tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52344912024-03-05T00:41:23.133-08:00Dave Adair PhotographyPhotography and newsletter blog.
Subscribe to the newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to: daveadair+subscribe@googlegroups.com.Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-40890537065595938142023-04-10T09:00:00.001-07:002023-04-10T09:08:00.587-07:00Davemo Posts, Turkey, March 2022 to February 2023<h2 style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 3rem; line-height: 4rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 17.5px; position: relative; text-align: left;">Davemo Posts, Turkey, March 2022 to February 2023</h2><div><div><i>The Way is perfect like vast space</i></div><div><i>where nothing is lacking and nothing in excess.</i></div><div><i>Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject</i></div><div><i>that we do not see the true nature of things.</i></div></div><div><i><div> ~ The Third Patriarch of Zen</div><div> ~ Verses on the Faith Mind</div><div><br /></div></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Greetings, friends. I can't account for myself, as usual, but periodically I post too-many photos, and that probably raises more questions than answers. Anyway, I'm surprised I haven't created a blog post in year, and I'm happy that it wasn't a five year break like I took after my brother died. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you've been on the Davemo Posts Whatsapp group, you will have seen these. To the rest of you, welcome.</div><div><br /></div><div>Look for more of these WhatsApp catch-up posts. They are lined up and aiming at YOU!</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dave</div><div><br /></div><div class="post-body" style="font-family: Lato, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div class="post-content" data-type-cleanup="true"><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>March 4, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/8b138231-e633-d35d-3931-719b23e9aa54.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/8b138231-e633-d35d-3931-719b23e9aa54.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">My one week trip to Istanbul turned into 3 and 1/2 weeks, but I finally escaped a few days ago, and now I'm back in Antalya, on the Aegean coast. That white snow in the mountains is fresh, from yesterday's rainfall here. This natural harbor has been used at least since Greek times, and was visited by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 130 AD.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>March 6, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/ddcee00b-3b94-aa5c-4ce9-47368c743ce9.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/ddcee00b-3b94-aa5c-4ce9-47368c743ce9.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I went to see Hadrian's Gate tonight for the first time, a 10 minute walk from my hotel. It's not clear to me whether it was built before Hadrian visited in 130 AD. Another famous visitor to the gate: the Queen of Sheba, on her way to visit Solomon! Wow, that happens to be total BS because that was about 1,000 years before the gate was built. But still: good story, and I will not let the facts deter me.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>March 8, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/fd59a057-3f06-4d44-06fd-35b84c849e58.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/fd59a057-3f06-4d44-06fd-35b84c849e58.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I just posted a newsletter about the trip to Istanbul, if you're interested. <a href="http://www.blog.daveadair.com/2022/03/istanbul.html" rev="en_rl_none" style="backface-visibility: hidden; color: #44a084; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">http://www.blog.daveadair.com/2022/03/istanbul.html</a></div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>November 22, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/89a1692c-063c-a0ba-6aed-c79c66f9a4f0.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/89a1692c-063c-a0ba-6aed-c79c66f9a4f0.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Greetings, friends. Welcome back to occasional updates on Davemo Posts. The unusual lifestyle continues, and this photo is the latest evidence. I'm parked here right now, wild camping in a small forest, 20 minutes away from the Zagreb airport in Croatia. I'm leaving my van in a parking lot and flying to Istanbul for a month, not so much for tourism but to visit my eye doctor. Stories to follow. Many things have happened, some of them good! Love to all of you...</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>November 29, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/37aee1b1-408d-5340-3fde-11ee7ddc5ca5.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/37aee1b1-408d-5340-3fde-11ee7ddc5ca5.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">One of the famous cats of Istanbul was held spellbound by my storytelling prowess, plus the hope that I might share my Doritos. (She didn't like them, actually.) I might become one of the cat ladies, carrying my own supply of cat food and spreading it out on street corners.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 3, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/644e01de-5477-a298-fe3e-567fa363452a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/644e01de-5477-a298-fe3e-567fa363452a.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">More pics of my Istanbul wanderings: It's not only the cats that are famous and loved here. The "street dogs," if you can call them that, are everywhere, mostly overfed, and have the run of the place. I've seen them asleep in front a grocery store entrance and people just step over them. Many of them are giant by street dog standards!</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 3, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/796bf9fd-0334-342d-4f4c-fa6039d2a89d.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/796bf9fd-0334-342d-4f4c-fa6039d2a89d.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Beautiful Galata Tower, built in 1348, is an iconic symbol of the city. Plus, take that, Wright brothers: "It was from its roof that, in 1638, Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi supposedly strapped on wings and made the first intercontinental flight, landing in Üsküdar on the Asian side of the city, a story of doubtful authenticity recounted by the Ottoman travel writer, Evliya Çelebi." For sure that's not true, but I like the story. Do your own research, people! Then believe whatever pleases you, cuz them's the new rules.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 3, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/6c4b032c-92f8-44c7-07f1-b5fc495ee6a1.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/6c4b032c-92f8-44c7-07f1-b5fc495ee6a1.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Super groovy and super crowded İstiklal Avenue, where the recent bomb was detonated on November 13 of this year, killing six and wounding 81. The site of the actual bombing has been cleaned up and people were sitting outside at a cafe right next to it. The only giveaway was the huge number of police in the area.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 3, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/ade54f0a-0519-64c5-fd8e-029f11d822e2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/ade54f0a-0519-64c5-fd8e-029f11d822e2.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Oh, help! I could live on sweets like this, and they are damn near irresistible to me. The food displays, especially of sweets, are laid out like art museums.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 3, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/022d7c95-dbd5-a734-60e0-38ec44620691.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/022d7c95-dbd5-a734-60e0-38ec44620691.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Pray for me.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 8, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/68e6e865-03c1-8337-e096-85046bbdbdd0.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/68e6e865-03c1-8337-e096-85046bbdbdd0.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">This small ferry building at Moda Pier was renovated and reopened in August. The stone pier is thought to be one of the oldest piers in Istanbul. Upstairs is a library anyone can use and downstairs is a coffee shop. Great hangout spot.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 8, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/d3d1e746-2e0d-6099-8620-15e50a034c1a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/d3d1e746-2e0d-6099-8620-15e50a034c1a.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Colorful fruit and vegetables at an outdoor market.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 8, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/4519f971-8646-3017-f18d-f0b53ac1d801.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/4519f971-8646-3017-f18d-f0b53ac1d801.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">My favorite way to get around - this particular ferry runs between Europe and Asia. It takes 20 minutes and costs 50 cents. The 6-hour all day Bosphorus cruise costs $4. I'll take the ferry for any reason or no reason, because I love it. This man has a bag full of bread and was feeding the seagulls.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 8, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/67138492-5716-4f7d-118b-b675d7ae7e60.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/67138492-5716-4f7d-118b-b675d7ae7e60.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Such a food obsession! Me, I mean. Turkey in general and Istanbul in particular, also. These giant columns of meat (chicken on the left, beef on the right) are rotated in front of a broiler, cooking from the outside in. They shave the cooked parts of the roll for a sandwich, or a flatbread wrap, or other dishes.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 11, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/0ff5903c-d29d-123e-3758-573f0b2b68fe.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/0ff5903c-d29d-123e-3758-573f0b2b68fe.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">What is that goopy mess in the water? Zoom in - maybe millions of jellyfish. The wind pushes them all up against the shore.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 11, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/550d4b8d-108d-3796-d66d-3fa441a3c38c.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/550d4b8d-108d-3796-d66d-3fa441a3c38c.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Mama cat could kick these almost-adult children out, couldn't she? Go find your own cat lady, you lazy bastards. Or is it just that I'm not a cat, or a mother?</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 11, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/dffda6a1-39dd-54ee-e941-f8472bf0961b.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/dffda6a1-39dd-54ee-e941-f8472bf0961b.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">A peaceful ferry, the smallest one I've been on.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 26, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/2ba5ff23-a90d-bd7f-70dd-ca05df3f2ddd.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/2ba5ff23-a90d-bd7f-70dd-ca05df3f2ddd.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Greetings friends, and Merry Christmas-ish from Turkey, where Christians make up a scant 0.2% of the population. At last I'm enjoying the life of an oppressed minority, without the irritation of actually being oppressed, which I see as a win-win.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>December 26, 2022</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/16c1dda1-a146-cc77-2016-27b3ffa8a1f0.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/16c1dda1-a146-cc77-2016-27b3ffa8a1f0.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Enjoy your holidays, lovely people, and appreciate your many gifts. You have much to be grateful for!</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>February 10, 2023</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/16fb3556-1485-fe4e-22d9-8bff09068fb3.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/16fb3556-1485-fe4e-22d9-8bff09068fb3.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Let's get this posting party started again, shall we? I'm no longer in Istanbul, I'm now in the southwest of Turkey in the village of Kas. Beautiful place, recently a lot of sunshine and little rain. It's a 12 hour drive to the tragic earthquake area, and no physical effects here. More photos to come - do I dare promise? Ciao!</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>February 11, 2023</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/dafc97fa-97f6-2f25-17ff-a6d9dd20d27e.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/dafc97fa-97f6-2f25-17ff-a6d9dd20d27e.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">This is in the quaint lanes of Kas, Turkey during summer. Lots of pedestrian zones, many shops and restaurants, cafes... and Russians!</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>February 13, 2023</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/b5938803-2c2d-e6ad-d244-daec9184279f.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/b5938803-2c2d-e6ad-d244-daec9184279f.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Oh my gosh. I just saw this photo of a man near the earthquake epicenter, holding the hand of his 15 year-old daughter who died and was pinned in the rubble. I find it so touching and tragic. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/13/middleeast/turkey-quake-man-daughter-hand-photo-intl/index.html</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>February 16, 2023</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/78be6374-4e80-ff3d-4802-3953039f6fad.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/78be6374-4e80-ff3d-4802-3953039f6fad.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">A wander near the town square, and this small mosque, recently renovated. There's only a single trail into the hills in the distance. I'll show you pics of that area next post.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>February 16, 2023</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/3a55b86c-e6a1-227c-30be-231a204ac567.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/3a55b86c-e6a1-227c-30be-231a204ac567.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">This looks like sort of a country saloon to me. It's right on the sea, with a big view out the windows on the left.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>February 16, 2023</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/533202d6-3abe-8b85-bde4-3290890fecc5.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/533202d6-3abe-8b85-bde4-3290890fecc5.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Aha! Just outside it's shaping up to be a good sunset. Those are just the kind of clouds you want to see.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>February 16, 2023</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/b90c2541-c7bc-7dc8-c1fe-be723d39ce48.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/b90c2541-c7bc-7dc8-c1fe-be723d39ce48.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">One of my new hangouts. Why isn't it filled with people before I get here? It's an amazing setting.</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>February 16, 2023</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/2547d508-4fa9-ccac-17c4-760d5c9ac3ed.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/2547d508-4fa9-ccac-17c4-760d5c9ac3ed.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Ok! I approve. Tomorrow I'm hiking 15 km, 9 mi, up and around the big mountains behind the town. Photos to come!</div><hr /><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1rem; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"><b>February 18, 2023</b></h1><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/16a72332-784d-11fa-728a-3c790f6a5708.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/5994aa77-8843-6e83-ab46-8ade7b0d5549/29e03626-6d4d-0a77-e3bd-b86a6d60862a/16a72332-784d-11fa-728a-3c790f6a5708.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: auto;" /></a><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">It feels summer-ish today, sipping a cafe latte at this popular cafe on the main square of Kas. It's 17° c, 62° f, cool in the shade, a little hot in the sun. You may see some boats in the harbor, but you won't be able to tell where people are from - I can't tell from here. I'm guessing 2/3</div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">(The End)</div></div></div>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-31598200866380802402022-03-07T12:32:00.000-08:002022-03-07T12:32:29.164-08:00Istanbul, February 2022<br /><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Istanbul, February 2022</span></h1><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Posted by Dave Adair on March 7th, 2022</span></p><br /><i>"It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had."<br />~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross<br /><br />"More can't be the point."<br />~ Sam Harris<br /></i><br /><br />Greetings, friends - current, future, and former! Last I wrote, Julieta had just left me in Antalya, in the south of Turkey on the Aegean coast. Five days after she left, her 14 year-old daughter was coming home from boarding school for 10 days. She said to her mom, "Are we flying to Turkey?" Julieta burst into action, and 24 hours later had flights for them to Istanbul - leaving two days later, only eight days since she'd left Turkey. Bang! Zoom!! Like a Batman comic, the Argentinian Hurricane is coming back to Turkey, and bringing her lovely daughter Eli, whom I have yet to meet. We stayed in the ancient center of Istanbul and practiced our tourist-jitsu: constantly saying no to charming hawkers trying to shmooze us into their shops or restaurants. I used to be pathetic at saying no, but India has taught me well.<br /><br />On our first full day we were laughing about how last-minute the trip was, and Eli's suggestion that we come, when Eli said, "Actually, I was kidding." Julieta's eyes got big and her face dropped! She said, you didn't want to come?!? Eli said, no, I wanted to come - but I was joking and didn't think we would. Oh, well that's ok, then.<br /><br />We had some seriously cold weather as well as some sunshine and beautiful views. Eli got a cold, and Julieta started to get a sore throat. They were both fully vaxxed, but when they got home Eli wanted to get tested for the sake of her schoolmates - and they ended up both being positive for Covid. I thought I must have it, but somehow I didn't have symptoms and tested negative. Eli had mild systems for two days, while Julieta was pretty sick (and testing positive) for 10 days. The mystery illness isn't over for the planet yet, but we're getting much closer. <div><br /></div><div><div>I hope you like the photos and stories. </div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dave</div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy the 43 photos below. That's too many, right? What to do. Captions below the pics...</div></div><div><br /><br /><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/2700277f-1011-d601-5f2b-fef49e9309a3.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/2700277f-1011-d601-5f2b-fef49e9309a3.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">My first night in Istanbul since I was here in 1992. This is Hagia Sophia, (pronounced "EYE-yah So-FEE-yah,") built in AD 537 during the reign of Justinian the Great, the frickin' Byzantine emperor. Minarets were added as it was converted to a mosque in the 15th-16th centuries after the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople in 1453. It was the world's largest cathedral for an astounding 1,000 years. OMG, this kills me!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/5632ea7d-2d80-382f-a7a7-a287707417f9.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/5632ea7d-2d80-382f-a7a7-a287707417f9.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The spectacular interior of Hagia Sophia. Stunning! It's incredible to me that this huge and beautiful structure, open and spacious, could have been built so long ago. And you don't build something this size and just hope it will stay up. Math. Lots and lots of math.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/f8b6602d-fd71-3553-e5f8-dc27c586dfe2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/f8b6602d-fd71-3553-e5f8-dc27c586dfe2.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Built in 537 A.D. - that's not a typo. Serious question: what were other civilizations building/doing in 500 A.D.? Some say this is the most magnificent building ever built at any time, and it seems unimaginable to me to have built 1,500 years ago.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/3bd79ee5-b80e-483f-3da4-ee3b01526066.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/3bd79ee5-b80e-483f-3da4-ee3b01526066.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">One of many chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/c7abedd5-3286-980a-a23f-88856b058039.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/c7abedd5-3286-980a-a23f-88856b058039.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Aha!! Look what I found: Europe in 555 A.D., right as Hagia Sophia was built. First, my summary: Men are Bastards - they were then, and they are now. Sorry. From the text on the image: The Western Roman Empire ended in 476, after losing most of its land to various Germanic tribes. The Franks settled in northern Gaul, the Visigoths in Hispania and the Vandals in Africa. Only the eastern half of the empire remained. When Justinian I became emperor, he was determined to reconquer the lands that had been lost to the Germans. First, he sent his general Belisarius to conquer the Vandal kingdom. After this, he was sent to reconquer Rome itself from the Ostrogoths. This war is known as the Gothic War. Justinian also fought many wars against the Sassanid Persian empire to the east, and reconquered southern Hispania from the Visigoths. He died in 565 after a nearly 40 year long reign.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Note: The Ghassanids and Lazica were vassals of the Eastern Roman Empire, but on this map they are shown as independent states.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">1. Sussex, 2. Kent, 3. Essex, 4. East Anglia, 5. Lindsey, 6. Dyfed, 7. Glywysing, 8. Gwent, 9. Fortriu</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/c2868d9b-1985-16c4-6a3f-5a81dd9d98e8.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/c2868d9b-1985-16c4-6a3f-5a81dd9d98e8.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Still on our first day, we walked to the Süleymaniye Mosque, built between 1551 and 1557. (They built the whole thing in six years?!) It's considered one of the most beautiful mosques in Istanbul.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/24456584-08fd-2884-9019-eb8360fafab6.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/24456584-08fd-2884-9019-eb8360fafab6.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">My travels companions this week, Julieta and Eli. So far they're both still talking to me. But it's only the first day!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/0f2e8815-f564-d711-f7aa-253a793afc04.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/0f2e8815-f564-d711-f7aa-253a793afc04.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">This little beauty started circling our table at a tea shop as Julieta practiced her Turkish on her.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/60e30575-7115-6b7e-36bd-76c2bd8b28d2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/60e30575-7115-6b7e-36bd-76c2bd8b28d2.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The view inside the Süleymaniye Mosque. The mosques are incredibly, elaborately, detailed.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/e4861bfc-4048-5aeb-4571-cdd71879e0ff.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/e4861bfc-4048-5aeb-4571-cdd71879e0ff.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We're not in San Francisco, where they don't put severed heads in front of a restaurant unless you used the wrong pronoun.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/b328e0a8-d1e0-32c1-a37e-9113ab605422.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/b328e0a8-d1e0-32c1-a37e-9113ab605422.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." Friedrich Nietzsche</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/1fca6d57-1658-4728-0a4b-ceb9722559f5.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/1fca6d57-1658-4728-0a4b-ceb9722559f5.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">In small neighborhoods these pickup trucks, loaded with vegetables, mostly, will call out and stop for people to come out and buy what they need. It looks like quite a social event, and the seller is part of the community, regardless of where he lives.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/af142d4c-ceaf-436f-d2e5-82dd2c05adc7.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/af142d4c-ceaf-436f-d2e5-82dd2c05adc7.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I love both the amazing structures like a giant mosque, and the dilapidated ones, like this beauty. It's the middling ones that pain me.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/75d7bf3b-1513-0bc7-c6f9-7d15c9cd22a8.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/75d7bf3b-1513-0bc7-c6f9-7d15c9cd22a8.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We walked on our first day for HOURS. A super day.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/041a0331-05ad-feea-f739-2ed1095e2ce0.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/041a0331-05ad-feea-f739-2ed1095e2ce0.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">This is our neighborhood, and our hotel is just down the block. It's an ancient area, just near Hagia Sophia, but also too tourist-oriented. The hawkers try to arm-wrestle you into their restaurants, but they do give up after a few days.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/d3f9a46b-1687-04b2-eef0-5b582ee8a830.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/d3f9a46b-1687-04b2-eef0-5b582ee8a830.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">A tea and coffee house. Turkey LOVES their tea, incredible how much people drink. They drink more than twice the amount of people in the UK (and 14 times what Americans drink, duh!)</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/deef9f35-ae11-7baa-ba08-76439be8ef14.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/deef9f35-ae11-7baa-ba08-76439be8ef14.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I may do a whole post on food presentation here. I've never seen anything like it.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/975c28df-dfef-cef3-324b-d4132043956e.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/975c28df-dfef-cef3-324b-d4132043956e.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">You have NEVER seen so many pampered, well fed, and healthy "wild" cats as you will in Turkey. And dogs, too, including huge dogs that normally would never be running free. People leave food and water for them everywhere - on sidewalks, at the coastline, in parks, and they have these little cat community houses. They cats are calm and affectionate, many of them. The NYT writes, "In Istanbul alone, a megacity of 15 million people, there are thought to be 130,000 dogs and 125,000 cats roaming free."</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/f9c4442c-a053-1fa0-5faf-9c36223ff450.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/f9c4442c-a053-1fa0-5faf-9c36223ff450.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Taking a ferry today across the Bosphorus, exploring a new neighborhood in Istanbul. Warm in the sun, biting cold in the wind. Beautiful in all weather. The Bosphorus, (or Bosporus,) also known as the Strait of Istanbul, connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and by way of the Mediterranean, the rest of the world.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/d04f873b-d8f3-e02f-70e9-ebefc3f692a5.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/d04f873b-d8f3-e02f-70e9-ebefc3f692a5.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We stumbled across this dramatic restaurant in the Grand Bazaar, a huge covered market built around 1480. Wut?! Amazing over-the-top place. It's called: Nusr-Et Steakhouse Sandal Bedesteni. It just rolls off the tongue, no? If you're looking to buy a steak that's covered in gold foil, this is not a joke, you can get that here. That's the equivalent of lighting your cigar with a burning $100 bill. Classy, people, really classy.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/683ebd16-1de3-1f20-2178-407499ff37dc.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/683ebd16-1de3-1f20-2178-407499ff37dc.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Starting a long-ish walk on the last day of our 3-person group tour of Istanbul. We've crossed this bridge across the Bosphorus in all kinds of weather, and there are always many fishermen here.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/777aca22-46e1-9766-51ce-40ffaf45468b.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/777aca22-46e1-9766-51ce-40ffaf45468b.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Proof! Fishermen day and night. I assumed they were catching some substantial fish, and thought the small fish on their lines were bait. Turns out, that's what they're after. They look like sardines.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/2abc0716-e917-f3fd-c00a-eb65fbcd7977.png"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/2abc0716-e917-f3fd-c00a-eb65fbcd7977.png" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">İstanbul has an incredible number and variety of neighborhoods, and this city of 15 million people is buzzing. I've made a list of people who should come here for a visit: (1) Everyone. Yes, it's a short list, and you are on it.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/8d08fd77-7682-2c45-d737-e7ecc8aadd7c.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/8d08fd77-7682-2c45-d737-e7ecc8aadd7c.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Turkey is famous for its sweets - they really are incredible. And Istanbul is famous for the presentation of food. This tower of sweets is much taller than I am.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/51bdd0bd-a41d-bdb5-f9af-112326c18700.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/51bdd0bd-a41d-bdb5-f9af-112326c18700.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I don't know what this says, but I'm assuming they're telling real men to sit like real men, not little school girls. It probably says, "Your legs should be spread wide, like your opinions, which should be similarly irritating."</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/0483e2d2-23d8-b461-0c0f-0e5983f4d1ca.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/0483e2d2-23d8-b461-0c0f-0e5983f4d1ca.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">My new favorite dessert in the world, seriously: baklava with ice cream. I'd never seen it before and thought it was a terrible idea until I tried it. Now I think it's a terrible day if I don't have it.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/b2ceddb6-c051-a419-990e-68659dfc77e1.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/b2ceddb6-c051-a419-990e-68659dfc77e1.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">One of a hundred neighborhoods I visited, and a fountain in front of one of a hundred giant mosques in the city. Not kidding.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/37dd99ea-7a69-2c5b-9f4d-beeced2658d8.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/37dd99ea-7a69-2c5b-9f4d-beeced2658d8.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">As I'm walking down dark streets on the way back to my van, or in this case my hotel, in a city that I don't really know, it seems very funny. How do I know where I'm going? How do I know it's going to work out and I'll be ok? And the only answer is: you'll find out for yourself that it DOES work out. And these amazing experiences/adventures change you in ways you can't anticipate, virtually always for the better. As I've said before, no one NEEDS to travel. But if you're tempted and afraid, that's perfect! Just go, and you'll know.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/02852c1a-92ad-55dc-acc4-ae905dc89ba6.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/02852c1a-92ad-55dc-acc4-ae905dc89ba6.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I like this street scene.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/914e98f7-afcd-2a55-3f49-4a5886f34118.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/914e98f7-afcd-2a55-3f49-4a5886f34118.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The famous Spice Bazaar, built in 1664.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/e5ab06cc-544d-9be1-229a-0946ca6bdcea.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/e5ab06cc-544d-9be1-229a-0946ca6bdcea.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I had just lifted my phone up to take a pic when the first firework went off. Nice timing. Apparently I have fireworks ESP. Send cash and I'll tell you your fortune. Hint: it involves you coming to Istanbul!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/0502f000-7104-37db-9d2d-0891ac6c03da.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/0502f000-7104-37db-9d2d-0891ac6c03da.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I'm walking across the bridge that carries cars, pedestrians, trams/street cars, and restaurants, with the Süleymaniye Mosque up on the hill.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/22824e47-d41a-3cf8-2620-745c8dfef65f.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/22824e47-d41a-3cf8-2620-745c8dfef65f.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I didn't think much about this tower, but looked it up after I took the pic. It's a Roman monument, so old it's original date is lost to history. But it was repaired 1,000 years ago. What will be here in 1,000 years from now, I wonder?</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/98f63e6e-bb7e-e792-b23c-7b56d7cefb73.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/98f63e6e-bb7e-e792-b23c-7b56d7cefb73.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The famous Blue Mosque looks more blue in this photo than it did to my eyes. I didn't adjust anything. It's a 7 minute walk from my hotel, but I never managed to go. Weird.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/0c8c0247-2725-e6b3-dfae-c54651df7771.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/0c8c0247-2725-e6b3-dfae-c54651df7771.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">One of my many ferry trips, waiting to take off.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/1ddd6338-395f-8318-cfb9-845e71b1080f.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/1ddd6338-395f-8318-cfb9-845e71b1080f.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Walking along the Bosphorus I came across this very comfortable coffee shop right on the water.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/a9cd587d-b0e7-6676-4790-efa94c823f2b.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/a9cd587d-b0e7-6676-4790-efa94c823f2b.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Hey, a mosque!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/1fbd1767-a099-026e-c6e0-7c748c7b4897.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/1fbd1767-a099-026e-c6e0-7c748c7b4897.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I went to a restaurant that had no menu, they only served the typical Turkish breakfast all day until it closed at 5 pm. I ate almost every bit of this. Moo.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/9c4ec47e-20d6-8ded-4f60-557595df14ea.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/9c4ec47e-20d6-8ded-4f60-557595df14ea.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Kitty condos with a view.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/bb619316-16a2-c79e-fb5a-f4ea2bfe81dd.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/bb619316-16a2-c79e-fb5a-f4ea2bfe81dd.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">This very Turkish method of preparing and serving hot meats for sandwiches was invented about 100 years ago, and is seen all over the country.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/e9880e68-5a52-0051-5842-7089e0d760a8.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/e9880e68-5a52-0051-5842-7089e0d760a8.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">When I couldn't get my hands on baklava and ice cream I would have these sweet fried dumpling things. Yum.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/49f48837-a814-fc9b-7dbc-d1787e1df9ce.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/49f48837-a814-fc9b-7dbc-d1787e1df9ce.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">When we first arrived we took a private Bosphorus boat tour, about two hours, and it cost 50 euros each. That's a little expensive, but I thought it would be worth it. Then I found out that the public boat tour is just as comfortable, goes farther, stops along the way, and costs 2 euros each! I ended up taking that one twice. Near the Black Sea is this old fort used to control passage and collect taxes from passing ships. There was a 1 kilometer long chain (.6 miles) that they raised to stop boats from crossing.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/581b223b-2b47-30f8-2131-24c5414d5c27.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/67a82f9e-e7c8-d6b0-aa05-e167f5eff9da/581b223b-2b47-30f8-2131-24c5414d5c27.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">A coffee shop with hanging book lamps. Congratulations for getting this far!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">(The End)</div></div>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-82859431310311658752022-02-04T16:54:00.003-08:002022-02-14T12:59:31.211-08:00Road Trip! Serbia - Macedonia - Greece - Turkey, January 2022<div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 2.5rem; font-weight: 100; line-height: 1.4; margin: 8px 0px 0.3125rem;">Road Trip! Serbia - Macedonia - Greece - Turkey, January 2022</h1></div><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 0.75rem;">Posted by Dave Adair on February 2nd, 2022</span> </p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;"><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;">"I Am That - but... I need to take responsibility, heal my life, go deeper, become more aware, be here now, enter the stillness, save the planet, express my emotions, think positively, become the witness, be blissful, find a guru, be useful, find the meaning of life, calm my thoughts, do good works, get rid of the ego, enter manhood or womanhood, be more practical, get enlightened, find my soulmate, perform a ceremony, become initiated, get in touch with my feelings...</i></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;"><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;">Maybe you do. How can I disagree? While you’re busy with all that, I’ll go and have a cup of tea and read the paper."</i></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;"><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;">~ Nathan Gill</i></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Greetings, friends. I hit my "12 Years of Bad Decisions" milestone recently. On January 25, 2010 (because I find solace in dates and lists of places I've been,) I gave up my job and chihuahua-sized apartment in San Francisco as an experiment in an untethered lifestyle. I've been saying since, "It was an experiment, and the experiment continues." Have I escaped one cage and replaced it with another? I'm not sure it will come naturally to settle down and stay in one place after this peripatetic nonsense that I enjoy so much. There are always trade-offs, of course, and at times I'm not enjoying it. But isn't that true of being at "home" full-time? One day it will happen, and it will be my job to accept my lot. Soon enough I'll be too old to hike, then too old to walk, then too old to get out of my chair unassisted. Perhaps those ailments will similarly affect you! It's worth a ponder, in my opinion. There's not a negative aspect to it, just an acceptance that it's coming, like a freight train, and we are chained to the track. Now what's the schedule of the train, again? Oh, right, we don't know. Get busy, or get relaxed, but Live Your Life, like only YOU can.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">My partner in crime, the lovely Julieta, the Argentinian Hurricane, suggested visiting me in Belgrade, Serbia, where I spent two months. Are you kidding me. It was cold so I refused to go outside the whole time. Eh, I might exaggerate. Anyway, I suggested a road trip, if weather conditions allowed it - driving to the southwest of Turkey where a couple of friends have spent a lot of time, and have really recommended it. We didn't know until a few days before whether we'd actually go, but we went! Crikey, it was a monumental trip, for some reason. I guess because we didn't know what to expect, and my only trip to Turkey was 30 years ago, so I was seeing it with demented eyes. Wait, I mean, fresh eyes. Amazing place. Pack your bags and come visit, because my plan is to get residency here, which is straight forward, and allows me to stay dramatically longer than the normal 90 days here and there, like I have been. What's next? If you know, tell me, cuz I have no idea. Exciting stuff!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Enjoy the pics and stories, love,</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Dave</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Note: About half of these photos were sent to my WhatsApp group, which YOU can subscribe to, and they were written as we drove. So captions like, "tomorrow we're going here..." are from then. They're in chronological order, but my mind doesn't have so much order, so do your best in figuring out what I'm talking about.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Many photos! Captions below the pics...</div><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgeWUaO-c93o1wpLaGOBZg7IFNqiNaxUZRxvtAX8QxOasYm74Evzx3Osf6nOAYq7bXVeQm7SmG55qo5X12lYfGZMlw1ywNAGL2VxoFh-imtT5Fie5QRW2Az3UlFxMJ4Ki79an3Gs-c0AXSKhPS_ke68YzqQMcz7m06gtD5CVUb8F4AEzx7vOJpUMq_95HOnilxjXuSPt6-tsXWBI75xjnGuCfWYFO6BLAM0dBjOk-fiSO4i9epCO9UOVu1hj4vTKd1taekJVxoArI8nxBbs=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Is it too late to wish you a Happy New Year, now that 3.5% of the year has passed? Wow, time flies. This is the Belgrade Waterfront, in Serbia.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjAQ7aiToNUUqPViNRQ9u-aCVngWpkEnsUDfDq9BpLukBHmrucPV7U5pf5EPdlIXdmoHkeD80wmMBuv8ZGDSj6D_N-LGCbOm12unhrSuU8uXousJCFOutwZU0f0H7lVrGKJ7P8Ub7HULDBGdeP32ouwWtz3Cw4M5ksJR98URxWJ2bK8IxEKq8915wtwhWSBPCftzFFL8DW7XlWA9QxO2urpNT5G3XM9hzAPCIz1Lj8Dnx5mg0vj-SIGQr64g0R0EZOu7zR435M4LKFdpAf8=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The lovely Julieta has joined me here, rescuing me from two months of hotel living. We're leaving on a road trip this morning: 21 hours of driving to southwest Turkey. This is my second attempt, some of you might know. We go via North Macedonia, crossing into Greece, then east along the Aegean to the Turkish border. Maybe it works!