Busy day here in the US: headed back to the Netherlands tomorrow. Among the many things to miss back in the Old Country are the endless opportunities to watch the interactions of large, modern boats and small, ancient bridges.
My favorite boat passing by weekly is a handsome Swiss sightseeing cruiser. sleek black and white, that docks overnight across the river. The captain can spin it effortlessly when he has to reverse direction, and retract the mast and wheelhouse when he goes under the Stone Bridge.
The difficulty is in seeing where to go once the wheelhouse is retracted into the deck. Fortunately, that is solved with Swiss efficiency as well, although it’s a fun seeing the little head popped up through the hatch against the huge boat.