Day 58: Pittsburgh, PA to Weston, WV
In the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, the Monongahela River from the south, and the Allegheny River from the north, join to form the Ohio. Many tributaries of these rivers cut through the city, making bridges a significant necessity.

According to a 2006 study by a University of Pittsburgh visiting professor, there are 446 bridges in the city. To be counted, a bridge had to be within the city limits and had to have piers and a stand. The Guinness record keepers accepted this count and officially named Pittsburgh the city with the most bridges, three more than runner-up Venice.

About 40 bridges cross the three rivers, and we have spent the last couple of days visiting and photographing them, an engineering scavenger hunt. Most types of bridge designs-- including suspension, cantilever, arch, beam, girder, truss-- are represented, and most of the bridges were built from locally produced steel. Many of the bridges in the downtown area are painted golden yellow to match the city's official colors of black and gold.

Fort Pitt Bridge

The Fort Pitt Bridge over the Monongahela River and the Fort Duquesne Bridge over the Allegheny River are on opposite sides of the city's "Point".  These twin bridges are both double-decked carrying four lanes of northbound traffic on the upper deck and four southbound lanes on the lower deck.  Like many Pittsburgh bridges, each has a pedestrian walkway on its lower deck.

Fort Duquesne Bridge

Built in the 1920's, the Three Sisters are three parallel, nearly identical self-anchored suspension bridges that cross the Allegheny River at 6th, 7th, and 9th streets. The bridges have been recently renamed for prominent Pittsburgh residents: Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol, and Rachel Carson.

Two of the Sisters (7th Street and 9th Street)

Opened to traffic in 1883, the Smithfield Street bridge across the Monongahela is the city's oldest river bridge still in use and the oldest steel bridge in the U.S. Almost demolished for its inadequacies and deteriorated condition in the early 1990s, the bridge was saved and rehabilitated through the efforts of local preservationists.

Commissioned by the City of Pittsburgh as part of the celebration of Pittsburgh’s 250th birthday, “Arch” is a 20-foot tall Transformer-type robot which embodies designs from many of Pittsburgh's most recognizable bridges. As protector and champion of the city, Arch stands vigil on a downtown street corner, looking out onto the rivers.

The work of Los Angeles artist Glenn Kaino, the sculpture was originally slated to be on display for six months in 2008. Because he proved so popular with residents and visitors alike, Arch has lasted well beyond his expiration date.

For any lover of bridges, Pittsburgh is a great place to visit. And, if you're like us, visiting the bridges on weekend days is a relaxing and cheap form of entertainment.

After we completed our bridge tour and planted a letterbox in Pittsburgh, we moseyed down to West Virginia, where we thought we'd find some relief from the heat. We did not.

Daily Stats
Miles driven: 177
High temp:  90° F
Letterboxes: 1 F, 1 P
Bridges: 25
Munching Mountaineer Mosquitoes on the Monongahela in Morgantown: 13,288

Haven't Seen That for a While
Kudzu
Kroger grocery stores
90° F
Mimosa trees

More Bridge Photos

Canada, Eh?

29 Days North: What We Learned about Canada

1.  Canada is vast.  Yes, we were aware before our trip that Canada is larger in land area than the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii).  But in 29 days, driving 3,600 miles in the country, we barely scratched the surface. 

Yes, we visited five of the ten provinces but saw only a thin slice of Ontario (1 1/2 times the size of Texas) and a tiny sliver of Quebec (more than twice the size of Texas).

2. Canada looks like the U.S. If an American were dropped into the middle of a midsize Canadian city, it might take a while for him to realize he wasn't in the U.S. The local shoppoing center offers familiar fare: Wal-Mart, Staples, Michaels, Best Buy, Hallmark, Sears, and others. Lunch is available at Wendy's, Burger King, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway or DQ.

Autos are about the same makes and models one finds in the States.  Roads bear similar markings and signage, and architectural styles look familiar.  Currency is similar-- the dollar, quarter, dime, nickel and penny.  Coins are even of similar size and color.  People look mostly the same, except that Canada lacks the ethnic diversity one finds in the U.S.  Since 90% of Canadians live within 160 miles of the United States, it's not surprising that so many similarities exist between our cultures.

3.  Canada is different from the U.S.  In the month we spent with our neighbors to the north, we were consistently treated with courtesy and respect.  Not once did we encounter the churlish, ill-mannered employees we see so often in U.S. businesses.  Bon Qui Qui does not live in Canada.