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjpPYb7hhyOfcJ6-0ZvcDiR6YXpqIBBHo87x1Qwt9xFeo3u2GYesE6se_kKFuSlXLhW9yghyphenhyphen53cc8eduhFb_scmHjwW9ETItVvUgzrGfZO_D-Vaaz9c-i1pObQTvvDEEy1mWV7kdATEQMAdS8t2YBxyLki1QA-BsPdHjl6fJ5MNos5w3EKo7SauZwYd_y2hmdEWzPN1lQx-2yD34hCAnuvrK422IqXxu02TOpNUdittnkXj82kAyCFptw4mceJNdOCfPPSyrbfTgi6wEJr1=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Is it bad when a diesel leak inside your engine compartment sprays the engine with diesel as you're driving? The best part of getting the van fixed in Skopje, North Macedonia is that the mechanic is a professional opera singer! Lovely guy, amazing voice, and now, a working van. Driving south to the Greece border.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhFEh467AZG-I6Zy7oZOfIwyYI5-AM-0OXjZ6RrZbsTmA6msmoBUH3QBIa37Anm25vjBwtUVu2STfDtnIDMu2AqvGFUyA5YJWou93p4icQbm8XIT7FztoMTbaiTkwWlgRprmyYhWFZPCmzXBge8ixpU7ZTtFXC1_xi5X-Ltdi-mKSdkepaTdAf-ubk3JD8qBLmvsU9yfh5Azct96YLbjvp5SfxEPIeB0Tfxvho4u5oKtJeJX8k2EUfKVCnoMTbVBWocSuYNeo4VaaJED8aM=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">This bridge in the center of Skopje was started in 1451. That statue in the back, one of hundreds built by the city, was started in the last 10 years. The massive building projects transformed the city, I suppose, but it wasn't to everyone's liking, and this poor country spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the "beautification" project.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhLTan8aBqKgh4yC-0OPnsElLCS8maLFyGvCy1KssB46aLjAjFZahroQLk6t4MSYPquIRQ07COfI8f40JabC594NYZ_SAEc6yC1HeJkImANj92atDVtzboradYTQZvBNV9bC8z6is_cYZ2jml1GAUXY9RBI0TOzVLhNYzkWyqJ-HJ1c9brwhJRaeuINEw149Zu0rmoWTfW8V31guTkuPjhQwMpTmRm1AKqJ45UZEySc7OZZ6frSrkokRoEOLDkkYAaRV4F1ZkBK7daCLhIF=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The city center is kind of beautiful, kind of garish, definitely not your run of the mill capital city. Friendly people, great restaurants, odd, interesting! Hey, check out the bridge - more statues! And look - one of two hotels in the river that look like boats, but aren't.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhm0toIi711pIBVexSQyLMp-C25MSobrRB476Na9nVQGMxhvwohUnSSkqn6N6UVHLf1D4JBrnOFR1TGH_JIuIcTLlt7fBISRFRrSpMcT0bTdm0baC4BPJw-E5ag-1p3qC3u5klpZx17sq__ZAO1TkhetZKf_B-PWYtsNpYftU5X6R2uCx2lzAZCbmlxPInRDGTjc_RMKPK1pYXh9D-zLK5Y2bX4IiNC56eDjF0U9dpy0fR9T3FBqjuj5J3bPGfeOu865jyGAUKjtXzGg2xO=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The Macedonian mechanic/opera singer gave us a CD of him singing, and we listened to it as we drove south to the Greek border. That helped us relax as we got to the border and they asked for a covid test, which we didn't have. Oops. They said, you're not going anywhere, and turned us around. We spent maybe 2 hours getting a test and filling out a ridiculously detailed "Passenger Locator Form" which required ratting out all my friends. Sorry for you guys. Freedom isn't free! We wild camped near this lake in Greece, and were happy to have a working heater. It was dang cold.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgoCRRaPO0qq6WPx0k4pZGIuuiBFYqV8_jpgQr_ASwS2-59rbWPhQjsfoOw7lwxE4XVZinK_MWW7cCMyvU15zLVLAe986cgiBULonDTLva80JkXO7-Fk8xUl5BUe7_aimhGpvVqQ87CIxAJQqwbgMSMOMiCDkpERhf7HeQ9_vUpZGF1Ul1zRg4Wq548Ii9HP9b4lXcqIxPEzMiReNCVPsuNlzuzAamAQUZnXTiYJ_lMlNSyoIsNEYbzLnXCWeasuyA3tK2J7YQO5l0wmiYU=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Sometimes you have too much diesel and it's spraying everywhere, sometimes you don't have any. For the first time in my van (and in decades) I ran out of fuel just as I drove off the highway. We managed to push the van into a parking area where a new Greek friend drove us to fill a small container, then back to the van. He cheered with us when we got it started. The whole crew at the service station laughed at my stupidity, and the owner gave us a cupcake as a gift when we left! That's never happened before!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi53WKHHsDZ3iFHosLJH2kJVtky2qmShCOnjNeNFipTlPtkSDzriiTOQsDJEcIQ03e7_0mp_FutBi2_zjii14c9wqOlX3Z8cjLhOaQetj0JogpKf78pmLgiufY6In1WTGWRv3Nf0ZGEBfMdn7NRx-eaIsG7bwbezeaKtqXlFk01fvi-ccx_8z1dWPU5XACEY8UVMlUhtrnJ4ICFjJC5bvQuQ4gp720_eNoTMQWsFgvqw1NDZJu-KLPf4ITd5On-dRgDxBRdCvUxlh90HdAd=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We sailed through the Turkish border after the guy barely looked at our papers. We couldn't believe it - we thought it would be really tough. Turns out he was the first of 5 stations in the process, and the whole thing took an hour and a half. A full body x-ray of the van (seen here) was no extra charge, almost no one spoke English and we were stressing. At one point Julieta said, "He doesn't have the right to keep my passport!" I said, " Do you know where you are? He's got the right to throw you in jail if he wants." We were stressed.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhSedQfif3tsm14_BgqyCMLPLfOJysg_7tqLp9bK5ILsgTBQYvdA5mX1B9YRWc-FzznKF70fJanFnP0Aq-S2OLp8nvbzNkiKnnFcq6Ml85k3qOCN9m_1uu_rHU1EfHbU1osQ5NUq7fG7obYjeF0ExlAuwgHqJqsoIXYvFx0U0DsNgJ_355wJquFhp5Wza5aGpFZXdJdkyjEDBbKRn910q9p1XrpwBbQ51grvrRIH3qv5NYeoOzZQGnJl6k6AEXON82UKjasUYCLSVyuKF1T=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We looked for wild camping just as the sun went down and ended up at a little funky campground with a large stone restaurant. Really nice people, cold beer, and a warm fire on a cold night in the restaurant. First night in Turkey!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi-nQkepE0aOYWy02TBsyJ-zT5j8IXod_a0c2Z9JYlrgoWSIX5rIzF3p4Utq_pXFgM_dvIz420q2ODGuOJ1n0sWYdZWQHGuW9byqGlg3IA3a6JDKPMFPdroi1RmHpU7iURO-sumhhTsKp0pa29OQwUAgCf4k5UWCovq6ytoMH19-gREeThm6dV32FQ2nmhmKQCnG8AYOLSoUaqeQWd5gbigyVyPwWR0kGTaFCkcN7Sxb6ucLRGVb-ed2uqOmelmCJ2lAQ9FnjOxjCAymXqU=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The ferocious/lovebug of a watchdog at the campground. Do you think he cares if you bite him on the neck? He SO doesn't care!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhmZZ_5vc4WuYcp0ZBEuyksD1sIcOPfneLqagHEqbXR9DtMLxhnxSGAmRKECTRn8-gaq08u67Hiyk9CiIo_GTdc5dpY7tRNSHwfalJeW73v-PcFvesmfqn7CZGh2Ax5qJG_O3-3C3pPzKtolmiM5HT15Py_9N_s4lG3JLbiWiF54g5J1fv5Otzv4qbNnkxhm5ybn4HJ6onvD-dwQ7xIDDEAkczkjIDd2Up-JkUZs9_Wiwg-rMd8k8x2sRkcvuwdaQ98awZbQbaizPQ87cSS=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Fancy Turkish breakfast. Olives, jams, tahini, grape molasses, spicy pasty stuff, butter, nuts, bread, salad, cheese, tea. Eggs and fried bread came later. There's an obvious problem with a meal like this. I'll eat until it's gone or I pass out.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgYqRnhGxjgewNvWbSmwLJEBUy9eBJH2YWE8583Onphol2FbT1IVXHUhpd-Xx3vcberlfjQ6hCxlBNP1tDgIC7OngT7xFGPXF6l8EZnW9-z18r-TOU3hrxhlzhCdxCVdEnWnwOYNcI_MB7FFq1K0rdTFDJ3vQ6gWMAjwSDm_q6zuXOAD3q1CI6a4RhUwtr0Y-1TK6bL4mogRlOgtDmmwpLc4QsXejuEGo8hBwaXtDli7q5MxYuB_rg3cfq19vV37xl6vf6gTBnpbaN0_Eo-=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I had heard about the Gallipoli peninsula but didn't know where it was exactly. As we waited to depart on this car ferry I found out it was behind us, but we were blocked in and couldn't go. Famous 1915 battle, amazing place to visit, don't miss it! Oops. We missed it.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjBL2fwUkHivQlyVw_h5FER2P7c3e0vw41kUsmhKQJxJK7OfN6Oa5X5HG3ehDYoXeSVoQI13TZ6CJMpP6oDv6z0qqUZGYWAz4HIGlm6V_zqawJiOze3TCqYodHRY_O3CTL5UchZnrv5pBB4r-IzVwjrVdqdVpoezMJkGy7L0sYEjhQnXYu9OOTyEp4KPgLABquRXxG1ZmJ3OvA5D-FuaGUa-oZMKUH5AFTz0dSavQVDUqDXE7-7XUZL7Og3Hedx6-wVGAdS28E9Y9QCUTZw=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">A colorful little market in Çanakkale. At sunset we drove on a dead end road towards an historical fort on the coast that is off limits, we learned. There were no signs, but as we approached, every bright light in a huge area started blinking in unison, included a massive blinding light pointing towards us. At first it just seemed strange, but we realized it hadn't been blinking until we got close. We took the hint and backed up a LONG way, since there wasn't room for a 3-point turn, and the blinking stopped. I assume it was automated, and maybe no one was there. It was a little freaky. Google Maps (later) told us the fort was off-limits, and Turkey takes its security seriously. We wild camped nearby. Today, driving towards Ephesus! (Or so we thought.)</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEihNjSMXm5PSnnqQZsX4A99XzTgC3N32RtKrlj3ZsIGpnsbXrgtaSo_nXqAYnvONNHnQ926TYSpMP5tk80R1YlBtrZN4J8lUcv9WyrMuc5YvKHfujs7PFLdV8a85d8FEtVmw6g2xzaLnsspKSsMuopyq6HprGdgNAqgLW8ki-mLi2ifZ88oiQJeG-rbCwsGbmnwyyT18BDPbEmZLOP0BfiR2GmLY9MKAfd0zLE2QiAZ7Yk63eqSD0NYgVooMdhc8wb3DyAeluKg7YQvBDT9=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We're heading south along the Aegean coast of Turkey. This little inlet from the sea caught our eye. We spend a lot of time wondering how things work, what the speed limit is, and speculating about why so few people speak English. When we see a behavior twice, we say, "Turkish people do this..."</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhlBW_in-3e-WaiQvSRiIRM0Hna-OlOvsWleBGTiCvB4qadkEverw3ROLirtpWr2QIQC0lU8ryXK7UO9VtJN_LeOGrymBf1MgO7b7VPulAEpDklsd8jyfxd545QZfkDxkCBfxCkiXuPZNOdhhnhaRvB1-sNUrQRLTRC62kV313a8JqMRkS78krgmNVxBWyR9IsjsPzCikDnRRbWFxkiLEUP7y1yJ5DT2lFvvpYRZwGXLaPj8t87jZCN-EJI01vhiCdbc8I6jNqCqJZUqqc5=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We had read something flattering about Bergama the day before, then forgotten about it. Today we saw it on a highway sign and, oh right - it's one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Turkey. That seemed like a good enough reason to visit. Ten minutes later we're freezing our asses and seeing what we can before it closes. (It's really cold!) This is the sacred road leading to the world-famous and ancient healing center of Asklepieion.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgECSlKd6f1aVqQHmbevO4xV0OjkEFLZKj_oud4KTt8Znj1XXOPGMxJNJc4aZNQRF7JuJjGpJYAS2PrSTkeZpqvm1WmTdB_W6MDc8WHh8CfYr-j926FzzKFcYYeYGVrYn_fCAQaK0UqVsTullgcOsVa-Y4Fn0sv_J1PdJ0sPpbyMzLVNVYKlJgzSAXXRZaBEcffK4ymOrHMZNoC9_jNQoYCbqPBrPJp5fDruAawMGr8DM3ifpcXLhHHwwMQSuDJ2_XgrGCMx1Eh4rbtbYsq=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">This is a snippet of a snippet of the whole shebang. We walked around what was this major healing center, founded in the 3rd century BC. It included mystical and practical treatments, analysis of dreams, massage, hot and cold plunge pools, and a huge theater, because social life and art are an important part of health. This 70 meter (210 feet) long tunnel was part of "the incubation," which we only skimmed the surface of. Wow. In this dark and cool tunnel patients would sleep, possibly with the help of natural medicines, before their dreams were analyzed.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgpjN_IC-BNGhDKGNQ8Ph3O13aNoDQZcOIUU7TzxQl0dcPrXfEi0axx8lUwCyjl5VCr94IzXcGPH5rhNoxLymTaahE0Cc8Pjk-6UlLw0o6mA2P9X_59zp_usu8VN5dB2LHb7Q9HISw5NBvzdcmMEJdz1fgbbENTmo9OeFXeSE0UTioMnLhB4VnXvjNX1SsmiWuGP2r0psumaO3wSjH9rcmMLO9ZrQtfR_YM2MKOOYedJI_psBtpnjOzOXOR_Y5OJPIZtOxvZ0ctorM880UD=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">"Lazy mongrels" is usually an insult, but here it's just a description. These poor guys were shivering.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjbG9miKC__fX8IVspnLlQzCpD0YjLTRyIn91l2Q0GcRe4_jBjOULkUFOU6a4z8uChRleTAYojC-o7Rs8zAUOcFzpQm4biV9FJ8W06mniLWtcXDZ7ypwOqvFFcKraU2LjhaVOiATorZU6OwkMgpy0Q28mhjeEjQ26goXAuuFmLDeh1ZLhE1Xg-lHMjJB-1krRbx44a5DuJz6qV6Cwt1zR4d19TZgTNvkmbNeQUI2x41YhNbvXx1TmBVVhi3w5upydSnzTHg3tst3idK3uTv=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We're no walking into Ephesus, one of the most famous archaeological sites in Turkey. It's almost obscene to include just a few photos of such an incredible place. It needs a book, a detailed video including drones to be able to capture it. This is the great theater, started around 200 B.C., which seated around 25,000 people.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhcRgjNZlp38iKiTXQ_Rq8UkGsUWpfaYcoQEytkX5uf9-BQTmdxyzZtqeFnINpvfGgjTbhl9ZM16iN6Hvj2WiW1l3uhd3dGzGAng-jILgouLepe0vjMdfHA2PT87H2qkmZ-xvbQXKam43upNh8_gPvn2fB9jY69600WkPnUuA9fSPRlFQPQyGFtJ7zq7HSHLobBBtoqKEdlKAYytursAouVEPYJ9dUAf9fd485jxZlhWKraZ9koXSo_IEikpsUgXP_WflxufsP3ZiO-Zca1=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I'm having trouble breathing here, boss. Turkey is immense, too much to hold in my heart and head! This is the library, which was completed in 135 A.D. Any standing column in sites this ancient will have been renovated to a degree.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjXBcSYKcUkXOEv9mqkspkRILmiEPVDRM52RmVv8ADPUI1aKQ1XGBu4qNha09-0THzouf0HewnMHmhU8GN9xCPd95C3QB29iXf-KkNYqF_0Z8CzxlS-bCQOmjJzgIMjGjnidVzxWW2puoGdk9t673BRUXqc0v2ghp_c5JQ-WRcs8wrPu9smia48vyAVo__eleNFpcHd8T4trdjXt1FTJS5u1G9y8gJa9uxv4RQmOpBSkFFVSfRZD_B4nQ86kzyjWDwguamNkDuT99_vMoO9=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Julieta took this fine photo. I don't think this angle would have occurred to me, but I love it. Sometimes when I was taking a lot of street photos from the hip, where you don't really compose the shot, a photo that I normally would never take would be really appealing.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg4oQfcL77qHl-8cIPrWzsihvdJXMAkeIzv6S9rNwfxQb1N3LlXWz1W_jWzSiWv_2ShUR1nAPBXDuAB_-cGsO540bwqD-NOfx1_L07QKRa6Zaeq8zdI3UcCUnQbso4_La15F4Hdg2fItZVyYFtG5X-_SMiawPMeUs_l3GiSDKcuNenWYyt8GmV4fMVuI4s_b6IGzso8eF0DydRDtg7fufE7wQYaGJzRTxK63cwsc4wXKWPXGtRvqlWPBfyVLx-CsRlTiLwwvnoO0sshYGDM=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We were lucky with weather. It was supposed to rain all day but mostly it didn't, and mid-winter there were only a few other visitors.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhbRQay2xCW83LWiag7SsQQMAIbyGCxsHJKB3z5HSbc73lGpQcmYM0WturKLHXvQy3e9t-W94Az3skDRH-QfYDVZShMX0_Lo3ZZJPaHrPOAiPrVOV7EDyLgH9X5a1zwZ0q_ZiYqs4VtfHq7MWLe7BvfJPMdNpvk5YE_jWXMO8vUJmrV44kb9FqeJYU1LYmVPsdccC-HGisuZsdtH-uRcFg_Vxrz9IO8rkdPNJfcIsvCjytyyvXVgivaFK_phzu3iQIkQvKmespK0o43HI29=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The public latrine was a popular meeting place, according to the guides we overheard. Did I miss something? They also like to shout Bombs Away in ancient Greek, and then laugh at their own dad-jokes. I'm just reporting what I heard. The fact that they were happy to poop sitting next to their friends, without dividers, is maybe the most amazing thing in the whole place.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhY3Qi7kSlsFbJ1yjst4oNObjkek3Zcpuy1hHopoAp6zkbQy_AvL-rFZhJYxTdByf2OUIUWDmL-QyJvDt5edt63vBdmciH3nVmTyeeR91bGWD1XLUPuUYQV6Ex6i48URcxjmwUfIP75YKAAhi67TFtQHJA5nW_eD5sW5XlK9L-S5HjL9KWxo8RHBQv1HF9Qbsv-Le7vJGvyEdGb69R0gupTIPpIzyjTqIONApxaeclRORsBx3P-q44DXuo5KK3rRrbOxqtouGxojspoYhMi=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I thought people were living in caves 2,000 years ago. Maybe my information was wrong.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi7xfnANBLN5xGwGyRPgsLTTk6VyBYplhWgtmBEixhULPU4DGQ4AnJdwbgf2UVm2yYvFGdgfaEqQml60vUdeOu4fEee-Wxel9MiJcFesLE_CKeVn_Olq7aRrX7DSaM8HtTvWLWsXgJdT2CI5W9ettXm01X_tjGcEVPesz3Bn2DUzk0I-HkHfD-kELH7PmIcqCNTE6HDNmL6tavE2reKn_3S2NYRQCb5eJn8jURl5Yexaz95740RPzZYjWvwfv4xsF0R5uCE06Mk5ysBJDib=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The scale of the ruins and partially reconstructed buildings is incredible.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhYoT1oUOYl9izftDkbM_yuzdo5kmCOpsNTq_FjUi8udXlTN3-VeLXt0wXnzuylfP6lYJq-3BModdMXVe6Si0nRNx5WD_9vgGGY9zTDCveC24m4nWWI3gDGnRay50YWoW5p4aw-V9ZJ5uzX7TAF3h1HBwjUZ63-cIHjXtX3tGWd2jp0vKomVJVVTuqfXNbngwqeiRGx3TcmhDt0Rep6UY2W4jiOr337ZFJLVBipJbmpggWHdz5bh8k6kVFmTwKxs_7lI1zLwMUlbuHABtwA=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">You can see the library in the distance. Read more about Ephesus here: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus&source=gmail&ust=1644957613579000&usg=AOvVaw0wO-Y29z1yQILQd_Yki7T7" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus" rev="en_rl_none" style="background: 0px 0px; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(54, 54, 54); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.<wbr></wbr>org/wiki/Ephesus</a></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhJLLcrj0Qwxn3Z-haKuT4ucKHBPaCelLaCngRr-SnFzDloGlnQ-U2TH8OZIZKximP1bcfgH7l0cN13HVQXejm-Q6eTRpu3kJYPfTSsbiyuThwvmAALx5XcXGkCcGCrQ9xLMnp8bwcu-F60xSQRb_FkLyaDVbjGDDqLHwvoT5xHlHEpwWO72VLR9AH096Co5RXWvJh70CCKdvX1eYuFuGUniFoZIAfEFEvLL8pQQ0G6-7aZVfMvhQXOkCLu7O1PvbAbhzxcO4W7c_uR99d8=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Julieta is actually huge, but you don't notice it until she stands in front of a totally normal sized door.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhfwbsqL5BtPb_fm77-ckTA_F7bIlZ5UuY_hkkE7sG_-tpNr024wSQIURz31Db_2_2jo35uMaol9yqqIAwOjl0N2xUQ9tafbYWqQF-fveePqWXf_weoKRlkJUoo_QlhEaOuim0H2fTPKqqq0BZF4_LbIHJs4OSn8aAKFpzPNt0BYANaLdcoGUPHh8FsakHXTjucJYSaeP-uXuiTQR3xLZs1ipi2AnsEo3cXC8fnCYPklg6SVlc-319NiZLiq0UHLfWD7VhqF280DycKSxBo=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We walked around a hilly neighborhood away from the center of town.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi9oHNhYwtLvO_qArz2DrCHvuTwdAPWF5ZsQdnVjMi31CbdK9aNbnW1o8sly0tadVKN0wblRrfI5NTp-VPtBe-WaVfc7C_skwAQojR5zjihylZGOG_np8i2hfTQ5euhFhyphenhypheneWwzW8fkpOJDZ97kHKevZQWx-1bVy6VuSoruRaoZBKEvAT_nqQocmWSoGWCJnyvH86z8uBscC0xD2yWcWSXK6zc4i6VHVIYkXaHB_kizdoCkofuLIgsiSBN4S_mxXvZL_LXbisu0wT3HTXAxz=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We're happy when we get away from the only-tourist areas. Shades of India in this photo. This might be the only vehicle in town older than my van.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhskW9vvEnfBIMpUdJpD7ZCLL5wRDFjG_tUFKC_M3ggM45JQ5UdFrcxUb7ES3lYDzEXTzu-684PKXCYagoFlpF4MV2HCev8qJusVBsU9NYZS2lPyzvN5bWsXi21eQVn7zrJKRMrcJI1Wi_AcgufrdcQ7HCxKaM2p4cisVJ-25ASyscogQf9TQZXj0C_aqBXhWGJsS9WRCWOK2-cw5PI1WnVGnlN5efh1AxPTgA7d4a9AVfWo8wQmgpTR-VRIUDwPKCP7XtIgZ29jnqQz2Mb=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We're getting close to the "end" of the road trip. This is near the town of Kaş, which was in our heads as the destination. We saw there a nice hotel with a spa on <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://booking.com&source=gmail&ust=1644957613579000&usg=AOvVaw0yhebDIvXrOrEzRnyk_Xk5" href="http://booking.com/" target="_blank">booking.com</a>, but wanted to verify it was available before we shelled out for it. We drove there from here, found it closed, and then decided to sleep in the van just in front of the hotel. Welcome home, van dwellers. Sort of.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj9XyMOvKeiYpSZue47Bz8KdrakeUk_mv9a-y5LhTAAhmohPZ89QzCvDrEoPaQcDtQEvV-s75eQ0uXPI6LaBeTRlPwgfYZesSZRHdu-wo45EoZeeFc9qQ0nbXmBOGNyChJvTksoeOlx8capJr32pXZs-YBR6xzpPQWAshjXM5_1-zuvW-98t59SlQLw-YoOjn2iX2_4nClkJ7fc_h-uX4HpYtOtu1j-QRN84OuoTP_XIYvbebl82ch4peDq5K7IiGIws6PyJ7AcY5XJuijX=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We only spent one more night in Kas. It's a beautiful place, with islands offshore and massive mountains just behind the town.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEin1QK6kkW1gmvjSKRZnRiEeWIRKsvX4V3DlVE_Ro_-GQwf4mYNzpCRnxBuYCiL8aVNDeK8Hid69Oar3VAEfoh3HDMAaKaDlrInhJBnQ0zhhe0YRRz7E-X9ld2ieIfSs7KaZfcJrxMkAcymiohQZYZrz_EAEGLZ98DO5q6LUaXm6lu9IcpxneqNjsE8UDBTo0kXaEJmAabBfQY6sfi0Z4BiXz_q-AnL4smZ4CJO-tjfUHTYZ-CzcznrsKf5mDTylfKZwFbPs8xiFf37SKUC=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The view from our hotel. And hey, there's the van, waiting patiently for us, like an old dog that needs to go to the vet all the time. The most patient and unreliable friend a guy could sometimes want.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjBvZxEzI_qDvaUMAK3Gt2aWuJle6KWeNczQLJW6EHEJ4fBT8zoFxxNcH8i7uUD7OLawKDzc2VLzrAHwa_Wy9-MGBe9NWdQxfoai5VfF2zpMwchEo6hfzl_S7yLaiu6l2bqYTim0IpnCPf0IwQHhnMo5gYpT7PTDyAekRxv2BLj_aZlaCxCH2zOMFkORK-j2ZuklAkFWFuD3x4RuuS9wbc8ymHyDBEw6UyU_zHOX79y8spaa2D25UqldlMQ4Sw6bw8eL1RvZ3DZwn0Zt94v=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We had to drive another three hours to the airport for Julieta's flight home, and just after leaving Kas the road climbs to this snowy scene. This is the same storm that buried both Istanbul and Athens in snow, and brought both cities to a standstill.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiQm9rcyE_KIeJJJO-aN_1K6uzUnjgdKGeLqHACHLc0O69BpnFjHZvmSijLHfS6ekqOJCGk7DiFPfZgo6zhvLPS9unSIC27vpm600ZgHN4P4SQlabgiUwhDiLBlsAIlLGzQSDyo_FrNT8ombjEV5j3YHTropTeAamNuG8bTyzUeclrc8Yza6x6dt6wf_KTbC7UYvhH1zz5D9XuUt3esrHJA514iw96qPhgEXsp6LgQbIiwYGPzAZxzmIM__ZdEeIsXBUYkyqslKQcZpnVR7=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We came to a small beach and village named Cirali. This is one of the best restaurants, and has a massive fireplace in the center.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiiG8uCm2zmUlAOpyBeMc-CGdIly1XR7lM8tvAvwPF67s1Q4FdEh843PW9GGagV4Rot3vu3UhbmT86ifStsj_ZPjLRh71Y3OOB7-v1bOo7rK9_8KfyK8KRIqq_Jx_0moHNzjLyUsLrerPErCOpshdX83-RFjwKPGmiJGUQ84palvY70G-QLJu-M5re2DXxKSy9FY7MTwuf-vxxdiQ6zZ54mubCScq4e0wxZt8X2cFz9Sq9Et13XPhpK6tuBvj6admD418eHcTeZYKwjlbje=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Yeah, ok, so we're not really roughing it. This is the spa at our next hotel, two nights at a place with a sauna/steam/hammam. A hammam is a traditional Turkish bath. It's not hot like a steam bath, but every surface is warm, especially the table in the center, where traditionally you receive a soapy massage. It's an important part of existing Turkish culture that dates back to the Greeks and Romans. There's a LOT of information here: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammam&source=gmail&ust=1644957613580000&usg=AOvVaw1QOZP9T99K_xy5l6tnvC-U" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammam" rev="en_rl_none" style="background: 0px 0px; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(54, 54, 54); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.<wbr></wbr>org/wiki/Hammam</a></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiKrAq4Ur-YLyo5G_rJcLZunaqs1jmmQqAMrFf1G3ublmdTSyFhvU2R7JVagXp-IfvO5wTBSlws1thQQWJwavH2LebsgaVfUH1A8k6MGBLu6gJFXISibPtXcPZW9jmWdD7PGUG_yjfMHbdL_jKEKD_ibebeMtx49asXX5CA1ySVUSsetvFtBQrpfZsyqoYYAbuu8JDKgJs3fBscoWeAnjM6xJjpS3zMLL8rPdzt5MgXrvMW7zVAo9aL3t6ie570Y8fGlwlbH_Un9sIoQwRk=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I didn't realize how mountainous this area is. Some of the mountains plunge right into the sea. This is Cirali.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg6sfYWuXnwV_-jjpblkK9aM2ihUSh8d8Bn078GX3hwlejOrUmfVhPM5-oq5afcgp8GjRQ8r59yim43oPDzPAuuk5Yygyr21NASWd32-q-JW0qnnsAx5c9kQ8SXuNuQ0fbY74LOG0HLGbSGDKvDZoYUvkNp2D0NtFpMKCa7LrLlhJS7ICcrmnJD1iLJdKUjrzz7x9CQEw8ZKXnDsYuy96XBXpmO_vUBYVnpytxO6foZIva9gg6Rc6jXE4_bIjDX484ruUbAnUwcfZDyqtMe=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">OK, that's it, I'm coming clean. I may be driving an old van, but I'm definitely not a "backpacker" any more. There, I've said it! This is the open interior of my hotel. I checked in for one night and I'm been here for a week. The sauna, steam room and hammam are the highlight. I found this hotel after delivering the Julieta package to the airport. Wow, what a two weeks we had! It was surprising to both of us what an "epic" trip this was, for some reason.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEihAuE9jSi2kRkQ3Khc0xuiPo2S5VDjIRXe92IsvskqAGyM_jON1O2I7-vCnIhIKInx1I5vtFLnn500ENI6CAR2rxZHOyw1FrRGZGPovlOLi7ZM-SVnACfsdw9U3FJAqH_Nr9ZuTI5-BC8y577KoUkDUYbZSrBBzzI6qvNNpjidd58_ATEGSh9WEeM0w_XMMeisMwzC9q-F0oJyH7hzkOECqyTp3MlXNSvpwht0mG_z-e3ONtTUIzDzldCbMTtVuHe14BoiC-4SojR5e1Km=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Me, at a mechanic? Imagine. No one has managed to talk sense into me about replacing this van, and you probably won't either. The fuel hoses, easily replaced, weren't the problem. The problem was: a mystery, since these friendly guys only speak Turkish, and they don't have much patience for talking via Google Translate. The fuel pump and the injectors, I gather. What about them? You got me. They needed fixing.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiKbzHjvGkEOukpW9j5AksiIDP6isxJCyLnfjobzNs_OxxUMZjcDkcTc_-yMj77jSmeCqv9PFe_CONNrFAH_vwn382HBKk_3KfY0aOT8neTMxJSTUXbDAzuCmi1n6R3cx7cWyn_7OgD824kI251gbu2N2x_248y78WmcnKNNJnVn2qpeEyiY6S6vvuALUX8KaRQnCBhmCq1ZsvOWro_CLqhCkezBnzNXd6dHYmC9xUHfYBTpATk62nXRyTMxSgaqTuRiJQ6b1QUiP83f2Pp=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">It feels like someone has yanked down the underpants on my van. Maybe on the first day of school. But nice shiny parts, no? Now that I have a new engine and a fixed fuel whatever, I have... a 30 year old van! This repair stuff won't go away until I go away. Who will give up first!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgW4bZxVCUyx1qOIJocinvTSvLC1zfpT4bUdMjwA6IQyfIs1eBYweZ7QXFDIbCKCOu23wbeMyCKEiwwp6C_Olqn_FPCgj9ApV_XfDXGwMX4ZX6aGfRffZOpRUHOGJvuI4kAHMlixdE-rUrbhbFfXLMoE6WJijTOincIr4WbSe8TMFY2XT5LXddcHtz6I0k1hawyr-8B_9cpQAYE9sAyKj9oCmAnklCttPNRhIxFjqkDVJuwPn5XQR_Q8te3ZMFBQr7imYzQklBrKQmAXIBs=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">My first Turkish hike on a mostly beautiful day into a deep canyon. Nice artwork here. It's massive, maybe 3 meters, or 10 feet tall.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjUY8Y_OVNkTcYBUnacmX5QldjfklMo3nAtl85heJmMVaCExk4RrBhM0a4DCPYXDhhtzsU2Xc8SjXBycGZr5RcajfUymbb5UOd_i-NSAZZk0yNPBUkAMJPb4liw5ZkOvhxd5EjGk1OtlJMG8A8ZbQBYNBtauDeQAL70GEu_xy7y-MnSwMdqPHhdsPqp4Cpdd05X1ykxjh3qzS_cjz6NGU53xCVOLxeXkDM3AwIJJlY_mAuaxVsNEWEvT_21RicJGaYM-r_iz9s_RDC7GeAo=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Near the end point of the in-and-out hike.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjPCwphUDj5NJYis8V-_ACUPzE-wHDYfeixgpjljRTwMjfJPNuPRqTz-1FKe0ck0jlmWNS1eztt5wNUodDtOKV2WPkIuXzi-N8aiUMxMy2dvNz0Tgm5XzpUd-Td3qSrAvvBgqq9QlMid0AB-MCM5dyNrNn1Q2_Too3QrWbBGpuXM9p249B9_QhrehyphenhyphenLA0RBpL5qoz6_kACDBCE8OK5vLG5OtqNlFKwxTR_WSqA3Jn52AO3QFgmhHgYnpDqQajDgfaPVI9HJuobLpwqfNTne=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Coming back I took a diversion, and this very young Russian guy, who doesn't speak a word of English, had the misfortune of teaming up with me. We only spoke via Google Translate. We walked a ways looking for a bridge, but there wasn't one. He suggested going all the way back, but I encouraged a crossing. I wear my hiking shoes on these crossings and they'll dry, eventually. After a couple of hours walking back to the highway, he'd been practicing his English with his translator, and with a big grin said, "This was a great adventure." Good attitude!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjk2ECDia3wXvZmaTcMEUsA-dQRC02sOyvygoPGiT81Ny4q-lHsmf-UGM3MU6TGG_dXPlL5G_k0pxaxH6do3yEr-TDZBIQawXHabFIiuB1FlS2fU2FNWDFPnOA_e5uGMpjkbewAfwWrSR-jx2r70mpX5ZtIgegSZoHGdG1cHMZsQVCEfnfCX5Pi3YDpLteLMpk_wfCPVM76qvGtfvbw7TZe4B7bNm42eOcBOVOsIheXFEfDge_D4UXS-1a7g56J0nG2ajOSCmS7S811NNGt=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The beach across the street from my hotel. In summer it's a ridiculously popular tour-package destination.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><p><img class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEipS34b_YvI2MvJuKZSJS0Xwyz1PQvUx-rnaDfflumTaSFWswwAc1KbYnjrZifjjxAR3Sijhtw92uC_oq3BE07Z2GpeEVPLLFoW2kjYzRne6pyxR8a3rZ4hNivqhBxq1529zxKcxatIyRLnXtq-QWIiOGhuTvw7JE-qWV_ITDwoLzyvBdtUlxnC-SPW2JtoejDcqs9BfU3ztShXKD3zLTXB0LEVw8yTar62isMpAvnlDi-_LCwK-M5NFWMKpaZtRONHvygGapS-_ySSdrhh=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; width: auto;" tabindex="0" /></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The view from my breakfast table, overlooking the flooded patio, and the pool, with the sea in the distance. There was a big storm, with crashing thunder, strong wind and big waves. I was forced to take refuge in the sauna.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">(The End)</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-26207450311083951602021-12-15T14:00:00.001-08:002021-12-15T14:05:12.317-08:00A "dream" come true!<p><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"There are more things that frighten us than injure us, and we suffer more in imagination than in reality."<br /></i><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> ~ </i><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Seneca</i></p><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;"><i style="background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></i></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Greetings, friends. I'm shocked, even if you're not, how challenging I'm finding it to sit down and post photos that I like into a blog for my friends. There was a time when I found it satisfying and enjoyable. What happened? Maybe it partly relates to how unusual it was, back in the day, to be sending missives from afar. Now it's like adding a drop of water to an overflowing bathtub. </div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Last I wrote, (unless you're in my WhatsApp group) I was in Slovenia, getting prompt and expert service on my VW engine, only and almost exactly one year since it was rebuilt, and from the same mechanics who had done the work. It had a one-year guarantee, so I was just under the line. Smoke had begun belching, again, from the exhaust, especially going steeply uphill in the pristine Dolomites as expensive Audi's and BMW's impatiently followed me, desperate to pass. Did that make me uncomfortable? Why, yes it did! Incredibly, this was my fourth trip to Slovenia to get some fricking relief for my obviously struggling engine. But they were there for me! And they offered: a thicker engine oil, plus an additive. OK, American tourist, be gone, and let us know how it goes! Continue reading, and you'll find out how it went...</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Enjoy the many photos, with captions below (for years I had them above the pics...)</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Love,<br />Dave</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;"><br /></div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/20f555cb-8623-1ad0-57aa-c18432e2a49a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/20f555cb-8623-1ad0-57aa-c18432e2a49a.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Just over the northwest border of Slovenia, I crossed into Italy, still in the mountains, and made my way to this wide spot in the road. Let's call it wild camping. Directly across the road from me , and crossing the little stream, are tunnels dug into the rock during World War II. I scampered through them last time I was in the area. (If I have really bad luck one day and end up stuck in one of those tunnels? Unpleasant for me, and I apologize in advance.)</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/fa6c7449-1331-3ba7-e3b5-6a097ca266de.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/fa6c7449-1331-3ba7-e3b5-6a097ca266de.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">So, I may not be manly, but I'm stereotypically all-boy when it comes to tractors and trucks and gnarly mechanical stuff. I can stare at these contraptions transfixed, just like the other mostly-men nearby, if anyone else was nearby. I took this photo because I thought it was funny that someone attached a "Lamborghini" label on the front of it. Those wacky Italian loggers and their jokes! After I walked away, it occurred to me that it might not be a joke. A quick web search taught me that Mr. Lamborghini started making tractors before sports cars. Very cool.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/b3a7dccf-04ce-d7e6-7fb3-5c9cd8f822d9.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/b3a7dccf-04ce-d7e6-7fb3-5c9cd8f822d9.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Venice?! Tropical Storm Julieta (my Argentinian girlfriend who lives in Germany) is making landfall in half an hour. Then we hightail it north for some more hiking in the Dolomites. We'll add a road trip to Split, Croatia, where she'll fly back home. I am grateful for this strange life...</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/835c0b0c-fb3e-92a7-b16c-cc6e28a5bae6.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/835c0b0c-fb3e-92a7-b16c-cc6e28a5bae6.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Before coming back to Italy, I had been in Slovenia for about a week to get my van not-fixed, then saw that the weather in the Dolomites was going to be rain-free for 10 days. That was too good to pass up. Then Julieta suddenly had some time free so I picked her up at the Venice airport and we were back in the mountains. Here's the start of our first scenic hike.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/b350c3b4-2cb5-4a8a-bc52-1791681ccacf.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/b350c3b4-2cb5-4a8a-bc52-1791681ccacf.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">It wasn't a long hike, but had a nice climb through the forest to a rifugio that's closed for the season.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/decd7c78-b3d3-73cf-b63c-c8e746eff68a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/decd7c78-b3d3-73cf-b63c-c8e746eff68a.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The deck of the closed rifugio, looking down the valley in the direction that we'd come from.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" />
<a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/39200776-c9e8-e860-1bb1-969de15733a1.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/39200776-c9e8-e860-1bb1-969de15733a1.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Many of these narrow alpine valleys are filled with rock that rivers bring down during big storms.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" />
<a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/cd23fd17-5641-e46a-4284-ff4e02a68f21.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/cd23fd17-5641-e46a-4284-ff4e02a68f21.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Coming down was a little treacherous. It was warm in the sun, dang cold in the shade. But those views!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" />
<a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/2ba07cf1-da04-8b3f-f0aa-d200ccc78254.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/2ba07cf1-da04-8b3f-f0aa-d200ccc78254.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">On a shorter walk, starting from our wild camping spot we climbed up to the town of <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/vEVHf5XqEzuFkL3F8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(54, 54, 54); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transform: translate3d(0px, 0px, 0px); transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">San Martino di Castrozza</a>. It's in an amazing setting, surrounded by rugged peaks.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/368b65b1-0a83-440d-f493-6280e2b6fd6a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/368b65b1-0a83-440d-f493-6280e2b6fd6a.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Julieta and I are starting a long-ish hike up this valley. Dang! I have a new favorite expression when I see scenes like this: "Oh, get out!"</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/86794853-7be4-82b8-e78d-4c7a01c7a3f4.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/86794853-7be4-82b8-e78d-4c7a01c7a3f4.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We started down in that valley, around the corner in the distance.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/a4f2b851-8790-3273-8764-d775491e4f97.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/a4f2b851-8790-3273-8764-d775491e4f97.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">There was a welcome cable to hang onto where the footing was tricky. What a great day. AND... we learned that the next we're meeting up with my godson Sebastian and his mom Rachel in Padua, Italy, just near Venice! Wow, so cool.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/7902fba8-8e1d-7770-ab94-0a280331bb25.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/7902fba8-8e1d-7770-ab94-0a280331bb25.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">We drove down from the mountains to Padua and met up with friends from home, the first in two and a half years. That handsome young man is my godson Sebastian, and that's his lovely mum Rachel. Sebastian decided to go to university in Holland, which seems brave to me. Part of the reason I went to UC Berkeley is that it was close to home. Really.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/2fbdfbc8-fd2c-bd62-4f08-af944d3a5dfe.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/2fbdfbc8-fd2c-bd62-4f08-af944d3a5dfe.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The spectacular ceiling of the massive Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua, started in 1232 and completed in 1310. I find it incredible that they built magnificent structures like this so long ago. But to be honest, I don't know how they build them today, either. At least they have power tools now, among other advantages.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ea3af8cc-1849-3a70-9844-cb1f290008d0.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ea3af8cc-1849-3a70-9844-cb1f290008d0.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Ornate!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ed3554f9-694b-7d2a-4f4e-f5a6f8821fbe.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ed3554f9-694b-7d2a-4f4e-f5a6f8821fbe.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Cruising down the Italian highway after leaving Padua, near Trieste on our way to Croatia. Uh oh.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/48849d58-bdb3-5b00-165f-6d8209ef201a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/48849d58-bdb3-5b00-165f-6d8209ef201a.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Among the many surprises today was the one that I've anticipated/contemplated for years: driving down some random interstate highway in Europe as my van engine blows up. Today was that day! Fortunately for our shared horrific/wonderful memories, the Argentinian Hurricane, Julieta, took charge of getting a tow truck. The first guy hung up on her when she asked if he spoke English. "Call him again," she said. "But didn't he hang up on..." "Call him back!" she barked. The final result, the tow truck, under the French insurance for my van, delivered us to a parking area at the Slovenian border, for no charge, and we were happily wild camping in the strangest of places. Many stories remain unspoken...</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/dd666aaf-d3cb-5332-094d-0c482fd8a24d.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/dd666aaf-d3cb-5332-094d-0c482fd8a24d.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Home Sweet Border-Wasteland Home. You can just make out the border entrance to Slovenia in the distance.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/a979ed09-521f-0c96-1781-d92b65386c57.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/a979ed09-521f-0c96-1781-d92b65386c57.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Slept like babies. I woke up early, thinking, wait, what happened again? Oh right, the engine is shot. Now we're on our way to Ljubljana, Slovenia. Tomorrow the mechanic will see if the engine is a total wreck, or if it can be repaired/rebuilt. Meanwhile, Julieta and I need to get to Split, Croatia because she flies from there in five days. Bus? Rental car? Both? It's not boring!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/30d948d6-33fb-c5cf-301e-1a6d1df3dbc0.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/30d948d6-33fb-c5cf-301e-1a6d1df3dbc0.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The tow truck driver, a friend of my Slovenian mechanic, dropped us off at the bus station in Ljubljana. We wanted to go to Split, Croatia, but the bus would arrive at 2:30 am. That doesn't work. How about somewhere else in Croatia, I asked the business-like ticket seller. She looked at us like - you don't know where you're going?? I said that our van blew up on the highway last night, and she got this very sympathetic look, like we lost a pet, and said, "I'm so sorry." I was wearing a mask, but I had the same dumb grin as I do in this photo, as I said, "It's not that bad, actually. In a way it's kind of fun, it's like an adventure." She liked that answer, and she smiled through the rest of the transaction, as we discovered that the bus to Zagreb is only 2 hours. So Zagreb it is!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/f3ff1d84-5297-a85d-c373-78210bb356cf.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/f3ff1d84-5297-a85d-c373-78210bb356cf.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">On Day 2 of the "I used to drive a van" experiment, our intrepid non-woke travelers awoke in a too-big hotel room in Zagreb, ate too much at the all-you-can-eat-breakfast (I can eat a lot) and decided to take the train to Split. First we wandered around the old town of Zagreb.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/8b45c7bd-1a06-23b0-463c-fd7507bb6523.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/8b45c7bd-1a06-23b0-463c-fd7507bb6523.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">It's a six and a half hour train trip to Split, or five hours in a bus, or four in a car - which is why not that many people take the train.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ef0bf48e-4fd4-c05f-47db-ca77eef3afb1.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ef0bf48e-4fd4-c05f-47db-ca77eef3afb1.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The train is a little like riding a bucking bronco, both of us feeling a little nauseous from all the movement. But lovely views! Ciao!</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/6d79927f-895d-bccf-2b82-2eefb01a72e3.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/6d79927f-895d-bccf-2b82-2eefb01a72e3.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">#NoVanLife in Split, Croatia, inside Diocletian's Palace, completed in 305 AD. Crikey.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/35379f31-12a2-04ef-2d0c-9d72d7dc917a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/35379f31-12a2-04ef-2d0c-9d72d7dc917a.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The waterfront and the Palace from a distance.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/3563ce6a-4496-ce70-ab6f-8e24dca3e192.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/3563ce6a-4496-ce70-ab6f-8e24dca3e192.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Around this time we found out that, as expected, the engine was completely shot. My mechanic was probably too embarrassed to come right out and say how badly they screwed by sending me out in the wild with a van that was leaking so much oil. He and his partner didn't quite believe me, I guess, because the engine was running so well - which it was. He's a young guy with a small business and two young kids, and I wasn't going to hold him completely responsible, even though I could have made the argument for it. Basically, I had the money and he didn't. So I told him if he found another rebuild, I'd pay for it. See, I told you I wasn't that manly.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/f87e81cb-b6b5-6b65-6388-71d359356798.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/f87e81cb-b6b5-6b65-6388-71d359356798.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The beautiful waterfront, on a beautiful warm night.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/e05a536d-5410-28c6-87fb-2148e7a4ee88.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/e05a536d-5410-28c6-87fb-2148e7a4ee88.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">I spent hours looking for vans to buy, or vans to rent. I found a very fancy van to rent for three months, as long as I could drive it to Turkey...