Train blogging 2

I've lived up and down the east coast, and it's funny how this train trip is passing by or near the places I've called home. Right now we're in northern Florida, where I spent seven years. The view brings back so many mnemories...some good, some not so good. But it is beautiful county in it's own way--the spreading live oakes draped in Spaninh moss, the scrub pines, the lakes and springs and rivers, the palms and palmettos (not the tall impressive kind, but the lower scrubby ground cover kind.)

I've never been south of Tampa, and I only briefly visited there, so I'll be seeing some new country before the day is out. I'm looking foreword to seeing a broad southern beach and beautiful clear water.

We've passed a lot of fields covered with black netting supported on poles...I've never seen anything like it before and I'm wondering what they are growing. Tomatoes?

Okay we are in Winter Park now, farther south than I thought. It looks like a lovely town. Often on the train you see only the outskirts, not always attractive, but not here.

Sleeping on the train wasn't bad...but once the bed is made up you can barely move in the compartment. I'm not sure that two people could easily share this space although it is supposedly designed to fit two. I went to sleep at a ridiculously early hour for me (around 10) and slept until after 7, only waking up a couple of times, and I feel really well rested. Breakfast was grits, scrambled eggs and a biscuit-wonderful Southern fare!

I really do like traveling this way. It takes time for sure. The Kid and I were talking about this--we've both recently (re)read The Winds of War, a novel about the two years leading up to WWII. The characters all travel a great deal, but they take it as a matter of course that it will take them days if not weeks to get where they are going. Now we expect to be there in hours or it's not worth it. We're so rushed. I am grateful for being able to travel at this slower pace.