Language provides another striking difference.  Canada is officially a bilingual country and in the parts of eastern and central Canada we visited (except Prince Edward Island), we were as likely to hear French spoken as English.  Any time we were initially addressed in French, when we responded in English, the hotel desk clerk or restaurant server or retail clerk immediately shifted into flawless English.  Because the country has two official languages, school children are taught both languages from an early age. 

The parts of Canada that we visited are much more environmentally conscious than most of the U.S.  Litter doesn't appear to be nearly as pervasive, and recycling efforts are much more intense and consistent.

And lest we imply that all Canadian retail businesses stem from U.S. parent corporations, there are many Canadian chain stores and restaurants.  Tim Horton's, a fast-food cross between Dunkin' Doughnuts and Subway, is ubitiquous in central and eastern Canada and has made inroads in some parts of northeastern U.S. 

On the whole, we found the parts of Canada that we visited were more... well, more relaxed than the U.S.  We saw evidence of only one traffic accident and it was an encounter with a moose.  When one watches the news on television or reads the local newspaper, reports are not so focused on crime as in the U.S.  And as we noted in an earlier post, there isn't nearly the intense emphasis on security as one finds in the States.

The most surprising difference was the difference in the numbers of Canada geese.  Although they are greatly in evidence in the U.S., we saw very few in Canada.  Taxes are significantly higher in Canada, as are government services (particularly health care).  And much more often than in the U.S., Canadians will end a sentence with "...eh?"

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre National Park, Italy

Along a rugged stretch of the Italian Riviera, the Cinque Terre (CHEEN-kwa TEHR-reh) string out along the Mediterranean coast like a strand of luminous pearls.  The Cinque Terre, or Five Lands, comprises five small villages:  Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, clinging to the cliffs along the shore. 

Manorola

Terraced vineyards scale the mountains behind the villages, and the towns are largely unspoiled by modernization.  Most have little or no car traffic, although all are served by train, trails, and boat.  All the villages date back to the 1200s or earlier, and before the last twenty or so years, their economies were based on fishing, olive oil production, and winemaking.  In more recent times, the villages have been discovered by tourists, both Italian and foreign.  Now young locals who would have grown up to work in the vineyards or olive groves field requests at internet cafes.

Vernazza

Known for their beauty, the Cinque Terre were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an Italian national park at the end of the last century.  Explaining why the area was selected as a cultural highlight, UNESCO cited the way humans have transformed the steep cliffs into agricultural fields with the use of terracing.  Also noted were how the people have adapted to the inhospitable geography by constructing compact settlements directly on the rocky cliffs, incorporating winding streets to navigate up and down the hills.  

Riomaggiore

The five villages are connected by a series of trails, some lower along the coastline and others climbing the steep hills above the towns.  The trail from Riomaggiore, the farthest village south, and its closest neighbor Manorola is a flat easy path carved into the side of the cliff in the 1920s.  Known as Via dell'Amore, or the Pathway of Love, this level trail was especially appreciated in its early days by villagers from the two towns experiencing their first opportunities to court and fall in love with someone outside their isolated village.  Over the years both villagers and visitors have contributed to the lover's lane graffitti that covers this stretch of the trail.

Via dell'Amore graffiti

A more recent trend has been the addition of "love locks" along the rail, fences, and even the steel netting bolted to the cliffside to prevent rockslides.  In this custom, whose popularity has been spreading through various countries around the world, sweethearts affix a padlock, often adorned with their names or initials and perhaps some special date or place, to a public fixture such as a bridge or fence. 

Bridges are popular spots for these locks because the lovers then throw the key into the water to symbolize the permanence of both the lock and their love.  Hundreds of these locks decorate the structures along the Cinque Terre's lover's lane.

Love Locks

Though our visit to these magical villages was brief, we were charmed by their tenacity and the beauty of the pastel humble homes clinging to the rocky cliffs.

Riomaggiore

Use Google's image search engine to check out photos of the Cinque Terre,and discover for yourself why this Italian eye candy is such a popular spot.

Cinque Terre Stats
Villages:  5
Population:  5,119

By our count:
Love locks:  23,481
Olive trees:  8,264
Grape vines:  34,117
Rooms for rent (signs posted all over):  4,609
Gelato cones consumed:  15,873

More Photos from Cinque Terre

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