</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/2a1afeab-af14-a626-c8e6-65c985fb2f03.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/2a1afeab-af14-a626-c8e6-65c985fb2f03.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Everything looked good for the three month rental until he made me the deeply discounted offer of: €7,500, or $8,500! Crikey. Rental vans are pricey, but that's just impossible.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/126d64d2-44fa-bc73-31af-c8f73479b25c.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/126d64d2-44fa-bc73-31af-c8f73479b25c.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Julieta walking past some ever-present "Hajduk" graffiti that you see everywhere in Split. They're the local soccer team and are pretty much worshipped in this town. As a non-sports guy, I can't say that I get it.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/5d222d9d-e0d3-571c-c477-8151c6a1a6e8.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/5d222d9d-e0d3-571c-c477-8151c6a1a6e8.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Plan B was renting a van. What was Plan C?? I had really given up the idea of driving my green van again, and I was ok with it somehow. Julieta was saying, "Well, at least you know you can't use your van anymore," right as I got an email from the mechanic. They found a meticulously rebuilt engine from a guy in Germany who does that as a business. He replaces every replaceable part, and rebuilds it about as well as can be done. New engines aren't available for my 30 year-old van, but this is the closest I'll get. It will cost €2,600, or $3,000, and my mechanic will install it for no charge. "Let me know," he said.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/541e140c-6bce-8709-68ee-3060872512aa.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/541e140c-6bce-8709-68ee-3060872512aa.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">This is a very old artist's rendition of the waterfront at Diocletian's Palace.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/7bab9d26-8765-b15e-8d1b-8987933f6688.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/7bab9d26-8765-b15e-8d1b-8987933f6688.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The waterfront today.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/a953ad6a-044f-fb55-62ff-8f631f35c259.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/a953ad6a-044f-fb55-62ff-8f631f35c259.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Much of the old palace has been structurally restored, and this is a restaurant in what would have been the ground floor or basement.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ccd375c9-151d-f0a8-41a2-cb5b8bc5f5af.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ccd375c9-151d-f0a8-41a2-cb5b8bc5f5af.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">The waterfront, called the Riva, on a rainy night.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/290d8dc6-2a86-6b1f-2d25-061d24d2c951.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/290d8dc6-2a86-6b1f-2d25-061d24d2c951.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Friendly locals fresh out of their painting class. One was American with family from here, and had moved here.</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/8f06aebf-0e9c-6077-ead4-d9190c94be53.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/8f06aebf-0e9c-6077-ead4-d9190c94be53.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Ancient ruins make my heart ache! I just want to know everything about everything - is that too much to ask??</div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-bottom: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-image: initial; border-left: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-right: solid rgb(215, 215, 215); border-top: 0.0625rem solid rgb(215, 215, 215); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;" /><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ce24bddf-fcd8-7215-eb0b-bd1f00707008.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/cc0196ba-53dd-c3ed-a4b0-a7dbe28162b0/ce24bddf-fcd8-7215-eb0b-bd1f00707008.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">Speaking of ancient ruins, here's a 30 year old VW diesel engine, fully rebuilt, and about to be installed in my van. I said yes!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: raleway, helveticaneue-light, "helvetica neue light", "helvetica neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 7.5px 0px;">(The End)</div>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-33699199435229478152021-10-08T07:47:00.001-07:002021-11-13T09:58:58.129-08:00Hiking the Dolomites - the second "DavemoPosts" WhatsApp group compilation<i>"What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears."<br />~ Seneca <br /><br />"I teach one thing, and one thing only - suffering, and the end of suffering."<br />~ The Buddha</i><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 0px 0px 5px 5px; padding: 0.625rem 1rem;"><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Greetings, friends. I'm writing from Slovenia, and have some 'splaining to do, Lucy. My last blog post was in July, after I'd driven from North Macedonia to Croatia. Since then? Camping, hiking, seeing a group of friends in France (my first in-person group of friends for two years,) many van not-repaired-but-I'm-trying moments. I took a hot shower for the first time in two months a few days ago, since I was wild camping that whole time - more than usual. I started making a list of newsletters that I wanted to write but never managed to write, and had to add to it ones that I was sure I had written but didn't. It's a long list. I have a lifetime supply of posts I'll never get to.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">If you would like to subscribe to the WhatsApp group, with updates more often than the infrequent newsletters, you need WhatsApp. When you have it, just click this link on your phone: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://chat.whatsapp.com/DULwNwVd1nd1iIU2ooKyyZ&source=gmail&ust=1633788867424000&usg=AFQjCNHW6yZBc6YloshFFI08LDKgwxmY3A" href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/DULwNwVd1nd1iIU2ooKyyZ" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;" target="_blank">https://chat.whatsapp.<wbr></wbr>com/DULwNwVd1nd1iIU2ooKyyZ</a></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Blathering completed. Enjoy the photos and stories below.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Love, Dave</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 10, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjUN8jJsdYWrELslZU8CSJolGVIx4HJQpqwcUIQ6BLgFeeKvWS2Wr6-eipWo11Yg_iGGj3nySzgaeZPzK0oK2Z2MSRJpMN8z-pO34yieQuw881D4h8i4a1zhi_RmZCdC7qX-nKXBQXNExY2vY_KQrg9YPZv6cWPNkDPEWoz87IaEpTegN9nwqxKq1kWKfA7DyLB5iqmxrTWL1BRLgR-vvILph4oDBASyCZCiBMNHXQOXrbiJ-QmEzLs7fIX9EJ0a4idyWtOVNnxJTQV_hZk=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjUN8jJsdYWrELslZU8CSJolGVIx4HJQpqwcUIQ6BLgFeeKvWS2Wr6-eipWo11Yg_iGGj3nySzgaeZPzK0oK2Z2MSRJpMN8z-pO34yieQuw881D4h8i4a1zhi_RmZCdC7qX-nKXBQXNExY2vY_KQrg9YPZv6cWPNkDPEWoz87IaEpTegN9nwqxKq1kWKfA7DyLB5iqmxrTWL1BRLgR-vvILph4oDBASyCZCiBMNHXQOXrbiJ-QmEzLs7fIX9EJ0a4idyWtOVNnxJTQV_hZk=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Lovely people, I'm not dead yet, some some of you will be happy to know. It's Dolomites season here in the, uh, Dolomites, and I'm just starting this hike! Yay.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiZbgU__zjU31tojGMwWi4qYg0xN5qfHjWTC6GpydPfUd_DGrL65KJS9ESBWlCP5_UyPS2glYg9zhZ0FJWhlb9m9OHaUj1ovvk8Kn_iMkS7pUW8VMl5bgVvD2ZFkh6aMGWo6ChyYuZXjCGCIaeHV0LWQ_p4RUZt0g25bfZd7q46c8TE9tw3w30bLfuhl10VGAKainTiLtRfx52Pst6LkycG0SpCRYdIBn_dsYiERppZdYdwP69DZ0I2inpTCdGOTvGITB86SrrrojKt_Gsg=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiZbgU__zjU31tojGMwWi4qYg0xN5qfHjWTC6GpydPfUd_DGrL65KJS9ESBWlCP5_UyPS2glYg9zhZ0FJWhlb9m9OHaUj1ovvk8Kn_iMkS7pUW8VMl5bgVvD2ZFkh6aMGWo6ChyYuZXjCGCIaeHV0LWQ_p4RUZt0g25bfZd7q46c8TE9tw3w30bLfuhl10VGAKainTiLtRfx52Pst6LkycG0SpCRYdIBn_dsYiERppZdYdwP69DZ0I2inpTCdGOTvGITB86SrrrojKt_Gsg=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">People say the Dolomites are beautiful. Yes they do. Julieta and I just had a delicious lunch at a rifugio with cold beer, local cuisine, nice desserts. There is really no equivalent in the US. But now we have to finish the second half of our hike, yikes.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 11, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj6uGRGxdBZBkHJqyQAkFga3NtJi8dxc33Nxh-3Ng-wsCjb2XbtJaMQCWWAXuznjiGNfPJfhifjJ75n9yOLiBTqGHd4-3_sk2kJv6Ky_mSJWpAA_b1bD3IF1Q4lkyKLrjobuh-BJKV7K8oWEX7WklGMPE-4h921nzAmQ8bX1j4Wy2A4T8XwxaR3Cm9tFSoNqMBXIpmUW6HeTMR-Tzq7_PHi9LtxTkOn2dLd5p-wmF9bhlh0LvkKfB9L5nxt543ZLAnxJyb9teECdeubQH2z=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj6uGRGxdBZBkHJqyQAkFga3NtJi8dxc33Nxh-3Ng-wsCjb2XbtJaMQCWWAXuznjiGNfPJfhifjJ75n9yOLiBTqGHd4-3_sk2kJv6Ky_mSJWpAA_b1bD3IF1Q4lkyKLrjobuh-BJKV7K8oWEX7WklGMPE-4h921nzAmQ8bX1j4Wy2A4T8XwxaR3Cm9tFSoNqMBXIpmUW6HeTMR-Tzq7_PHi9LtxTkOn2dLd5p-wmF9bhlh0LvkKfB9L5nxt543ZLAnxJyb9teECdeubQH2z=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Making friends on our second hike in the Dolomites, Julieta and I are hiking across the valley from where we were yesterday. We hiked along the base of those massive mountains in the distance. What an incredible place.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 13, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjp46P4hFCxP5iC2a_jWPyg3NKIiOAlpydIBXHcdFPUn-9h3YizGI7DrVuxVUmwW6WpAmcRN3Yc1MnvEIIP1AMzpaOI2OFTZcypd9wfUubmkh6EnYeoJYItwp6q-chkoCdZfQ55i6y8SErowqPyrlcuM0zYqobC3Rq6BweGVZHpHDh4yA9LXaS8jvk-jRWK5XiYKFHHJtMCBvkksSGgc7h7QKvPY53mMezcCo-ZTA1SnFk-m-OuwnjXD-ax3tcR1jqOjCeduQKCXrdIIfZH=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjp46P4hFCxP5iC2a_jWPyg3NKIiOAlpydIBXHcdFPUn-9h3YizGI7DrVuxVUmwW6WpAmcRN3Yc1MnvEIIP1AMzpaOI2OFTZcypd9wfUubmkh6EnYeoJYItwp6q-chkoCdZfQ55i6y8SErowqPyrlcuM0zYqobC3Rq6BweGVZHpHDh4yA9LXaS8jvk-jRWK5XiYKFHHJtMCBvkksSGgc7h7QKvPY53mMezcCo-ZTA1SnFk-m-OuwnjXD-ax3tcR1jqOjCeduQKCXrdIIfZH=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Today, hiking! The Dolomites are working for me...</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgp7ZpelADXnSb8Pw0NiSfVcYTVhf_IKss1QfgxnQowhUw7aiDYvV7KQP0Agu5EkXvhHYQdfzEyZKnhm1ADWP0czK1rpbvrfwU_4lvEvVxL-HYZgnV8Qz0gMHJ_a-ZQq_YT8jniu3PnjUJu0pjDb_X77W-_4ZKr-Ly9LrtHdqdCnFA6b6UQqSp9o37lLv3pJ-7my7G38nD7Fotbmm5DGxCORkDr-tNyckUnPRldz16d393knPxpADSeHWRPOteOpgifKs8rRfbIJQRtUTDh=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgp7ZpelADXnSb8Pw0NiSfVcYTVhf_IKss1QfgxnQowhUw7aiDYvV7KQP0Agu5EkXvhHYQdfzEyZKnhm1ADWP0czK1rpbvrfwU_4lvEvVxL-HYZgnV8Qz0gMHJ_a-ZQq_YT8jniu3PnjUJu0pjDb_X77W-_4ZKr-Ly9LrtHdqdCnFA6b6UQqSp9o37lLv3pJ-7my7G38nD7Fotbmm5DGxCORkDr-tNyckUnPRldz16d393knPxpADSeHWRPOteOpgifKs8rRfbIJQRtUTDh=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Ja, as they say in German. Some years ago I was mad when I found out how spectacular the Dolomites are. "Why did no one tell me?!"</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 14, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhdgdZRGLgvjCEmhc2PDDDZulHLyluxecuQteRWBYD_jmGQAWUpy5dDA6ZplR_VrgXzKFSJ5ECGUy4KlvfSLcHH9eh7vfFF0z0uBR97R1zf3uZEdya563srqYDobToIJjg1gDnVbQ0wGWaKRlUR1uew-___SaG3MdB-ZRqvwgmMxlCNqp_d-o3-ESFY6-S6TXKDyPW4L2oMMwEsWc2BBbD_y__hWmtgLaUO-lGWt-Ci8ZBm2RH-BEq3kH2kCDBpqpjSQGA8YVD1hQBmoHdY=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhdgdZRGLgvjCEmhc2PDDDZulHLyluxecuQteRWBYD_jmGQAWUpy5dDA6ZplR_VrgXzKFSJ5ECGUy4KlvfSLcHH9eh7vfFF0z0uBR97R1zf3uZEdya563srqYDobToIJjg1gDnVbQ0wGWaKRlUR1uew-___SaG3MdB-ZRqvwgmMxlCNqp_d-o3-ESFY6-S6TXKDyPW4L2oMMwEsWc2BBbD_y__hWmtgLaUO-lGWt-Ci8ZBm2RH-BEq3kH2kCDBpqpjSQGA8YVD1hQBmoHdY=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">It's hiking o'clock. Across the valley is Cortina d'Ampezzo, ritzy and beautiful.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhg_aRMCslGn02alFBnpwHaNVpKRQsgec_Sy9gGprRN_cKTtSaz6uvhjseJLjXnB5ofFCE8eluQyrWuHBtkl_82eYTZyPjSKrRBrf884Y4yPAL0KS8VZIRdbT6ZzWZiXNd6fj9SnRt7jQUr4xfPfWk7tV03xyOHkLdB8OikEvMq-7jc6AhHaqXX6L8j98j5qVieflPWI4A4eDx2yJJGPN3jtwDyi_lmV6XF3_LSGAOYd24WSosNs-gbHLJ-aF8urvwQ3uVlrREpWc8ttQzJ=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhg_aRMCslGn02alFBnpwHaNVpKRQsgec_Sy9gGprRN_cKTtSaz6uvhjseJLjXnB5ofFCE8eluQyrWuHBtkl_82eYTZyPjSKrRBrf884Y4yPAL0KS8VZIRdbT6ZzWZiXNd6fj9SnRt7jQUr4xfPfWk7tV03xyOHkLdB8OikEvMq-7jc6AhHaqXX6L8j98j5qVieflPWI4A4eDx2yJJGPN3jtwDyi_lmV6XF3_LSGAOYd24WSosNs-gbHLJ-aF8urvwQ3uVlrREpWc8ttQzJ=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Julieta is a good sport! It's not as dangerous as it looks, though I might not be the best judge.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 18, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiIbqa68UcBHP3VtcuPKCsSxYhgeY1YX0z0UYolHJsNJMhKTq55gB8VWj4gLmNAdWvZXsx-BSh-2Fmu3808iYXQ-u5xMmBOsz1boDFPTZ2QR4b7yh7tWYZuphA8MDe3_hehKRCD04VUI7Tuy8X4V9vzRy5PbdnAzN0jP10-HDmYE4_f-Q8_gsjFFYJYg_fmU23AZuKnEckjdt5DUOV0AQL398iQclwv98j5BJOx8Shl7C99SpCVYDw7D_QyNDLABYGXq4xiqEnbeJ4IHCGb=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiIbqa68UcBHP3VtcuPKCsSxYhgeY1YX0z0UYolHJsNJMhKTq55gB8VWj4gLmNAdWvZXsx-BSh-2Fmu3808iYXQ-u5xMmBOsz1boDFPTZ2QR4b7yh7tWYZuphA8MDe3_hehKRCD04VUI7Tuy8X4V9vzRy5PbdnAzN0jP10-HDmYE4_f-Q8_gsjFFYJYg_fmU23AZuKnEckjdt5DUOV0AQL398iQclwv98j5BJOx8Shl7C99SpCVYDw7D_QyNDLABYGXq4xiqEnbeJ4IHCGb=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Heavens to Mergatroid! Yesterday's hike was challenging, with the most climbing I've done for a while. Super beautiful! Julieta left the day before to go back to Germany, so I'm fending for myself. Scary.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhqFz2fD8zeT7LISslm1dmchs9ZKUDrn9hHV1dQKBT076sQHnvUwxJJ7vn7hHwLWzNUBFpmQ_zNSEdUaviqR6NcRNzVYzESJah8RgvNhXWJMqfyCUtmI-rWbq4TepVkEb2PSpOJTFjICVWVy6YdNjmBGqQNIGQadsQhpM12fMWZ3DVxLj8y50HKc4FrL-uM-sHTp-JNVyOmpdoG6-Ddc_bXk15_E9tJ32W7O1Vgrq8s0aZz4X4UefnzNhENMd5y3v5u2GLw7cs3LJQfoQS2=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhqFz2fD8zeT7LISslm1dmchs9ZKUDrn9hHV1dQKBT076sQHnvUwxJJ7vn7hHwLWzNUBFpmQ_zNSEdUaviqR6NcRNzVYzESJah8RgvNhXWJMqfyCUtmI-rWbq4TepVkEb2PSpOJTFjICVWVy6YdNjmBGqQNIGQadsQhpM12fMWZ3DVxLj8y50HKc4FrL-uM-sHTp-JNVyOmpdoG6-Ddc_bXk15_E9tJ32W7O1Vgrq8s0aZz4X4UefnzNhENMd5y3v5u2GLw7cs3LJQfoQS2=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Another pic from yesterday. The Tre Cime peaks are the most famous rock formations in the Dolomites. And just now I'm starting on a new hike, brace yourself for more photos later.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 20, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg6ok1-F10ZS0rQ3RlTcN5PUl8MP14t3Ve4N4rCIjDyLmtfpW1LLLUi0ai5bf7jSt3sHbdUNdoIiWkx8ui6tJnsPmuF_8S7nHARZK_YDEXyedBx1ttv3qPa8kK2Du0eqmeEsRTFP-xYBw3-Sr5T8ewGQcr2RDDy1CnoDYXLpnJMMh0Z8rrL2j7aC2NR2V0y5WG0Dx7DCBLlRnqew9VI_Hqe0UI9rE9iOJr-V6c_HjGphhFFoEnDgFr6bVfEd-Nr0SRiRgZ25sQI4QTGqu3X=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg6ok1-F10ZS0rQ3RlTcN5PUl8MP14t3Ve4N4rCIjDyLmtfpW1LLLUi0ai5bf7jSt3sHbdUNdoIiWkx8ui6tJnsPmuF_8S7nHARZK_YDEXyedBx1ttv3qPa8kK2Du0eqmeEsRTFP-xYBw3-Sr5T8ewGQcr2RDDy1CnoDYXLpnJMMh0Z8rrL2j7aC2NR2V0y5WG0Dx7DCBLlRnqew9VI_Hqe0UI9rE9iOJr-V6c_HjGphhFFoEnDgFr6bVfEd-Nr0SRiRgZ25sQI4QTGqu3X=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">It's supposed to rain this afternoon, so I'm doing a short walk through this valley, just up from where I've been wild camping the last couple nights. It works for me! I took so many nice photos my last walk that I couldn't settle on only a few to post, so I didn't post any. But they're coming...</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjF6cYOhZ4o_8JFBAB8ngkRiezpYdZD6WBM0Asu_wqL2mEWC8EGdyJmLjbjwZX727PPyEv2sai95n7UgYcvlThy_-pO0riFHz_DG6nWgEaooJYfOxiuwJ9dAMc4Q_iZDrfwrBwjR8EvzhTZSv9LHlzr_dEJkMO8-6DYDlRFX8N82php0TqhtUwyX9CsR9YhU2SqA_U_2WcKbcP2qUDR3GVnANANnruYIl0yWK6t6ZR3Iak2uG5jAGde1tMKyYYK4GeEBhzwLTE4mXzfDrfX=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjF6cYOhZ4o_8JFBAB8ngkRiezpYdZD6WBM0Asu_wqL2mEWC8EGdyJmLjbjwZX727PPyEv2sai95n7UgYcvlThy_-pO0riFHz_DG6nWgEaooJYfOxiuwJ9dAMc4Q_iZDrfwrBwjR8EvzhTZSv9LHlzr_dEJkMO8-6DYDlRFX8N82php0TqhtUwyX9CsR9YhU2SqA_U_2WcKbcP2qUDR3GVnANANnruYIl0yWK6t6ZR3Iak2uG5jAGde1tMKyYYK4GeEBhzwLTE4mXzfDrfX=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">These next few photos are from Saturday's hike. I'm surprised I hadn't done this hike before, because it's pretty spectacular. After a reasonably steep climb you come out to this plateau with impressive rock formations surrounding it.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiyoTow-oGU00mweGz1g3jANWig-hARWRN0bhQxuwzhxgeKYVnV6_ZbjVql8uwA90VMO65pKSbZe96VqQQwATPtU87Dezlrh1jWr0v1scHChNsX0m30NyFnENE35arakZXB0dYnQSxzv2QUZ3CK-W3hfyI2uQACIFyP9qndZGN2yGgOv3-YPOhVcHph4K15_tpZOZ8391iSHfOHtYdfz3KcM67PDd79ot7_ebpcN8EAjwlw-FKqE_YbbtCfYaF1m8j9-tsCePFS5dryeGqk=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiyoTow-oGU00mweGz1g3jANWig-hARWRN0bhQxuwzhxgeKYVnV6_ZbjVql8uwA90VMO65pKSbZe96VqQQwATPtU87Dezlrh1jWr0v1scHChNsX0m30NyFnENE35arakZXB0dYnQSxzv2QUZ3CK-W3hfyI2uQACIFyP9qndZGN2yGgOv3-YPOhVcHph4K15_tpZOZ8391iSHfOHtYdfz3KcM67PDd79ot7_ebpcN8EAjwlw-FKqE_YbbtCfYaF1m8j9-tsCePFS5dryeGqk=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">This photo looks quite different but it's just to the right of the same area. You may be able to see the rifugio roof just peeking out at the center left of the photo.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgIsO7BlLh66Znv0vR_oC4jdyFYkNf60ZWRzEM28wkPDU0hFqXqPLXglv8qhRNIp-R2W1AJ5wb5eNH2VHyCrT3P7H1KHTwQYOdh_-SlXHqFh9jceQNTAQdGNZ0LAPAaLbYAW_potRNMfdKaqjWlEWkQnpL5tQ406yBMlljEmRJqEpX1lyZsBzABaY7Pecfue4zGyWGXQ90boby5zhGVPbE-PlEtotxthHwpt816hbNMvHUVXMsQbnGwFptI4aUppWNytmR4PQntDT87RFlK=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgIsO7BlLh66Znv0vR_oC4jdyFYkNf60ZWRzEM28wkPDU0hFqXqPLXglv8qhRNIp-R2W1AJ5wb5eNH2VHyCrT3P7H1KHTwQYOdh_-SlXHqFh9jceQNTAQdGNZ0LAPAaLbYAW_potRNMfdKaqjWlEWkQnpL5tQ406yBMlljEmRJqEpX1lyZsBzABaY7Pecfue4zGyWGXQ90boby5zhGVPbE-PlEtotxthHwpt816hbNMvHUVXMsQbnGwFptI4aUppWNytmR4PQntDT87RFlK=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">This is the rifugio where I had lunch. They serve delicious hot Italian food, cold beer, espresso drinks and fresh pastries. Will I get used to this one day? Yeah, no, I don't think so. All the supplies for the restaurant are brought up on a cable from the start of the hike. Incredible.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEizlkYFfoIf6s7KDLOVhsEIITLe8qCumblMD83Ms-pRJ6OQKg9KzAY6X5EOy36xUvrNZYMnsHqgmQ3KNIlniJ-vj1XaOLi-paYcvlmpgdZmEZB2xREaIGkElkTHh8Ye7A3aJ3IkJmaSY-WkBJIJvRlEvnWhUXxzqqnk2EG_7SFgzB4kjrCOaF81DM-00afDsXJ1HVAB-VQnqJzreRwp-e4aUOFvdYLgbEyVkoQpP9ZEU-BMXNNDhXxfZ0XnbSBJMJ0OT0Mxv3a9SNbElwfY=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEizlkYFfoIf6s7KDLOVhsEIITLe8qCumblMD83Ms-pRJ6OQKg9KzAY6X5EOy36xUvrNZYMnsHqgmQ3KNIlniJ-vj1XaOLi-paYcvlmpgdZmEZB2xREaIGkElkTHh8Ye7A3aJ3IkJmaSY-WkBJIJvRlEvnWhUXxzqqnk2EG_7SFgzB4kjrCOaF81DM-00afDsXJ1HVAB-VQnqJzreRwp-e4aUOFvdYLgbEyVkoQpP9ZEU-BMXNNDhXxfZ0XnbSBJMJ0OT0Mxv3a9SNbElwfY=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">There was a super steep descent where you need to hang on to a cable with one hand and your cojones with the other. I love these kind of hikes, but I was still surprised how challenging it was. The terrain was much more rugged on this side.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhXD0KqSp74quPSFTj9I3P9jwCy77oLoo2wGKXPpMoZCuIaNwTdstP2uy9jsPLSLkuCRQTubHEkA_Hyjh_5bH143seL49eKjp_AcmneQwwFDkx7Z-So2Q6w0hXaryiyok0kSk50yzRknQebQgGMKc62eACska50XXwg0sP6b9h63DMxrIsviTcN56Hnv25c4Vwt6Rc2vCJ9FXngJrtaP5axThgaW92WMx66yrSGSGM2NScIy16Gk2IMGSZvw5X7T8eLN5pEz8rTEB4XtmpV=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhXD0KqSp74quPSFTj9I3P9jwCy77oLoo2wGKXPpMoZCuIaNwTdstP2uy9jsPLSLkuCRQTubHEkA_Hyjh_5bH143seL49eKjp_AcmneQwwFDkx7Z-So2Q6w0hXaryiyok0kSk50yzRknQebQgGMKc62eACska50XXwg0sP6b9h63DMxrIsviTcN56Hnv25c4Vwt6Rc2vCJ9FXngJrtaP5axThgaW92WMx66yrSGSGM2NScIy16Gk2IMGSZvw5X7T8eLN5pEz8rTEB4XtmpV=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">New hat, new glasses, new earbuds, and even a new head. Come on, look at it - that head didn't used to look like that. Must be a new version. I can't say it's an improvement.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 21, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiWe3kfFmkDZHVv52BfJLe-zsjOAlACoqqVNolPQfq5xjECy7r3-0VD_znN5s0kQlM4n_9cHWa-t6V4wECeeWOoBtSJ7qIEEfmKXNYEkGoWOvH6xoXlIOd_WXBkeRiJ2ocMmQssG7_qp4GxVjdj_6pPLOKGjfLEOWqy9YHA7kT1RDGQ2Hq19NoxjES6b21w0omOcuXnA3X2G16Y22O_Ul9UYpFCYqnXAVMLmDT4xAAF7cpYrz5ag-xBct8zB3-eqtPOTaa_1_OlslqMoS5j=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiWe3kfFmkDZHVv52BfJLe-zsjOAlACoqqVNolPQfq5xjECy7r3-0VD_znN5s0kQlM4n_9cHWa-t6V4wECeeWOoBtSJ7qIEEfmKXNYEkGoWOvH6xoXlIOd_WXBkeRiJ2ocMmQssG7_qp4GxVjdj_6pPLOKGjfLEOWqy9YHA7kT1RDGQ2Hq19NoxjES6b21w0omOcuXnA3X2G16Y22O_Ul9UYpFCYqnXAVMLmDT4xAAF7cpYrz5ag-xBct8zB3-eqtPOTaa_1_OlslqMoS5j=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I'm just starting out on one of my favorite hikes in the Dolomites, called the Val Fiscalina hike in my guide book. Last year I hiked it in full snow and it was brutal. In 2017 I hiked it with Julieta and we got lost and had to spend the night in a rifugio. Today it's sunny and beautiful, and no snow. Yay!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 22, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj3lV-lsb_eDFktaFR6HvO4f1kKwA2Kt_3a9sIntZ9EUble4aUnevMj-N1thpriV7g-iuVt7wliWWchVENtRI-6WE2brq3Q4OczgJRqgso7au2AtXYwJ0dFJeqB91zFRRzQNhqxacdJR3oGZKMhFSZvD1NZXrpPDubIN3bG-726Y45l-P45eFaWPtn8MRY3pFjPUgA6mRBJB-geoPnTzSq37PE2gWViAC3EymS_2RkPMM3MUbYq6ajH-1uUqX5X5L0CUDc0222ppWRipdal=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj3lV-lsb_eDFktaFR6HvO4f1kKwA2Kt_3a9sIntZ9EUble4aUnevMj-N1thpriV7g-iuVt7wliWWchVENtRI-6WE2brq3Q4OczgJRqgso7au2AtXYwJ0dFJeqB91zFRRzQNhqxacdJR3oGZKMhFSZvD1NZXrpPDubIN3bG-726Y45l-P45eFaWPtn8MRY3pFjPUgA6mRBJB-geoPnTzSq37PE2gWViAC3EymS_2RkPMM3MUbYq6ajH-1uUqX5X5L0CUDc0222ppWRipdal=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">More photos from yesterday's hike, which was so much easier than hiking in the snow as I did in the past, but still a little ambitious for an old fart like me. Fortunately I was in good company because there are people of all ages hiking in these mountains!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjGCwc7X2WPxMHuN8JrblXNBegxO-x7EnX4qLckpm5XTrTrhpBcDOThKOZViOpdnhbYe9NPnMXh2ivy5Ys2XCTxe5197d35P6zksi3C0U9GB0jJ-uQp-_YxAVfQacva09Ngdq2Unucq2EekD4IY9rLxTSiN4F5c7IR4vJzCYGW7FebhvI6hFmXrAMGUmcBbKuC2eMb6EuGpD4NNj5msO4Mvz4198ZEDewRPUsfGd033XXFevnZ7hkuU5w87DqbZ691u-aJHk5cnz2LF_K9R=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjGCwc7X2WPxMHuN8JrblXNBegxO-x7EnX4qLckpm5XTrTrhpBcDOThKOZViOpdnhbYe9NPnMXh2ivy5Ys2XCTxe5197d35P6zksi3C0U9GB0jJ-uQp-_YxAVfQacva09Ngdq2Unucq2EekD4IY9rLxTSiN4F5c7IR4vJzCYGW7FebhvI6hFmXrAMGUmcBbKuC2eMb6EuGpD4NNj5msO4Mvz4198ZEDewRPUsfGd033XXFevnZ7hkuU5w87DqbZ691u-aJHk5cnz2LF_K9R=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Usually on a long hike at the halfway point I don't even realize that I'm using energy, and I feel great. As I'm finishing up the walk I'm feeling quite tired, and by the time I sit down in my van at the end, I could fall asleep literally in about 2 minutes. And yesterday that's what I did, taking a little nap in my van before I drove to get a pizza for dinner.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjJp5yNc8yyY8nwl82o5tuhu93OjktpU7PqjMsZV6GRg51e-eIs0rGD-jJBYsNmD5EOIGq1smYF0VXS-J8WdMRyRP9MyRQG9HAZ7ovCpHlIyMHMYVKR5q1aBdyLFEiYc_4F8gxs5IUmxYxUtQM-aeNjOwqI5cewCo-mW_hqPuBRJ5sc4LNkVbp_EkEpUYbIMPncNPcBFF3LRw3TbiT7FXPq5iKAEOqtoGtUkhBc8IEg8JvO3bWZig7bN_O3ifXg-KT1xD9DSCLL9Q2-sRXU=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjJp5yNc8yyY8nwl82o5tuhu93OjktpU7PqjMsZV6GRg51e-eIs0rGD-jJBYsNmD5EOIGq1smYF0VXS-J8WdMRyRP9MyRQG9HAZ7ovCpHlIyMHMYVKR5q1aBdyLFEiYc_4F8gxs5IUmxYxUtQM-aeNjOwqI5cewCo-mW_hqPuBRJ5sc4LNkVbp_EkEpUYbIMPncNPcBFF3LRw3TbiT7FXPq5iKAEOqtoGtUkhBc8IEg8JvO3bWZig7bN_O3ifXg-KT1xD9DSCLL9Q2-sRXU=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">In the center of the photo is one of three rifugios on this hike. I had a really nice meal here. I don't even know where they get their food, because there's no drivable road here, and also no cable to bring up supplies. I think in a previous year I might have seen a 4x4 ATV type vehicle bringing supplies.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/54UPsOChmSE" width="479" youtube-src-id="54UPsOChmSE"></iframe></div><br /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">What a treat to come across these local guys, maybe employees of the rifugio, playing beautiful music. It sounded too good to be live at first. Any idea how old this song is? It's The Police, and I was surprised to read that it was released in 1978!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiTkdPGLXZcFlt2N04ZbBkTDIORBcYfzVWOVSlS7khaLp4srP5rsgVdAiYRgbNQzB1BnoMOtqbgmFRu-sgsJoZD1_Ni4RT-0lpcSFvwcjJA0RQvFlA50-0TguLukwZFyhFuSkKcn9UCvawoU4vgpmK2GLhKQHhvXqEExTDRXFNEXBo5mn1ALJQi6NvzQcAWZ-evJ56FiQr3ou_l3s1k6ijYK8vsUTsDmNgpDo_aDcsq6iswk2VetWVtFHGluK-BBunr-Sq0IPuwPh2h02hN=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiTkdPGLXZcFlt2N04ZbBkTDIORBcYfzVWOVSlS7khaLp4srP5rsgVdAiYRgbNQzB1BnoMOtqbgmFRu-sgsJoZD1_Ni4RT-0lpcSFvwcjJA0RQvFlA50-0TguLukwZFyhFuSkKcn9UCvawoU4vgpmK2GLhKQHhvXqEExTDRXFNEXBo5mn1ALJQi6NvzQcAWZ-evJ56FiQr3ou_l3s1k6ijYK8vsUTsDmNgpDo_aDcsq6iswk2VetWVtFHGluK-BBunr-Sq0IPuwPh2h02hN=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Ok, last pic for today. This is the famous Rifugio Locatelli, the third rifugio of the day, where I had apple strudel and a cold draft beer on tap. Are you kidding me? With that view?! Do you think I've raved enough about the rifugios in the Dolomites, cuz I don't! I'll let you know when I'm done. Ciao!!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 23, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhzRSFfWc9R38EXyfcDnJE0BjCCdBK9T-cewHVEhTO_1LUQL6-uaYaRcPGDpXnUx74_-ZmAymJeuxsK3-e4EAVADtkagGa4ftXKA4m4mi6yhqdE5yTd8lmspBJdshCyIHHsxpfh67GylnQR1aT54bJOZ_gSZ04DmQwjvgw6vJbFfZX3503iBv9YmC0Z24EbeUCNFd6H81fT4SbnP0IStGoN7DR5SIepaKKOKs9KCWih1U0ueGUWNxSsZrQsJTKBi37S2_Z48XAftNQKvLZ-=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhzRSFfWc9R38EXyfcDnJE0BjCCdBK9T-cewHVEhTO_1LUQL6-uaYaRcPGDpXnUx74_-ZmAymJeuxsK3-e4EAVADtkagGa4ftXKA4m4mi6yhqdE5yTd8lmspBJdshCyIHHsxpfh67GylnQR1aT54bJOZ_gSZ04DmQwjvgw6vJbFfZX3503iBv9YmC0Z24EbeUCNFd6H81fT4SbnP0IStGoN7DR5SIepaKKOKs9KCWih1U0ueGUWNxSsZrQsJTKBi37S2_Z48XAftNQKvLZ-=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Today's challenging hike started here. The hike is called Rifugio Vandelli Traverse, even though the highlight is the blue lake, named Lago Sorapis. An unfortunate name? Me thinks so.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhOcK_4ECHV8-biRYo5GLBdJ52bsAGhW_9_HLgV4bzzmwb0eNzNv2m1PNKWN6frUpjHXS5q7ugs6iEbTZqphF0bXVlDKrgqGa_5cglDKVHKuv-x2tS9dMjz2qGRTnRRbGLJoB2cxjl3IYNq70KAZ6C8PnsyYKniyJ_5G1cUpUWKgDTJYVM3piY9VjeRsa5zPYKFdVAraIE15WilgKMlsjG_mBr7rYfvGNIGIxYVTppFmLKcZyxOREq1TNiCSRdXPATId0ciCur0CQ8GejGs=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhOcK_4ECHV8-biRYo5GLBdJ52bsAGhW_9_HLgV4bzzmwb0eNzNv2m1PNKWN6frUpjHXS5q7ugs6iEbTZqphF0bXVlDKrgqGa_5cglDKVHKuv-x2tS9dMjz2qGRTnRRbGLJoB2cxjl3IYNq70KAZ6C8PnsyYKniyJ_5G1cUpUWKgDTJYVM3piY9VjeRsa5zPYKFdVAraIE15WilgKMlsjG_mBr7rYfvGNIGIxYVTppFmLKcZyxOREq1TNiCSRdXPATId0ciCur0CQ8GejGs=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Great views and some mad scrambles up the loose scree you can just see on the right. An Italian couple in their 20's didn't have a map or a clue where to go, and I was showing them the route. But she balked when the footing got treacherous and they went back. She was just getting started - it got much worse.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgk8zKZ5tcq6EZB7ixA81Nh3mjMzZ6tXu1FswxnFs2HInIalyYx-I4ortooonuAm0LwoV2vPe_L2KI4K11ENAXgm8ZY8TZHsBDrsbVeZagUg4v2xPrmxbTregY9ciTe34rNL7GC58rR1OTOCDierJVvJAy74uFEgMWANZn1bJdf-PEjqF1ihLbIrcV5l-lo-fxaZp0AbuU1z0vh_Kwa1kI_uiwuNWCbJnm0-OwXvh-zIsym1kjuSC7iL3_4arLy-OnJ_GUeoUhFVtRYjsrY=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgk8zKZ5tcq6EZB7ixA81Nh3mjMzZ6tXu1FswxnFs2HInIalyYx-I4ortooonuAm0LwoV2vPe_L2KI4K11ENAXgm8ZY8TZHsBDrsbVeZagUg4v2xPrmxbTregY9ciTe34rNL7GC58rR1OTOCDierJVvJAy74uFEgMWANZn1bJdf-PEjqF1ihLbIrcV5l-lo-fxaZp0AbuU1z0vh_Kwa1kI_uiwuNWCbJnm0-OwXvh-zIsym1kjuSC7iL3_4arLy-OnJ_GUeoUhFVtRYjsrY=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">The famous lake with the unfamous name. It's one of the more popular hikes around here, which is why I hiked in reverse direction this time. It didn't really help. Beautiful weather, lots of people. It was my fifth time hiking this route. Ciao!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 25, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiCJIMvZ47Gfd-2_JnMwkQ2EAJNOyvJundzkj3_iyz_ROjwqlPKL3t5Hl9KLQyB1EJAKKSkcsMgBtJV3PjBDOX_vZ6ZO-9J6WSePGLaLeL7SUgT9E9qydGo9ldyfnTdPMUHOYOo30Oq6lW9iacnUSVrypwGr2-UALnMykRjWiKFGoeY5GD3nOACxhvI4FMQlaDu1Df3U4A5KACz9eIUv3Aoczj3Q8z_Oi3hCIJ65KGAQwYASIt8jGfo5Ag83eaUHbPs2UP0zrs2cQC0iu78=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiCJIMvZ47Gfd-2_JnMwkQ2EAJNOyvJundzkj3_iyz_ROjwqlPKL3t5Hl9KLQyB1EJAKKSkcsMgBtJV3PjBDOX_vZ6ZO-9J6WSePGLaLeL7SUgT9E9qydGo9ldyfnTdPMUHOYOo30Oq6lW9iacnUSVrypwGr2-UALnMykRjWiKFGoeY5GD3nOACxhvI4FMQlaDu1Df3U4A5KACz9eIUv3Aoczj3Q8z_Oi3hCIJ65KGAQwYASIt8jGfo5Ag83eaUHbPs2UP0zrs2cQC0iu78=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Yesterday's hike began here, as I'm looking up to Monte Lagazuoi. You can just make out a dark spot at the top of the mountain, a cable car station. My route is steeply up the loose scree to the left, out of view.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjtixlxB4sX5Jar5LqEX4GJNSV1PnnG0Lz9IVyN7EwLucDuStOZDtZLPQ56KqNPAeRrLwhTt4s9ltirRryPqHun9J0RUDEkjuBOSjmofPMsP3jjP_IAtGpo3jxlXCuAMrbIzpErPf74kyFu4wLPQKOlle0DeW-ds5-rDOwI7ZkLB-9NB5M57lTmLTXMf3m-4EZMAJlTjR2qgHsZ-yRuEWs_5miYzVGZ2KnNwOzCRHSGgpaELHENGv_668yqvsBzhfDKK2r4f5bLn9keFdb9=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjtixlxB4sX5Jar5LqEX4GJNSV1PnnG0Lz9IVyN7EwLucDuStOZDtZLPQ56KqNPAeRrLwhTt4s9ltirRryPqHun9J0RUDEkjuBOSjmofPMsP3jjP_IAtGpo3jxlXCuAMrbIzpErPf74kyFu4wLPQKOlle0DeW-ds5-rDOwI7ZkLB-9NB5M57lTmLTXMf3m-4EZMAJlTjR2qgHsZ-yRuEWs_5miYzVGZ2KnNwOzCRHSGgpaELHENGv_668yqvsBzhfDKK2r4f5bLn9keFdb9=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">The view from the top is amazing. After a meal at the rifugio, I was tired and took the cable car down with the other old people!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhuV4WpIDEJb2wo05mDIuLVLGnzQ3WxX83yL7exlTa-d9LlGn7lc0ZOvX85x4lC2eb6XyU8QWwQakh7xhMBCWDF2mC4WwypS0p4CvhDn2mrQWlxJ2TMRFBQHSLv8DCzolX-3P8A4pjPXlrgw-W-6qx2j1WyH6bcAER4Cp5vs72qI_zo9minFm812QCIzUwns57I_S8LEF3IixYpNnCiFd-Hj9Ccd6YrdKInSG0uA4HNP_X-6vNHLMVipQocQaofpPtvke0luqu8kzpldlZW=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhuV4WpIDEJb2wo05mDIuLVLGnzQ3WxX83yL7exlTa-d9LlGn7lc0ZOvX85x4lC2eb6XyU8QWwQakh7xhMBCWDF2mC4WwypS0p4CvhDn2mrQWlxJ2TMRFBQHSLv8DCzolX-3P8A4pjPXlrgw-W-6qx2j1WyH6bcAER4Cp5vs72qI_zo9minFm812QCIzUwns57I_S8LEF3IixYpNnCiFd-Hj9Ccd6YrdKInSG0uA4HNP_X-6vNHLMVipQocQaofpPtvke0luqu8kzpldlZW=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">An hour's drive later, I came across this view as I was heading to a different hike. Wow.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEicNRYcYInZ7TFqomtae5hFuPtymG639WJO2gvxuPV-4TonrMf-i57ciopEOU44bCEIXz_qiNK29d6X9PgNwNoMaLfTZQaJe6qr2L7YwZQGlLCp7UKIV9Jv3wjnb-yQSP4KuM2-DJtCtWU90bkVkAgsBN3oh3tmukySC4XsxGIoL-4N-oCZuHSpoR8z0C-qbLQxdCC1jzJ3PhlCrOddJqVyAQUh3wDjUSPE0Y4M53jw312T_hvWFVk_3ETymV0LNQIyeFP0_NRPl1IDSdVM=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEicNRYcYInZ7TFqomtae5hFuPtymG639WJO2gvxuPV-4TonrMf-i57ciopEOU44bCEIXz_qiNK29d6X9PgNwNoMaLfTZQaJe6qr2L7YwZQGlLCp7UKIV9Jv3wjnb-yQSP4KuM2-DJtCtWU90bkVkAgsBN3oh3tmukySC4XsxGIoL-4N-oCZuHSpoR8z0C-qbLQxdCC1jzJ3PhlCrOddJqVyAQUh3wDjUSPE0Y4M53jw312T_hvWFVk_3ETymV0LNQIyeFP0_NRPl1IDSdVM=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">It's lunchtime on what is maybe my last Dolomites walk this season. Supposed to rain tomorrow, but I'm still from California, so walking becomes unlikely. It's a beautiful area, my first time in this area.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Sep 26, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjEng2yat-NZTjseat_l2tusq0M42I44OdvzdE6DG_nkhh19FoF0vqOJk2b6CguaChxjUSdL_7KGVvELx-dZq3v8jMcJUol3IE2ij3CgJm9funkhSBpbU3sd3h9yCZ5dCGUzPe_9opLVxOfzxMQApqcOePxBBmvt7HsKVbDms7ezjNhHGVbpknBxSDEBtPyqx0aJwzRyrr8EeSakv58cEFYoLaWWp4_ZoqT2AHAVypaU1jKiAqk5-IWpid7P1Bjs4SC6aM-4Hzq6L4vauSH=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjEng2yat-NZTjseat_l2tusq0M42I44OdvzdE6DG_nkhh19FoF0vqOJk2b6CguaChxjUSdL_7KGVvELx-dZq3v8jMcJUol3IE2ij3CgJm9funkhSBpbU3sd3h9yCZ5dCGUzPe_9opLVxOfzxMQApqcOePxBBmvt7HsKVbDms7ezjNhHGVbpknBxSDEBtPyqx0aJwzRyrr8EeSakv58cEFYoLaWWp4_ZoqT2AHAVypaU1jKiAqk5-IWpid7P1Bjs4SC6aM-4Hzq6L4vauSH=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">That looks kind of impossible. What did these rocks look like before they eroded into these formations? And why is it that I've never seen this before, with all the trips to the Dolomites I've taken? If you didn't tell me about this place, you're in trouble!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiNVQp__M8VhYV9bslRzGtgD7PatYLZo8_yCvF8e7gfc9J1S0MdRuLll5gRh5E2VC4ftbxvMWYmEHifaiVWpmTfXv2pOtHRJPlbJcwgx7GxgMmpz7anXvNexjHmxxTspjLFv_utWLVyV_DM61eNmhSgYXeO2-tPAn34iB6bIrm3h8OlsxOGGUG2bcjbE7JImptQQNMGSA1WO_6N1kYtrpod5xNnfd9eBz3zJ2KJaOMmLljbZdiOX9YKHSq9S-s3YCtAmOMqOQiKHBztYHOd=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiNVQp__M8VhYV9bslRzGtgD7PatYLZo8_yCvF8e7gfc9J1S0MdRuLll5gRh5E2VC4ftbxvMWYmEHifaiVWpmTfXv2pOtHRJPlbJcwgx7GxgMmpz7anXvNexjHmxxTspjLFv_utWLVyV_DM61eNmhSgYXeO2-tPAn34iB6bIrm3h8OlsxOGGUG2bcjbE7JImptQQNMGSA1WO_6N1kYtrpod5xNnfd9eBz3zJ2KJaOMmLljbZdiOX9YKHSq9S-s3YCtAmOMqOQiKHBztYHOd=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I didn't even hike to get up here, I took the tram. It was supposed to rain, so I didn't plan to do much walking at all, but when it cleared I decided to walk halfway down. An hour later I realized that I missed the last tram and had to walk the entire way down. Oops. I hiked up 230 meters and hiked down 1,500 meters. (That's 750 feet up, and 4,900 feet down.) I'm glad, at least, that all this hiking has gotten me into better shape.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Oct 4, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjHKgCAMW9EsgkwH5BCqRBoNrsA9Q-ctodX-eTTNAhSOvcWkORXbwVrT52UVcBc1a2uf0Zdzj506TQJP9fIIRA-IRssOfCJwhk6kzz1lepROSVxeqs8O_ZHM2I5odyFKzvv_0Qihc0hnYuMKhljFSu9atJiSi3n1sjYYQdyLVCyyxb4cajEUtlsSWjaSkKXZrA37J27VyawoNW7hOUxFJO74WdYmibFX-ENMxy6WaQW8zxqCYqW1ROQUl-gmJ9uKYR1t_asvoMUsVObE6YG=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjHKgCAMW9EsgkwH5BCqRBoNrsA9Q-ctodX-eTTNAhSOvcWkORXbwVrT52UVcBc1a2uf0Zdzj506TQJP9fIIRA-IRssOfCJwhk6kzz1lepROSVxeqs8O_ZHM2I5odyFKzvv_0Qihc0hnYuMKhljFSu9atJiSi3n1sjYYQdyLVCyyxb4cajEUtlsSWjaSkKXZrA37J27VyawoNW7hOUxFJO74WdYmibFX-ENMxy6WaQW8zxqCYqW1ROQUl-gmJ9uKYR1t_asvoMUsVObE6YG=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I'm in Slovenia. Getting my 30-year-old van repaired isn't an event - it's a lifestyle!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><h1 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Oct 8, 2021</span></h1><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg4QwZ980rwam9SWVtdce_8DirlIxYyutzzxKriTVPFCMPyEJOxH08fevxczeujUIRdS3zM26Un7jbwUHfUu7eGZ_hlNT2USrG1_ujj6-vszo_uNSxs-ikQ0sAgOZUhWW7s2x84JZtZU1QsOG9eVzpDao5aIQdomAr6JEdo2ocILWiz4DihjPa1uCpoyqIbhZFyZ6wpvRfpbJM4hLWvo540RU5k99GKB3YpEQw8mlTDTHTLQsttKd6WVAQJx-W0EpupUpoCjEf_leL1mwxV=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg4QwZ980rwam9SWVtdce_8DirlIxYyutzzxKriTVPFCMPyEJOxH08fevxczeujUIRdS3zM26Un7jbwUHfUu7eGZ_hlNT2USrG1_ujj6-vszo_uNSxs-ikQ0sAgOZUhWW7s2x84JZtZU1QsOG9eVzpDao5aIQdomAr6JEdo2ocILWiz4DihjPa1uCpoyqIbhZFyZ6wpvRfpbJM4hLWvo540RU5k99GKB3YpEQw8mlTDTHTLQsttKd6WVAQJx-W0EpupUpoCjEf_leL1mwxV=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I'm in Slovenia now, but this was my last and hardest hike in the Dolomites. The hike plan included a gondola that wasn't running, and after trudging up the steep hill for two hours and over the pass I came to the "Jimmi Hutte" rifugio, where I had lunch.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi7xz31c5axHpVuJfKY8O8LvuuFvV8d7QvjESz15B6ZAvBjtuJ4Bl19WKIX90ojWVm1uFKQuUIStIgfI2N55HYtOXfBERmn3AaD6Ev9SwWgjfVnsFZXU5ZuAh6HXFueNEjntK9Ep3NoBAOPeXTJcTwPjN1sxUYI78F4S38Ne2juphnoCk1t04XVq7CNydAA95ICr387vGqFB5XX6Jq-V9xOU_nL3cdNojjucHLORZmshOdP3qN7EQOQ5ksWtuT8tFYB7XqdUML1toOrEquq=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi7xz31c5axHpVuJfKY8O8LvuuFvV8d7QvjESz15B6ZAvBjtuJ4Bl19WKIX90ojWVm1uFKQuUIStIgfI2N55HYtOXfBERmn3AaD6Ev9SwWgjfVnsFZXU5ZuAh6HXFueNEjntK9Ep3NoBAOPeXTJcTwPjN1sxUYI78F4S38Ne2juphnoCk1t04XVq7CNydAA95ICr387vGqFB5XX6Jq-V9xOU_nL3cdNojjucHLORZmshOdP3qN7EQOQ5ksWtuT8tFYB7XqdUML1toOrEquq=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">"Hey, I'm on vacation, I can do whatever I want!" And, as everyone knows, you don't gain weight on vacation. This is probably the least fattening dessert I've eaten in a month, and I rarely miss a chance to eat dessert.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgyYAkntnjhk4H25G8dwjSuMcsRrFgTSEoURq5BzWHnHVCf-qyrxHIvZPp3kOBj1pRCP8nWx9I3kmlKpwtBocWPOU1lyOcutviBx39z_kBNBcQBvci_5Ux-AVDT5IpjT5EpGzuspUdDNdLQ1voPRCtnfmjjFgyvd-_w52qRNglf_M0YP54UKTVLp6Xp7SNHFigxctwKt1UqZQC7c5VG0AdBiBeXb28_gx5HIxRFr5fz-NqfCuXzbrCxqBekCCEMp2_FF9NqZksXvX9tq-Ov=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgyYAkntnjhk4H25G8dwjSuMcsRrFgTSEoURq5BzWHnHVCf-qyrxHIvZPp3kOBj1pRCP8nWx9I3kmlKpwtBocWPOU1lyOcutviBx39z_kBNBcQBvci_5Ux-AVDT5IpjT5EpGzuspUdDNdLQ1voPRCtnfmjjFgyvd-_w52qRNglf_M0YP54UKTVLp6Xp7SNHFigxctwKt1UqZQC7c5VG0AdBiBeXb28_gx5HIxRFr5fz-NqfCuXzbrCxqBekCCEMp2_FF9NqZksXvX9tq-Ov=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Hiking uphill out of this big valley, you can just make out the rifugio in the lower right of the picture.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgB6QIYtbqGPzwu34wSi1TBwGAAZjS-Nn9Xr4CXudcy21H_GVGWmGeLOEAx0DYmP9EfvGm9ncoBJOl0R0qzGoW8Zz0JTAX22mzwBraaOrl9djGP_FYDuI0mbvT4GKmoqUGp8K7a1iv5NHHmgHf3T8gGTHWKo1jo_BShqPPVYHpWPgG0KsIsehfTMdg4xa2suwubReLPV_uGakykRcuSFFAFT-3jJ56jna4sa_dKScHQwYR7cxbY_48T1NPs8lUxQytru5ABQqeV4Rt0PdvY=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgB6QIYtbqGPzwu34wSi1TBwGAAZjS-Nn9Xr4CXudcy21H_GVGWmGeLOEAx0DYmP9EfvGm9ncoBJOl0R0qzGoW8Zz0JTAX22mzwBraaOrl9djGP_FYDuI0mbvT4GKmoqUGp8K7a1iv5NHHmgHf3T8gGTHWKo1jo_BShqPPVYHpWPgG0KsIsehfTMdg4xa2suwubReLPV_uGakykRcuSFFAFT-3jJ56jna4sa_dKScHQwYR7cxbY_48T1NPs8lUxQytru5ABQqeV4Rt0PdvY=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">The landscape got rougher and wilder at the top of the next pass. You can see the path I had taken in the lower left of the photo.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><hr style="background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 0px;" /><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-width: 0.1875rem; height: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh8Ij8EdfbhGc8guJDsz37vftdrb7Kg_eCUaCrkEpwxoE4pMaAjf1F7646a7_PLn7Kdbhulk9krJGy09Utvad_gW39lD0AodL3pqX8eb2cDWaytdNZCjzqskDqNiFR8lcTlATyTbXwOrq_Lh5hIqcFuHxtoxT8AyF7feRtgAF2DfW4yEfZuhqTuOn0l0CfTRZXO92cRQt6plMmE_xgIMy1TmcwcNjJZu2XzaQlh20vf-BPh4nKrJ25z38VTh7mkGvjIR8mM9wwFSNsrDa4F=s0-d-e1-ft"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh8Ij8EdfbhGc8guJDsz37vftdrb7Kg_eCUaCrkEpwxoE4pMaAjf1F7646a7_PLn7Kdbhulk9krJGy09Utvad_gW39lD0AodL3pqX8eb2cDWaytdNZCjzqskDqNiFR8lcTlATyTbXwOrq_Lh5hIqcFuHxtoxT8AyF7feRtgAF2DfW4yEfZuhqTuOn0l0CfTRZXO92cRQt6plMmE_xgIMy1TmcwcNjJZu2XzaQlh20vf-BPh4nKrJ25z38VTh7mkGvjIR8mM9wwFSNsrDa4F=s0-d-e1-ft" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">After a long walk across a rocky moonscape, I came to this view at 4:30 p.m., not really knowing how much longer it would take me. I had to walk a long way to the right before taking the trail down into that valley, and then exiting the valley at the far distance. It was getting dark as I exited the valley, and it was completely dark for the last 2 hours of the walk. I'm glad I always pack a head torch.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">(The End!)</div></div></div>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-54745078798456560022021-07-14T10:21:00.003-07:002021-10-06T01:37:06.996-07:00Road trip! North Macedonia - Kosovo - Montenegro - Bosnia and Hercegovina - Croatia<section class="content" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="post-content" style="background-clip: padding-box; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 0px 0px 5px 5px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.625rem 1rem;"><i>"People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive."<br />~ Joseph Campbell</i><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><i>" I would rather die in a bus crash in Nepal than of boredom at home."<br />~ Me, to my poor mother, circa 1995</i><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>As I dropped the van off at the VW dealer in Macedonia, the first of three times(!), the service manager said, "1991, that's an old van!" I said, "Yeah, my friends keep saying, 'why don't you just get a new van,' and I don't have a good answer..." I looked at him imploringly, hoping for some pearls of wisdom, but he just laughed. Maybe the guy who sells brand new Volkswagens isn't the one to ask why I should keep repairing my 30-year-old van. When they couldn't identify an electrical problem with the alternator, he said, "Look at those guys," pointing to the technicians. "They were all born after your car was made!"<br /><br />But it's a little complicated. I can't be the legal owner of a vehicle in Europe because I'm not a legal resident. Through two amazing friends who were willing to be the legal owners while I paid all the bills, I've had the van now for 11 years. Usually I'm in Europe for four or five months, so spending a big chunk of change on a van didn't make sense to me. But since the pandemic I've been here two years, and lately things keep failing on the van. Given the laws about transferring a vehicle from an EU country into France, I'm only able to bring in a standard factory-made camper van to avoid a costly and time-consuming inspection/normalization. (It was around €1,500 to bring my van from Germany.) I'd love a cozy customized van made in France. Oh, I'll just learn French real quick so I can search for one! Not so simple, really.<br /><br />There are also some real benefits to driving an inexpensive vehicle to the places that I go. You should see where I go! I'm driving on narrow dirt roads with branches scraping both sides of the van at the same time. No problem! I'm driving where it would be better if I had a 4-wheel drive, I'm backing into things, and aware that one day that the van may die entirely. And it's all no problem, because it's inexpensive enough that I can afford to get it repaired, or get the dents fixed, or walk away entirely. I like that! I also appreciate the simplicity, if not the reliability, of my green monster.<br /><br />Lastly: if predictability and routine were guiding principles in my life, I'd probably stay home.<br /><br />SO! I had the engine rebuilt in November, and I need to be back in Slovenia to get some needed repairs under warranty. And I needed to come to Split, Croatia for a normal glaucoma check-up. I took only three days to drive, where you could do it in one long day, or if I didn't have a schedule I'd probably spend a month. Some photos, some stories, please to enjoy.<br /><br />Too Much Love,<br />Dave<br /><br /><br />I buzzed through Kosovo quickly, crossing the border into Montenegro, which (who knew) is 80% mountains. Who knew anything about Montenegro! I'm a product of American schooling, and I don't remember much about the Balkans - not that I would have paid much attention anyway.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 976; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/aab69e35-29e7-dede-4cca-17990f265fa2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/aab69e35-29e7-dede-4cca-17990f265fa2.