Out on the streets.

My wife and I have been out walking more. Our vacation to Duluth got us going again. There for almost a week we strolled and shopped and walked and went up and down stairs. And then we went to the hotel, read for a bit, and headed out again. The sun was hot. I ate ice cream until it was late enough to switch to cocktails.

And we saw the curious life of a city in all its half broken motion.

I’ve never been to a city that wasn’t at least half broken.

And a tenth strange.

Once we came back home we were neither of us eager to leave off all the walking. Pandemic issues still make me nervous. And it’s a small (very small) torture to put on a sweaty mask that steams my glasses for every shop we enter. But we’re out there again nevertheless, all american, buying stuff. I get coffees once more. We sit in the shade outside. Sometimes the coffees are even good.

More often they’re good enough.

I still can’t figure it out. Can you. The hours of the city have grown shorter. The popular places throng as much as ever, but all around that it’s quieter, faded, closed.

It was always like this.

Now it is a little more that way.

Feeling a bit wistful about vacation?

Maybe you’d like to go to Disneyland. Mine is Pandemic approved. You’ll have it all to yourself.

Disneyland