Inner City Heights

Let’s try a different song. Words, but not music, by an OldPlaidCamper.

I’ve been crossstown, downtown, and uptown onto the heights here in the city the last week or two.

An early morning downtown walk – the quietest time of day

It’s a different soundscape and landscape to what we’ve grown used to out on the coast. The sirens! Not the sort trying to lure me onto rocks with their enchanting song. Nope, these are the blaring city sirens, and it isn’t a tune I much enjoy. Previously, I wouldn’t have taken much notice of the noise, sirens being a part of the sonic background along with clanking transit trains, bottles being tipped into dumpsters, and the buzz from cars on Memorial a couple of blocks away. I sure have noticed the noises for this stay in the city, and it’s caused me to wear headphones and listen to music when enjoying my morning coffee on our little balcony.

I think I’m ready for a return to Ucluelet! By the time this is published, I should have arrived back on the west coast, and I’ll be complaining about all the quiet keeping me awake…

Mrs PC loves a cappuccino in the heights

Back in Calgary, one favourite place for good coffee is in an Italian market near Crescent Heights. Oh my strange little brain. Being in the heights had me warbling Wuthering Heights – probably my favourite Kate Bush tune. Don’t worry, the warbling was in my head. And I didn’t try the dancing. But I did play the tune quite a bit back on the Calgary deck. Once I’m reminded of a song, I’ll play it to death until my butterfly mind alights on another.

Very little crosstown traffic here – but I scurried across anyway

I was heading across town the other morning, striding along purposefully, and waiting my turn at the crosswalks. The tune in my head? Crosstown Traffic as performed by Jimi Hendrix. Pretty sure he wasn’t singing about walking in traffic, but my mind goes where my mind goes. Yup, onto the morning coffee playlist it went. Bye bye, Kate.

It can be challenging being in the city, as a whiny post I wrote a couple of weeks ago suggested. All those obstacles. Yes, there’s a song for that (in PlaidCamper world) and this one was Obstacle 1 by Interpol. I love their first album, Turn on the Bright Lights, mostly because it sounds like so many other performers I like – Talking Heads, The Smiths, New Order, and various other gloomy-sounding-but-really-quite-jolly musicians.

An easily negotiated Inner City obstacle!

I think it’s time to turn the sound down. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a wonderful and quiet weekend, hopefully listening to whatever is the best soundtrack for you!

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plaidcamper

I am a would be outdoorsman - that is if I had more time, skills and knowledge. When I can, I love being outdoors, just camping, hiking, snowboarding, xc skiing, snowshoeing, paddling a canoe or trying something new. What I lack in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm and having a go. I'd never really survive for long out there in the wild, but I enjoy pretending I could if I had to...

18 thoughts on “Inner City Heights”

  1. Love that shattered mosaic design on the Inner City beer can, the contents of which could ease one’s way through Crosstown Traffic, Talking Heads & other musical delights that play repetitively in the brain. Again, fine work (or play), Adam, and enjoy your return to the coast.

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    1. Thanks, Walt! Safely back on the coast and enjoying a more soothing soundtrack, washed down with a glass of NW pale ale or two. The delights of a long weekend…
      If you’re heading back into the education fray after this Labour Day, here’s hoping for a good academic year ahead for you!

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  3. I can relate. We have had very little peace here in the city in Edmonton with all the construction throughout downtown and the roofers dropping a pallet on the roof right above my bedroom at 7 a.m. That was a rude awakening! Enjoy the peace!

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  4. Wonderful photos and city soundtrack between your descriptions and playlist! Loved the inclusion of the Inner City ale, but the best beverage of the week belongs to Mrs. PC. After all these years and my love of music, I’m surprised to still find myself always walking without headphones and I should rethink that so Jimi Hendrix or the Talking Heads could drown out the traffic. I thought it was going to be a great morning of football with Everton winning in an exciting match and Tottenham starting strong, but this week it was a ball off the post by Kane and a late Arsenal surge that left the Spurs lucky to leave with a tie. Hope you’re enjoying the return to the quieter coast and look forward to a West Coast soundtrack some time in the future.

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    1. Thank you! Mrs PC is very particular about her cappuccino, so when there’s a place that does a good one, that’s where we’ll be!
      The weekend was a great one for football! Everton doing their best not to win and still getting three points, and then the north London derby was a fine game. Spurs lucky to get a point, looked like it was going to be a loss. Great match!
      Yes, back on the coast now, with what seemed like it was going to be a very wet weekend, but has dried out since last night and we have a sunny Labour Day today. It’s always great weather when school starts up!
      Enjoy the week ahead!

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      2. Whitefish is tied for first with Bozeman for my favourite MT town. The Going to the Sun Road is a white knuckle drive we sometimes take heading back north. Definitely two hands on the wheel!

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