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 976; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>This is the Tara River Gorge, a spectacular canyon that is 80 km (50 miles) in length. The color of the water is incredible.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 1600; --en-naturalwidth: 900; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/4234f88f-2996-ec83-b708-522ecb13acf8.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/4234f88f-2996-ec83-b708-522ecb13acf8.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 1600; --en-naturalwidth: 900; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;">The Đurđevića Tara Bridge - wait, are those real letters? As an English-only speaker/reader/thinker/understanderer, sometimes I wonder if these people (somebody somewhere) don't actually give a hoot whether I'm comfortable with their wacky names and not-quite-real letters. Sorry, but I'm feeling marginalized. And feelings are real. Be an ally and support me! Anyway, this bridge-by-any-other-name is 172 metres (564 ft) above the Tara River.<a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/aeaebcad-c90a-3f26-27c4-f7d8ba705420.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/aeaebcad-c90a-3f26-27c4-f7d8ba705420.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 1600; --en-naturalwidth: 900; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>I didn't jump.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/e78fc779-c90c-1ee1-c428-a564f888f09b.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/e78fc779-c90c-1ee1-c428-a564f888f09b.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>Not far from the bridge I found this wide spot next to the road and wild camped for the night. Like many countries, it's technically illegal to wild camp, and widely practiced and accepted both by police and locals. I could hear the rushing river just next to me, just to the right of the photo.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/233c278e-3e2e-7845-46eb-d7f48d069a5c.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/233c278e-3e2e-7845-46eb-d7f48d069a5c.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>I walked down to the river for a peek. River rafting is a popular sport here.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/50bfae4d-0bad-65e0-1026-c8e8f91fd599.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/50bfae4d-0bad-65e0-1026-c8e8f91fd599.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>Do you remember all those other countries I was going to move to? Well, forget about them. I'm moving to Montenegro. If this village has a Peet's coffee, that's all I need.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/198fe751-12a9-a3ff-1e78-db68747ec937.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/198fe751-12a9-a3ff-1e78-db68747ec937.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>A great village setting. The water is crystal clear.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/db5c78a4-bcce-afed-a93e-c3bf459e9025.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/db5c78a4-bcce-afed-a93e-c3bf459e9025.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>I flag sites on Google Maps when someone mentions them, and I saw a flag on my map nearby that indicates "Want to go." I had no memory of why I flagged it, but it was the famous Ostrog monastery, the most popular in Montenegro. The road is narrow at the best places, and barely passable at others.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/305bf4dc-2540-d322-5752-f0d0228b8b10.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/305bf4dc-2540-d322-5752-f0d0228b8b10.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>I took some photos for a friendly family of five. The Mom was an enthusiastic believer and asked how I came to be here. "Uh, kind of by accident, really," I said. She said with authority, "God brought you here!" Yeah, okay.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/852e178a-e00d-2e99-32d0-90e7f2badbf7.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/852e178a-e00d-2e99-32d0-90e7f2badbf7.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>I really came here because I thought the place was 1,200 years old. I just looked it up, and it's "only" 350 years old. Can I deem that a miracle?? You can't just lose 850 years normally - in my world view, it's a miracle.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1279; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/a187f19c-643f-4124-14a7-ed2d7251eee2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/a187f19c-643f-4124-14a7-ed2d7251eee2.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1279; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>I always take a photo like this when I see them - usually in Tibetan temples.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/c7dc6877-6d3e-3c46-5c0d-c1ecbcf6bfc9.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/c7dc6877-6d3e-3c46-5c0d-c1ecbcf6bfc9.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>What a setting.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/1dd63413-ed5a-1379-777d-f1d5ee2f02ee.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/1dd63413-ed5a-1379-777d-f1d5ee2f02ee.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>They did a booming business in the shop!<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/4235bb7b-22f1-9bbb-ca81-306e1c76c601.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/4235bb7b-22f1-9bbb-ca81-306e1c76c601.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>This is a mosaic, taken from under the arch at the entrance.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 1600; --en-naturalwidth: 900; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/de270d93-7be4-2ee8-3f9b-b8c7d7c61719.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/de270d93-7be4-2ee8-3f9b-b8c7d7c61719.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 1600; --en-naturalwidth: 900; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>I've crossed into Bosnia and Hercegovina by this point, and I'm scrambling on a baking hot day to find a place where it's not sweltering. When the road gets up to about 500 meters, (1,650 feet) I started looking for a place to park for the night.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/3de661e4-8f7a-1a21-f584-8b9352f5b100.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/3de661e4-8f7a-1a21-f584-8b9352f5b100.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>And there you go. This small road went to a smaller village, and I tucked myself away here. Some friendly locals tooted their horn when they went by. Did they think it was ok that I was there? I hope so. It was super hot when I arrived, but cooled down in the night.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/977704e3-0c0f-de3e-6f77-3031bbc884c2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/977704e3-0c0f-de3e-6f77-3031bbc884c2.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>And the contrast, as I arrive in Solin, Croatia, just a few minutes from Split. I'm mostly showing you the photo of my room so you'll know that I'm not actually roughing it that much these days. I would NEVER stay in a place like this only a few years ago. My fall from grace started when I had the <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">lip surgery in Delhi</a> and needed a comfortable place to recover. After 10 days in a swish Indian Marriott, it's been downhill (by some people's perspective) ever since!<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1855; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/135af7c7-b120-3cce-85ca-417d7888cef6.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/135af7c7-b120-3cce-85ca-417d7888cef6.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1855; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>Walking distance from my hotel, this is the view from my favorite restaurant. That church at the left is brand new, just opened.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/2358821a-9765-d8bb-677a-af9dacdc276f.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/2358821a-9765-d8bb-677a-af9dacdc276f.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>The town is ancient. It's thought that the Emperor Diocletian (who I always work into my blog posts) was born here, and he's known to have died here. There are substantial Roman ruins nearby, and the aqueduct that the Romans built to supply Split with water started here. These days Solin is relaxed and chill compared to the bars and night life in Split. So many families with young kids.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/5eb2bccf-b692-aeb3-bcfc-a3dacf03e4e9.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/5eb2bccf-b692-aeb3-bcfc-a3dacf03e4e9.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 900; --en-naturalwidth: 1600; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>Another view from the restaurant.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 612; --en-naturalwidth: 1088; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/6e0d5b7b-28fe-ec16-b307-93afbe8a7e8e.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/6e0d5b7b-28fe-ec16-b307-93afbe8a7e8e.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 612; --en-naturalwidth: 1088; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>And this is the interior of the new church. It's an unusual almost-round shape, but spacious and colorful inside. Beautiful.<span style="--en-naturalheight: 612; --en-naturalwidth: 1280; background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-image: initial; border-width: 0.1875rem; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; height: auto;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/a1089caf-2c76-48d4-8296-2734e0042048.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/ebcaab02-8756-10dd-db3c-a21dc6d5787c/a1089caf-2c76-48d4-8296-2734e0042048.jpg" style="--en-naturalheight: 612; --en-naturalwidth: 1280; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span>(The End)</div></section>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-15650490302538698322021-05-16T16:03:00.011-07:002021-10-06T01:45:23.102-07:00Serbia, Stepping Back in Time<div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 0px 0px 5px 5px; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0.625rem 1rem;"><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">"Nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it."</i></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">~ Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow</i></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I am pushing a wheelbarrow through the Balkans, accumulating within it stories and photos, and I either need to move more slowly so I accumulate less, or shovel faster, because my wheelbarrow is full to overflowing. You could look at my VW van as a manifestation of that wheelbarrow, and lately he's become the star of the show. But that is not his designated role! As the meme goes, "VW van, you had one job, One Job!" Maybe he's just mad that I never gave him a name; lots of van people like having a name for their vehicle. I'm not really one of those van people, even though the van that I drove with Whitney through Central America for a year was named Basura Blanca, which translates to White Trash. Feel free to cancel me for that name, cuz the suspense is killing me. Cancel me now and let's get over with. I will agree that I'm terrible person if it makes it easier.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">The current status of my nameless green steed has not changed much. It runs great, doesn't put out any visible exhaust, and is still consuming coolant at a much faster rate than it should - it shouldn't be consuming any. Since I sometimes smell a whiff of coolant when I'm driving, one possibility is that the heater is leaking. Another possibility is that my brain is leaking out my ears and prevents me from taking more mature and reasonable actions befitting my age, like buying a new van, going safer places, or staying home. A few years ago when I told my friend that I'm not actually crazy, she said, "That's what all crazy people say." You really can't deny that logic.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Yesterday I was pretty far south in Serbia, nearing the borders to Bulgaria or Macedonia. I'm not 100% sure how it happened, but tonight I'm in Macedonia! I was running out of days in Serbia, because I am only allowed 90 days and I have 14 remaining. I need to go back for my second vaccination and I'd also like to get some dental work done. As I was sitting in the line of cars at the border I was searching for what language they speak in Macedonia. In the gas station when I fueled up I had no idea what I was paying, I just put it on my credit card. As I drove through the crowded small towns looking for wild camping in the hills, I saw some Muslims and thought, oh right, it's a Muslim majority country. Nope. It's roughly 2/3 Macedonian Orthodox and 1/3 Muslim. But now that I've been here for a few hours and driven past a few houses, I'm kind of an expert. If you have any questions I'm available.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Is there a topic? I forget. Enjoy the photos, whilst you ponder the amazing history of Serbia. Personally, I find it fascinating!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Road trip! When you snap a picture through your windshield, does that really count as photography? How about if you take pictures with your phone? I think I have two strikes against me. (If anyone wants to cancel me they're still welcome to!)</div>
<a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/e2db9bb4-470e-13bf-eec7-5416fd33ac05.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/e2db9bb4-470e-13bf-eec7-5416fd33ac05.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">My research leaves a little bit to be desired. As I was driving on the freeway I saw a tourism sign to something that sounded Roman. I looked it up and a few days later came.</div>
<a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/9fb31db5-fcac-ec31-2303-820b69b269aa.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/9fb31db5-fcac-ec31-2303-820b69b269aa.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">There was a substantial Roman fortified palace built in the third and fourth centuries AD.</div>
<a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/f2b7b52d-f1b0-4f9d-93f2-463769a7bbfa.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/f2b7b52d-f1b0-4f9d-93f2-463769a7bbfa.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">It's called Felix Romuliana.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/b42ae2f3-80b4-e550-1064-09946a8820d6.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/b42ae2f3-80b4-e550-1064-09946a8820d6.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">And it was built by the son-in-law and emperor successor of Split's Diocletian. I'm excited about that because I've been a huge fan of Diocletian's Palace in Split since I first saw it in 2010.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/440a3bd1-c424-aa80-6a9d-9ac40d3adbc9.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/440a3bd1-c424-aa80-6a9d-9ac40d3adbc9.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">So 1,700 years of history takes its toll on unmaintained buildings - let this be a lesson to you people with houses.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/2a6df5f1-8f4f-964f-aca6-362e11a9a521.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/2a6df5f1-8f4f-964f-aca6-362e11a9a521.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">In my last newsletter I had this view taken at sunset. Just after this photo I wanted to go for a drive with the van to test the consumption of oil and coolant. Instead of going back the way I came I followed Google Maps. And I kind of think Google's never been to Serbia, because what looked like a paved road on the map was actually some freaking steep tilted forestry road that once I got started down it, I couldn't easily turn around and come back. So like the dimwit that I am I just kept going. I don't make those kind of decisions once in a while, I make them with great regularity. But why? (To my credit, I almost never get stuck.)</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/f39c5922-dd21-9bae-05bb-342524bf0e8d.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/f39c5922-dd21-9bae-05bb-342524bf0e8d.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">A friend suggested staying near bigger cities while I was testing my van, which would make perfect sense. So what do I do? Work my way down this windy little road in the middle of nowhere, in a narrow valley where there's neither internet nor phone service. It was a great choice, as the next photos will show. But was it a reasonable choice? This is the van that night, with a few clouds and stars in the sky.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/090deaf0-3422-7cc9-2f09-2c51cf53e290.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/090deaf0-3422-7cc9-2f09-2c51cf53e290.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I wasn't sure it was a great idea to go further into the valley, but it really was incredibly beautiful and I couldn't resist.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/3b73ba25-000b-2ffc-5fdc-191deb72c470.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/3b73ba25-000b-2ffc-5fdc-191deb72c470.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I had no idea what this sign said as I took it, but just now I translated it using Google. Good for them!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">WARNING</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">INVESTORS OF DERIVATIVE SMALL HYDRO POWER PLANTS</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">YOU ARE NOT WELCOME !!!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">THIS IS OUR ECOLOGICAL PARADISE.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">HUMANS, TROUT, CRUSTACEANS, EAGLES AND OTHER LIVING WORLDS HAVE LIVED TOGETHER FOR CENTURIES</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">YOU DIDN'T GET IT FROM THE PEOPLE</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">WE WILL DEFEND OUR RIVER UNITY UNTIL THE END</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES OF STARA PLANINA WE DEFEND THE RIVERS OF STARA PLANINA.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/99eb9dfd-2010-6e59-4a9d-9af8e8481ff2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/99eb9dfd-2010-6e59-4a9d-9af8e8481ff2.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I was fascinated by this little village at the end of the road down this narrow valley.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/47ec51bf-749b-dd23-ba2c-2874988210dc.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/47ec51bf-749b-dd23-ba2c-2874988210dc.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">It really felt like going back in time.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/be9a7476-c398-a7bf-83de-6507e40bf0e8.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/be9a7476-c398-a7bf-83de-6507e40bf0e8.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I had never seen this before, horses dragging logs down the road. How old would you say this technology is??</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/e3106687-d9c7-cb24-9e24-ba67fdd68bf9.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/e3106687-d9c7-cb24-9e24-ba67fdd68bf9.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">This guy told the horse to stop when it got close to me so I could step over the branches. It stopped immediately, no hesitation.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/7fc0fd27-1952-34ad-9f34-c9d54a446d1d.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/7fc0fd27-1952-34ad-9f34-c9d54a446d1d.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">This barn is a little older than the other ones, but almost all the houses in the village had this same look.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/cde54189-9476-81c6-598f-ffa1e6ea9a20.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/cde54189-9476-81c6-598f-ffa1e6ea9a20.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">This is a close-up of a foundation to a house or a barn. Instead of a more sturdy stucco, it looks like a mix of clay and soil and straw. I don't imagine it has much insulation value, or resistance to weather.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/b1a682f7-bcce-c7a2-e391-9990b940eddb.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/b1a682f7-bcce-c7a2-e391-9990b940eddb.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I love this old bridge.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/92d29f6e-61bf-7a83-9365-fc38e5feeaed.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/92d29f6e-61bf-7a83-9365-fc38e5feeaed.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">House? I guess so.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/258a4945-e632-a103-6d6c-7cae3f2e2479.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/258a4945-e632-a103-6d6c-7cae3f2e2479.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">House? Barn? I'm not sure.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/217a08ad-def8-ddff-e52b-368f198bcbde.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/217a08ad-def8-ddff-e52b-368f198bcbde.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I'd love to know more of the history of this place. I think that tractor is the only thing that would be out of place 200 years ago.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/d1144cd9-4c05-ccd4-6ab3-3f3fa259018d.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/d1144cd9-4c05-ccd4-6ab3-3f3fa259018d.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Driving back out of the valley, this was a road I'd seen on the map. A group of Polish adventurers drove their vehicles across that long stretch of water. But they did it with great care, making sure that they'd all get across.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/66b780f2-ac86-0ea1-a0d6-4abddeca902d.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/66b780f2-ac86-0ea1-a0d6-4abddeca902d.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Last night I headed towards a lake and saw this nice sunset on the way. I didn't find any spectacular wild camp sites, and ended up just to the side of a small road. Sometimes this happens!</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/63284acc-a952-d21b-fc4f-4e1be7170a84.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/63284acc-a952-d21b-fc4f-4e1be7170a84.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">And today I had about 3 hours drive to cross the border into Macedonia. It was a really beautiful winding road through green valleys. If you look across the river you can see a small road, and I'm standing at the other end of that road. I guess tractors or other special four-wheel drive vehicles drive all the way across that river.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/dc51ccc4-7894-ae9c-57df-7530b8a0b888.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/dc51ccc4-7894-ae9c-57df-7530b8a0b888.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I've started using Google Maps with Google satellite view to find places to wild camp, and sometimes it works out great. I was driving through busy neighborhoods this afternoon and almost gave up before I saw a lake on the map. This was the substantial dam for the lake.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/3339323d-fd42-2c52-32e3-e726104f3a23.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/3339323d-fd42-2c52-32e3-e726104f3a23.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Et, voila. This is my little spot for the night. A little bit ago I heard hooves of a horse clopping by, I assumed with someone riding it. But then an hour later I saw the horse along with a car, as the car was herding the horse back home!</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/4371d7a7-5fb0-289f-4b73-8bbc63dab6ba.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/34602b9a-cac3-c531-6275-1319544e41c0/4371d7a7-5fb0-289f-4b73-8bbc63dab6ba.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">(The End)</div></div><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; color: #34495e; display: block; font-size: 1.25rem;"><br /></span></div></div> Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-80654095782107084172021-05-09T15:25:00.004-07:002021-10-06T01:47:34.426-07:00The first hour of my 20-hour road trip to Turkey <p>Published by Dave Adair<br />May 9th, 2021</p><section class="content"><div class="post-content" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div><i>"There are only two tragedies in life: not getting what you want, and getting what you want."</i></div><div><i>~ Oscar Wilde (paraphrased)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Only one sad photo in this newsletter: my van in the garage in yet another foreign country.</div><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/b96213c5-e2a6-46e9-afde-388eda2ecaa0/f5ecd3a4-b2f1-89c9-f41e-b8fa81e4a2fd.jpg"><img height="360" src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/b96213c5-e2a6-46e9-afde-388eda2ecaa0/f5ecd3a4-b2f1-89c9-f41e-b8fa81e4a2fd.jpg" width="640" /></a><div><br /></div><div>I finally got my act together and left Belgrade, Serbia today at noon. If I drove straight through to my ultimate destination in the southwest of Turkey, it would be a 20-hour drive. I planned to see a few undetermined sites in the south of Serbia before I crossed Bulgaria and entered Turkey.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I was driving I thought I smelled an unusual smell, one that I couldn't identify, maybe from the van. An hour later I pulled into a rest stop and smelled it again. I looked under the van and saw something dripping. A lot. Uh oh. There's a large plate under the van that prevents you from looking at the engine directly from underneath. The fluid was dripping into this pan and then onto the ground, which means it's mixed with whatever gunk is on the pan. I got some on my fingers and didn't think it smelled as strong as diesel, but it didn't only smell like water either. I drove my van's front wheels up onto the curb to get a better look and had the hood open, as two men approached. One didn't speak a word of English, the other did speak one word of English. I used Google Translate and indicated that something was leaking, I didn't know if it was water or diesel. He looked and thought it was water, and suggested, through an interpreter on the phone, coming with him to a mechanic's shop.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a Sunday, I was next to a gas station on the toll road with no mechanic, and I quickly contemplated my choices. I could spend the night in my van in this parking lot; I could pretend like I knew whether it was safe to drive my van with diesel leaking profusely until tomorrow; or I could go with these two potential serial killers to a demonic location that only the cult members knew! I focused on this being only "potential," and decided quickly to go with them. I didn't see a good alternative.</div><div><br /></div><div>The main guy indicated that his partner would come with me in the van, and it was only a 15 minute drive to the mechanic. Who was the mechanic, were they qualified, were there more serial killers there - all of these questions remained unasked and unanswered.</div><div><br /></div><div>We left the rest stop, and immediately lost track of the lead car. About 3 minutes later we took the first exit and I realized I didn't have my phone. I didn't take the news well. I was already feeling stressed and uncertain about my choice, and then when I didn't see the first car or my phone my mind latched onto the idea that it was somehow a scam. I pulled off the highway onto some grass and started searching for my phone, and after not finding it, I was really in a state. Fortunately I kept my state to myself, because on the second go round I found it underneath some papers. I had moved everything in the passenger seat to allow the murderer (ok, potential murderer) to join me, and in my panic had scooped it up and put it in the back. (Imagine if I had lost my cool and started yelling at this poor guy who was trying to help me out!) The trip continued.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the next intersection we rejoined the lead car and continued for a few minutes until we pulled straight into a property that was a combination of house and mechanic's garage. There was a group of families sitting outdoors with kids, grandma and grandpa were entertaining everyone. What crazy kind of cult is this?!</div><div><br /></div><div>They didn't have a lift for the car, but had the old school pit dug underneath the car and had me drive over the top of it. Minutes later they had the pan off the bottom of the van and asked me to start the car. Once I did they brought me down the stairs and showed that diesel was really pouring out of the fuel pump, directly onto the alternator that is below it. Aha!</div><div><br /></div><div>So. What have we learned? With all the tools and potential torture instruments spread around the garage, were any used on me? No. Was there any indication that they were trying to take advantage of me by helping me out on a Sunday when every other place is closed? No. Did they only do it for my benefit? Of course not, they are mechanics and it's how they pay their bills, so it benefits them - but probably not as much as it benefits me.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is one of the downsides of driving a 30-year-old car: things periodically break down. But they don't break down that often, and most of the breakdowns that I've experienced have led to some really interesting times and pleasant experiences. No one wants to break down, I think that's pretty clear. But if you can remember at the time it's happening that it's going to work out, then guess what: you'll stay relatively calm, you'll have interesting experiences, and things will work out!</div><div><br /></div><div>By dumb luck, they happened to come across me in the rest area, asked me if I wanted to come to the mechanic, assessed the situation, then drove me to an inexpensive hotel only 5 minutes from the shop. Believe me when I say there are not hotels every 5 minutes where I am. So far things are going incredibly smoothly. There also happens to be an official Bosch refurbishing center located in the same town, which will rebuild my fuel pump tomorrow. And they will install it by the afternoon, we hope.</div><div><br /></div><div>One hour down, only 19 hours to go to my destination in Turkey. I'm not sure what to wish for! Updates, somehow, to follow.</div><div><br /></div><div>Love and more love,</div><div>Dave</div></div><header><h2><br /></h2></header></section>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-37265164094584813922021-04-30T08:53:00.013-07:002021-05-08T06:29:03.607-07:00Krka Zadar Zagreb and other totally normal Croatian names <div class="separator"><i>"You wander from room to room hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck."</i></div><div class="separator"><i> ~ Rumi</i></div><br /><br />I'm writing today from Belgrade, Serbia, but this post is from a "Road Trip!!" with the lovely Julieta, who came to visit me in Split, Croatia, in January. Her preference is to buy a flight 30 seconds after we agree on when she comes, and my preference is kinda always for her to fly into one location and out of another. Cuz: road trip, hello! The weather forecast wasn't really favoring a wild camping road trip, but I stubbornly insisted, and Julieta is nicer than me, so that was that! She'd fly into Split, in the pretty-far south of Croatia, and we'd work our way up to the capitol, Zagreb, in the pretty-far north. It's not a great distance, normally, but you can squeeze in some good misadventures if you try. There's a map below.<br />We stayed in Split a few days and went on some great hikes. Hiking, wild camping, road tripping, lovely Argentinian lass - come on, that works. Enjoy the pics!<br /><br /><br />
The powerful Julieta, who controls the weather, more or less. When she comes to visit, it's going to be raining or snowing. Sometimes both.<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfo1jszXCXFlqjYwUlfu7_FWSP1G3tPjOV-9S79lNjCOtvlBZSopZoTwhDmvpFRpW4cDwsB3viQqzKiAuTm1gpnf6sS2TbVQJLYREe4c1n7Klmuanjp3FsRyzQofdkVCDmQyB/s3264/PXL_20210119_102850315.PORTRAIT-01.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 0em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfo1jszXCXFlqjYwUlfu7_FWSP1G3tPjOV-9S79lNjCOtvlBZSopZoTwhDmvpFRpW4cDwsB3viQqzKiAuTm1gpnf6sS2TbVQJLYREe4c1n7Klmuanjp3FsRyzQofdkVCDmQyB/w640-h480/PXL_20210119_102850315.PORTRAIT-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div>
Do we have any commercial farming in the US that uses plots this small? I'd be surprised if we do, not that I know anything about it.<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXo6o9236vpo0DEB23v3fPrvJ_rH5qZhbEheMQwezY3IVkOT3OMWFTTDYeeunWmR-WtxDvCto_EF5g5dHNYLImD5uWu07bGMMR2YFdnpeYfUypgsyUamXkkNnKbpEpT0co9CT/s4032/PXL_20210119_115816929.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXo6o9236vpo0DEB23v3fPrvJ_rH5qZhbEheMQwezY3IVkOT3OMWFTTDYeeunWmR-WtxDvCto_EF5g5dHNYLImD5uWu07bGMMR2YFdnpeYfUypgsyUamXkkNnKbpEpT0co9CT/s720/PXL_20210119_115816929.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />
Some type of lettuce, I guess. Ask someone who eats salad - I'm more of a pizza guy. Salads are for rabbits.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qJbP4yYeiUVmG6PlnhDX-JgeWLavTNc72F_FuOKnVaw8f9nHoKVzhiQzIrJIhvHNtipwybYNDJ4zIgMd_k6rIpQ72UoqtqRLWBf_npLLMOv_jS5HBBVcu1fW8B6XHLka2BF5/s4032/PXL_20210119_121838770.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qJbP4yYeiUVmG6PlnhDX-JgeWLavTNc72F_FuOKnVaw8f9nHoKVzhiQzIrJIhvHNtipwybYNDJ4zIgMd_k6rIpQ72UoqtqRLWBf_npLLMOv_jS5HBBVcu1fW8B6XHLka2BF5/s720/PXL_20210119_121838770.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />
We went for a nice hike up the mountain, beginning and ending here.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyMKeFywuTMoPfXpLDbwWG7mLF6JAXEfW1dmWDv5UFosyPvm6I1r-GxVUoyqNkIkj5BV4r6VDPjAjl6LKqTF_jiSo0EqiAt-VbBQq4bMfEsZgfDj6OkWPk17nKE4OteqnJsOj/s4032/PXL_20210119_154153284.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyMKeFywuTMoPfXpLDbwWG7mLF6JAXEfW1dmWDv5UFosyPvm6I1r-GxVUoyqNkIkj5BV4r6VDPjAjl6LKqTF_jiSo0EqiAt-VbBQq4bMfEsZgfDj6OkWPk17nKE4OteqnJsOj/s720/PXL_20210119_154153284.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />Another hike. You may recognize the peninsula in the distance. That's the ancient city of Split, built in 305 A.D. as the home of a retired emperor, Diocletian. It's incredible what they built, including an aqueduct from about 7 km (4 miles) away to bring spring water to the town.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFp-tt_zcElcAI0m_6vBb-SMV8-JIErwlhZ6-2ShYqrU44wP4nCLwR4VgH0MC656mOa3xnToSxNc-_cspDG5Gx87gYC6zh1m-UXjxG9ims9sz4v_okQ8D8eq707eXBvbgmz6p/s4032/PXL_20210120_142740515.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFp-tt_zcElcAI0m_6vBb-SMV8-JIErwlhZ6-2ShYqrU44wP4nCLwR4VgH0MC656mOa3xnToSxNc-_cspDG5Gx87gYC6zh1m-UXjxG9ims9sz4v_okQ8D8eq707eXBvbgmz6p/s720/PXL_20210120_142740515.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Sunset on the way back to Split.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eTnHLH8Wr-wQeQu9WQQwBA2NFsUin3esYeuNwITiKCneYqPwKQQku6W-k18SYeJ_uMSkVQRl-hPFM_-daUf-NtFc2BJdNtdIhZuo3x14oYSIv_6QFKWwe4HccwAaSe7TLCOe/s4032/PXL_20210120_160235052.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eTnHLH8Wr-wQeQu9WQQwBA2NFsUin3esYeuNwITiKCneYqPwKQQku6W-k18SYeJ_uMSkVQRl-hPFM_-daUf-NtFc2BJdNtdIhZuo3x14oYSIv_6QFKWwe4HccwAaSe7TLCOe/s720/PXL_20210120_160235052.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />Does anyone recognize this? I'm not sure you would. But...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0uDG-_wE_XY6a_t70pUyWvTsySX-yMKcxpztf7WxutdyLcWEQtYQEhdkw8r2gUHYG3tdIc5bbbahCm2lQRsdgJNavx00Xg6YpjnatdcqAH4gcRQD61WBpc5toqU0XqTh5M2i/s4032/PXL_20210121_135612630.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0uDG-_wE_XY6a_t70pUyWvTsySX-yMKcxpztf7WxutdyLcWEQtYQEhdkw8r2gUHYG3tdIc5bbbahCm2lQRsdgJNavx00Xg6YpjnatdcqAH4gcRQD61WBpc5toqU0XqTh5M2i/s720/PXL_20210121_135612630.NIGHT.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />It's featured in a famous TV show in the US...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiu0UtbuFBLC7nx7Jp3_eWr6rkq3mB-6eIX-3e8b97suPVrlI6hj-2-hphHx93Bluk2rMv5pCRb3Vjx3TtP5OBDvcSSH1vZuTNKDO1LYtV5kLAO2C5e2g08FV-MKiJHySkUSc/s4032/PXL_20210121_140402093.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiu0UtbuFBLC7nx7Jp3_eWr6rkq3mB-6eIX-3e8b97suPVrlI6hj-2-hphHx93Bluk2rMv5pCRb3Vjx3TtP5OBDvcSSH1vZuTNKDO1LYtV5kLAO2C5e2g08FV-MKiJHySkUSc/s720/PXL_20210121_140402093.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />Game of Thrones! The real name is Klis Fortress. The setting is spectacular. That's Split in the distance.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSKET1TgQ6kPCq5etxPUcWnYfX76YpI-sjQgKPkZevgh5PSe6b9q5hzXe6S3RaXW5yKuSWA5uJOaRfEICdeJLsdhgSb61nZ6vEQK4QEyOAamnkmAJp0Av2AoU2gpGBFDrDtBy/s4032/PXL_20210121_140512807.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSKET1TgQ6kPCq5etxPUcWnYfX76YpI-sjQgKPkZevgh5PSe6b9q5hzXe6S3RaXW5yKuSWA5uJOaRfEICdeJLsdhgSb61nZ6vEQK4QEyOAamnkmAJp0Av2AoU2gpGBFDrDtBy/s720/PXL_20210121_140512807.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here's our little road trip, starting from the bottom of the map in Split and heading north. You can click the map (or any other photo) to see a larger version.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqjtHFYjOQB6gddQCMMNvpiRL56p-P49cEahGRXVd91jTqrIZZcCro9st6wFBQY1xjOhnHVTDQdZiTqmHa7xBcA7qWwKe1tolAFHsYtzaBwMNyDdIeQ95S7Pu3vIuOf5RiHYj/s2676/2021-04-18+18_20_33-Split%252C+Croatia+to+Zagreb%252C+Croatia+-+Google+Maps.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="2676" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqjtHFYjOQB6gddQCMMNvpiRL56p-P49cEahGRXVd91jTqrIZZcCro9st6wFBQY1xjOhnHVTDQdZiTqmHa7xBcA7qWwKe1tolAFHsYtzaBwMNyDdIeQ95S7Pu3vIuOf5RiHYj/w640-h346/2021-04-18+18_20_33-Split%252C+Croatia+to+Zagreb%252C+Croatia+-+Google+Maps.png" width="640" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This was the first day of a road trip from Split to Zagreb, over 4 days. This little affectionate furball started following us like a dog as we walked along the wooden path. It didn't last long.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5baNZfsE0Zmq82YOvLym1_vpxAdNJ-_5iWTfkKq14eUkFCx9ENgcHujwLVw1XVeEHqOKSxG95gHk1VxG5yeNtUeEW-nU6A-RuoG-pe9FJ_IBWnR8gMcQXGiIQrzrGPm0jFQoy/s4032/PXL_20210122_131217869.PORTRAIT%257E2.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5baNZfsE0Zmq82YOvLym1_vpxAdNJ-_5iWTfkKq14eUkFCx9ENgcHujwLVw1XVeEHqOKSxG95gHk1VxG5yeNtUeEW-nU6A-RuoG-pe9FJ_IBWnR8gMcQXGiIQrzrGPm0jFQoy/s720/PXL_20210122_131217869.PORTRAIT%257E2.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is Krka National Park, famous for its waterfalls.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiva9espoeh-ghZlxVFrMMHOmawwaZwtPEwzrEPjw7W6TGARJme00obSpUcHyFkWY1oSNTUdDcUgj4KTOPw6Cin9OlVmqMYtrM_ws-pxWVXtkDJygH8Yq-GZNOBBlfXwYCoxnoO/s4032/PXL_20210122_131952888.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiva9espoeh-ghZlxVFrMMHOmawwaZwtPEwzrEPjw7W6TGARJme00obSpUcHyFkWY1oSNTUdDcUgj4KTOPw6Cin9OlVmqMYtrM_ws-pxWVXtkDJygH8Yq-GZNOBBlfXwYCoxnoO/s720/PXL_20210122_131952888.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />The water is rich in calcium bicarbonate, which turns to stone when it's under pressure, such as going over the edge of a waterfall - or coming out of a faucet in your home. That makes the stone terrace walls naturally seek their own level, so you get these spectacular curtain waterfalls.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtuCav8e3PLdQmJaiw16Bo37WOm3ILWO3OJujPDvbTUDonsXYV-5voSnTanxcQw8Y6HKvTCTesIesA2u6vqvVPt-lKCkOzIRMvxqOUjnXjwtoYTStqeFS5YnirHfaHOXQaLMk/s4032/PXL_20210122_133451522.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtuCav8e3PLdQmJaiw16Bo37WOm3ILWO3OJujPDvbTUDonsXYV-5voSnTanxcQw8Y6HKvTCTesIesA2u6vqvVPt-lKCkOzIRMvxqOUjnXjwtoYTStqeFS5YnirHfaHOXQaLMk/s720/PXL_20210122_133451522.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />I imagined these waterfalls being really ancient, like many thousands of years old. But a sign says they were formed about 7,000 years ago. Relatively recent. Um, what was there before??<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDZfG4LIRQEbGoqnQr2cD3OyQMOBQzUngMc-ssqez2fZwtCcrxXpwGDaZNdl86wUes9JDRJLpqjwDjcFX8T86Xgt2vh_v11onHpVedcY-GFmndHFTTJUJ5oZPlreFxRnnDHrv/s4032/PXL_20210122_133536997.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDZfG4LIRQEbGoqnQr2cD3OyQMOBQzUngMc-ssqez2fZwtCcrxXpwGDaZNdl86wUes9JDRJLpqjwDjcFX8T86Xgt2vh_v11onHpVedcY-GFmndHFTTJUJ5oZPlreFxRnnDHrv/s720/PXL_20210122_133536997.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnZdirSdMaVu9ea2zqSQby2feNsIIzJ-mZgYgKyNMhK3D-Xr3LyXVBZ9aI0o4gkEif6hiqxEPrrS263ITrDnVuH5ps2maQQj8ct5GCFdZTSXfpDkyCnskF8gJ4JTp-NFhyCGL/s4032/PXL_20210122_134111482.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnZdirSdMaVu9ea2zqSQby2feNsIIzJ-mZgYgKyNMhK3D-Xr3LyXVBZ9aI0o4gkEif6hiqxEPrrS263ITrDnVuH5ps2maQQj8ct5GCFdZTSXfpDkyCnskF8gJ4JTp-NFhyCGL/s720/PXL_20210122_134111482.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />This scene in high season is usually absolutely packed with swimmers. The government recently decided to ban swimming in the park.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkgo1Y34GiTMl2e3EFalrqMM70a4rHXyX3aF0x_cIErNeRxDz-c6eWW98UiyJicuQxPEh9hQcna0sUYq5kMgwJT_fkzaaLMutbjIWf7L1A-jQZ_fWdzZDIH4rcDqYGheo16j_/s4032/PXL_20210122_140749257.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkgo1Y34GiTMl2e3EFalrqMM70a4rHXyX3aF0x_cIErNeRxDz-c6eWW98UiyJicuQxPEh9hQcna0sUYq5kMgwJT_fkzaaLMutbjIWf7L1A-jQZ_fWdzZDIH4rcDqYGheo16j_/s720/PXL_20210122_140749257.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTE_U-b8RCa61MoXeDDEbF8Sj_wh1YWHxE4KrQSTWpRvHA7EIopeoq5x2zTDsIZjxlliLB3sbnN9ZhKWORvE41CMrpgbrvV1t25Gs3EuyIX8ldK5HBHpxlqKd-QMy6urgkxmz/s4032/PXL_20210122_140800851.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTE_U-b8RCa61MoXeDDEbF8Sj_wh1YWHxE4KrQSTWpRvHA7EIopeoq5x2zTDsIZjxlliLB3sbnN9ZhKWORvE41CMrpgbrvV1t25Gs3EuyIX8ldK5HBHpxlqKd-QMy6urgkxmz/s720/PXL_20210122_140800851.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvuDR8IXUZ8hRNn1qbpjNo15g8xoq3bF3M-8zg8NrTa3CuQYRi8e79x4jJZSTOiLkTHnNbVNYWDPNWJT7I9gVUoj7zzYBw75SaUSJdYzgzdlOYTsoXEmXnotAyGBZZ7ipvSGU/s4032/PXL_20210122_144117591.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvuDR8IXUZ8hRNn1qbpjNo15g8xoq3bF3M-8zg8NrTa3CuQYRi8e79x4jJZSTOiLkTHnNbVNYWDPNWJT7I9gVUoj7zzYBw75SaUSJdYzgzdlOYTsoXEmXnotAyGBZZ7ipvSGU/s720/PXL_20210122_144117591.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDgu4Uzqh7NisR-Ijs2Ca_dUQ6dwSXi8EbbTQalpGUiivCz83vsLjeSHCmWBGJnWPTC89BjauCs1a_cdnsSuXTYLS2rQeSMFjoRkb548mGNKugls66gRaWScvXTqPOyBqabzp/s4032/PXL_20210122_144445018.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDgu4Uzqh7NisR-Ijs2Ca_dUQ6dwSXi8EbbTQalpGUiivCz83vsLjeSHCmWBGJnWPTC89BjauCs1a_cdnsSuXTYLS2rQeSMFjoRkb548mGNKugls66gRaWScvXTqPOyBqabzp/s720/PXL_20210122_144445018.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>It's not unusual for thousands of people to come through daily here. On this day we saw five people!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBmHSc9BBh0bU6od8xnbPzG3YNb3k0T_CuEXW7ay2sJ1KPstZGav87Mzs1hj7_mjif-v4gzx884lZehoi8N42S_yVkywyT8gkrZXS4oJozMiAYfobgYd9PMKXWciUMhWiSMOh/s4032/PXL_20210122_145444939.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBmHSc9BBh0bU6od8xnbPzG3YNb3k0T_CuEXW7ay2sJ1KPstZGav87Mzs1hj7_mjif-v4gzx884lZehoi8N42S_yVkywyT8gkrZXS4oJozMiAYfobgYd9PMKXWciUMhWiSMOh/s720/PXL_20210122_145444939.