HAPPY NEW WEEK!
I hope everyone has a joyful week. The Brood X cicadas were screaming today on my patch. About a week ago, I noticed some big holes at the bottom of my trees. Various critters dig holes in my yard, so I didn't think much about it. Since then, I've seen articles about some of last year's Brood X cicadas popping up this year. Apparently, some of the bugs, called "stragglers," decided to sleep in, and they're appearing this year instead of last year. In most cases, it's because our soil didn't warm up to the required 64 degrees Fahrenheit until too late to wake them up in 2021. So, some of the noisy screechers decided to hit their snooze alarm and climb out this year instead!
The waterfront. We decided to go and find a touring bus, which you can pay for once but then hop on and off, as it tours the city. We saw a lot from the top deck and enjoyed the ride!
We looked at the map and decided to get off in a central part, near to the main park.
On the way, we saw the colourful buildings it's famous for.
Lovely cobbled squares and side streets.
The park was delightful, and of course, spotlessly clean and neat!
This structure was floating in the lake with a notice saying something about it being an art installation.
We met a couple, obviously English, & they turned out to be from our ship. (The lady was wearing a Union Jack scarf) They said that they had been up behind the city on the funicular railway and there were great views from the top. We decided it would take us too long to try it, as there were queues to get on.
Neat floral displays!
A jolly sailor in a dry pool....
Another water feature, with a distressed little boy being attacked by the fishes!
General view across the lake, of shops and businesses alongside the park.
Flowers in the streets beside the park.
Restful benches where folks were eating their lunchtime sandwiches. There were a lot of lilac and laburnum trees, very pretty.
Bandstand. I loved the ornate bits!
We caught another bus back without a problem, and were told that although it was sunny, it had in fact rained for 3 days previously.
After a late lunch and an afternoons relaxation, we saw good views of the city as we drew away.
The hill behind is where the railway rode up to the top.
This was a more detailed view - we loved the city and would recommend a visit.
Goodbye!
Another ship was racing to beat us on our way out...
Another bridge similar to the one we'd seen before.