I TOOK THE SKYTRAIN at Bridgeport Station into Vancouver last week. It was a cold prickly day and there were strong winds.
The train was nearly empty at the start but filled up quickly. Not accustomed to traveling on the Skytrain, I expected some blue vistas along the way.
Moletrain might be a better name for this ride. There was no sky to see as we burrowed beneath city streets along a winding tubular tunnel stretched out for miles like a Slinky toy. The only views were of lights flickering in the outer darkness and reflections in the windows. Heads were bent and most passengers were deep into their books and electronic gadgets. Some people seemed asleep.
I got off at Vancouver City Centre Station and headed for the escalator. A huge poster of a man lying flat on his back was eye-catching. I don't know what it was intended to portray. The image reminded me of Gulliver's Travels and the tiny Lilliputians who captured Gulliver by pinning him to the ground as if he were a mammoth butterfly.
I exited the building to see the city sparkling at my feet. But it was very chilly and everyone was in a hurry.
People were intent on getting from here to there. The rain needling down was far from the soft squishy kind I am used to in Vancouver.
A colorful umbrella sprung open like a flower in the gray.
A woman with a suitcase full of treats sprinkled cupfuls of seeds on the sidewalk. Her kindness was a bright spot for the pigeons on that bitter day.To enjoy more sights from around the globe visit Our World.
Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms
I enjoyed your mix of train and city shots. I know the pigeons were grateful for their treat.
ReplyDeleteUnfamiliar familiar places. So strange to get a pigeon's eye view of a city which has changed dramatically since I worked there.
ReplyDeleteI haven't taken this route from Bridgeport to downtown, but I guess it travels under Cambie Street.
Beautiful photos, however. I enjoyed them.
K
Thanks for a great train trip -- even if it is underground!! Love pigeons and, yes, I know they were grateful for such a treat! Hope you get some sunshine soon -- I hope we get some sunshine soon!! There is a little very weak sunshine right now, but not sure how long it will last! More rain in on the way! Surprise, surprise!! Enjoy your day, stay dry!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
Lovely post...and your shots were great too!
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Loved the post . I am so happy to know I'm not the only person in the world who isn't totally blase' about riding on these kind of things....I am always agog, never taking anything for granted while everybody else just talks or IMs or whatever....
ReplyDeleteYou might not have had the sky views you wanted but the photos you did get are absolutely wonderful.
What a grand way to travel!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed taking this excursion with you, and I didn't even have to open my umbrella. At first, I thought the poster was a real person sleeping on the train!
ReplyDeleteI had not thought about the underground travel much before, but you are right is is dark and not too interesting. I just like how fast and convenient it is to get downtown.
ReplyDeleteNice shots. I remember seeing rain when we were in Vancouver last summer, and plenty of it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your view of Vancouver via the skytrain, and the downtown city streets. Hope to make it there sometime next month. Great shots!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a good way to get into the city. I wasn't aware of this when I visited Vancouver but then, that was many years ago.
ReplyDeleteAlthough not what you expected, it all made for a great, well documented and written post.
ReplyDeleteWonderful shots even though you didn't get to see the sky...
ReplyDeleteThat huge poster photo is stunning!
Moletrain is a very suitable name! In Tokyo, I took a long escalator three times to reach a subway station and was surprised with the depth of the railways. No interesting or exciting at all, but very convenient as many of subway stations are connected with underground paths, so we do not need umbrellas in rainy days.
ReplyDeleteI associated the poster with an ambulance or a bed to carry a patient in a hospital because of his bare feet.What does it want to say???
Thanks for a great travel!
keiko
“Skytrain” sounds exciting. I’d be disappointed when I learn the train mostly running underground against my
ReplyDeleteexpectation. ”Moletrain” is a nice naming. In fact there are many lines crisscrossing under the urban areas. Your photos of train and the cityscape are superb!
Ha! Mole train! You are so clever with words. :)
ReplyDeleteFun adventure with you on the train. Love the purple umbrella!
ReplyDeleteNice photos of Vancouver. It's always nice to meet another Canadian blogger.
ReplyDeleteYour "moletrain" comment really made me laugh, Penelope. You do have a very good point. The flower umbrella, and hurrying legs and the bright spot in the pigeons' day were other highlights. I love to see the world through your eyes. There are always surprises and always joys to behold.
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