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />Downstream from the waterfalls I had found this small boat dock a few years ago, and I've wild camped here several times. We spent one night here.<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13JuWbtCaB4omllYCwgVVitFhVnMuOcNoJ1bmvyNcvuG0Y1Z1l3hVLTRTl03qMdwNGU5PzUbuYnDRJP35lIBYOMuf1qOS2lW7j7yisrjl8fzA9lZUxMSCLpMHFsIT6fzxB9N8/s4032/PXL_20210122_160550681.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13JuWbtCaB4omllYCwgVVitFhVnMuOcNoJ1bmvyNcvuG0Y1Z1l3hVLTRTl03qMdwNGU5PzUbuYnDRJP35lIBYOMuf1qOS2lW7j7yisrjl8fzA9lZUxMSCLpMHFsIT6fzxB9N8/s720/PXL_20210122_160550681.NIGHT.jpg" width="720" /></a></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Windy and sunny the next morning.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIsblCdFunPVsfzxGHs6ebt5QFNyVFZzCzFl7GjEfaRJjtTw1iRS5uRjJ_cqeJI3ecs05ufrZ8FSXHRt3Sb_0KeFb7at8AffKqhy30xhQyyonb6n8omuk52-YbzWA8Y_fzUrY/s3264/PXL_20210123_114538814.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIsblCdFunPVsfzxGHs6ebt5QFNyVFZzCzFl7GjEfaRJjtTw1iRS5uRjJ_cqeJI3ecs05ufrZ8FSXHRt3Sb_0KeFb7at8AffKqhy30xhQyyonb6n8omuk52-YbzWA8Y_fzUrY/s720/PXL_20210123_114538814.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />We visited Zadar, which, come on, sounds like somewhere that Superman from. It's one of the oldest cities in Europe, founded in 900 B.C.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rGYqrZmuLP1xOLfJgbWcMJyNcn3IamD-LKCiJb0GA6RKaN4YADbRedKcOJ6wryh9OjpFxG2FpiHi-QcsyONJw6-7Ra6eZ1_AjjlzDK2qqsqNkmL5kbuO-ZWWVPeM5Pgb-1CM/s4032/PXL_20210123_145837565.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rGYqrZmuLP1xOLfJgbWcMJyNcn3IamD-LKCiJb0GA6RKaN4YADbRedKcOJ6wryh9OjpFxG2FpiHi-QcsyONJw6-7Ra6eZ1_AjjlzDK2qqsqNkmL5kbuO-ZWWVPeM5Pgb-1CM/s720/PXL_20210123_145837565.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />We wild camped on the sea just down the road from here. It was a beautiful spot - and I didn't take a single photo of it. Oops.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwExeyCh6xl-v9I3V4sMhSnHZDJFqYHiZm0m9QvkC_TaItZebhygOo0jbPmdAp5OcAIlbwx2ThWmwwv-IqGTRTXK5Up9lreYbREGT8uT4QZRBARzgp7UwFdF3HQT8G7tROj8Cq/s4032/PXL_20210123_150804549.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwExeyCh6xl-v9I3V4sMhSnHZDJFqYHiZm0m9QvkC_TaItZebhygOo0jbPmdAp5OcAIlbwx2ThWmwwv-IqGTRTXK5Up9lreYbREGT8uT4QZRBARzgp7UwFdF3HQT8G7tROj8Cq/s720/PXL_20210123_150804549.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />It didn't seem very cold, and as we were driving towards Plitvice (the other famous waterfalls) into the mountains I thought I saw snow. Impossible! By the time we got to the apartment we'd booked, up this little hill to the left, it wasn't clear we would make it. And the little van that could, couldn't. The tires spun and we couldn't get up to to the place. We ended up cancelling and driving a couple more hours to lower elevation and no snow.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJQeaNKrXNYt6rTvz83VwuN2pY8z-_6SvgbQPhTjNt09xY2aJqxHa6U8_SVYJ0lEAdM3mn7KXPX811CWQJRXxWssFRmxtlvo9wJh5ZZnv7gXxxJXts-ZZ_dnK9CDwsnXwY9tZ/s4032/PXL_20210124_144205353.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJQeaNKrXNYt6rTvz83VwuN2pY8z-_6SvgbQPhTjNt09xY2aJqxHa6U8_SVYJ0lEAdM3mn7KXPX811CWQJRXxWssFRmxtlvo9wJh5ZZnv7gXxxJXts-ZZ_dnK9CDwsnXwY9tZ/s720/PXL_20210124_144205353.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />And the next night: Zagreb. Here's the view from the 8th floor of our hotel. Julieta needed a coronavirus test to fly home a couple days later, and I was leaving "soon" to drive to Turkey! Cool idea. But Bulgaria was, and still is, closed to Americans, and I needed to cross it. So two nights in this hotel turned into 36 nights as I decided what to do. I never decided, I just left! On to Serbia...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1IEIA5g9lg18dEDgnMXlr6nKa68QjJ8Rzm0-xFckF4pJcDPV7P1Uga-gAlaS7wIQjV0cTynrhIqXbzRI6xevSmerbsaRimvi7d49EVT4va2FhLGs4BQAYTAUT9nuDuSPhU8O/s4032/PXL_20210125_145219178.NIGHT.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1IEIA5g9lg18dEDgnMXlr6nKa68QjJ8Rzm0-xFckF4pJcDPV7P1Uga-gAlaS7wIQjV0cTynrhIqXbzRI6xevSmerbsaRimvi7d49EVT4va2FhLGs4BQAYTAUT9nuDuSPhU8O/s720/PXL_20210125_145219178.NIGHT.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />The spa area on the 10th floor. No complaints.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIGr7bFNZy1m8rj6ztOe0XA-N3Mi_eD9zcDNYIiuW2qQsH4GOJFy_ZieOQMO1LDpEcGN2kSyBYZl8-tzBJsNFUl0QT-bmnuqXfvFvR-qx3OjT2Tg-gcCAerlVhvcZm6DsrsZC/s4032/PXL_20210128_111415454.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIGr7bFNZy1m8rj6ztOe0XA-N3Mi_eD9zcDNYIiuW2qQsH4GOJFy_ZieOQMO1LDpEcGN2kSyBYZl8-tzBJsNFUl0QT-bmnuqXfvFvR-qx3OjT2Tg-gcCAerlVhvcZm6DsrsZC/s720/PXL_20210128_111415454.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><br />The evening view from the window. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta9YgTODSCUBi7FBXYgTIetV8Uweec6HpATT1bmoyWfhgp09GqmOCxWxOZ7zfKMKKzgxO0IvIb-dfOTRdQuYwppHn-dwtH5fdlEuxHF33l5_Pw-lGbYQD_V-ZvLgNn9EKNRkc/s4032/PXL_20210128_161117863.NIGHT-EFFECTS.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta9YgTODSCUBi7FBXYgTIetV8Uweec6HpATT1bmoyWfhgp09GqmOCxWxOZ7zfKMKKzgxO0IvIb-dfOTRdQuYwppHn-dwtH5fdlEuxHF33l5_Pw-lGbYQD_V-ZvLgNn9EKNRkc/s720/PXL_20210128_161117863.NIGHT-EFFECTS.jpg" width="720" /></a><br /><br /><div>(The End)<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-85921555000695438992021-04-07T15:41:00.004-07:002021-04-08T02:35:15.515-07:00Serbia!<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">April 7, 2021</span></p><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-ccb0b112-7fff-6175-25f5-105dbc2a8056"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Advice? I don’t have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or don’t. Who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ~ Alan Watts</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When did I last send a newsletter - October??!! I’m pretty sure the internet is broken. I’m searching for a scapegoat as I write this…</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ll save my allotted “reader attention span” for the many photos posted below. But to almost-not-really update you since I last wrote, I present:</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Statistics since my last newsletter on October 5, 2020:</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">184</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: days since I’ve posted (checking my math, it seems impossible)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">32</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: different places I’ve slept</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">36</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: longest hotel stay, Zagreb, Croatia</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: average hotel stay in days</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">75</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: days in hotels with a spa (losing all my “traveler” cred...)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: borders I’ve crossed (Italy - Slovenia - Italy - Slovenia - Italy - Croatia - Serbia)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: shortest visit to a country, in hours (Slovenia)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: times escorted out of a country by the police (that’s a story)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: PCR tests for COVID</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: vaccination! (AstraZeneca, in Serbia)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lots</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: hikes I’ve done</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">0</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: borders that are open to me driving now (I think)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9.9</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: embarrassment level that I haven’t posted for so long</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enjoy the photos.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My first stop in the far north of Serbia was Novi Sad, the European Capital of Culture for 2021.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Wn9k3w5fMgknGw84bF9UaX6dzfaEs_zJNBXYIqG0VXF_Y4EYiLWYbGO8FSu_QfWIKsmO9R9a0GozRH_hiIiwZ_hMLwZqnMkS7Wrw2J6gjEx-bA2g12PQDvapR8OCbBgzcYMGh6jr" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The old city is magic.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/rfUMBlTOGVpDep_Q64YYZkmgO4VwxSd08sQH8IYweEMwKlcN-dhniO-0sbU_upMMacIA6oMTml8mhOxNE0FobvV5OQxtF0sGBkSgoooaDccB07hQGjLUNU6u3Xu-6PJfwjBK8UXH" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s a big city, like 500,000 people, and mostly not so interesting, but the center is great. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UPyLtUTiivOBZz-CShcKY7Ai_Ny34H4Tydp9-MBjbmSqS09I_bZDEsQ5s3jZKGCUGlJ0qfqvyHdVPZ0l65ZhNCyLWDnAxoBoephXVjZoRPVpgv1nxpL8GbEY-JUrYxrY5jkxl2Ep" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Serbia isn’t rich, the per capita GDP is about half of Croatia’s, but it definitely has a culture of cafes and dining out. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/u1rWihnRxjV4_ckGHueC_Ol2O63iRn787lv39x58IqoGko98oRD0_wpbQyQbkjg9Ny9dCl443nv2y--Dcl9ZsFqY4THfPif1NrPL2SmY3v24_nUqqz0oeuTQrh0M5qtM8Uq_pczo" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is a Catholic church, though the country is 85% Serbian Orthodox (Christian) and only 5% Catholic.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 1109px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fS4xCoj-KnVbE7R_PDfGWaASlykmFstyk6L6oq4Kp9R-Ou4NPFl_Qp_fnWoaWo-4ZFNr-Qm8LQaG7lgidvqi1R0il77iqHBwJWBldjS2eaVX7ibMrDz-FtdnUkRw1kwaM7clKbyu" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mmLu3CYpT_mvUfSSheGRTFV-hWaZ25m0K_2vL8JWh-mSF1wKMmEe16h49QIpf-XLdjgY3_25a_EvdxUSPIu6-hmkZ9YgrOFqYRbBat2yAIH4oImjRYrnoAOjFAQhCK7lhql3kihf" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On a long city hike.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/jM3X9FNo_uKMFbYxjMUDQIK_vMVvBFEePqvwNgdyyyJ3-MMfo4m3Q6vU1Ty6IzzJ05Q9149_176ZZWp1EeXXLDk8IGCRnysQG8TeVdV6KGVJQBpeGjxkRdBcQcHiog-xMCqXA5mi" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh, that makes it easy to navigate. Going to Corporal Kamenahua, (sounds Hawaiian,) turn right. Pyma, go straight, or maybe it’s also right. Come on, how hard could it be? Wonder what Beorpaa is. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/oUFEhbsOYGBwhHqrlkvXLcfGLtwlxESaElzQJNwrQsnMCXZraE6SHSl923p924WOomCQ0-Ryo4HQnWYV9Lk-vmbS-82yrJaejKb6T64rBu7IwRWS8HS_kPbaL-MSuQl8YsmLWxk1" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A famous river, though it’s not blue and I don’t see people waltzing. It’s the Danube!! Just imagine how important these mighty rivers were historically. They were the first interstate highways. Across the river is the massive Petrovardin Fortress. Ruins of a Paleolithic settlement were found there that are 20,000 years old. Wait wut? Twenty THOUSAND years old. If you’re into that kind of stuff. I am SO into that kind of stuff! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PuaOLwxulPO5y9pUwZdaddEAibPTBHK66f_4PG4m8U3rqVKRd5sFs2u-FXg20_4Uvk57KG4wgRcPL6unWBKXI3lSsid2C2NO0D_lfUaOUvjwDMU7B0LYtIlvaHmTbOLPcpQN2_F7" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh, cool, a creepy little trash-strewn tunnel-place with a low entry! These scary places draw me in like a magnet. I have no idea what I’ll find, but at the last door I came across a makeshift bed and a little dog sleeping. Dang it, he heard me and came charging! Fortunately he just wanted to scare me and didn’t chase me for long. Good job, buddy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/S1IRNlGqtwYt42yQ94S_lBd0pQxF6DPY5oHO_A9yvFVv4Ga0b-Iexkzjiws5lk_C4oGuxf2UJpcjVWG4yv3MZNmSzZAU_OzUfDrrVPivGb5CAXBwh-cKFgd2yjpg64tSHBhj-Q26" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This clock at the top of the fortress is famous for having the clock hands reversed - the long hand is hours and the short hand is minutes.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JjOhQw-2D0XFwBtF70GPxdUUjlxKbkBV5cUhdn_V6SGEhxOSNSnMEDB8rL6fkhzLIV1Tb00U6mitqbjr46UnjtoaD-z8CCQHSTF7D06pnDCHAWYkQ-h0Z0_UD1KUMe_nIfAZ4UhG" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Massive walls and ditches and what you can’t see, an incredible 16 km, or 10 miles of underground tunnels. I had no idea why, until I read later that it’s to keep the enemies from tunneling into your fort as a method of attack. The tunnels are called counter-mines, and the attackers who tunnel into them are called sappers. </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_warfare" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_warfare</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zqmA7ROi0CGrWepY7gvZZKyK0rsIdKiS9qpuTCL5nPWmnDoMpLbmtBKTZa5kpv3_BT2zI9ba1KHHqSacyz38S0J92BuD9VQeVHlZoOGP_g3yRwDr06NdaD6E3qweXzRH9SH6jlr_" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You wouldn’t know that Serbia has been having high coronavirus infection. But from what I’ve read, very few people get infected outdoors, or by physical contact. It’s almost exclusively transmitted indoors, from sharing recycled air. Does that mean I’m right? Only maybe.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Hvz66HehZkRNEWTCTLi6QYUE75zks2adBD3uEUhItymfsQG477ecxXT_MFb6epOqHbOI5ftlxXNsrKQwBaxxJvZOvAGVDe3IUtLt7OWG7GpxGsNy2OzDEKO1ItWr_WXkFEXUrb3H" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the entryways from outside the walls to the inner fort area.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/COzMzopCL_elxeCeuMO1SvMuzd5f1gburKRU0_SKQ3DZWOn_ToKsycXGB6oSF1wx52EzkcU9dSTd9oZlLajaoAgnwpakd44tuxEvxni0wbaOwdBPdD1nZ611YtwDIRlhb-gIMdd4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were pillars of another bridge just near this one. I found out the other bridge was bombed by NATO in 1999. Photo </span><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE_%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D1%81%D1%80%D1%83%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%BE_%D0%92%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82.jpeg" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here.</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/c6wSrzb6CTZSt7UmSYztN4Ouh9_TmEYPIKCLqQ0kiMhvytfR_Z12g8dIKGUE-doTD5rXVCRe_TKwm7FNnr02qAo9PG_6AaTTkt3SAr1s5CQ-tok05WiasrfUkOGoW3ahxM2U4OPE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The amount of history in Serbia is mind-boggling. For example, 18 Roman emperors were born in Serbia, and Serbia was part of the Roman Empire for 600 years.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 417px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="417" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ab-cI0QtVs7peYhiXpxLV8Efm9xwJBvYKf19Ez4lD-x3lp9GtXz5ErpQ4WTRMENeAgtWJVTgSA4bQm2Zw4aA1mrbuHB8vkC_Ua-sJ0lK_9Qb28p-cU7SxowD_oe9es3TJ5wy_M2a" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On a little road trip to visit a monastery, I saw this still-under-construction Orthodox church. It reminds me of a dollhouse.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 875px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="875" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/G17ZWn703XlEAiO7unKsyojl14853UQzyFXkDm91Thb5SjTCn4U06AMiqqJ4T-iflRsUY6xwgkTYiOddIoD1h82GruUYyR1jS67O2Bg_5bElYc_HlRs0O-39L_Y7cIHAEoMhISLc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next few photos are inside the spectacular Krušedol Monastery, founded in 1509.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 377px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="377" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p56rZfzkhtWJ2E14IxtDrzl9sMRQuyaCCZm2vi284NoexqbZw5FtLYRDheMBC9VrS42W4TtE3UEE8JBLF60cKYWTp86AzdbuOU-cvaHOrPmLSYaIdbFaYskYE0nRSVF3Ds0DBP1D" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WDpYTIYsYlkLhexrDhTXnWwkqfx8sGfyX6--ID3bxm12WjoyqKZa5HCB3zKaoLp3IYZCJjtRsMCwDXR6gmJIrC2dvIBNwbA-bgXM_PfO-vkMR5pUusPZsWgtOMFxJX8jlDUT0yt8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7K54fsDsGxXUMOgI4h6oKP8aWug05mtcw0Nj6rdGPjNPRV2YqmKu0foo_BQ6dWiKmf5iwdfMXO0pY6D-DN9xGgLnZwhKEJLkjb03kzmK4XatkjVAbsoBM1wFo05VLNahdZGSPLDJ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xYwcZLaYBRxQ3mjegqsDK6_2JBjwy60BmT7LsMEASPSD4LVFGnxcWGHYG6VJC9gFVSVB0hjEEdNQI3mu1ZRCwauNC2CZPTs41mis4oDKYM6jixQVRPq_OYrZM_qhgcK0YgFv62fO" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 943px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="943" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/s5sBW2GwQvdhPFcji4F2nlZrfO_sYM1rUcI_V0KYtmUXMca2wj641dOlCFmSDXrmtJ8M4jNn4SZwL1lnRwabiDZlLD680BiV6blVArIp85YdybMCGM9OTTUj3CPYQcwss7qWPmU9" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 312px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="312" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JpPKjEuhhlL91VRabmCojtXOpZWJj5_FzJTWcpga9Mn6nnxOAWMGydlHgyDoQEGZTnF5OhCDVIxeafZpl2xtkK5wrs8b9Zs4i4hi7oUZehhlyesY4Rd5pJN7zciTiQ9VS8328iu9" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And this massive church/temple in Belgrade is the Temple of Saint Sava. It’s been under construction for years, but only recently opened to visitors.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 440px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="440" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bD55bdreyUiLQFqSBb0VnGRxvW3kGlk4ath6wbdNRU7jVA76qKtxEN5C3OEtoQwPtFh5WyDP8TZ_twbdIaW-ZDMOfXuV8GNUThUxe4v93KO1A77HqGlax39jlqdKCwowS5pXr5Xn" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, which is currently an Islamic mosque, while it had been an Eastern Orthodox church, and was the world’s largest cathedral for almost 1,000 years. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/1iTXLIJ-UyAvt2x3L1wsF_EisayIOXvSOr4rKwbzew4JJuOkTbIo4x2VFCq85b2T13p1zoP8jYq0u5Qn3ZOIEkZewKq7E_TGPnfoOj6SLK-qh1DuxGBbbuWxZ1uNtPITJcHikYo1" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The lower floor of Saint Sava. Incredibly elaborate and ornate artwork!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bNk_a_YSMEGXwZL8aqSHHGTc__JdZ-ev7zCGJJsVIjM7ut1mS0zfoMTOQp-vFE1ctvATiZGW_MLB1_miiZ5qgJSaVdPvgUDLh6Jz_xswpHBzSIgaT0yIfCbNAAGsVojQHKSY1Lhg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jcYzHzsnB5F7bjvBbsKVCCLpWp3-Lh1Q0DZuMBq-IQMqmB-2W1ynINWq78AIIzveDawgXEUbWoDJbOs8Gn_6ZBqxMvgZ3l-cLrDOFRgx9SIa2VbTWLNsMyhXuFelfN-hv0XcepWk" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A bakery.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mPsyHSdkAyu2FzjOqXIfp29-oKXg_Yy3mL6bygf_60yD16QUrrI-kQqMJFRDTpgZ6RfIYns6cGUFXunQg69fgPRLcE4nBh6SCS923SIrhw-JND7lgcdXWEjVTgd4z6ts2KKfK_Ok" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Walking through Belgrade.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/fTP9SVv3BXuOmib7bNs6kOWE3xJfCrzq8r1zmyOKXlrrQjUxHV-jpO4kyu-4CkqYrlHHDqCHRjg1IN2RVMsMStDEfIWXDTsFcV2g9mMkd8GrXfsb5VqTXduLv7lhLVLpzQYXd2WH" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh, that guy’s famous. That’s why they built a massive statue of him. Yeah, I forget his name.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 1109px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/z5OOgac0BtpNDtiLUE4nJRxDuCJrEVf2Dnono2YQ8xCxnSWieCqm5zsNbOFm3GvURA5W5BKPgGHS6PM7sxy2NBISm0uHQ7hglzuiMHyXJLQMWOER-kCszO72SgbG6AchMSWFgWcE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The lovely Julieta came for a visit from Germany, and we stayed in the suburbs of Belgrade, just a stone’s throw from this landmark, the Tower of Gardos.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 1109px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ocgdI2HO7sdboMa7r1QRqWywZikm-BddakXIBejmGxs68ZseoXOvV7571L141LbOLVqhXHX6SGaskSmafbytZKIxO58yvVIjjPTbfukdcbCYcDs4OCU3yFfwbjTtOR3-ZAgZSdor" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our apartment near the tower. Shmancy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 272px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="272" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5RgnkX6VCemiz9hlxJutqBuEZ08x_VBPAvEIrxC-ir8V2ayaUNd0UrjxfIZ6ViPq5Fi96U28wLEWbBIGf_T41E8_50qh6PJUNfy65G0aS5olyGXYyn0yRIc73koC8HXJlp1tui7R" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A religious shop.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QCimt3x-2mzEucdM4ZbT3eYh_QZ-uC2B7S9kQxAQSR_YrEicTfpJpdB_ORGoqA4YMsKyNFVbZCG2PisjHd8Hhq5BtmE-aBFvYd0sjY6bWZSoRCzQNcVCURANMhHain4LTia-3bux" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A restaurant cafe just next to the Tower. A few days later all the restaurants and cafes were shut down for Covid. But Belgrade is famous for its food, and they have an amazing network of restaurants which deliver through an app that translates the menu. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ywhi0GEQYNVMht8trMIhK_oyhnDrIEKtypdVyLqFkcyFefmOynNxdsm6TcnMR5LdNYDt8UN_MKccdwELISqjHxyf0fc6sJJ6vuNY44e8zlPoYGrQa9fHfH7bx4ic9CILpmdfgZ07" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is Buddha Bar, Belgrade. Does that ring a bell? Famous groovy music compilations back in the 90’s, I think? It was started with a restaurant in Paris, and made uber-groovy music compilations.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ektYDsJ6PYTSO3R3trwoh4ucC3oJgL99Dy8JXdFgSpApwdadmbxl8R-0qIwf6Qykjx3VE32PtaCvw9TGD9zYxfIzQaqMRpbFqCuGNBh5Ji9rHiZ6X6raATPp-GWoB__RMm3rPtAJ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My cousin Adam, on the left, has been filming a fantasy TV series in Belgrade. And the hot chiquita? Julieta, who would never be called the Argentinian Aggravator. I would never say that, publicly. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5QBlUNGoeDRPuPHJOGLZKplvj5cNmqwlZYdUgsitqJ6NfPXr0AqJS6_n8yZRTItxAM1IrZziXwsEW7vvTZeHiKBzMvTfBHfWLHnMcQVOR7jREjoaCUQGn84C24z2VwO6XxbVCC4G" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh, that is my kind of museum, cuz I’m livin’ for the selfies. I’m kind of a master at them. Check me out, but don’t hate me because I’m accurate.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bMYOGP5ZHt-Fi2kp0K9xNZTDWh7v_df96DY14FGbqZGfQKQIL9QsFrdWnloHPtxCSIaaLZ5v8VbgnvF6UG_INlDKMMyC3rzjl-6SgMDpM2y2LL2NQ6AIf66LLj16MTJ9p_5agbUJ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Julieta and I headed north a couple hours drive to Subotica, just near the border to Hungary. It’s famous for a burst of art nouveau architecture between around 1890 and 1915. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6LwMIHFo142LH8mPF-a0NYEChj4CAa0NGaqhJDlTIr1FuEP8LV8gOMOwY6VNbIIokXS18LenjyePO4clDZ3ZtilSoSlhaxSFxh438AEheS1otKFG4rrP6qDwU6EwViPITtVPkoSk" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some artwork is fancier than others.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 1109px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/PkuV5vN_PdJtSjBRD1cwbCvQ_-p61AOiSxAU5R3G5CvFibENfp0_VoQLdOWAYlpy-DjVIE3UpAZKnALEKfIc0sZs8n09bwV4YHWNfzBV-0-MYyXq1IpBD0jArAit5KseQXwImI4u" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is near my current hotel in Belgrade.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/zCU89d05kh9ghajtfu1eU2DiNHsvSMRUVMS306rgdH41kA8Oyc-oLod_SQ3wzFGFKoqWlqGp_E3NFOnhCoZ7gG-31FmmPE2hoBmX1bIxkbkZA36ShafqhAd5V0XMoZ6PgrpA8tzu" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And… YES! After being convinced that no one would give me a Covid vaccination, Serbia surprised me. I’m delighted. But it means I need to leave the country and come back in 12 weeks to get the second shot. I’m not allowed to stay that long on my tourist visa. Where should I go??</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 497px; overflow: hidden; width: 281px;"><img height="497" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KYMBmrMb-d37baZ6q6Q14FcwwSR_OwcQxETaev2xuR4dsuX_pW7TwS0atvwHEgqLBeIWKCoBSmqOOY1b5H6IIA9LlCCUPiFV9dfJdlCrc1coBB3U8i4t4aStklunDpk7rVIFsllk" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="281" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was incredibly impressed by how efficient the whole system was, from the online registration to the in-person verification, kind and friendly people, and Bam-Zoom it was over.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ftu8w2iO8LV0avK8DQ4ClO2zT3QBjPmxi24E5poj6yKwwIIf6WXBWHXWMAHv9zI1U5JytCdTXXtXNcurOVHtx4_x5a4Sh-aop0Ne1H530mde_SstD1kHVdshU50Wl55dGkezC1CP" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They said to wait 10 minutes in this area to make sure you don’t faint after the shot. I thought about it! But I haven’t had any side effects other than a sore arm.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/TBaaFUUL7VDdbyAZjStkKmLodzZwaAW36neR3jZq-P5gw_rYMVQXpPHrN66TIQ3RcdfAAtgfbIJUOi8KW_DCCizSexieORd-P-M1X4wQfp1zYeg35UwZe7kf40XxvbCBrhMpXVgP" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another giant fortress in Belgrade, this one at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HyRog9dk5uWAYvMMI_4317ykZRtpe7UKf7KgwzhdMBmhY2iS_J93jprqqDakbYDCOHL-mvWkTzBNcUs_6c64td4RShLLLpilHFQ_nv5rtzxRPQNxwKE5C_ZOWvCTKxq8a9IN9b-i" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two weeks ago, spring is here! Last night - it snowed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TB_zrr_oZ8EPyGPO59L9JQkiyoCyrOWxk7haZ4H6Zr3OMjTLSnSRIm6T12LSH3nJ3xYOJ2OjmUlA2VbZrjTmdkWp0LQcz9Vq-6BCz2Iss9IEp6OCEBfXDpBoYyRGpzFhZIenBFkJ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s a long, beautiful pedestrian way in Belgrade, filled with shops and cafes. San Francisco has been talking about that, and not making it happen, for years. When you visit a place where they’ve implemented it so well, it seems a really obvious choice!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OCbMUxK5QIJkU14mUSMUJjoMUTDMznwaq87nU1ogKlnmcwWcvE2q1j7ssHbO5ji3xfRcsKeartU4TwFDxbiw4TGRlL9ycDIFtFnXa-fEYXxT33-uzUPhuMGmOuuKoQ5-xZ2pUmjQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A bookstore.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tEab-cx6rr8wTIkxhnL1qM1mBcZdpDO-zoW07l8I4gijr5H334r5wucLJ3na112bDIenOkIePT2hl1PGW9PcPIrvZbDc-muojzDkoPsy9mlobxXl4GuvFUjaAjrjzO5eP87TwNPH" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Live music and maintaining social distance. Kinda sorta.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Qcd_-HEseXQObwlHwtqeijq6XfNC5H1ZghoFpWIuyv3HscLGX4QtO-ek0MGkDma8GIgVZLkFP2LX4BioxsCSYip21mqDrhkeTq-p0A2jnasJnF-_L6WMYPv6vKmsX_LzP_n-Ls-d" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(The End)</span></p></span>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-7191802007522080752020-10-05T13:22:00.007-07:002021-10-06T03:52:29.432-07:00Rifugio Galassi hike, Dolomites, ItalyOctober 5, 2020<br /><br /><i>"In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. It is necessary, then, to cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.''<br /> ~ Wallace D. Wattles<br /></i><br /><br />Sometimes I don't blog because it seems like nothing's happening. But lately the problem is that I'm seeing too many beautiful things, and I take so many photos that I really want to present them well with an accompanying story, but my foundational laziness is still laying in the path, blocking my way. It's been raining recently, so I've lost my excuse for not posting. If I didn't grow up in California I'd probably be walking anyway. But I did grow up in California! I've been making jokes about this for years. At a music festival in France some English people were standing in the rain talking like it wasn't even raining, the crazy buggers! I said, in California when the first drops of rain come, we sprint for cover, like we're witches in danger of melting. Anyway, I'm a bit of a sissy boy when it comes to weather. Then when the weather is good I go for a long walk everyday and I'm too tired at the end of the day to post about my hikes. Which brings us to today: It's raining, so I'm posting. Tomorrow, it's not raining, so I'm hiking.<br /><br /><br />This hike was from a couple weeks ago, before it got cold and started snowing. The path starts down this gravel road through the glacial valley, meaning it was originally formed by glaciers. So much rock and debris has collapsed from the mountains into the valley that the rounded shape is not as apparent as it otherwise might be. It looks different from up higher, as you'll see.<br /><br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/CHEkqrVlMCDHCeRJ6BWdT4yvdibvyiWxhlo2Sm8DS_1a-Tst_2PtD1G7woaUIcta_Q2o4hSF5QdSVs3wialZ8CigCGhy_N3lIVuNCgvC59F2fbQC2E-V1-dvhXxh2DTBrKeo3kMo"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/CHEkqrVlMCDHCeRJ6BWdT4yvdibvyiWxhlo2Sm8DS_1a-Tst_2PtD1G7woaUIcta_Q2o4hSF5QdSVs3wialZ8CigCGhy_N3lIVuNCgvC59F2fbQC2E-V1-dvhXxh2DTBrKeo3kMo=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />It was only about an hour and a half walk on this relatively flat road, but paths like this are a little boring compared to, say, a meandering hike through a forest or working your way up into the mountains. I had a mini flashback to 1992, when I went to Tibet on my own towards the end of a two year trip, a one-time-only adventure, never to be repeated, I was sure. An adventurous Dutch guy and I decided to make our way to Everest Base camp on the Chinese side. We took a public bus to mile number 138 or something, got off the bus and started walking up this pass that reached an elevation of 5,200 meters, 17,000 feet, spending a night in a little village, where the kids were picking lice out of each other's hair and squashing them between their fingernails. And for the next three days we walked down a long, relatively boring valley until we got to Rongbuk Monastery, supposedly the highest monastery in the world at 5,000 meters, 16,500 feet. Three days is a lot longer than one and a half hours, but it reminded me just the same. (Am I just name-dropping or was that actually relevant?! You can decide.)<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/rU6e74pUpHBA2Z3pJpPRdj5kKTCtlblOir39Azuxg6YsmFk8y5pYOR3fkcAsiFbnAL4sKySl5p8AlChi2IfLkg9AIqNkfygWKtWgO1jENWpRSzMiakm5KY6_48MxkqiA8-XizfeT"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/rU6e74pUpHBA2Z3pJpPRdj5kKTCtlblOir39Azuxg6YsmFk8y5pYOR3fkcAsiFbnAL4sKySl5p8AlChi2IfLkg9AIqNkfygWKtWgO1jENWpRSzMiakm5KY6_48MxkqiA8-XizfeT=w640-h360" /></a><div><br /><br />A rifugio! How much do I love these places. I had a cappuccino and a nice apple strudel. It's a ridiculous luxury, one which I'd like to become accustomed to.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/TpyU2Uz9Myp56PkkwEIrs3oyHJ_SO7EfA3z-bM976rNEAAvq8WAOhT7iD97xZbayLN_Xjkhw3C1LUj8AF08OCJZp8v6SiBgTSdoY9h4jUsb5M98B3p6oAKNsSoeXj4yzSzaHRB6k"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/TpyU2Uz9Myp56PkkwEIrs3oyHJ_SO7EfA3z-bM976rNEAAvq8WAOhT7iD97xZbayLN_Xjkhw3C1LUj8AF08OCJZp8v6SiBgTSdoY9h4jUsb5M98B3p6oAKNsSoeXj4yzSzaHRB6k=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />Now the hike starts to get a little more serious, climbing steadily and steeply up, with sheer rock walls on either side of the narrowing valley.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3mSn4VKtUhIK8KMyF_CUPZScLGucTLA-Xkkjy06B_mCf1baNhwfeg5oyCXML_JPHDBje6j0XJt_hGN7HKoF8FpWeNPVe0GVr2DU16hFz4uGGVtR9EKj5agRI-CEYWg3y4poyepP1"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3mSn4VKtUhIK8KMyF_CUPZScLGucTLA-Xkkjy06B_mCf1baNhwfeg5oyCXML_JPHDBje6j0XJt_hGN7HKoF8FpWeNPVe0GVr2DU16hFz4uGGVtR9EKj5agRI-CEYWg3y4poyepP1=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is Refugio Galassi, a former military fort that was converted to a rifugio in 1931 or something. During the summer and winter seasons, you can spend the night there and eat delicious Italian food. Hello!!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QfLt79EoyUn0UI6V4dpqjq3mgYCokuEOEy8yPq_haF5qkm35Uv4SE-qnoEvh0O4zaoD_XJUfL_BY3-vhS0bBoOILFzhod3IrCI8kj3CKP5E_LW_QV881O-LRNWz3-kgzn6q1zkeG"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QfLt79EoyUn0UI6V4dpqjq3mgYCokuEOEy8yPq_haF5qkm35Uv4SE-qnoEvh0O4zaoD_XJUfL_BY3-vhS0bBoOILFzhod3IrCI8kj3CKP5E_LW_QV881O-LRNWz3-kgzn6q1zkeG=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />I'd love to see a collage of every collection of signposts like this one in the Dolomites. They really are just everywhere, because the trails are everywhere. I've tried using a paper map to navigate but I'm seriously hopeless, embarrassingly so. (Bring a paper map as a backup, says everyone. That sounds a good idea - one day I'll try it.) So I use an app on my phone that has an accurate hiking map along with a GPS and a route to follow. One of these days, Alice, I'm going to drop my phone, lose my hiking app and my way, and wander in circles until I can wander no more. Forgive me in advance, as I like to say.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/epn7UjmWRFGoKFn6hhF8erJdqNcD3eMY46oolo612G_z3Ie-k6G26xFGrBCALFsQFupX3TjUKcgMZipb8BBmyFkTzwt77DgEkNpy2XAql8QoCGiITK73srWy-bOvwq8bqHLPApjz"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/epn7UjmWRFGoKFn6hhF8erJdqNcD3eMY46oolo612G_z3Ie-k6G26xFGrBCALFsQFupX3TjUKcgMZipb8BBmyFkTzwt77DgEkNpy2XAql8QoCGiITK73srWy-bOvwq8bqHLPApjz=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />Oh, I like this photo. This was about the highest and farthest point that I went on this walk, but you can see another trail on the lower right. If you squint you might be able to tell that it goes horizontally across that scree.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zr44i3MWafhLQj3ZkMmnKkiv9g170DENa3RgB1SZKXsiM-Kx1nlb_yUf1jusqyJNwt9R-uSyIx2LxidTwUBpBRbWgRac1XLcPTulQfo1u5BMIaN6IV3ermdkopzoSew6XAVn_xXS"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zr44i3MWafhLQj3ZkMmnKkiv9g170DENa3RgB1SZKXsiM-Kx1nlb_yUf1jusqyJNwt9R-uSyIx2LxidTwUBpBRbWgRac1XLcPTulQfo1u5BMIaN6IV3ermdkopzoSew6XAVn_xXS=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is from more or less the same place, just looking uphill at the towering mountains.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/lE2rTO9NlhX0rtkj4c8Ln7g06bYwu8XSMdVoBMfNuPv8V4sbjtfOQKGqt-S7B_s-Pjk5oI7lhbHVM-fZSSWNkmqX12-FJaS7ABlQgsNd-j4TEgOGloAzF1g5zgl360TUbacFxQ7F"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/lE2rTO9NlhX0rtkj4c8Ln7g06bYwu8XSMdVoBMfNuPv8V4sbjtfOQKGqt-S7B_s-Pjk5oI7lhbHVM-fZSSWNkmqX12-FJaS7ABlQgsNd-j4TEgOGloAzF1g5zgl360TUbacFxQ7F=w640-h312" /></a><br /><br /><br />The rocks are so incredibly rugged and picturesque here.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/giqVD25ir0I3VA42CqI6dctVdCVrOMmiGcH-w6lPbD6ErJvtX3ySi8E-DvSIIRuRSW-vaggyloQg7Z_A-y18E-WnzK3H6X4Zf4-a7TSz0GfliKIFdyAv59vqGaSsLsT2Z9tk51M7"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/giqVD25ir0I3VA42CqI6dctVdCVrOMmiGcH-w6lPbD6ErJvtX3ySi8E-DvSIIRuRSW-vaggyloQg7Z_A-y18E-WnzK3H6X4Zf4-a7TSz0GfliKIFdyAv59vqGaSsLsT2Z9tk51M7=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here's a wider view of that same valley.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/EYGFDE8y9iJhJ9uhaUDqhZ12w5imHBtE20Q5gGO9kFnRIALZU9-qHJRjnZt39s_iYgIyfZ4mYksBlzuOODKsrMI2q4wC9NHcQeAqr7LiReW7fn2Z_AGtu5skGXT2oGWkbU0MS6WU"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/EYGFDE8y9iJhJ9uhaUDqhZ12w5imHBtE20Q5gGO9kFnRIALZU9-qHJRjnZt39s_iYgIyfZ4mYksBlzuOODKsrMI2q4wC9NHcQeAqr7LiReW7fn2Z_AGtu5skGXT2oGWkbU0MS6WU=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is a 360 photo. Click this link to see it in 360 mode: <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#">https://maps.app.goo.gl/FdctaFn25dZPn7CPA</a><br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/oeZSetIisrsAn0ziznEb6-_0X0nyYh-pqDbIanGArd5RRkuELd_h1ScF7RCcS_6JCn5EiwDoy6bVQSEtTREzTSJyuNIW1UruxKXtVjBUAnCfRXphETog26044IP-UnxsXqJNErCp"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/oeZSetIisrsAn0ziznEb6-_0X0nyYh-pqDbIanGArd5RRkuELd_h1ScF7RCcS_6JCn5EiwDoy6bVQSEtTREzTSJyuNIW1UruxKXtVjBUAnCfRXphETog26044IP-UnxsXqJNErCp=w640-h319" /></a><br /><br /><br />Turning around and coming back over the pass, you can see Refugio Galassi in the lower right. The hike had started at the bottom of the valley in the distance and around the corner a bit.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KGGgBzIzECMmXdFjc8nNvBi1IHEZvy3lwwh17Oknx3KshKLw_-IhsW_rskvhxqBEzec0oFSnn6Rc9BEPC_8jELJ5w9gEe5Oy7J6mE1InQBAsT54RUsYuhtEc5IwP_dfUIhrnjKk1"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KGGgBzIzECMmXdFjc8nNvBi1IHEZvy3lwwh17Oknx3KshKLw_-IhsW_rskvhxqBEzec0oFSnn6Rc9BEPC_8jELJ5w9gEe5Oy7J6mE1InQBAsT54RUsYuhtEc5IwP_dfUIhrnjKk1=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />This cross is just near the rifugio, overlooking the valley. There are two live webcams on that structure, one pointing over the valley and one pointing back to the rifugio.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/VbgoMEiA9qJ7vadKsIfppzv9T4lmUrmkcs3AZEVaPlG5wL7ojps-g3W1eXf4eAxPU7AUCCD_IZNzLVKJ8F1imYfrK4g59B61JbVZYcKR5WGnxXpESlI_w5K_4gLH9qWM9jvt4kN4"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/VbgoMEiA9qJ7vadKsIfppzv9T4lmUrmkcs3AZEVaPlG5wL7ojps-g3W1eXf4eAxPU7AUCCD_IZNzLVKJ8F1imYfrK4g59B61JbVZYcKR5WGnxXpESlI_w5K_4gLH9qWM9jvt4kN4=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />Another 360 photo. Click this link: <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#">https://maps.app.goo.gl/4i8skyajTRCqErpE7</a><br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GjL-lIYhdvPkl8iUsSGjpm4sArz_6C_m_7fWQUkWIcslXhpCwnMgwhSG3X9hABoJVXI3LKPoTl5gfFapFQ1Mn2fGdz8fcpdnMVFl89rc7NIZL1iNSC0Y6D3aQPAP-41xpRXS1UaH"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GjL-lIYhdvPkl8iUsSGjpm4sArz_6C_m_7fWQUkWIcslXhpCwnMgwhSG3X9hABoJVXI3LKPoTl5gfFapFQ1Mn2fGdz8fcpdnMVFl89rc7NIZL1iNSC0Y6D3aQPAP-41xpRXS1UaH=w640-h319" /></a><br /><br /><br />Coming back, maybe halfway down the mountain.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/NxQ9DulB-4-EkZQw0pnKNUvk6GX0wGWDsrzleTMUnsiCviFpvNtn_0Cstvl-lvPI4HQbtyHDDj-O6HUKGez_5jhXzwiCP_qLw5gcd7iJpqVDw_LZAUb8XjIiEaQqu9RPp9nUjEFM"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/NxQ9DulB-4-EkZQw0pnKNUvk6GX0wGWDsrzleTMUnsiCviFpvNtn_0Cstvl-lvPI4HQbtyHDDj-O6HUKGez_5jhXzwiCP_qLw5gcd7iJpqVDw_LZAUb8XjIiEaQqu9RPp9nUjEFM=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />Back to the "Tibetan Road" - that'll be our little secret. (What's he yammering about?) I just barely missed getting clobbered by a rainstorm, coming the same direction I was walking.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/oBMup0M8nWsjbnb9wdpLxI3YPU9LhaLz2EMH-xQzGYBPtnvRbHKWqLTd74CSGpTAu75IPbDVlYVaVNKBre2vXQlSO9JNjRLKu7OQaZjMucLRE_lS19YBjMQjwGQR4BVxf7hpcTow"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/oBMup0M8nWsjbnb9wdpLxI3YPU9LhaLz2EMH-xQzGYBPtnvRbHKWqLTd74CSGpTAu75IPbDVlYVaVNKBre2vXQlSO9JNjRLKu7OQaZjMucLRE_lS19YBjMQjwGQR4BVxf7hpcTow=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br /><br />Almost back when I saw this wooden cross. I didn't know it at the time, but after a meal at a rifugio, and I wasn't sure it was a good idea, (as usual,) but I drove about a kilometer up a steep and rocky road and spent the night parked right next to this cross. I have some nice photos from the next day's walk too!<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BMsN_77mXeHYkmGIPRxOnxGc6C7M6tKamhv6ZvIMkhUr0lBvRivwX_NWBlRwf4AjEg_xkesEM81YTbBDlHdHoUQ_qb4DIxCS_yh98BqANG9BvOVClLHxzhCzCO1BOoYCv0Le3alQ"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BMsN_77mXeHYkmGIPRxOnxGc6C7M6tKamhv6ZvIMkhUr0lBvRivwX_NWBlRwf4AjEg_xkesEM81YTbBDlHdHoUQ_qb4DIxCS_yh98BqANG9BvOVClLHxzhCzCO1BOoYCv0Le3alQ=w640-h361" /></a><br /><br />(The End) </div>Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-18867839184782108672020-10-04T08:50:00.001-07:002020-10-04T08:50:08.315-07:00Val Fiscalina hike on a snowy day, Dolomites, Italy<div dir="auto"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Val Fiscalina hike on a snowy day, Dolomites, Italy</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">October 4, 2020</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> ~ Cesare Pavese</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is the third time that I've done this spectacular hike in the Dolomites. The first time was October 12, 2015, memorable because it's my brother Mike's birthday, and it just happened to be the last hike of that year. As it turned out, it was also Mike's last birthday. Three months prior, I had surgery in San Francisco for colon cancer. Two weeks later my brother had his fourth brain tumor surgery. A week after that I left for Europe and surprisingly quickly had recovered enough to go hiking in the Dolomites. Mike wasn't as lucky, though we didn't know at that time how bad it was. A month after this hike, he was gone. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In 2017, I hiked this trail with Julieta, a couple days after a big snowstorm, but we didn't know what we were getting into. There was no snow at the start of the trail, but there was plenty up higher, both snow and ice. I missed a turn, and by the time we corrected for it we didn't have time to get back to the van before dark. So we spent the night in one of the big rifugios, (mountain lodge,) and walked back the next day. It was a lot more dramatic than this paragraph indicates!</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Forward to this year. I saw that there was snow in the forecast, but it wasn't clear how much. I spent the night in the van, but comfortably enough with my new IKEA comforter, and as I drove to the start of the hike I saw this scene:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Og3ja8dEC7riVZm4nFMs_F9ILhBYC9KyrtErddSbbSQQ11OrDeSYitKpIrq52FJEiM30gi9T8gQC3BHxpXp2xqP_6-VmQF_aQ--TZEfZazvBGEx9Ar4xr86-h86fT_g2hgAeKqVS" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It seemed kind of ridiculous to hike in this kind of snow, I'm not really equipped for it and if I get on a trail that someone hasn't been on before, I won't be able to see where the path goes. As I got to the parking area I saw quite a few cars, and that gave me encouragement to at least start the walk. I thought, I can come back if it gets too tough. This photo is taken from the parking lot.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/m4yKmwWRrJu4CW7jDVhZlh2zpr0ehvBIKV9lW_FFNZ5gNYOZZlzYkXrI2buqZV1DGqRCMITvisOqLfKaZp32Wi3_Ad_HguUi83TsQyFaPjVmpAjcnV8cdTkWQ2WyzvDwB4-ElDLS" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">How many times have I really hiked in the snow? Uh, I think once - and I got lost and had to spend the night up there!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xU0TKu780fADpxtXW4ot3kHiBhjHb4wGzCsYavGZtPpCQMTmOvy-wxjrt0iQ-FNT_rscB8tdXuwK_8jwSMpeckBoNhmaw0N0eJuZQPgpreF2wl05ffr1L7ANR1dZ2IYEuU5XSac5" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The path starts quite gently up to the first junction.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/G24YGUdJVkhtsGHLqTb1gwv7SpS6T4Q9hxxVQi4TbndlYLJLBEXMn9QfEQTC_1Hla-nn7qpbo6Z9Vm272L7Yc_vXIDIbpVOUcFs7d7s8nwmd8JTgEMbA-Jel-3oK_2V1uBZCcBia" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is looking back down the valley, the direction I'd come.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dSVToiTCTZargLdZE-v_R-nQr4KdWTT0m4f0crM63cmk6OpXo6XYZUZ8BXb1eRLWKyacksKJTNolUQ8_ILxsrWF8IDTThjiy685nxn3NjCOHvF8pgGF2SD3yCw2g1seZbjUUBsGy" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This guide board is a painted view of the hike. It starts down at the bottom in the center of the photo, and then you climb a lot around that first peak to the left, then veer towards the right and go horizontally until you get to the rifugio, which you'll see, then you come back down so you've done a big loop.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/NlFMW1WcGcUiULcAW8Wr108iNoD6tcddPs9ESCFDVrUUNj5nZfC8U7YRIqt6XkNtr4wvf0Qx0Xt_gM0w94x5wwqedtlr-54Mdgcx-6pBIBiXlHVSBwCSqplzssl6fvhyVoEGlX7y" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is also looking back down the valley the way I'd come. That green field that you can see in the center of the photo? When everything else is covered with snow and it's getting quite cold, it looked like a little bit of Hawaii there. I imagined people laying out in the sun drinking fruity cocktails. