Sunday p.m. quickie

OK I really need a camera now as it would really enhance things here.
I missed the last 8.20pm East River ferry bus home from Williamsburg, Brooklyn tonight on account of the open mic session being worth it.

Therefore I cycled back over Williamsburg bridge. It's a good 15-20 minute ride across as it spans a lot of land from high up, aswell as the river, to plonk you down near 1st Avenue. The land part is fun in itself as you get to peer down into villagey areas with planned blocks of accommodation, and spy Manhattan bridge in its majesticness playing peekaboo behind the blocks as you scoot along.

Most poetically tonight, the metal caging around the wide cycle-path forming one of the corridors that is Williamsburg bridge (there is a separate corridor for subway trains and others for vehicles), is colored a dark pink which matched the gorgeous sunsetting sky straight ahead as you go. Really beautiful balmy evening, and several lone people going hard with their cameras at getting a great shot of the sky and the buildings.
I like the cage as on Manhattan bridge the cycle path has less protection from the side and I couldn't stop fantasizing about slipping under the railing and falling down down - it's a long way up. Exhilerating though.
It made me want to keep a second bike for visitors as there is nothing like the freedom of cycling these beautiful routes at the right time of day. Eager to taste everything, I did hold my hand out for the slightly painful high-five which was offered to all, by a guy coming fast the other way.

And what a fun offering I returned from. An open mic afternoon before the real live set of the evening in a characterful wooden bar called Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn. Very similar to London of the same - a line of white guys with their guitars patiently watching while they wait to go on. Only this one this afternoon anyway had lots of women too and to my equal joy a black couple, who won the prize for me:
Guy with afro and beard on funky stratocaster guitar who did some very soulful backing vocals in the bridge to chorus "oh no no no no noooooo". And a beautiful woman with long hair and a yellow dress, very many white teeth and excellent microphone control - holding it down for the high loud held notes. It was a step towards Womack and Womack or Minnie Riperton. The chorus went:
Tight (pause)
Tight (pause)
Tight (pause)
...our love is...
I laughed at the upbeat soulful sincerity of their song. Solid as a rock...that's what this love is.

Hard to look cool at the moment in the heat. Or at least to look vintage for guys. Shorts and t shirt, which is all that is tolerable under the furnacing sky just now just isn't very retro. And everyone looks the same.