View From the Top

As I was flying home for Easter (Thank you, JetBlue and your magnificent Fare Sales that save me from the annoyances and inflated prices of Megabus!), it occurred to me just how much space there is upstate. I mean, it's not just space, it's S.....P.....A.....C.....E..... It's magnificent. Check it out:

You can see a patchwork quilt of fields and the meandering Erie Canal with houses few and far between. It's beautiful. It's stunning. It's God's country.

On the way back to the city, I took a look at the view of Queens:

It's dirty-looking. It's grey. It's claustrophobic. When you look down from above, you think, "How can all these people live on top of their neighbors like that? How can they breathe?" And believe it or not, this is what I'd call the more spacious area of Queens--at least you can still see treetops and such. The city would look even more congested.

It's almost shocking to compare these pictures side-by-side. Of course, when you do, you notice that the sun is gloriously shining on one location but not the other. Coincidence? I think not.  :)

(Incidentally, I'm not sure I was supposed to be using my iPhone to take pictures while in flight. Please don't report me to the authorities.)