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/txLDczMrO-bh_2U-uVlKEaMmGAehsb3IpQBw974mCJH5WNN8x_v2Y8rUgWwAq7ZnyQKZ0wK9zZn-20z5QDJmtDpUnJEXI8csrM73g8DZ-4gvSs2PH00DMteat08b6wqMqcs7f4Vl" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is a nice place to take a break, if you're a Labrador Retriever. Our family dog used to sleep on a picnic table with that much snow on it when we lived in Chicago when I was a kid.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eDkAcpr3DLAytPIGRX4fUrEGKl7Jc67jO9nEYgEaWO-qMgua97fr1H2JmxunL-UgFhn0YxZRmYkB1ky2STXFl6N5E2Nkz1nAQJj4iACylK85ZFZj8X0B_yRgTbXKvgHGlX-cLZZp" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I zigged. Then I zagged. Many times.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cbrDczJjg5UB8gkmrwr6-xrzjwNXQo3J1jI3E5jWWSmOyeYL3MINK1R3lOkMpyRnjBp4EgB0iKPA2GaMNsrfvYTmFz4ynLzpsFfvDxjlqmA64h5d9UwhIVRXmBoSenDQ6eWOG489" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The snow was getting deeper, as you would expect when you go higher. But the trail is for the most part clear. At this point, anyway.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:368px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/CwSirnlvIQzPwUwC30_QH1tNHpqrtQu_QHXUYBAQ3bV4rvV4vDBU5d8iMowZyVUcWEDFoT9nrjvz1YHmOZEVRwZsUsQtHJVAsWZC2olcDolJGsqe1oSW3rFSETmazVh4TmW8Xg7t" width="509" height="368" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I like how this photo turned out. It's not too much farther to the first rifugio.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/j8CAgIv7h9zSXUTqBjOzhmYRSgGl1xW5xJTkw_HOB53X2iVkKHAhgbalGRstKF2wC6UUQS3wk9adUVBeOdy0PF-44pLY-WPK1JPxtVFj2AIO-qLO2o_aUW4QzbPRXYEmpg93MwZf" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This pic below is a 360 photo. Click on it to see it in 360 mode, (on a computer drag the image with your cursor: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Y2Lnkinn3wchVyt6">https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Y2Lnkinn3wchVyt6</a>)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Y2Lnkinn3wchVyt6" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(17,85,204);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:255px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1QLGcclsXUNgZDawjJsXkvIYymPi-6mXRy2I2Cv5gA3ZUvqfa5LKhFHnsf7NWw_3x1hDCZvJ8L-Zy6xLjGEdc0ASUiW9DBr8eIsGfqy2yqTbkQ_ttrhrVU9fUmc4eiJDM1YEt-vG" width="509" height="255" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></a></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">More snow.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:285px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/YsCVBDpBEweCQvT6NzwyZI20OEDLLxExAmu6gKTSxeq43jMtUNXOBBMY_vcbRloTMTpZzo0O5AnXxPpYhCNZyfb1Lkbc0J0dGKRVduRaBYAlIXAopkwhHSce2P7IRvG9stj_PIXv" width="509" height="285" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VMIEv6tre4slQndEC2QpFTHU7_hGbNxWZc0-VQWCZsyVLfoNRUlNHXHITYmG7UK3gykovex7vvh0UohCexaVwivnoKdO9lSjEMjE8__OwJ2WZ0-Z5A69B00rRIjdCSepX-aC9L_r" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The first rifugio. There are countless rifugios in this area. Some of them have steep, rugged roads that get to them, many of them have a cable car system that brings supplies from down in the valley. It's an incredible resource, and really encourages people to get out in nature and hike. They also have a menu of incredibly tasty food, really good prices, and friendly servers. Every time I come here I can't believe what a treat these places are, and how the economics work to support it. It's a national treasure!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xVetAJRMVl52V4nh0ccK5fvMhPiuN4QQ7fEvpL3r8gOQzOfKmpiX4WzV1UyvtI55ZwJCTEj7CDjoTB31yGuDciF0oTm-X2sptyeif63XJwxOggPMstv1sztjpzuSC4ip_o0CI9pX" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">These curtains of icicles were melting and collapsing as I watched.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_9sHVxfCLI19CxeHPLcbI4at3XPMGzl0vuH2SXV1uDqE-QCAOtGuueBdxfVyejN48wBPwSwmTeIs4YvLT18-Hpzi_BKRXOqa8oviMw_WErZ0CoklRVWvqQpV6NwMDOyP2f3n5-O0" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Beautiful!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/C8SSaCwFzqVn1hSi0xwzigdu0z_6rSUnxU_KgUl5EVM49GQdWIfzPBb1Fv3SzxqyrDgaiSG_S6kM5JXx_YynC-rv9Fko0y5fAwSbA9JryH3q7IBbPjixXpw81vPFy3Ma5uxmKlkM" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AIr1U3sXDzsUYTzFwc8UdaEt8KguM_zuT3Yh6rWp3QrZGS8PJcfbaw2aylPsL0oPl1CB6gdlKHQPlTnWNq4lWyAZzIfZh8zribL9PRiQyUEjWh5_eKFCOsZz2507pY9F3AzLf3zn" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">If you look carefully in the center right of this photo you'll see the young Belgian woman who I talked to briefly. She was on her own, and walking a very long route. By chance I saw her the next day and she had walked 30 km on this day, 18 miles, with a lot of climbing. On her own, brave young woman!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/g04XUyGoO94RRDFbguw6nsUikREAnppxhBi4aMhDTOSeYcTpAkXhcjtjnKoZquFAM5mzss9JGWxN_8dNUH-wXn5wHCgFHiDA0YnuPEfMDMGTUxRYQ5x8N_5Wg90ZuSwLLIErCa-5" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Many people had come this way before me, and these deep holes formed as result of everyone stepping in the same spot. It was awkward to walk through this, but it didn't last long.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GU_9qfoExESIVq20UDkCbUd0qJ6cdxX8Wepn9Z5kme5vUiFgxMWmWyCBaLzfX5R4yF_R3El8DZjUnLCFpwtd-HFPDs_FFkXNDwxKUaFnEL9TYCsAvaIYQs_p_9ykC_fZpT3vUFMU" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is the highest point of the walk, so there's the most snow here. You can see a horizontal line to the lower left - that is a World War 1 road that the trail follows for a bit. There are some wooden planks to make it easier to pass.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YOmSP60P01LvVV5bFFr30wADPN7BMhVheV6gbhDGe-Mb2UAZeGjKaSvFNDhZ3RN0dJ-XncISHAjJKDZOWFFYwvJUMAV42INR3oaPEm6nNyaM-dVNk5iNITopWn14y-slZlj2QlCu" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This photo is the junction that I missed last time with Julieta. We were supposed to climb over the pass to the right but instead I guided us down the trail to the left. We went a long way before we met a young couple coming up over the top of a cliff, clipped on to a cable with harnesses and wearing helmets. They said you were required to have climbing gear to continue that path. Their eyes were as big as saucers when they realized that we intended to go that way! "It's not possible!" they said. Yeah, ok, oops, my bad. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:195px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JACEByMpJiH9p-hWHCtaC2YFfBuozJFqTgIYyLkYyyTK1qigZ2Majm86emBNLiTOO3vpQroFqTxZOtCNYzZbOavdIzDO-t1x4uURqwhojJgYiw1xn0jl9jAkcu5EsDiL9S0ALeVn" width="509" height="195" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">At this point the trail went down steeply, and there was quite a bit of snow and ice. I saw a couple coming up, and as I was about to ask them if it was icy, I slipped and landed really hard on my rear end and back, and my water bottle was right underneath me. It's still sore, a week later. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/K-kKVdgisa3SCoQKrfdH0pJOUfX8tjBADCpThUpZHx5Oehfv1t0EF99-D-SSePu53dOD_9JG8A1kma8-xfyteQOg0B6tK_NgvTnr9Ovjrzy9Ty3Vod3CT766urNVdagmQHpZIpz5" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The path goes horizontally under the cliffs to the left, and above the lakes.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:231px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/5wnSvTTEK8d7iJhSl3Wk-c6wJ-i45xUfMQwWZlsTMaRPY7tWT8qyvGBSvx3h6lx8f9AcclgSNg7UhVrRAkfY1v8xe-cOVOA9MIVLXwKCCr2xVuYglrWrUXmD6BbuxHo2thZIZ5o3" width="509" height="231" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It's pretty darn steep, and feels like if you started sliding it wouldn't be so easy to stop.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/pgXlLhO-0QoyyCuBP8BV5jN1aDm5R_BrR2H3C06e4ZQPyPEs9mjfxPz318705q9_SC6PjH_uk-EyjcYs8ztrEfJlKnS9HSW8TDODIBGdQan_xGIQlYrlqgQkC9MQfECwsSbdJ3kP" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Okay, I'm getting close to Rifugio Locatelli, where Julieta and I had spent the night.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:365px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SLAYiY8SOEEf-T_MW8a5Mj1iIpxE_2B6SnYlHamfT7aCL6VaPakRUH4vKLeRrx5Ja53Kpp0rSR_nWSl1Z4XP-X3yoZH-842xzYQuCGF-a4aNVcYGTFN2bjKZlmzpfrL1Tj1-ceYC" width="509" height="365" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is Tre Cime, the most photographed piece of rock in the entire Dolomites. Not a fair representation of it when it's foggy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HJhnzAKtO0383awBp7L8vBD0jAA2OIWCEoo5cuVpUFsyWKrC8itTSEzmg_r1e-zPHrHvgoi56TVAzR_3U2xGLCVzaL4JimFoGX3DbhQdnho7VAN1Kz315VPlPslmCrgVLx3uw2yg" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Lunch! Polenta with cheese and mushrooms. Stick to your ribs good, and I think it was around $12? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/1CFjkc_DC7gOHryQMAZHdjRqJdEtCINr7zB7b1eGqF2eeVXMkXaimw0ZIQ5w63fzF3e8AyDYcoR0y4VMadW5K2MRxrUmMLEmiTQVWHYq0I6Z3C4bf9dgJng0hgj_ayJZ2UbDn6Yk" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Now I'm walking back down the hill into the valley from the other side. Beautiful rock formations here. And everywhere!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gc9QCc2icmSspfyeYDvRIGxxtg4u7r-veL0YgkpYZtkLz1tdFASA7HJkjYzsu3LQnevvqMtSo_0nP7fYWyJ-IzI4F5CY4uSKeHrnx-YkyU_tIlbMpGH5bS_ifaidKuMHtvnTzTYV" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:373px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/N7dsWBK0rrdm_3LzfgWWVuA2IxUP9mYPTL1TiJtGVs-NFxu01RxiWmDP5Lwcpu5ydeOdx-URgKhLlL0nWtKoNSlLlvZ8V6wwXr1--4pV7r6pdEv_FHxug5Oj2psVL7kPFv7cwo2b" width="509" height="373" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Just near my van, after most of the low-lying snow had melted. I was beat! And I was happy! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/igOncsnhXEBH6ZZRw8DSSf5jqekV10_CCh1_uwwT1SCu4_ibCb9NrmKd_76VM58he5mJ83wzBUTtNOGDk3KfCaPJin1lPSSSTEV2G-UZ6nij8eYofZqCe_zMIddtqZ05RrqlJFyK" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(The End)</span></p><br><br></div> Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-46329558168702968672020-09-17T15:23:00.001-07:002020-09-17T15:37:26.483-07:00Rifugio Padova hike, Dolomites, Italy<div dir="auto"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Rifugio Padova hike, Italy</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">September 17, 2020</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Indeed, one of the highest pleasures is to be more or less unconscious of one's own existence, to be absorbed in interesting sights, sounds, places, and people. Conversely, one of the greatest pains is to be self-conscious, to feel unabsorbed and cut off from the community and the surrounding world."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> ~ Alan Watts</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">After trying to cross the border from Croatia north into Slovenia and Italy, I was rejected on the first trip, and told to return the next day. I was concerned about having a negative coronavirus test, but the grumpy border guard really wanted to talk about me overstaying in Italy, (with permission of the government) back when I was stuck in Sicily during the pandemic. The next day it was smooth sailing, evidence that the success of getting across a border can depend on who you happen to get that day. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I worked my way north, not a very long drive actually, and I've arrived today in the eastern side of the Dolomites. My hike today reminded me of why I come here! Even if you're not a hiker, maybe these photos will give you a sense of the appeal of the place.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Please to enjoy, (Why do I phrase it like that?)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Love, Dave</span></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I've never been in this part of the Dolomites before, but it doesn't seem you can make a bad choice.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sjo9OsbIcwvTU9B17qPo45Kw4AGjxoPHY1poK5c7tEyI0IamPc579sAgcSmZVPD2pyOePYyeucnf6KB0v6M3CxVi1aZ_7oQSSETOk0XKw7FsJJL865EGMEeQE3F2o_uGBnhneyd6" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I'll take that little cabin in the woods, please.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7r82EejWvboYppPUjJO0xkoh0xAndptg_z1PqBKY_G3uXxxr7kpj47FfTyP_TpQVXDPcJhrpjM3i9Og39RpnsbuSLtx351dEpUpiYUeapboFAD9qzJEVcZfb_pkdciP3puM9RyO7" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dramatic!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cghRcGHHkaltUt7-eF0LpY7iNBptPettWJfkgCv_i_IqeCLLvWodhJ70aaZuCSLqWyr0yeivmwZMVXUaW-pcjLfWh3PGWwQ_AkOzZQoWyZoZFEZFeTmcJnb0Gs_DqEHr8Z2LkKK_" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I had to cross the stream at one point, jumping over stones and trying to keep my feet dry, mostly successfully.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KfXctNT6zuG_t1FeOMqT3yr9oO_44pEoiJjphJhAyO5OuAywN4lXdfGrw3lwgiehy5JgK4DKfcJKZIK8_OrSVNhu-8r4Z18XCRMzYhNxxP4dBNb-WfcOvmo2v4nfyD5NTEUH0dzW" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It was quite a lot of climbing from the start of the hike to here, much of it steep.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Ng13zlZEwT3DgroRz--BD5A8Vu8J-EAspEAiEk8wGE60pAZL7kiT-OBlPa1XkVwtJpqgNML9dGjkk4NdZdalTv6kvqQ1KdJloGVvKvukIZ4Rz3wpnYGkDd2czwt69dWoYx8Cqh2T" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">What might look like snow is actually the scree, it's called, basically the eroded gravel-type rocks from the upper portions spilling down below.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fVChYiecYidtsC9yJJe7dUcdYh1iOele_eAY9QeRTJyeLuE7BBEqCheGabCEOTHzwnNmbDMEk7HoXAw2gSpyZcjYplX2IN6J6N-aNO9qMntNXt1st5vW-XqSVOU9R-ISKVbRtHH_" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The first three hours of the hike I didn't see a single person. When I got to this rifugio there were two couples that looked to be maybe older than me. I'm amazed sometimes who I see in these places. This is not a simple walk! But I guess it shows that most anyone can do it if they apply themselves and work up to it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Bk5XvxOMbiClE_3ckp9SUiB2H42UFD4MUdSf-x5-UhUflB8lfmZjKSFEtamC1WUqfYj8HOGrPDHpe59JMHS-CZg8aKzCs9tNOHbRsOr9ZOUCUqKpW-_umXBw-54n5thG22WoBIb2" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is taken from inside the rifugio.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WEjCtPlSMox5HfLTfAgeLGhTlAoyi0SbVTnX2c3kba5OYKhYzxdeZF1tpiU7xlXysU178doA1zkFYZo_BALBP-5-cbJL_KG0JhLKjkhxc1A38IuZh7Q0X7WMZdyHOlk8cyXrN5jt" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I come from California where it may not get one day of rain in an entire summer. This is what happens when it rains regularly! I love that deep green of the grass.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bmiPgOYiWr-MPM9bfCiPg2ADN_vm8ARg1QPwyGDp7YMVXbg6GiMQT7FEWuKlLtdewZ1g8OVSPd9DX7ukkACROH2cilwvxJefYa-TUu4lqa5kA0E3jRXbOytQEG6cjXqNmdcg30vN" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Can't say that I would like to be a cow, but if I had to be one...</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/g5sFhd_pp6HmX8PwMEwt1nH0VJKNr-l-_q6_cLXNJCg4vRgz_JMJVyGBkhT5wY_jdT2qRE2x1ULSuymrc7xbvHj6H-fH7x8UAh8cHIR7WciN8PepPQ_5TKmg5hWDKP5SfWchFog3" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This big meadow is getting close to the start of the walk so I'm coming back down.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YMvFyEH01Os95_1nXv0OhueVttdu7A00mdXcSq1l62GJh6DqZMXE_KXkEMHOvBETlcwU-H-FXbKlbBaKJnC2KgqaOaaT-KXSPR3cxPkMupVUBrJRNEpxTYQkvvhu1er1TI0uN4yr" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Agriculture and farming over many hundreds of years, (potentially thousands?) have affected the land quite substantially. I've never understood how here and in Switzerland, for example, raising animals looks like some landscaped garden, while in the US it's more likely to look like some post-apocalyptic nightmare.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/UxJ1jtsrYiyvTTBQ9gS9VChgKaA4xuypAb-mRC41myPam45m4_hJoCH2j7rq_O8uCg7PKFRfSSZFxBA5tVMMFmnylUjVIxrl42bs3vd8XcqNixoGfLgmb8Z_HY54XUV590UV8ZjT" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I always have so much energy when I start the walks and forget how it feels walking back. By the time I got down to my van today I was pretty well beat! </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/OrSf7foNaxfuuo1P7kFOTk-8b-CmpzYoqCNOuZSeNDnbNqqY4aGHYlLMvE9uEUKB5sIAe-p38ogYFiz2qIJPX6FKyXcjTJkgwKvW4fjewAlrMqmJUGIln0YuLp_GvnXnK6vvz7EW" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(The End)</span></p><br></div> Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-82991761958988742232020-08-31T10:30:00.000-07:002020-08-31T10:31:37.582-07:00A wander though the lanes of ancient Split, Croatia<div dir="auto"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A wander though the lanes of ancient Split, Croatia</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-size:11pt">Is there really such a thing as bad news?</span><br></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">August 31, 2020</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Peace isn't an experience free of challenges, free of rough and smooth; it's an experience that's expansive enough to include all that arises without feeling threatened."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> ~ Pema Chodron</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">What a week! As in, wow do I get a do-over on this week? And the usual answer: no amigo, you don't. My 1991 VW camper van, with 355,000 kilometers (220,000 miles) has always used a fair amount of oil, but it recently started burning more oil, and putting out more visible exhaust from the tailpipe. I took it to a mechanic and he gave me the unhappy diagnosis - the engine needs to be rebuilt. How much does that cost, how long would it take, where should I get it done, can I still drive it, I'm on vacation how dare you give me this bad news! Is it still a vacation when you've been at it for 10 years? Hey it's my vacation and I get to set the rules! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">There's not enough time to repair it before I have to leave on the 11th of September, yes I can still drive it, yes I will be embarrassed by the amount of smoke it puts out, no I don't know where I can get it repaired. One possibility is that I buy a new-to-me/used camper van in Germany. Details to be determined, but that's a cool idea. And probably still get the engine redone, who knows. It depends on me being allowed back in Schengen, which isn't a given.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The day after I got the news about my van I went to see the local glaucoma specialist and got another unhappy diagnosis. My glaucoma is worse, my eyes are for shit, and it wouldn't be so bad if I was 80 years old, according to the doctor. If I got to choose, which I don't, I would rather have two broken vans in exchange for two eyes that worked.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">But what does it mean to have bad news? Is there objectively such a thing? Bad news really means nothing more than: this is unpleasant, and I wish it was different. I have a simple saying that I like: "That's not a problem, that's a condition." No one wants their car to break down and no one wants to have problems with their eyes. But vans break down, and bodies break down, and one day, sooner than we would like, it all breaks down, everything, without exception. Make peace with that fact! You don't have to wonder if it's true. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">So what's the best solution for me and my broken down van and my broken down eyes? Duh, it's to go hiking in the Dolomites in northern Italy, one of my favorite places in the world to hike. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hike like that. (Neither do you, by the way…) So get at it while the getting's good! As I like to say, don't go hiking to be happy; be happy, and go hiking!</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I'm not quite as casual as I sound. I'm really not happy about my new conditions. But it's all kind of obvious if you think about it - I just don't get a choice, and neither do you. Live your fleeting and precious life like it's temporary. Because it's temporary! </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Love always, lovely people!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dave</span></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Just after my glaucoma diagnosis I was sitting in my van pondering the news and wondering what to do, and I decided to go visit the ancient old town of Split.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4aoS8gKx7FGaZrufss6Mu56bwuTZuMrjGeedac_Z91E2nUuXzRVdtbBHUzv4emvEzhhOaUhJy2yFNVr571axi-zFCi2nEJ8_TGrdvrr2f_TMgwC2bwmsWvm_UOC_0TgY3hTxjmUK" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It was built in 305 AD as a palace for the retiring Roman emperor, Diocletian. It really was a massive undertaking, parts of which you can still see.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Sl0-Suzuvfs9zr1TF0PnfLz_BRxQOBp_SvnEmErtamwbmf1ey8ah68LuL3r3rMi3eyaZgo1LdzVu92dTPm60tZ-DNQ-NX-t88Iy-xRZZKM5a0rwJ39y4hrNXao5C3YjjDqgu2bqr" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I always find these things funny, a museum based on TV show that's a few years old in a city that's 1,600 years old. It reminds me of when I went to Salzburg, Austria and saw all the Sound of Music tours. Seriously?!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cFUH7RayKimiX8jZYYF_W8ffl6vI9L4f3Ghv3_0RI4s3J6V4dQZtrxnJr8jVKivBr9E5GffgtXyYMBuIlvlunAyl5RdiODObMsQAmemcdCxLOC_nf-6YvwK42jRMnOLfXvYsDvRq" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is one of the entrance gates leading into the old city.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:426px;height:758px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KAB3e6DazYlGdYQLJ7Kx_HmIFAvkroibyglHVVuybts4Mksb_h18-vgQjjgf9j0WwB2MJ1FCXQKwPNWR7T7eWjrhQeMxdft7I9hOH0B126XO8_bE7vtXX_a-9YlzbG2cGgvJdHWa" width="426" height="758" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I'm trying to work on my addictive stone obsession. Just kidding, I'm not working on it at all! I love it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:675px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BvrUClcHZIePv3VX97IcmscEb4blfLDr0on_EljKbiy7DeQMMAZmKynaAr4hSf3z5NERnwDaOXfraMBEyE33FZ2lPDWSHOFYdlGPrmqxmDlGj60kuai2rptQECR68FAL6JUsnahE" width="509" height="675" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Roman legions happened to be walking by. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Bqk6QEv_vX8XraQvRibzbvbnXBZvs9a5-jxTsCXVNbrGdoTvAKzCzaJ-TC74K4OqunYbL9jUgGbV8S2PlFUz1hxdN1fCKfLJ-SyPCUPbzf0g9wuk4YZKHtwMSh3qwFoez4yOUQ3V" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is one of the main fortified entrances into the city. It's designed so you could easily surround attackers to defend the palace.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:500px;height:399px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KXWDKg8D_tZs2X8Z2hVMa4QYp7LvTN4CtbOhgSv_xrUzqPGUTYkzEi22b2PQz9mpeSHIywh5zRYM_3-NCYJMDeI46cUOD_F8mzhH4UR8dGOWgxNIXOicKi8mC8B7MqE4Z1omvrZ_" width="500" height="399" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Look at the thickness of those stone walls! Incredible.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:465px;height:827px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4v5Yc62snJmJVbI777mCw0oMH5hs7ktnsp3OrZxCpaDu-T8nD9OTMuf_958vZF9X9QNRJosuZVU4U3DZdySIjnPUyxcdSFgVetp_8g7ArrHogij9V7uyJP86w5SeUMIe-VwcTQy8" width="465" height="827" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is a fancy carved arch above an entry door to a palace that was built in the middle of the 15th century.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4Or5et7qfM0Ew-MFhnskzkOL7iqHngeIpM496JF0kGvWsOKqdYpCpi_zYhKETv-4_PqMRqRPUV-iWLWuMCGaUfm0IpyepENZqx0uyIao54P6B2TprU-WZM5zrNCcWA3AcL0rZPKP" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Most of what you can see here is supposedly from the original construction of the palace. It all looks ancient to someone like me, but a lot can change in 1,600 years. Some of it might be only like a 1,000 years old.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cQE1vhabN50kMyV7JYD3CSRM-Op71nBu7yXLFvz8M2Iam82HgRUkU0PHB37yU_kvOfoXn-D2n10DNRjfRGPGL9aRgvC42Xpo0CF5dpzCTbHatOaFqZJ72jJ8tp3bOtgsmAoyK3lS" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is a central square of the palace. There are red marble columns that were brought in from Egypt, along with Sphinx statues. A guide could talk for an hour about what you can see in this photo. I'm not that person. So, walking forward and underneath that arch you come to...</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:372px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/D-odH7BrfwJfUzoyfEqaqymmzmHH9QEcfya_Eqm6hJz4gUtlWUSI5IdLFAUA1GSfmQk-Y0zqIv_MKZk-It67sD9nzemeX-BdU55adYP-GRlzNlgSBMq8j3rMb8xPvzJ00VmrNhIp" width="509" height="372" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">… the sea front, which has been greatly expanded since the original construction. Back then it was a relatively small stone dock which they think was built primarily for a quick escape in the event of an attack.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/v65z3vvBrhKa_cyhXeOv8S4C8X7wzR_AuA_GmFWF5x7GZR6Urm-JSN0wcPgI4okIRVy9ygmGSP-ai5ay4WulcascWcWgaDheK-vl6YiYKNl1ctGZmJV5TvMPl9Iq92z4CClz0X4M" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This is one of the most popular and visited parts of the old city, called the Riva. Lined with restaurants and bars, and just behind them is the palace walls.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sEYChCg_3F2jmcfKGQRvfDfQ_0BV9nkaJdLOeflS-nuwuoPgebAndSdqPMs8Fcnzs5VM7-MPKLs-Agrnv0Dz5p74x0px1KETQoXoFpC2GZkRroNMZ2iMVKWub-b7XJIsJv_ZzF9v" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(The End)</span></p></div> Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-12672803191523426812020-08-15T15:04:00.001-07:002020-08-15T15:06:19.169-07:00Croatian Conundrums: Plitvice National Park<div dir="auto"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Croatian Conundrums: Plitvice National Park</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">August 15, 2020</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Life is tragic simply because the earth turns and the sun inexorably rises and sets, and one day, for each of us, the sun will go down for the last, last time. It seems to me that one ought to rejoice in the fact of death--ought to decide, indeed, to earn one's death by confronting with passion the conundrum of life. One is responsible for life: It is the small beacon in that terrifying darkness from which we come and to which we shall return."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> ~ James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I realized 10 days ago that I had been in Europe for a full year, a first for me. I also realized that I have been traveling without a laptop computer for that same amount of time. The things I'm able to do on my phone would have seemed like science fiction a few years ago. I'm able to procrastinate at a really incredible pace, not many people can keep up. Are you just a beginning procrastinator? Well don't aspire to my lofty attainments, because it will just leave you frustrated. Don't put off everything at once, spread them out.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I've been in Croatia now for two full months, which leaves me only one more month before I need to exit. I've spent most of my time in the mountains, around a thousand meters elevation where it's dramatically cooler and more comfortable for me. Plus I love hiking in the mountains, and I think laying in the sun is a kind of torture anyway. I still haven't been in the sea once the whole time I've been here.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">For the last couple weeks I've been working my way south, in the direction of Split, one of my favorite areas in Croatia. I've been mountain-hopping on the way, but yesterday I realized that I was driving through Plitvice. It's one of the most popular tourist destinations, and deservedly so. I'd been there four years before and thought about not going at all this time. At the last minute I thought, why not, just go in for a short visit since you're here. Hence, this scintillating text followed by some photos that may be worth your time.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Does it really make a difference, ultimately, what holiday destination we choose, or where we go for dinner, or what dish we order when we're there? Sometimes it seems like it does, but I can tell you with some degree of certainty: it does not. These fleeting experiences, they may seem magnificent or special or boring in the moment, but none of them persist. They come, last for some time, and then go. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Confronting with passion the conundrum of life," Mr. Baldwin says. What do you think he means by that? More importantly, what would YOU mean by that?? It's worth a ponder…</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Love always, even when I don't write,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dave</span></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The river that runs through this park is really incredibly clear, and parts of it are an amazing turquoise blue.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:207px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ZPxgwGHzjWB6tlWaR5UPwCeYG1BFW0S2ZHKa833GlJDGrnVN_QFXaOwNSYDh6q3p7MLH0XNtvFrrwL-HKS-FC8Y-ucg0ZW0u0Ir7SaGI0zlK12hW2YoSb7MaObchhXizaYqOLsWC" width="509" height="207" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I didn't boost the colors on these photos, although I can't speak for the intentions of my camera. You may know that modern camera phones are designed to produce photos that are pleasing to our senses. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:465px;height:827px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ea7vNphYTqedsCuQFMiYEUnxE5rwZSf5r1H0U6xrBhcuFbMKjvaurmmp3GTeByInAp6uD5fIwdFtAAS5E_-3_lSXboLOkR0W1bVZFWLgvDnUqg7qyHj2UwKIOSXs5kOwiKnvsYzK" width="465" height="827" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Some phones will try to capture more realistic colors, while others will boost the intensity of the colors. But enough of that for now, it looks like some waterfalls are peeking through the branches of the trees.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8SvNwLBMfX9lEMF23JANoeUM6ypHAVF8ahlTKcRc5DTkkyU9T8jdJVhsl72YXO4sRqlCJeHbP5_c_KRBOhg-1iTssUazO0xBMvLro5rlbG8G0Nkbc-HTBtnmIgH0Hi6cDgp0rAHi" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">That seems a little unlikely now, doesn't it?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:465px;height:827px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/D1tUV2RXHuRq3NorZG2-wtDvRuuCEA6udC8Gt7FldcBu0GixpUo-DF3tnl8zEqSaQXGgYZrEB8H5ArDjudJSEx7I9unX2LHTzNtSyW_zNbBzqeFw7s6E0dzLYClZEwycEa-ec-KM" width="465" height="827" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">More like impossible! The water is filled with a mineral that tends to bind and grow where there is pressure, for example the water running over the top of the rock. As a result it naturally tends to level itself out and make these amazing waterfalls where the flow is not centered in one spot.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SoS8IAcKMCJl3Ezv8p5T-98y2qki8whIBHBIIJwcGhVkJiZdi35oG08pfuXimbn8m3Jj0bCOOwPMXzyxfD2UPk-r-raC5jpmriqVjbghlbE2WjhX-U0Jj-bgL6UMGA2Es_Xm4e4z" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This waterfall is challenging the theory from my last paragraph.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:465px;height:827px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HCgr3h50jz7KaN_dzF5iogtONMC79GLh4TtcGzSjgo9TTDvWTUTlUIovn_e5IbW3py9uHpPQHJa17CtWnuoj2w3hL5NppvkaYpFan3hyM-WEvhwKO7TrDj8Pu6EdsfzpZysd0EuH" width="465" height="827" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It looks like I'm here by myself taking photos. What you don't see are oh-so-many people taking selfies and posed couple photos, blocking the rather narrow wooden boardwalk. I think they may have been overcome with their own beauty and couldn't simultaneously contemplate that there were others in their world. It must be dangerous for Narcissus to be surrounded by so much water.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1CJGCyhaics4tt8air7cy9I67hZwsZQ1FIlozGmtpt5PVRy1J6mKL8D5_qYrgM7SWajNyeHNmu6VkwZ6919yhe0xigsI_ztDc4zNWay1S06eU2-PX49TESKkqawKmdWQLqp4AB5J" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I'm not sure what makes this photo thinks that he belongs in this collection.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AkWrNUgrswXmKgQK3nunPyhzULvUikNvRdTCu2nzmQL1hnauIenJ_UFNCC8FCk10ReaaI4-ZzTUkUmJBHFLV-Ez1f1n5hyjnl9tmniu7gv6h9HkiF4Yr7jQl9UQKbgM00V_Jh-hh" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The up close and personal waterfall. Perfect for: Narcissus selfies! I don't have any false teeth yet, but I kind of whistle when I say that.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:465px;height:827px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cUVHaB5uQdNLUDAT0ecD1jAYShOjUFZYlBXr-Il50Y2sabO6WYGJDA8UWk3v3LwW9PYJCZkuLCUdxD6mIFtYY7SRQw-v6Sbt0Nc75QBZBuBGKizSMr0NKtCEJoAzz9jtQad_Mgq5" width="465" height="827" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This waterfall works its way through the forest in a place where it doesn't seem like there should be a river.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:387px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hP1KmABIRoytKT4i2nBkcXwbrvPJXL-LOZCkLsOt08xfedSyi8FJ6_hxI41AluDCueBjtWyjlbJEnLWdEFVPCiA8UIFKCFRaBU5XIoZnatj4dcJGAqED9TK0h5NRoP3YDlsKqe1V" width="509" height="387" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">There are kilometers of boardwalk that run through the park, and endless pools.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:383px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zM9R80VCpIfhdZRo60lYgzhCn7QSt0W6T93yMPKXai927A6dWKh8Tu5mdkgFeP96W3XT3hfwW7iS-Lc9f8TPs18t1AsPxKEnnRAOF9a76Dshuv0uoJWr-yZRFwYzezFa9norbiD_" width="509" height="383" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">At 2:02 p.m., here comes the little ferry to take us across this narrow part of the river.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xjMFCjzNniNKWR5yn2sUBjvoap7fUKzVa1jkrLGPGHWYXvcj-W6aW3E1Ur3SiWxkJgv6JEvXlkYgIFaU3xXF_hE4D0O4rvs5tUNpjmHLoICb-Y3xmH8tbUv4pPj2zNkcMMvxYQep" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">By 2:06 p.m., it was raining buckets.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:509px;height:287px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/q6JXF4M9HcJ0c-Km-JCue0Q3FeUSl06mmKyY2-iGXej0ZyBYqsSGkbiLVR18ZNv-z0_EYOgRj1tKMuKcqn96KbDNqtNQcyDX9MnYzglMCFiM8imRPe-uYVs5KUsi6uYuj8lp9OYR" width="509" height="287" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Good job Dad! I walked from that little boat to where I'm standing to take this photo, and within that short period I was soaked to the skin. Seemed like a good time to call it a day...</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;width:413px;height:232px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fSF_8fz2hBvz1vxq3XcoZ08CPx45FQ9oi9N3Dbl0qLd5h4T3Cl4YGvDde6Xj6SF6rN4UjU8QbaRxJfHJZohqlyoVKUqKn5nfg1m0GO7JEzlOXS3dSS65c1VHf-_5uHXy3OxEab6E" width="413" height="232" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(The End)</span></p></div> Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-66586706569184784462020-04-19T15:13:00.001-07:002020-04-19T15:18:48.239-07:00Lockdown jailbreak! Ragusa, Sicily<div dir="auto">
<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; color: rgb(52 , 73 , 94); display: block; font-size: 1.25rem;">April 19th, 2020</span><br />
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Lockdown jailbreak! Ragusa, Sicily</h2>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">"If all you did was just looked for things to appreciate, you would live a joyously spectacular life."</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><i style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">~ Esther Abraham Hicks</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Today was Day #Infinity of my lockdown here in Ragusa, Sicily. I was looking at photos on my phone, and it turns out that I used to travel around to different countries, go hiking, sit close to friends, even hug them! Can you imagine. It's like I had a whole life that involved other people, and other places beyond this hotel room. Maybe I'm just dreaming it, the whole thing. My phone, the photos on it, the places I think I went. Imagine that you're living in a simulation that is so rich and textured and feels so "real" that you don't know if this is actually your life as it seems, or just an illusion. How would you know? How COULD you know?! Short version: you could not know. Therefore: you Do Not Know! Whoa.</span></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">But I digress. I was imagining or pretending to be complaining about lockdown. I haven't taken a single walk in weeks, unless you count the two minutes to walk to my van, plus the (bonus!) two minutes to walk back. I have never been so excited in my life to go get cash from the ATM (cash machine!) It was thrilling. I didn't see any police, though I really expected to be stopped. Don't tell anyone that I didn't take the exact shortest route.</span></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Lockdown is going well for me. The only problems I have are the same imagined ones I have when I'm not in lockdown: procrastination, too much time on my phone even when I'm not enjoying it, feeling like I should be doing something different than I am - even though I (used to?) have this long-standing question: is there something that needs doing? Other than taking care of this body and doing my taxes, I'd have to say there is really nothing that <i style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">needs</i> doing, and I wouldn't be happier, "better," more fulfilled, or more worthy if I decided that there was something that was lacking that I needed to resolve. Hint for the advanced class: nothing is lacking, not for any of us. Relax, be happy, you are complete just as you are. Only your mind and misunderstanding get in the way of knowing that for yourself. Go forth, and do, if you want! But not to fill a hole or because you'll be a better you. Do it for the love of it and for the love of yourself. Good enough!</span></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Did someone feed me some magic mushrooms or something? Criminy, where's this letter coming from or going. Yeah, you got me - no idea.</span></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Enjoy some photos from my Grand ATM Adventure today...</span></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Love always,</span></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Dave</span></div>
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This is the reverse view from what you might know, being up the hill looking back down onto my hotel, "Il Davemo," I call it when no one is around to correct me. In the lower center of the photo you can see a red building. That's the hotel, and if you squint you can see my balcony. It also gives a better perspective for how steeply the hill rises behind the hotel towards the new part of town.</div>
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I kind of wanted to buy this building and renovate this beautiful old building. But it's a 17th century church, so that might not go over so well. But I wouldn't actually buy it, I just want to think I'll buy it. That's fulfilling enough for me!</div>
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It's a ghost town! I did see a few people out, maybe six people in half an hour of walking. I heard music and talking coming from inside some apartments. I wanted to go in!</div>
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My new best friend! Oh wait, I didn't get enough money. Shoot, I have to go back tomorrow and get more.</div>
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To be honest, this place wasn't busy at all when I arrived in February. Hey! I just realized, that was two months ago today! But the town would be jumping by now normally.</div>
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I love this view.</div>
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I love this view too.</div>
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Maybe I like all the views. Stone, people! It mesmerizes me. Arches, especially. And tunnels, also especially. Question: did I "choose" to like stonework so much? Could I "choose" to not like it? Well, if I didn't choose it, who did?! Wouldn't that imply that I'm not really in charge?? (Uh oh, the mushrooms seem to be kicking in again!)</div>
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(The End)</div>
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ps No mushrooms were harmed in the making of this newsletter.</div>
