How you got around!

Thanks to all those who participated in the latest cultural blip challenge on modes of transportation! Here’s a rundown of some of the submissions.
 
Water transport loomed large among the entries from tourist boats on the Thames to a paddle steamer in Scotland and ferries of all kinds in Finland (what a sky!), Hong Kong, Greece, and a high speed catamaran ferry at Lake Michigan in the US.  The inside view of a ferry provided a different perspective as well.  This shot wins the day for the detailed description of every boat in the image.
 
Then there were smaller vessels: the one that enables a 75-meter commute in New Zealand, the contrast between the tiny boat and the more imposing one in Canada, a row boat against a beautiful background, and a makeshift pirate boat! My favorite in this mode came from Finland, the land of 187,888 lakes for a combination of elements unique to that country.
 
On public transportation, everyone’s equal: on the bus in the UK or in Belgium, or waiting patiently for a metro in New York City, though some tracks are not quite straight yet!
 
You guys took me seriously when I mentioned classic cars in the announcement of the challenge and posted some beauties: a bright red Triumph, an iconic Ferrari, the unmistakable vignette of a Corvette, Bond, James Bond?,  military green Jeeps, a two-for-one shot, a  stunning vintage Rolls, and an image that almost took us back to the beginning of last century! Of course, sometimes nature takes over with these old cars ;)
 
In the old-fashioned genre, we also saw donkey carts, Amish horsedrawn carriages, and a handyman on bicycle in Bahrain.
 
A tractor provided a farmer’s view in Sweden, a rickety wagon and wheel gave us a hint of ranching in the US, and the juxtaposition of little and big tractors here was just wonderful.
 
In the human powered mode of transportation, we saw a very cute green bike, shoes (yes, some people get around by foot), paddle boats with doggies, and the suggestion of a bicycle.
 
Some of you stepped it up and went for the unusual: surfboarding in the US, ballooning in the UK, parasailing in Greece, cable cars in the Alps in France, learning to Segway in the US,  a mobile tattoo parlor in a converted 2CV van in the Netherlands, flying a microlight aircraft in Switzerland, catching a colorful home on wheels in Scotland or light trails on a highway in Australia, capturing a Coast Guard helicopter flying overhead and a tractor pulling a rescue boat out of the water in England.  And for those who have done it all: a motorized floating hot tub in which to enjoy drinks with friends ;)
 
Finally, two shots that particularly appealed to me as a street photographer: a stunning shot of a metro station in Germany with a train in motion, whose colors match the tiled walls, and a sun-filled (as well as transportation-filled) street scene in Italy.
 
Compiled by Michele (aka Alsacienne)
   
We’re taking a short break next week while yours truly attends her son’s graduation in Toronto!