So many!

Sewer Jones USA Pride. For some reason I’m reminded of Donald’s mental fitness exam a few years ago.

In addition to Western Union, there are old Bell System and AT&T covers, as well as newer Cox etc, all representing the communications infrastructure.

Crescent? Central? Cajun? Electric Light and Power Co

Compare to the previous one. This must’ve been end of shift, got tired of lining up all the little treads.

So much history, or at least stories, are represented here.

May 14, 2023 2

A tough break

I’ve written before about the quiet dependability of manhole covers and such. But sometimes they break!

December 31, 2022 0

Commonwealth Walkway Wellington

Although it’s the unexpected flair seen on manhole covers and other kinds of ‘utilitarian’ street furniture that first caught my eye, I’m not immune to the more intentional charms of plaques like this one.

It’s part of the Commonwealth Walkway project, which hopes to get people out walking more by commemorating important sites around Wellington and other cities, installing some plaques, and infusing the whole thing with a spritz of royal patronage. Although I’m generally in favor of this sort of feel-good project , I know that one of the many reasons political life doesn’t appeal to me is the thought of so many such efforts, all needing (and deserving to whatever extent) to be Taken Quite Seriously.

November 6, 2022 0

Portals to another world

My early morning walk around BWI yielded a good crop of manhole covers. I still find the variety and longevity of these things a little bit surprising. That Bell System logo hasn’t been used for decades.