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Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-23143393375350928162020-03-15T14:35:00.001-07:002021-10-06T01:27:06.578-07:00Lockdown in Sicily: First month of WhatsApp group posts<div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #34495e; font-size: 1.25rem;">February 19th, 2020</span><br /></div><div dir="auto"><h2 style="background-repeat: no-repeat; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.625rem;">Lockdown in Sicily: First month of WhatsApp group posts</h2><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 0px 0px 5px 5px; padding: 0.625rem 1rem;"><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Oh, my lovely neglected friends. It's not for lack of travel pearls that I haven't been posting. More like too much to post, and wanting to capture a moment and its personal significance, as it happened. That's not easy for me. But you know what is easy? Putting it off. Not satisfying, at all. Welcome to MY life, and its little problems.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I started an experiment, a WhatsApp group - a one-sided conversation, because I'm the only one who can post. It suits me to make shorter posts more frequently. You are free to join the group if you're interested. You'll need a WhatsApp account (free and easy to get) and then, with your phone, click this link:</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/DULwNwVd1nd1iIU2ooKyyZ" rel="noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1abc9c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://chat.whatsapp.com/DULwNwVd1nd1iIU2ooKyyZ</a></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><div dir="auto">All the photos and text below are from the posts to that WhatsApp group.</div><div dir="auto"></div></div><div dir="auto" style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I'm on lockdown in Sicily, and I have to say it's odd and really enjoyable. Some of the story is in the posts below. The rest of it I'll tell on another blog post, or never. I have lost all hope of being a reliable blogger. This post is kind of long, sorry. They start well before coronavirus was on my personal radar. That Has Changed. Enjoy!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Feb-13-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Today I'm wandering around Marsala, at the most western point of Sicily - while I wait for my van to be repaired. This is an amazing crossroads of Mediterranean history. Founded by the flipping Phoenicians, for a start.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/30d14a45-22b7-484f-a8fa-f14fb6e00f78.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/30d14a45-22b7-484f-a8fa-f14fb6e00f78.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1526" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Feb-15-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Italy is trying to kill me again. I'm in Selinunte, Sicily, which was a large Greek city 2,500 years ago. They think maybe 30,000 people lived here. Ouch, it hurts so good.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/ada732e5-2ec3-4d7e-8dc3-768e0fdab0e7.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/ada732e5-2ec3-4d7e-8dc3-768e0fdab0e7.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1599" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Feb-17-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Agrigento: As I was hiking up the hill, away from yesterday's Greek ruins, I saw this one from a distance that I'd missed. Oops. So I went back today on my way out of town. Built around 450 B.C., burnt down a few years later by the Carthaginians (who are they), restored much later by the Romans, collapsed, restored, restored again. And so it goes. A lot can happen in 2,500 years.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/05509e1b-4702-4926-9175-aa7eca190350.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/05509e1b-4702-4926-9175-aa7eca190350.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1599" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">From yesterday, the Temple of Concordia viewed from a distance. It's one of the best preserved ancient Greek temples, partly because it was converted into a Christian basilica in the 6th century.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/786dac3b-2a8d-477e-a965-785fda49535c.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/786dac3b-2a8d-477e-a965-785fda49535c.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="900" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Feb-18-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I took the video from the other day, slowed it down, and changed the music to a live recording (low quality) from a few weeks ago in Italy. I love the music and wish I had a better recording. But the whole point of the original post was to easily share something Google made me. Now I'm editing a slideshow video that I would have never made on my own, because I don't like that format, at all. Go figure.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://youtu.be/XP2_gar6-jk" rel="noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1abc9c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/XP2_gar6-jk</a></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">This is the wild-eyed beauty who was playing accordion and singing on the video song. Since I'm only carrying a phone these days for photos, I don't get a chance to take many portraits. I miss them.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/29d2a9e8-db89-46eb-92d7-f8a8d017bd6d.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/29d2a9e8-db89-46eb-92d7-f8a8d017bd6d.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="925" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Feb-19-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I'm Dave Adair, and I approve of this view from my balcony. Ragusa, Sicily. I had no idea what was here, only that I'd heard it was nice. That meant I wasn't prepared for the windy, narrow stone streets on the way, or this view. Some surprises work out better than others.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/cfb7dbab-6dfc-4e91-90a6-d4437d3015e6.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/cfb7dbab-6dfc-4e91-90a6-d4437d3015e6.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1599" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Feb-24-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Ragusa, Sicily, Italy. After swearing to myself that I would prepare my taxes today, I spent the ENTIRE day reading about the coronavirus situation. I wasn't so interested when it was only affecting millions of Chinese a long ways away. But then when it threatens my forever-holiday plans, all of a sudden I'm all over it. Anyway, it's not going away soon and will likely be coming to a movie theater near you. And starring you.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Many tourist-friendly places shut down in winter, so it can be a challenge to find open restaurants. Tonight I walked up steeply, maybe 300 large steps in 10 different staircases to an area with a little more action. Coming back, this Escher-themed house caught my eye. It's really incredible the complexity and beauty of the architecture on these steep hilltop cities. Amazing.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/b9b24423-0627-429f-ac2c-4cbe5d1f7c9f.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/b9b24423-0627-429f-ac2c-4cbe5d1f7c9f.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1034" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">A little fancier architectural style. The sign dates it to the 18th century. I love the arched walkway to the left.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/85a22bff-fbd6-4b38-b5d5-83de88091f1a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/85a22bff-fbd6-4b38-b5d5-83de88091f1a.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="899" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://youtu.be/z8ZSDS7zVdU" rel="noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1abc9c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/z8ZSDS7zVdU</a></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Oh wow, wicked commentary. Come on, just be a lady, how hard can it be? Watch and find out. (Thanks, lovely Lana.)</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Feb-26-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I came out of the restaurant last night and looked up to see this view. I love how the houses wrap around and cling to this giant rock. As startling as this view is to my eyes, it's not uncommon in Italy for villages big and small to be perched high up on top of a hill or mountain. I doubt any new towns would be started there, but these places were built back in the old days when fortifications and defense were paramount. If you couldn't defend yourself, people would just come and take your stuff. Amazing.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/a995f7c2-ce28-4090-ac19-22f56d25d12b.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/a995f7c2-ce28-4090-ac19-22f56d25d12b.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1599" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Feb-27-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">This is "Ragusa Ibla," the old part of town, which was the most developed as of the "big earthquake" in 1693 that locals still refer to. Most of the buildings were destroyed, but not all. The red building on the left is my hotel, which existed prior to the earthquake. The documented history of the area dates to 2,000 B.C., and includes a who's who of that-can't-be-real characters from 6th grade history books: the Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Arabs. Oof, too much history to contemplate, much less really digest.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/8864f0ae-da3a-4561-a624-daf098b123fd.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/8864f0ae-da3a-4561-a624-daf098b123fd.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1600" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, (St John the Baptist.) It was rebuilt on this site after the original one in the old town was destroyed in "the big earthquake of 1693." Started in 1694, then expanded starting 1718. I guess this is the main church in town, but there are MANY more to choose from if this doesn't suit you.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><b style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/53c587ea-921b-4cdd-82b6-2b643d221b81.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/53c587ea-921b-4cdd-82b6-2b643d221b81.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1599" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></b></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Mar-01-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">The moon looks down on Ragusa, Sicily. Oh, man. Maybe I would get used to these views, given time. I don't think so. I went on a crazy walk yesterday. I'm trying to figure out the best way to share the story...</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/df8aaff0-5c63-4225-a96f-f218122c9ca1.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/df8aaff0-5c63-4225-a96f-f218122c9ca1.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1600" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Mar-02-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I went on a nice field trip two days ago, to an ancient catacomb - a burial site inside a cave. The Grotta Delle Trabacche dates to the 4th century. A.D. and was discovered in 18th century. The cave was carved out of the soft rock, and inside there are maybe 50 body-sized "tombs" carved into the rock. Fascinating little place, and nice to be there on my own.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">It was a short walk into this beautiful valley.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/1bb9d48f-14f3-4dd0-9143-15a0696d193a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/1bb9d48f-14f3-4dd0-9143-15a0696d193a.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1376" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">The first view from the entryway.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/adf8f861-1a68-4cd3-bb37-f1c7c899d476.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/adf8f861-1a68-4cd3-bb37-f1c7c899d476.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1599" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Tombs in the ground, more in the walls.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/c601909c-c446-458a-9434-58bb47fef2a8.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/c601909c-c446-458a-9434-58bb47fef2a8.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1287" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">And two large structures with columns, also carved from the stone.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/226d92e0-f2ff-4b2c-96cf-492b74e8ecfa.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/226d92e0-f2ff-4b2c-96cf-492b74e8ecfa.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1313" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">There's a large opening inside these fancier structures.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/b14baa33-9efe-4b73-908a-9eded42ccced.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/b14baa33-9efe-4b73-908a-9eded42ccced.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1599" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/d57f5918-edad-4183-88ab-2a0092c49f57.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/d57f5918-edad-4183-88ab-2a0092c49f57.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1323" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Not all the tombs were adult-sized. Some looked like the size of a child or even a baby.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/5fd35cbe-8c00-455e-bbd5-3e9c44a324fa.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/5fd35cbe-8c00-455e-bbd5-3e9c44a324fa.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1599" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Now, I think a 1,500 year old tomb is damn groovy, and pretty old. But the oldest "undisputed intentional burial site" is 130,000 years old. Ouch, that makes my head hurt.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_religion#Timeline" rel="noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1abc9c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_religion#Timeline</a></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/78b301c6-eb39-44e7-874c-b28599c9c099.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/78b301c6-eb39-44e7-874c-b28599c9c099.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1310" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">The walk back. If you don't think stone walls are beautiful, I'm not sure we can be friends.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/9efd8e2b-599c-4255-87d9-8319640d4179.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/9efd8e2b-599c-4255-87d9-8319640d4179.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1599" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Mar-11-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Lockdown in Ragusa, Sicily, Italy. I went for a short wander at 9 pm to see what's up.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/991fcd0d-7e50-466e-8fdf-de15dbf7b3af.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/991fcd0d-7e50-466e-8fdf-de15dbf7b3af.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1200" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Nothing is up! Everything is closed, and people are indoors. The almost full moon isn't bothered.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/672a8b21-2d68-4d1d-b499-6c5e2837cc67.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/672a8b21-2d68-4d1d-b499-6c5e2837cc67.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1200" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">The church just near my hotel.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/a3a0f005-2708-4535-90f9-67262a41260b.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/a3a0f005-2708-4535-90f9-67262a41260b.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1200" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">And this is my room and balcony. Nice place to be quarantined! I'm free to walk around or hike, can't drive except for groceries, emergencies, or to leave the country, and I have no complaints. I'll write a proper blog post soon. Or maybe never. Brace yourselves, friends, we're just getting started on this coronavirus stuff. Enjoy yourselves, even in the midst of it! ❤</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/21ba9de3-bf67-4618-8cf9-ff50c0be7d63.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/21ba9de3-bf67-4618-8cf9-ff50c0be7d63.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1200" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Uh oh. The BBC is reporting that Italy is closing ALL restaurants. Since I'm in a hotel room with no kitchen, maybe I have to cook in my van in the parking lot? That might work. BBC: "Italy is to close all shops except food stores and pharmacies in Europe's toughest lockdown yet as virus deaths and cases continue to mount.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said bars, restaurants, hairdressers and non-essential company departments would also close. Home delivery would be allowed."</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/826fd8b7-4639-4d90-b26a-c87c17f0ba3b.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/826fd8b7-4639-4d90-b26a-c87c17f0ba3b.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1600" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Mar-12-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">I woke up on the night, my head spinning with the torrent of breaking news about the coronavirus. Plunging stock market, NBA season suspended, Tom Hanks infected, flights banned from most of Europe to the US, and maybe most importantly in this moment to me: all restaurants in Italy closing. I asked at the hotel reception about their plans, and he said the restaurant closes completely tomorrow, and the hotel too. I'm nodding my head, and then, wait, what? The hotel is closing?! "Yes, but you can stay here if you want." He says there are also many food delivery places. Hey hey hey, things are looking up! There will be no staff at the hotel, only cleaning, but not every day. Good enough for now. (Photo from my last hike before lockdown.)</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/1c883fb6-7323-4e08-8295-7a9ca3466058.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/1c883fb6-7323-4e08-8295-7a9ca3466058.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1600" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Mar-13-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Lockdown update, Ragusa, Sicily. That's my hotel on the left, where I'm now the only person in the building. One customer, no staff. I like quiet, but dang, this is quiet!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/4bf20124-f0fe-4ffd-9923-3d2b03ef42a2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/4bf20124-f0fe-4ffd-9923-3d2b03ef42a2.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1600" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">My van looks a little lonely. Hotel is to the far left.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/e82c449d-2575-45d7-a120-5de8549dea3e.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/e82c449d-2575-45d7-a120-5de8549dea3e.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1600" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">All restaurants are closed, but this guy cooks for his wife and two kids, and is willing to feed me. I'm grateful for that! I had my last breakfast today at my hotel, but the hotel restaurant is shut now. I need to go to the grocery store to buy some food for breakfast/lunch, or just eat one meal a day. Strange and fascinating times. I really need to write a proper blog post. Smooch, peeps!</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/6640ce26-51a9-4dd7-98d4-dfe945c25c1a.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/6640ce26-51a9-4dd7-98d4-dfe945c25c1a.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1600" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; font-weight: bold;">Mar-14-2020:</span></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">A walking tour from "my restaurant" (I'm the only one there, every night) to my hotel. First up, kitty cat looking a little scary.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/bd80ac9e-d538-4305-829a-c1423084d981.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/bd80ac9e-d538-4305-829a-c1423084d981.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1600" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Massive hill, with a massive building perched on top. And at the very bottom of the hill, ballroom sized chambers carved into the rock from old quarries.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/27c2f9f4-2b8f-4a31-b184-8c7a183520cd.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/27c2f9f4-2b8f-4a31-b184-8c7a183520cd.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1200" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Oh, this architecture makes my head spin. I gaze at it, day after day, trying to somehow take it all in. And day after day, I fail.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/5250da27-4b60-4943-b494-b8c8a94ca086.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/5250da27-4b60-4943-b494-b8c8a94ca086.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1200" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">A little round stairway leads upstairs, and a little round stairway leads downstairs, under the arch. Italy is trying to kill me.</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/ac1f42bc-7779-48fc-b88d-c233b89dec7b.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/ac1f42bc-7779-48fc-b88d-c233b89dec7b.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1200" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">Nearer my hotel, stone buildings above stone sidewalks next to stone streets. For someone with rocks in their head, this is paradise. If you grow up with this, it may not seem special. Is it? Really??</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/c1f0ffe8-dbb6-4c18-add4-26cb1647d263.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/c1f0ffe8-dbb6-4c18-add4-26cb1647d263.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1600" /></a><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">From my balcony. How could it be special? It's been like this for 500 years! Ok, so why does my heart skip a beat?</div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><a href="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/8ee364e2-2701-4b3a-8eeb-80d9b963d7b9.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/51a53d38-2f53-4e2b-841f-4c3efcf8c0b9/8b53aa94-f2c5-41d5-adc7-e1144269bbd3/8ee364e2-2701-4b3a-8eeb-80d9b963d7b9.jpg" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border-radius: 5px; border: 0.1875rem solid rgb(236, 240, 241); height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="1200" /></a></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;"><br style="background-repeat: no-repeat;" /></div><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat;">(The End)</div></div></div></div> Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-64916288056755316242020-02-19T02:01:00.001-08:002020-02-19T02:06:17.845-08:00Pompeii!<div dir="auto">
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From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Dave Adair</strong><br />
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Date: Wed, Jan 29, 2020, 00:50<br />
Subject: [newsletter] Pompeii!</div>
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Lovely people! Oh, heavens. This is a little scary. It appears that I'm blogging again. I used to know how to do this, but after almost five years, I've forgotten. One thing I haven't forgotten, and that's how to procrastinate. That one is hard-wired.</div>
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For now I'm blogging to a different site, since I'm not traveling with my laptop. </div>
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But enough about me - how are you? You look really good!</div>
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Love always, Dave</div>
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<i><a href="https://daveadair.postach.io/post/pompeii" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">https://daveadair.postach.io/post/pompeii</a></i></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; color: rgb(189 , 195 , 199); display: block; font-size: 0.875rem;">Published by Dave Adair</span><span style="background-repeat: no-repeat; color: rgb(52 , 73 , 94); display: block; font-size: 1.25rem;">January 26th, 2020</span><br />
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Pompeii!</h2>
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I visited Pompeii today, close to Naples, Italy, and in the shadow of the volcano Vesuvius that buried the Roman city in 6 meters (20 feet) of ash and volcanic pebbles in 79 AD. Speaking of ancient history - the first and last time I was here was in 1981, when I was married. I got buried by a volcano then, too!</div>
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I had come by ferry from Croatia, as I'm driving south towards Sicily.</div>
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One of the famous mosaics.</div>
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I had forgotten how massive the site is. And it's only about 60% uncovered.</div>
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"Venus on a shell," it's called.</div>
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I recognize this from setting the modern version in India: a street-side snack bar, serving hot food out of the containers embedded in the counter.</div>
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Beautiful, detailed carvings.</div>
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I learned today that Pompeii didn't have much plumbing. Mostly it ran into the street, which is why the sidewalks are so high. And why there are large stones are at every junction - so you can step across without stepping onto the street.</div>
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In the oldest excavations, they removed all murals and put them in a museum. The new method is to leave them in place as long as they can be protected.</div>
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There's an exhibit about Pink Floyd's live concert in Pompeii in 1971. It was recorded in the gladiator amphitheater, with no live audience, only sound recordings and film.</div>
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I'm amazed by the level of grooves worn into the rock by wagons. How long would that take?? I see references to the city dating back to 3rd century BC.</div>
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The theater (for plays, not gladiators.)</div>
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A replica of the original statue.</div>
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Some of the public squares were huge and impressive.</div>
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The audio guide described the owner of this house like he was a mafia don. In Italy? Maybe not a coincidence.</div>
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Beautiful!</div>
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Skeletons of slaves (maybe?) that died during the eruption.</div>
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(The End)</div>
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Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-55284627908044711042015-09-24T05:56:00.001-07:002015-09-24T06:19:26.904-07:00"The light of eternity" (Four hikes in the Dolomites)<i>"I always thought death would come on the freeway in a few horrifying moments, so you'd have no time to sort it out. Having months and months to look at it and think about it and talk to people and hear what they have to say, it's a kind of blessing. It's certainly an opportunity to grow up and get a grip and sort it all out. Just being told by an unsmiling guy in a white coat that you're going to be dead in four months definitely turns on the lights. ... It makes life rich and poignant. When it first happened, and I got these diagnoses, I could see the light of eternity, a la William Blake, shining through every leaf. I mean, a bug walking across the ground moved me to tears."</i><br />
<i> ~ Terence McKenna, a few months before his death</i><br />
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At the same time that I'm cruising around the Dolomites, having "<i>the time of my life ©,"</i> the world keeps spinning, and it doesn't get more fair. Last Saturday an old friend, mountain climber, photographer, and writer, was walking near his house, and his heart gave out. He leaves behind a wife and a precious daughter. A fun-loving, thoughtful, enthusiastic, super-fit guy in his 30's isn't supposed to go so suddenly. Friends have been sharing photos of him, and even though I know he's gone, I can't quite get it.<br />
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Back in California, my brother's suffering goes from bad to worse - two months after his latest brain tumor surgery he's still in the hospital, and may not be coming home for some more months. His right arm works well, the left arm barely, and his legs not at all. Probably the smartest guy I've ever known is confused and weak and having delusions about what's happening. He's convinced that he wakes up in a different room every day. I wouldn't wish his experience on anyone.<br />
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So there you have it. Immense joy. Immense suffering. Laughing one minute, crying the next. And laughing again, with tears in my eyes.<br />
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Love, love, love,<br />
Dave<br />
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Hike #1: From Le dla Creda to Senes to Pederu and loop back to the start. I'd walked up a steep river canyon before coming to this meadow. I had a snack on the porch of this small locked hut.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dVnkU-QWtP4/VgOQUP55GeI/AAAAAAABkAg/H0VkftIv3f8/s1600/20150917-DSC02413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dVnkU-QWtP4/VgOQUP55GeI/AAAAAAABkAg/H0VkftIv3f8/s720/20150917-DSC02413.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The wind was gusty, but the sky was blue. For now.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yaZa3uN6hwU/VgOQY-73XnI/AAAAAAABkAo/iv3g4Lb0NvI/s1600/20150917-DSC02420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yaZa3uN6hwU/VgOQY-73XnI/AAAAAAABkAo/iv3g4Lb0NvI/s720/20150917-DSC02420.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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An hour later the clouds came in, and even stronger gusts. Some were powerful enough to knock me off the trail.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nhn2ZRF_yhk/VgOQfKsxbuI/AAAAAAABkAw/FHKJescod3s/s1600/20150917-DSC02426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nhn2ZRF_yhk/VgOQfKsxbuI/AAAAAAABkAw/FHKJescod3s/s720/20150917-DSC02426.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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There were places where you didn't want to get knocked off the trail. I was wondering where the trail went when I saw the thin line zig-zagging up the loose scree in the center of the photo. It's hard to see.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMV9mM0Dsxs/VgOQmax4U1I/AAAAAAABkA4/_tJhMqaypaI/s1600/20150917-DSC02430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMV9mM0Dsxs/VgOQmax4U1I/AAAAAAABkA4/_tJhMqaypaI/s720/20150917-DSC02430.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Ah, there it is. I have to walk up that? It started raining, and gusting hard, and I considered going back. Is this actually dangerous, I thought? I only saw a couple people all day, so if something goes bad - it goes bad.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vERqFP9lalA/VgOQqwICDCI/AAAAAAABkBA/dwtc8KdFRM4/s1600/20150917-DSC02432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vERqFP9lalA/VgOQqwICDCI/AAAAAAABkBA/dwtc8KdFRM4/s720/20150917-DSC02432.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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More like it - refuge in the rifugio. Pasta, cold radler (half beer, half lemonade) followed by latte machiatto and apple streudel for dessert. I'm less than half way from finishing the hike. If you have an Android phone, you should get the app Backcountry Navigator. Amazing and hugely helpful for finding trails around the world.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zu9EOVPn0QY/VgOQvcv9xDI/AAAAAAABkBI/Vo9jYvU5mhI/s1600/20150917-DSC02435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zu9EOVPn0QY/VgOQvcv9xDI/AAAAAAABkBI/Vo9jYvU5mhI/s720/20150917-DSC02435.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Walking down the impossibly twisty gravel road to the valley floor.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2jtjYRkTlA/VgOQ7ZPD9hI/AAAAAAABkBQ/JMwrIdzbhQE/s1600/20150917-DSC02438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2jtjYRkTlA/VgOQ7ZPD9hI/AAAAAAABkBQ/JMwrIdzbhQE/s720/20150917-DSC02438.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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That's Rifugio Pederu and the valley that continues to St. Vigilio, where I camped for six days. I'd walked in this area twice before, but on different routes.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_x9CSLck2T8/VgORDJGLJGI/AAAAAAABkBY/1N72iMTE_2c/s1600/20150917-DSC02440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_x9CSLck2T8/VgORDJGLJGI/AAAAAAABkBY/1N72iMTE_2c/s720/20150917-DSC02440.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The mountains are crumbling. I imagine they come down in a big landslide periodically, and this one just stopped at these trees. This ended up being my longest hike, 26 km (16 miles) with total climbing of 1,370 meters (4,500 feet.) I'm getting in shape!<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wyUTryDp6og/VgORSuhHqvI/AAAAAAABkBg/kiNlgzu1VFk/s1600/20150917-DSC02442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wyUTryDp6og/VgORSuhHqvI/AAAAAAABkBg/kiNlgzu1VFk/s720/20150917-DSC02442.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The next day, sunset and a typical mountain village. There seems to be a lot of wealth in the area, even though many people are running family farms.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwcICjlGDlo/VgORg6ROmhI/AAAAAAABkBo/pghWu2SIO4Q/s1600/20150918-DSC02453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwcICjlGDlo/VgORg6ROmhI/AAAAAAABkBo/pghWu2SIO4Q/s720/20150918-DSC02453.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Apparently this is Manifestaziuns village. I'm just guessing. Or maybe it's Maltungssaal. Manifestazioni? I give up. Since the Dolomites region was controlled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire since something like 1511 until Italy "won" it as a prize after WWI, every place has at least two names. There is also the Ladin language and culture locally here, so many places have three names.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0q5qAwiq7Ec/VgORl6dQe_I/AAAAAAABkBw/UoOUkZRVDVw/s1600/20150919-DSC02458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0q5qAwiq7Ec/VgORl6dQe_I/AAAAAAABkBw/UoOUkZRVDVw/s720/20150919-DSC02458.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Hike #2: Cinque Torri (Five Towers). There are lots of beautiful views in the Dolomites, but this one! Wow.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nlWLaWxkJ1I/VgORpg87nzI/AAAAAAABkB4/LxbTbdU5M9Q/s1600/20150919-DSC02470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nlWLaWxkJ1I/VgORpg87nzI/AAAAAAABkB4/LxbTbdU5M9Q/s720/20150919-DSC02470.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I saw people on top of the tower to the right and thought, I'd like to hike up that. It turns out it is a sheer cliff on all sides. It's climbing or it's not going. In my case, it was not going.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ccmoMxksEYs/VgORrm2uUoI/AAAAAAABkCA/WX8yLnFVi2I/s1600/20150919-DSC02471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ccmoMxksEYs/VgORrm2uUoI/AAAAAAABkCA/WX8yLnFVi2I/s720/20150919-DSC02471.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Amazing landscape in the distance.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8jj575p1Upw/VgORua6b0II/AAAAAAABkCI/_CKjRV8ppJc/s1600/20150919-DSC02475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8jj575p1Upw/VgORua6b0II/AAAAAAABkCI/_CKjRV8ppJc/s720/20150919-DSC02475.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Endless trails and endless beauty.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAJIkYEVTzQ/VgOR-fDhNtI/AAAAAAABkCQ/uvbO7Rpot6U/s1600/20150919-DSC02476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAJIkYEVTzQ/VgOR-fDhNtI/AAAAAAABkCQ/uvbO7Rpot6U/s720/20150919-DSC02476.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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In WWI, "The Great War," even though it doesn't seem that great in retrospect, was fought here for years. The Italians were here, where I'm standing, fighting the Austrians on the other side of the valley. More mockery to come.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfYXGLRHCdI/VgOSISoeL2I/AAAAAAABkCY/CzYRArkdIaY/s1600/20150919-DSC02478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfYXGLRHCdI/VgOSISoeL2I/AAAAAAABkCY/CzYRArkdIaY/s720/20150919-DSC02478.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I do a little oil painting in my spare time.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0y9yIpcvlN8/VgOSeMD6z0I/AAAAAAABkCg/iZH5i1tWDUw/s1600/20150919-DSC02482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0y9yIpcvlN8/VgOSeMD6z0I/AAAAAAABkCg/iZH5i1tWDUw/s720/20150919-DSC02482.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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War is just the coolest thing! Blood and guts, torture, widows - who could not love it. These restored trenches from WWI run all over the hillsides here.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UjvRn01ZsrI/VgOSnIShs-I/AAAAAAABkCw/SS978LnW4kM/s1600/20150919-DSC02489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UjvRn01ZsrI/VgOSnIShs-I/AAAAAAABkCw/SS978LnW4kM/s720/20150919-DSC02489.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Between hikes, this is taken from the Passo Falzarego, just near the last photos. That's a tram going high up the mountain. I ended up taking a hike to the top and circling back, and not taking the tram.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JeZbGEei0eY/VgOSrus_1LI/AAAAAAABkC4/b8-3pA1L9qA/s1600/20150920-DSC02499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JeZbGEei0eY/VgOSrus_1LI/AAAAAAABkC4/b8-3pA1L9qA/s720/20150920-DSC02499.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Hike #3: Passo Falzarego to Rifugio Dibona loop. This is the ruins of a WWI hospital.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PDVLKHI6_r0/VgOSx2tvBdI/AAAAAAABkDA/b3m5ynLnYIk/s1600/20150920-DSC02504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PDVLKHI6_r0/VgOSx2tvBdI/AAAAAAABkDA/b3m5ynLnYIk/s720/20150920-DSC02504.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The old military road, and a tunnel that was built to allow major guns and machinery to be brought up the hill. Cuz war is so cool like that.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sqmgeA7qVxk/VgOS9IerUzI/AAAAAAABkDI/ReyyN9mj45Q/s1600/20150920-DSC02517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sqmgeA7qVxk/VgOS9IerUzI/AAAAAAABkDI/ReyyN9mj45Q/s720/20150920-DSC02517.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Across the valley is Cinque Torri, the previous hike. In the lower right is a defensive wall. They were using Howitzers to shoot bombs across these valleys at each other. Nuts. Tens of thousands of soldiers died here, and they fought to a stalemate. Well done, everyone.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ljqwKdsFz-E/VgOTC701k1I/AAAAAAABkDQ/gKkcwZg8k7M/s1600/20150920-DSC02520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ljqwKdsFz-E/VgOTC701k1I/AAAAAAABkDQ/gKkcwZg8k7M/s720/20150920-DSC02520.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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More ruins from the war in the foreground.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uBo1mq21DIY/VgOTFV-RuAI/AAAAAAABkDY/IsbdB1rS6bg/s1600/20150920-DSC02523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uBo1mq21DIY/VgOTFV-RuAI/AAAAAAABkDY/IsbdB1rS6bg/s720/20150920-DSC02523.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The terrain will go from forest to rock in no time.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zf_A8j32Zfc/VgOTJNCg_EI/AAAAAAABkDg/5VQAp0YIPwk/s1600/20150920-DSC02525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zf_A8j32Zfc/VgOTJNCg_EI/AAAAAAABkDg/5VQAp0YIPwk/s720/20150920-DSC02525.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Do you see what looks like little windows in the rock face, running horizontally? They're little windows in a long tunnel built into the rock during the war.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GNh3hzvXWNg/VgOTL6ojthI/AAAAAAABkDo/pZV-qpjR3Mg/s1600/20150920-DSC02530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GNh3hzvXWNg/VgOTL6ojthI/AAAAAAABkDo/pZV-qpjR3Mg/s720/20150920-DSC02530.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Cortina d'Ampezzo is a famous area that can be seen in the valley at a distance.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-URIMAlmFkXY/VgOTO0mf7YI/AAAAAAABkDw/XulTKLe3_as/s1600/20150920-DSC02532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-URIMAlmFkXY/VgOTO0mf7YI/AAAAAAABkDw/XulTKLe3_as/s720/20150920-DSC02532.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Stunning.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9TqOP0sbFzI/VgOTTXAU5zI/AAAAAAABkD4/4N8ZCZ8SgM0/s1600/20150920-DSC02533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9TqOP0sbFzI/VgOTTXAU5zI/AAAAAAABkD4/4N8ZCZ8SgM0/s720/20150920-DSC02533.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The walk came from the left, just below the huge cliffs, and returned below the bluffs in the lower left.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T2SvamnMEpk/VgOTZ6E4-HI/AAAAAAABkEA/u0Gy8DzTNNE/s1600/20150920-DSC02535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T2SvamnMEpk/VgOTZ6E4-HI/AAAAAAABkEA/u0Gy8DzTNNE/s720/20150920-DSC02535.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-clAj6oQMYT8/VgOTcJl39xI/AAAAAAABkEI/OUCaG3djt2M/s1600/20150920-DSC02542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-clAj6oQMYT8/VgOTcJl39xI/AAAAAAABkEI/OUCaG3djt2M/s720/20150920-DSC02542.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Hike #4: The Kaiserjager Route. My guidebook says: the walk follows a supply route originally constructed by the Austrian Kaiserjager troops.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ypc2f9lDcFo/VgOTev3aV6I/AAAAAAABkEQ/urGu6pD25r0/s1600/20150921-DSC02549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ypc2f9lDcFo/VgOTev3aV6I/AAAAAAABkEQ/urGu6pD25r0/s720/20150921-DSC02549.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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All through the area are small and large caves and trenches dug during the war.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDBKF6_kOsE/VgOTh5P-HuI/AAAAAAABkEY/4zylHMGD_70/s1600/20150921-DSC02552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDBKF6_kOsE/VgOTh5P-HuI/AAAAAAABkEY/4zylHMGD_70/s720/20150921-DSC02552.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The trail turns steeply uphill, and the view changes quickly.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9xHVgMT9xZU/VgOToFOiqMI/AAAAAAABkEo/W8i43oX9BQ4/s1600/20150921-DSC02557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9xHVgMT9xZU/VgOToFOiqMI/AAAAAAABkEo/W8i43oX9BQ4/s720/20150921-DSC02557.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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This was taken from the short suspension bridge, next photo.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oiN3sr6Qy1k/VgOTsCYNLhI/AAAAAAABkEw/JoLdHbo5x2E/s1600/20150921-DSC02560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oiN3sr6Qy1k/VgOTsCYNLhI/AAAAAAABkEw/JoLdHbo5x2E/s720/20150921-DSC02560.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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A rebuilt suspension bridge. The rusted cable from the original bridge is laying to the side.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTlFVnX006U/VgOT0cvLW4I/AAAAAAABkFA/Uzf9_krsLNM/s1600/20150921-DSC02562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTlFVnX006U/VgOT0cvLW4I/AAAAAAABkFA/Uzf9_krsLNM/s720/20150921-DSC02562.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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It doesn't look like the bridge is going to fall. Not quickly, at least.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eX8mCTHyxkY/VgOTweuIQzI/AAAAAAABkE4/3JKOfZ6IsXk/s1600/20150921-DSC02561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eX8mCTHyxkY/VgOTweuIQzI/AAAAAAABkE4/3JKOfZ6IsXk/s720/20150921-DSC02561.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Just the other side of the bridge, a cable is pretty much required to get you across. Don't lose your grip.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZJcnlRVTS8/VgOT3_pupqI/AAAAAAABkFI/V5PEzdYM4jw/s1600/20150921-DSC02563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZJcnlRVTS8/VgOT3_pupqI/AAAAAAABkFI/V5PEzdYM4jw/s720/20150921-DSC02563.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I ventured inside one of the tunnels that branched off in different directions and actually got a little turned around. Scary!<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ReutmInUkPY/VgOT9lcWE0I/AAAAAAABkFY/6osffcK3xCI/s1600/20150921-DSC02566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="720" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ReutmInUkPY/VgOT9lcWE0I/AAAAAAABkFY/6osffcK3xCI/s720/20150921-DSC02566.jpg" width="480" /></a>
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One of the windows bored through the cliff face. These were used for machine guns or to watch the pass for enemy soldiers.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_M8OhqMNKSg/VgOT6i4ExMI/AAAAAAABkFQ/0Ilo0AkmJH4/s1600/20150921-DSC02564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_M8OhqMNKSg/VgOT6i4ExMI/AAAAAAABkFQ/0Ilo0AkmJH4/s720/20150921-DSC02564.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The ruins of what would have been a bunk room for soldiers.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XUWl--cElMs/VgOT_2NxBXI/AAAAAAABkFg/tA7YSErb9YI/s1600/20150921-DSC02567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XUWl--cElMs/VgOT_2NxBXI/AAAAAAABkFg/tA7YSErb9YI/s720/20150921-DSC02567.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Those are my feet on the right. It's hard to get perspective, but look to the far left. That's the road, and the little white dot is a car. Why do I insist on taking these photos, I wonder.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ntxoCdUxVFw/VgOUE_KhlBI/AAAAAAABkFo/l6I2YjQLPa4/s1600/20150921-DSC02568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ntxoCdUxVFw/VgOUE_KhlBI/AAAAAAABkFo/l6I2YjQLPa4/s720/20150921-DSC02568.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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It's hard to tell the angle, but this is looking sharply up the path as it ascends what looks like a cliff from down below.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f4WTVZNZXfc/VgOUG-2GblI/AAAAAAABkFw/ujvAB379zrc/s1600/20150921-DSC02571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="720" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f4WTVZNZXfc/VgOUG-2GblI/AAAAAAABkFw/ujvAB379zrc/s720/20150921-DSC02571.jpg" width="480" /></a>
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Aha! The highest point of Lagazuoi Piccolo, at 2,778 meters, or 9,100 feet.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JvKJRY_IgqY/VgOULVNt9mI/AAAAAAABkF4/Y6nO6OR4JSo/s1600/20150921-DSC02572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JvKJRY_IgqY/VgOULVNt9mI/AAAAAAABkF4/Y6nO6OR4JSo/s720/20150921-DSC02572.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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A monument to a mountain climber, I believe, at the top.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bpkucXJkAg/VgOUODHSv6I/AAAAAAABkGA/8csqEA0encA/s1600/20150921-DSC02574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bpkucXJkAg/VgOUODHSv6I/AAAAAAABkGA/8csqEA0encA/s720/20150921-DSC02574.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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A lot of take in.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yaqI-2GVZMk/VgOURGlFNhI/AAAAAAABkGI/E2b6k2MCBuk/s1600/20150921-DSC02575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yaqI-2GVZMk/VgOURGlFNhI/AAAAAAABkGI/E2b6k2MCBuk/s720/20150921-DSC02575.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Just up from the cable car, and not far from the top, I had beet ravioli, of all things, and a radler. Why don't we have these kind of huts in the U.S.? Really, why? They're all over in the mountains of Europe. If we did have them in the U.S. they'd serve hamburgers or hot dogs, your choice.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPiSazrGbmg/VgOUS_9hx1I/AAAAAAABkGQ/vNzqlyDT2yo/s1600/20150921-DSC02577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPiSazrGbmg/VgOUS_9hx1I/AAAAAAABkGQ/vNzqlyDT2yo/s720/20150921-DSC02577.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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There's a tunnel near the top, one of 11 in the mountain, that is 1,100 meters long, almost three-quarters of a mile. You're free to go down it on your own, just bring a flashlight. I'm not sure I'd survive it - I bumped my head about five times in the short time I was in there.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dUGMoZwRi7c/VgOUU2C7zZI/AAAAAAABkGY/_nl3vwrAdUg/s1600/20150921-DSC02582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dUGMoZwRi7c/VgOUU2C7zZI/AAAAAAABkGY/_nl3vwrAdUg/s720/20150921-DSC02582.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Part of the path on the way down.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g9uEvcEWxCY/VgOUYUvLuzI/AAAAAAABkGg/FvbaR6aI-nk/s1600/20150921-DSC02588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g9uEvcEWxCY/VgOUYUvLuzI/AAAAAAABkGg/FvbaR6aI-nk/s720/20150921-DSC02588.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Colorful plants near the end.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9Ch0SN-4Tg/VgOUa4ZzSAI/AAAAAAABkGo/FPufJcX59V8/s1600/20150921-DSC02590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9Ch0SN-4Tg/VgOUa4ZzSAI/AAAAAAABkGo/FPufJcX59V8/s720/20150921-DSC02590.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The next day. I wild camped just off the road near here for three nights. No, my van doesn't have a shower, why do you ask?<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9kMkD-cnzTw/VgOUcz-iZMI/AAAAAAABkGw/ZFr035IcNH0/s1600/20150922-DSC02597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9kMkD-cnzTw/VgOUcz-iZMI/AAAAAAABkGw/ZFr035IcNH0/s720/20150922-DSC02597.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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On the way to my current destination only an hour away, near Cortina, I came across this scene. Amazing color of the water.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rp0_HGyxM3o/VgOUh3k2x2I/AAAAAAABkG4/MRC2PVddmPk/s1600/20150922-DSC02598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rp0_HGyxM3o/VgOUh3k2x2I/AAAAAAABkG4/MRC2PVddmPk/s720/20150922-DSC02598.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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This stream is running just next to my campsite in a campground. Yes, they have showers. Why do you keep asking?<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9gixqUaJThU/VgOUlsIb6PI/AAAAAAABkHA/ZgJqxbAEXQo/s1600/20150922-DSC02601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9gixqUaJThU/VgOUlsIb6PI/AAAAAAABkHA/ZgJqxbAEXQo/s720/20150922-DSC02601.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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(The End)<br />
<br />Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-61867376952696874982015-09-15T15:10:00.000-07:002015-09-16T11:42:47.230-07:00Road trip to the Dolomites<i>"Great is the matter of life and death</i><br />
<i>Moments go by swiftly and are lost</i><br />
<i>To squander time is a great shame</i><br />
<i>Do not waste your life"</i><br />
<i> ~ Zen saying</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>“We’re all just farting around, and don’t let anyone tell you different.”</i><br />
<i> ~ Kurt Vonnegut</i><br />
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Lovely people!<br />
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I'm on my third annual trip to the Dolomites, which counts the last two that I planned but didn't make. I was here once in 2011 and remember saying that I could spend a whole summer here. I drove here from the south of France and got waylaid by some beautiful non-Dolomite places, which you'll see in the photos below.<br />
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Enjoy the photos!<br />
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Love,<br />
Dave<br />
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Why there's a huge, bouncy, footbridge across this river is not known to me. But I like the disorienting angle of the photo, plus the colors of the trees and water.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f1KzvsPuJmY/Vfh5lirbzXI/AAAAAAABj4k/MNF1qSx0GCE/s1600/20150904-DSC01995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f1KzvsPuJmY/Vfh5lirbzXI/AAAAAAABj4k/MNF1qSx0GCE/s720/20150904-DSC01995.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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That looks nice. I wonder where that is.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cXxHib4VT1E/Vfh5qDGF_OI/AAAAAAABj4s/Ev481y6rk9w/s1600/20150905-DSC02006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cXxHib4VT1E/Vfh5qDGF_OI/AAAAAAABj4s/Ev481y6rk9w/s720/20150905-DSC02006.jpg" width="720" /></a><br />
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I own some maps, but I almost never look at them. I ask my GPS which way, she tells me, and I say yes. I figure it's good training for being in a relationship. She thought I should go up this mountain pass, past the Hotel Belvedere. She's got such good ideas. I love her.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GZejk65BpiM/Vfh52uG1HeI/AAAAAAABj48/2kPzZL8T0z8/s1600/20150905-DSC02013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GZejk65BpiM/Vfh52uG1HeI/AAAAAAABj48/2kPzZL8T0z8/s720/20150905-DSC02013.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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It might be 200 feet down to the river. I always wonder how people manage to build these bridges, especially when they were done ages ago.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1YFtNc8o1Wk/Vfh59V1XPmI/AAAAAAABj5E/WOgizgDKFpM/s1600/20150905-DSC02027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1YFtNc8o1Wk/Vfh59V1XPmI/AAAAAAABj5E/WOgizgDKFpM/s720/20150905-DSC02027.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I love this view. Crossing the road to the right is a railroad line. But trains can't go up steep slopes like cars and trucks. Continue to the next picture...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYu2XGZ-KeGo53mnbbXlQS2ysCyRsFuAMDm1Z9G2R0E9szKUmqVy5goLfYdQu4DWzapBcu4RFO2QmNpwKFBldEepnvnSJznUX3Xx0ecaZsBUNFIxdZdcazm_yaAU4CjRFCu92/s1600/20150905-DSC02036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYu2XGZ-KeGo53mnbbXlQS2ysCyRsFuAMDm1Z9G2R0E9szKUmqVy5goLfYdQu4DWzapBcu4RFO2QmNpwKFBldEepnvnSJznUX3Xx0ecaZsBUNFIxdZdcazm_yaAU4CjRFCu92/s720/20150905-DSC02036.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The curly-Q loop-the-loops show the route of the rail line that was built 100 years ago. It has spirals tunneled into the rock so it can climb a mountain from the inside. I drove through a tunnel like that a few years ago in Switzerland.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oCpZrQA8pSU/Vfh6Ain8AjI/AAAAAAABj5M/TztiBmZxQ30/s1600/20150905-DSC02033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oCpZrQA8pSU/Vfh6Ain8AjI/AAAAAAABj5M/TztiBmZxQ30/s720/20150905-DSC02033.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I got stuck on this pass for a few hours because some bicycling event was happening on the other side. Poor bike riders. And in the middle of nowhere on a snowy Swiss mountain pass, I had perfect cell phone signal and internet access. I had that mostly in San Francisco too, except for at work and at my house. True story.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqeP0ZnGUM8/Vfh6MjKMb8I/AAAAAAABj5c/b88CwKml3mw/s1600/20150905-DSC02046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqeP0ZnGUM8/Vfh6MjKMb8I/AAAAAAABj5c/b88CwKml3mw/s720/20150905-DSC02046.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I probably look more relaxed than I am.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eupdJitK-E0/Vfh6SOWs6UI/AAAAAAABj5k/IO6AUipYPLk/s1600/20150906-DSC02064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eupdJitK-E0/Vfh6SOWs6UI/AAAAAAABj5k/IO6AUipYPLk/s720/20150906-DSC02064.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The Mrs. (my GPS) just about killed me, taking me up this pass. She doesn't tell me what's in store, just where to go.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfzRdfblUL0/Vfh6XZRVeYI/AAAAAAABj5s/XyqFR7vvspc/s1600/20150906-DSC02082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfzRdfblUL0/Vfh6XZRVeYI/AAAAAAABj5s/XyqFR7vvspc/s720/20150906-DSC02082.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I just about fainted when I saw this. It didn't look possible to drive down it, much less to have built it. It's actually much steeper than it looks in the photo. I'm going all the way down to the very bottom of the valley, off in the distance. I've just left Switzerland and crossed into Italy at this point.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p9cKMQOI9yE/Vfh6dC7fKwI/AAAAAAABj50/2Ckwkir8Y6M/s1600/20150906-DSC02085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p9cKMQOI9yE/Vfh6dC7fKwI/AAAAAAABj50/2Ckwkir8Y6M/s720/20150906-DSC02085.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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On the way down the light was fantastic. All through the Alps there are roads and hotels in the most amazing places.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e5P0ZwTPdqg/Vfh6h7DDAPI/AAAAAAABj58/yVXiKGho248/s1600/20150906-DSC02093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e5P0ZwTPdqg/Vfh6h7DDAPI/AAAAAAABj58/yVXiKGho248/s720/20150906-DSC02093.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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My first hike on this trip.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MeZsNoMWmtQ/Vfh6nkr3TvI/AAAAAAABj6E/JZDYHcSwwaQ/s1600/20150907-DSC02114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="720" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MeZsNoMWmtQ/Vfh6nkr3TvI/AAAAAAABj6E/JZDYHcSwwaQ/s720/20150907-DSC02114.jpg" width="480" /></a>
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I wild camped for two nights next to this rushing river. On the second night I backed up nonchalantly to the cliff edge and startled myself when I realized how close I was to going over the steep bank.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YU6eI-VOa-U/Vfh6wU2VWwI/AAAAAAABj6M/euyjfqsdMtE/s1600/20150907-DSC02128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YU6eI-VOa-U/Vfh6wU2VWwI/AAAAAAABj6M/euyjfqsdMtE/s720/20150907-DSC02128.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The waterfall next to the camping spot. There are many thing I don't know, including how they manage to put in those overflow dam things to slow down the water. This thing was gushing so loud it could keep you up at night. Not me, you.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0y04NpNNjc/Vfh60B4aXcI/AAAAAAABj6U/U3_8B-yfjK8/s1600/20150907-DSC02140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0y04NpNNjc/Vfh60B4aXcI/AAAAAAABj6U/U3_8B-yfjK8/s720/20150907-DSC02140.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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This is the village of Solda, not far from the wicked mountain pass.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2zLhmnbznlE/Vfh66NDoywI/AAAAAAABj6c/-sMKcZS-UK8/s1600/20150908-DSC02162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2zLhmnbznlE/Vfh66NDoywI/AAAAAAABj6c/-sMKcZS-UK8/s720/20150908-DSC02162.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I had a lovely big hike up this valley.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YpVVT7ADMug/Vfh7Bn4KxXI/AAAAAAABj6k/-uB2un7q8pk/s1600/20150908-DSC02171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YpVVT7ADMug/Vfh7Bn4KxXI/AAAAAAABj6k/-uB2un7q8pk/s720/20150908-DSC02171.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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This is why I don't hike in the U.S. You hike here for three hours and there's a restaurant serving great Italian food (uh, it's in Italy) and cold beer. This beer cost $4, which is less than you could find a beer at home outside of happy hour.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmDEjb66SdM/Vfh7Fevm9uI/AAAAAAABj6s/q4KRjkU1UaE/s1600/20150908-DSC02186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmDEjb66SdM/Vfh7Fevm9uI/AAAAAAABj6s/q4KRjkU1UaE/s720/20150908-DSC02186.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Hiking back down to the valley, where I started.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_w0jDiBjJwo/Vfh7MPWIWvI/AAAAAAABj60/Kd_J1ahitgA/s1600/20150908-DSC02187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_w0jDiBjJwo/Vfh7MPWIWvI/AAAAAAABj60/Kd_J1ahitgA/s720/20150908-DSC02187.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Magic!<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qvhiXelOBZM/Vfh7SrVi_4I/AAAAAAABj68/lpYmnSXm0Vo/s1600/20150908-DSC02191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qvhiXelOBZM/Vfh7SrVi_4I/AAAAAAABj68/lpYmnSXm0Vo/s720/20150908-DSC02191.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I hope this photo doesn't ruin anyone's day. I was taking a selfie so I could photoshop it onto Donald Trump's face and the camera went off by mistake. I make Donald Trump look good! It freaks me out so much it needs to be shared.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ogn_g2iecRQ/Vfh7WtCpN4I/AAAAAAABj7E/5FufahYHDEo/s1600/20150910-DSC02193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ogn_g2iecRQ/Vfh7WtCpN4I/AAAAAAABj7E/5FufahYHDEo/s720/20150910-DSC02193.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I hiked down a dead-end road and came across this religious refuge, including a small chapel.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yRCyZIe8Trc/Vfh7jTr8qZI/AAAAAAABj7U/DUQMlgTh1nA/s1600/20150910-DSC02207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yRCyZIe8Trc/Vfh7jTr8qZI/AAAAAAABj7U/DUQMlgTh1nA/s720/20150910-DSC02207.jpg" width="720" /></a><br />
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This is the inside of the chapel.</div>
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My first official campsite. I'd been wild camping up to this point.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bw419WImZxM/Vfh7ptDx4vI/AAAAAAABj7c/esg9z7q1okM/s1600/20150911-DSC02211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bw419WImZxM/Vfh7ptDx4vI/AAAAAAABj7c/esg9z7q1okM/s720/20150911-DSC02211.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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A wild camping spot, high above a lake.<br />
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When the river was dammed, an entire village was swallowed by the lake. They decided to keep this church tower as a memorial.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--lJb1XZGKLw/Vfh72biMmgI/AAAAAAABj7s/0K51HdGAF6A/s1600/20150912-DSC02219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--lJb1XZGKLw/Vfh72biMmgI/AAAAAAABj7s/0K51HdGAF6A/s720/20150912-DSC02219.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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On another hike, a dam with a fish ladder next to it.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kys19yijq4k/Vfh7-eCkYAI/AAAAAAABj70/RQEaHNvFndY/s1600/20150913-DSC02226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kys19yijq4k/Vfh7-eCkYAI/AAAAAAABj70/RQEaHNvFndY/s720/20150913-DSC02226.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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These guys look like the Irish wooly mammoth cows, or whatever you call them. I kept getting closer until I heard him say "shishkebob." It sounded like "moo" but I knew what he meant. The final photo of him is a blurry one with his body only half in the frame as I'm running away.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFYWjEhDl8k/Vfh8E73BMyI/AAAAAAABj78/gArFjgiYjP4/s1600/20150913-DSC02244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFYWjEhDl8k/Vfh8E73BMyI/AAAAAAABj78/gArFjgiYjP4/s720/20150913-DSC02244.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I do love a waterfall.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U8Yh912ugWU/Vfh8KRZVryI/AAAAAAABj8E/R1_PQy9iUm8/s1600/20150913-DSC02261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="720" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U8Yh912ugWU/Vfh8KRZVryI/AAAAAAABj8E/R1_PQy9iUm8/s720/20150913-DSC02261.jpg" width="480" /></a>
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A football pitch, or "soccer" as you Americans say it! Nice spot for a game.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zhFt66ES8tY/Vfh8P29gZ-I/AAAAAAABj8M/3R87S7lNtOU/s1600/20150913-DSC02289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zhFt66ES8tY/Vfh8P29gZ-I/AAAAAAABj8M/3R87S7lNtOU/s720/20150913-DSC02289.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Looking down the valley that I'd just walked.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DfnJn3n9Kjo/Vfh8VsXHUyI/AAAAAAABj8U/zLn0IzLKceo/s1600/20150913-DSC02293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DfnJn3n9Kjo/Vfh8VsXHUyI/AAAAAAABj8U/zLn0IzLKceo/s720/20150913-DSC02293.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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The town square of St. Vigilio, where I'm camped (legally) for the last four nights.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bX6asy4P2X4/Vfh8cR2I5-I/AAAAAAABj8c/TMjkGDiS6vU/s1600/20150913-DSC02299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bX6asy4P2X4/Vfh8cR2I5-I/AAAAAAABj8c/TMjkGDiS6vU/s720/20150913-DSC02299.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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This is how all the local men dress! At festivals. When they're performing.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9tIKXxv4lU/Vfh8jLUr_eI/AAAAAAABj8k/OEDX9dxpupc/s1600/20150913-DSC02304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="720" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9tIKXxv4lU/Vfh8jLUr_eI/AAAAAAABj8k/OEDX9dxpupc/s720/20150913-DSC02304.jpg" width="480" /></a>
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Rugged mountains, everywhere you look.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f19wZCARA8g/Vfh8pPzTM0I/AAAAAAABj8s/bi0GJKK1PVs/s1600/20150914-DSC02314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f19wZCARA8g/Vfh8pPzTM0I/AAAAAAABj8s/bi0GJKK1PVs/s720/20150914-DSC02314.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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This was yesterday, when it was supposed to rain the whole day. It never did, so I started hiking. THEN it did.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P8BAX00buTM/Vfh8uXVLwNI/AAAAAAABj80/UhN2XkHozyw/s1600/20150914-DSC02330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P8BAX00buTM/Vfh8uXVLwNI/AAAAAAABj80/UhN2XkHozyw/s720/20150914-DSC02330.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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A church at another small village.<br />
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Today's hike. A beautiful, rugged area, but dotted with "refugios," refuges, where you can eat and spend the night.<br />
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Three hours of hiking in, and this is how they treat you! Sweet.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEHgRM2l_Jc/Vfh9BdMTqOI/AAAAAAABj9U/wbFwJP4bGj8/s1600/20150915-DSC02359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEHgRM2l_Jc/Vfh9BdMTqOI/AAAAAAABj9U/wbFwJP4bGj8/s720/20150915-DSC02359.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Those are massive, house-sized blocks of rock that have fallen from the mountain.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8HydgNqIhG4/Vfh9H0zR0UI/AAAAAAABj9c/9lmEaJawSyg/s1600/20150915-DSC02367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8HydgNqIhG4/Vfh9H0zR0UI/AAAAAAABj9c/9lmEaJawSyg/s720/20150915-DSC02367.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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Water, wind, and geologic forces have sculpted the landscape over eons. Much of the Dolomites used to be underwater.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fR9bJmQf8XY/Vfh9O7rftBI/AAAAAAABj9k/6EKQTQRFfac/s1600/20150915-DSC02371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fR9bJmQf8XY/Vfh9O7rftBI/AAAAAAABj9k/6EKQTQRFfac/s720/20150915-DSC02371.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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I took this through my binoculars. It's hard to gauge distances, but I'd estimate the gap at the back of this chunk of rock is 30 feet (10 meters) across. It's HUGE. I was amazed that this massive block is sliding down and staying in one piece. You can see how it fits into the gap left behind it.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EFulyYyXUY/Vfh9TR_qxcI/AAAAAAABj9s/Kku1TpG-9bM/s1600/20150915-DSC02376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EFulyYyXUY/Vfh9TR_qxcI/AAAAAAABj9s/Kku1TpG-9bM/s720/20150915-DSC02376.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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A panoramic view on the walk back. Click the photo for a larger view.<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ic2wHll6i4U/Vfh9Xolv1LI/AAAAAAABj90/x9unDyOFQoo/s2048-Ic42/20150915-DSC02382.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ic2wHll6i4U/Vfh9Xolv1LI/AAAAAAABj90/5Pya53bC6fc/s720/20150915-DSC02382.jpg" width="720" /></a>
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(The End)Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-24129109552969222262015-09-03T02:54:00.000-07:002015-09-03T02:54:13.119-07:00"Opening to grace and wonder in this present living moment"<i>"Few I met actually had a "last year". Most had only a "last" month or two, a few weeks or days, or a few seconds. To have a whole year to examine one's life consciously in the context of approaching death is almost unique in the human experience. And it gives a person the power to heal that which remains unloved and unloving. But why wait for a terminal diagnosis before opening to the potential grace and wonder of this living moment. No one can afford to put this work off any longer, because almost no one knows the day on which the last year begins."</i><br />
<i> ~ Stephen Levine, A Year to Live</i><br />
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Good people, your time is up. No, not now, but soon. What are we waiting for?<br />
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As for me, I'm healthy as can be, free from doctor's restrictions, jumping off rocks into rivers, hiking, aging, failing, and approaching death, like everyone else. Some see that as a negative view - like maybe you'll escape death if you're positive enough! Good luck with that one. I see it as the juice that can inspire us to really live our precious life. I prefer the arms-wide-open, look truth in the eye methodology, as best we're able. Go deep. Ask the big questions. Why else are we here?<br />
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If you're not sure what I'm talking about, or why, soon enough you'll know. Don't wait too long. One day you'll only have a year to live, but "almost no one knows the day on which the last year begins."<br />
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All my love,<br />
Dave<br />
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Photos from southern France follow.<br />
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I made a big effort to get to the last full day of the Dharma Yatra, the 10th that I've attended. It's a beautiful gathering. You can come! <a href="http://www.dharmayatra.org/">www.dharmayatra.org</a><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wGG3hyK0JH8/VedxC6B1tWI/AAAAAAABjs4/7a5xtdlcC88/s1600/20150804-DSC01623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wGG3hyK0JH8/VedxC6B1tWI/AAAAAAABjs4/7a5xtdlcC88/s720/20150804-DSC01623.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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The boys, Chris on violin and Wim on guitar, plus Nastia, playing a mean cooking pot, joined me on the Sangha Holiday a few days later.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jG7KtfxZOVI/VedxE8hiW9I/AAAAAAABjtA/iQXEsAigetA/s1600/20150804-DSC01626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jG7KtfxZOVI/VedxE8hiW9I/AAAAAAABjtA/iQXEsAigetA/s720/20150804-DSC01626.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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I was hoping to surprise people, but word got out that I was coming. A few were surprised, including, in a way, me. I was sure that it would be impossible for me to attend, even for a day.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BKy7MSPTuvI/VedxGl60PFI/AAAAAAABjtI/55SDe-9RQAk/s1600/20150804-DSC01634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BKy7MSPTuvI/VedxGl60PFI/AAAAAAABjtI/55SDe-9RQAk/s720/20150804-DSC01634.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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My brother-from-another-mother, Denis, leads a group in laying down meditation.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K5b2OeWwMoo/VedxIAvgvpI/AAAAAAABjtQ/9b66396QKk4/s1600/20150805-DSC01638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K5b2OeWwMoo/VedxIAvgvpI/AAAAAAABjtQ/9b66396QKk4/s720/20150805-DSC01638.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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The yatra was in the Alps this year for the first time. The scenery, what I could see and from photos, was amazing.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6rOHsZC3zg/VedxJ5tShHI/AAAAAAABjtY/RqHZfZ3qMXg/s1600/20150805-DSC01645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6rOHsZC3zg/VedxJ5tShHI/AAAAAAABjtY/RqHZfZ3qMXg/s720/20150805-DSC01645.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HlmrnRnrRew/VedxNN_J4QI/AAAAAAABjto/CCGJtnmCc9g/s1600/20150806-DSC01653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HlmrnRnrRew/VedxNN_J4QI/AAAAAAABjto/CCGJtnmCc9g/s720/20150806-DSC01653.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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One of my favorite jobs is carrying kids on my shoulders when they get tired. No carrying this year, or even walking, since I came for only one day.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVCuvsmqzCg/VedxOmpum-I/AAAAAAABjtw/80xgOSjdN5k/s1600/20150806-DSC01660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVCuvsmqzCg/VedxOmpum-I/AAAAAAABjtw/80xgOSjdN5k/s720/20150806-DSC01660.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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Future heartbreakers, no doubt.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B9W2L2CA1WM/VedxQEBR-SI/AAAAAAABjt4/HGFnF6AeyjM/s1600/20150806-DSC01663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B9W2L2CA1WM/VedxQEBR-SI/AAAAAAABjt4/HGFnF6AeyjM/s720/20150806-DSC01663.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTamqvbNhA0/VedxRvBerYI/AAAAAAABjuA/ZBWXi9VkxSE/s1600/20150806-DSC01666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTamqvbNhA0/VedxRvBerYI/AAAAAAABjuA/ZBWXi9VkxSE/s720/20150806-DSC01666.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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After the yatra a group of us camped together and went out for a nice meal in a nearby village.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZfOuzTdlKc/VedxSjFrvrI/AAAAAAABjuI/G5GWkLtWkeQ/s1600/20150806-DSC01672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZfOuzTdlKc/VedxSjFrvrI/AAAAAAABjuI/G5GWkLtWkeQ/s720/20150806-DSC01672.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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The French know how to do it.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WrfZb2i-yWE/VedxUIpAMHI/AAAAAAABjuQ/QgFCpUvz3Ac/s1600/20150807-DSC01679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WrfZb2i-yWE/VedxUIpAMHI/AAAAAAABjuQ/QgFCpUvz3Ac/s720/20150807-DSC01679.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1VnKnrjHfk/VedxVrc7P-I/AAAAAAABjuY/8VSHO9FAkbk/s1600/20150807-DSC01689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1VnKnrjHfk/VedxVrc7P-I/AAAAAAABjuY/8VSHO9FAkbk/s720/20150807-DSC01689.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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Our campsite for one night.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tyNGEMt1HwA/VedxXFaaAJI/AAAAAAABjug/KsgX9EUhyKM/s1600/20150808-DSC01697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tyNGEMt1HwA/VedxXFaaAJI/AAAAAAABjug/KsgX9EUhyKM/s720/20150808-DSC01697.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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The road trip begins. English, Australian, Israeli, Dutch, and Israeli.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jg9wh5qhCrA/VedxYkKyYcI/AAAAAAABjuo/w3m-_iZ8zQ8/s1600/20150808-DSC01706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jg9wh5qhCrA/VedxYkKyYcI/AAAAAAABjuo/w3m-_iZ8zQ8/s720/20150808-DSC01706.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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Lovely Jess takes a spontaneous mud bath by the side of a little road.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N91Digz86fU/VedxZg7cTGI/AAAAAAABjuw/pu-csT8wPyw/s1600/20150808-DSC01718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N91Digz86fU/VedxZg7cTGI/AAAAAAABjuw/pu-csT8wPyw/s720/20150808-DSC01718.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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Chris was even more beautiful than usual after this beauty treatment.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pdLzGy8XxE4/VedxbmSux0I/AAAAAAABju4/piqEPSUHZzM/s1600/20150808-DSC01724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pdLzGy8XxE4/VedxbmSux0I/AAAAAAABju4/piqEPSUHZzM/s720/20150808-DSC01724.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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Wim is wearing a flesh-colored swimsuit.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd6pRmYunpk/VedxdtJOdHI/AAAAAAABjvA/BpzhKtN51Uk/s1600/20150808-DSC01725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd6pRmYunpk/VedxdtJOdHI/AAAAAAABjvA/BpzhKtN51Uk/s720/20150808-DSC01725.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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Two minutes after a spontaneous rest stop, the hammock is tied and occupied.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Q6oSRu6zgk/VedxgJbd7AI/AAAAAAABjvI/RvVowPkzmbg/s1600/20150808-DSC01732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Q6oSRu6zgk/VedxgJbd7AI/AAAAAAABjvI/RvVowPkzmbg/s720/20150808-DSC01732.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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Jess and Wim.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MC0CKDy1RxY/Vedxhe55QGI/AAAAAAABjvQ/YoXEQ9PqXSc/s1600/20150808-DSC01736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MC0CKDy1RxY/Vedxhe55QGI/AAAAAAABjvQ/YoXEQ9PqXSc/s720/20150808-DSC01736.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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The last night of our little road trip was hosted by Debbie at her place. She cooked a lovely meal.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YdHSgEtWwKo/VedxixDogGI/AAAAAAABjvY/T07FhddBw9k/s1600/20150809-DSC01741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YdHSgEtWwKo/VedxixDogGI/AAAAAAABjvY/T07FhddBw9k/s720/20150809-DSC01741.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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During the Sangha Holiday we attended a violin concert in this ancient church.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jYVn0EyuQQQ/VedxkLxyiKI/AAAAAAABjvg/Ojd_HEIeX7Y/s1600/20150811-DSC01746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jYVn0EyuQQQ/VedxkLxyiKI/AAAAAAABjvg/Ojd_HEIeX7Y/s720/20150811-DSC01746.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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We tried recording a music video for Wim. This is where we jump off the rocks into the river. Notice the color of the water.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8V_bPRF-o4o/VedxmEKEpJI/AAAAAAABjvo/TO3GM0Yw_gE/s1600/20150814-DSC01753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8V_bPRF-o4o/VedxmEKEpJI/AAAAAAABjvo/TO3GM0Yw_gE/s720/20150814-DSC01753.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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After heavy rains, the river at the Sangha Holiday turned the color of paint.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4uaKPlIhukw/Vedx6a1yykI/AAAAAAABjxI/KQQ78boJvag/s1600/20150824-DSC01855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4uaKPlIhukw/Vedx6a1yykI/AAAAAAABjxI/KQQ78boJvag/s720/20150824-DSC01855.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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I still love stone work. Why, exactly, I have no idea. But I have no choice in the matter.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nJvB7JiyA9Q/VedxoBTiAlI/AAAAAAABjvw/-dmA91IPC-I/s1600/20150817-DSC01774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nJvB7JiyA9Q/VedxoBTiAlI/AAAAAAABjvw/-dmA91IPC-I/s720/20150817-DSC01774.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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On a big walk, 16 km (10 miles) including 850 meters (2,800 feet) climbing with a steep descent.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QSmzKiIhb1k/Vedxp0LoVqI/AAAAAAABjv4/sRr91bu5niw/s1600/20150817-DSC01780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QSmzKiIhb1k/Vedxp0LoVqI/AAAAAAABjv4/sRr91bu5niw/s720/20150817-DSC01780.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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The walkers, including 11 year old Abe, who made it look like a walk in the park.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FsxnN5DtoUI/VedxrRo8y2I/AAAAAAABjwA/ip2yGzr-f1c/s1600/20150817-DSC01790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FsxnN5DtoUI/VedxrRo8y2I/AAAAAAABjwA/ip2yGzr-f1c/s720/20150817-DSC01790.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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The viewpoint from Mt. Carroux.<br />
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A panoramic from the viewpoint. Click for a larger view.<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P1WEj_JT5Y0/Vedxt-kTc0I/AAAAAAABjwQ/VWyQXKBIkYk/s2048-Ic42/20150817-DSC01803.JPG" target="_blank"><span id="goog_783575226"></span><span id="goog_783575229"></span><img border="0" height="162" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P1WEj_JT5Y0/Vedxt-kTc0I/AAAAAAABjwQ/926DrKsEKU0/s640/20150817-DSC01803.JPG" width="720" /></a><span id="goog_783575230"></span><span id="goog_783575227"></span>
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The van got some good use on this trip. I count four people, since that's all that's legal.<br />
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Another hike with the second group. This one was 22 km (13 miles) but not as much climbing. I was still pretty beat when it was over, partly because I couldn't exercise much after my surgery.<br />
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There are a number of ruins on this trail. At one time there was a thriving chestnut "industry" here, and incredible terraces supported by stone walls line the walk<br />
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Beautiful, rugged scenery.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OdBRcM6iV0k/Vedx0u59B9I/AAAAAAABjww/JS91fR8o6bc/s1600/20150821-DSC01815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OdBRcM6iV0k/Vedx0u59B9I/AAAAAAABjww/JS91fR8o6bc/s720/20150821-DSC01815.JPG" width="720" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
At our last stop, this water is icy cold.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eP2deRWc_hA/Vedx2q4Zv0I/AAAAAAABjw4/-T6fA62GlNo/s1600/20150821-DSC01821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eP2deRWc_hA/Vedx2q4Zv0I/AAAAAAABjw4/-T6fA62GlNo/s720/20150821-DSC01821.JPG" width="720" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Crystal clear pools.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ffm3QYXRu48/Vedx4uPIJTI/AAAAAAABjxA/mzbBjF1plts/s1600/20150821-DSC01833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ffm3QYXRu48/Vedx4uPIJTI/AAAAAAABjxA/mzbBjF1plts/s720/20150821-DSC01833.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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<br />
<br />
The second group.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H8FCM52U3w0/Vedx79vHLfI/AAAAAAABjxQ/qFKXyYFPq-8/s1600/20150826-DSC01878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H8FCM52U3w0/Vedx79vHLfI/AAAAAAABjxQ/qFKXyYFPq-8/s720/20150826-DSC01878.JPG" width="720" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
After the Sangha Holiday was over, I joined Denis and friends for a beach day.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w7236xTPjw8/Vedx95QbEEI/AAAAAAABjxY/1FaegIlvgfc/s1600/20150830-DSC01948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w7236xTPjw8/Vedx95QbEEI/AAAAAAABjxY/1FaegIlvgfc/s720/20150830-DSC01948.JPG" width="720" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Meet Lanza, Denis and Lydia's son.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ReA00K0jjR8/Vedx_dSTKsI/AAAAAAABjxg/7xdVPso90Cs/s1600/20150830-DSC01953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ReA00K0jjR8/Vedx_dSTKsI/AAAAAAABjxg/7xdVPso90Cs/s720/20150830-DSC01953.JPG" width="720" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
And now - I'm heading to the north of Italy, to the Dolomites. I gasped when I came around the corner and saw this scene, even though I was here a few years ago. Incredible.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfcgesIXuj0/VedyBfhw6wI/AAAAAAABjxo/7DVG0jzcOUo/s1600/20150901-DSC01977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfcgesIXuj0/VedyBfhw6wI/AAAAAAABjxo/7DVG0jzcOUo/s720/20150901-DSC01977.JPG" width="720" /></a>
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<br />
Thanks for looking!<br />
(The End)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-26845080224763406952015-07-29T17:38:00.000-07:002016-02-29T12:07:50.055-08:00The precious insight of a near miss<i>"When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."</i><br />
<i> ~ Chief Tecumseh</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Tragedy is FOR us. It's the greatest gift; whether an illness or the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job, it allows our perception to be shifted. It's of great, immeasurable value."</i><br />
<i> ~ Deborah Westmoreland</i><br />
<br />
It's been a tough time for the Adair family. I somehow dodged a bullet, while my brother hasn't been so lucky. He's in intensive care right now, recovering from his fourth brain tumor surgery. His operation was Monday in San Francisco at UCSF Medical Center (University of California at San Francisco), while my colon cancer surgery happened two weeks earlier, to the day, also in San Francisco, also at UCSF.<br />
<br />
It's tempting to launch into details during situations like these: what happened, when, what's the prognosis, how much of this, how little of that. While those "details" are important and need to be managed, they can also obscure bigger truths: we are temporary, fragile beings, living this one sacred life, and regardless of how it might end and under what circumstances, it will certainly end, and almost certainly the end will be neither pleasing nor attractive. Don't miss the forest for the trees, people! And don't think it won't happen to you: no one gets out alive. Perhaps more than just osbscuring truths, the details obscure important questions: why am I here, and what am I doing. To paraphrase Thoreau, are you going confidently in the direction of your dreams, living the live you've imagined? If you're not - why not?<br />
<br />
I caught every lucky break imaginable on this recent medical journey. It only started three and a half weeks ago, but it's already winding down. On Friday, July 3, the anniversary of my Mother's death, I was in Delhi and had my first-ever colonoscopy. They found a tumor that seemed highly likely to be cancerous. I had a CAT scan the same day and spent the weekend alone in my not-quite-squalid hotel, pondering the choices and possible outcomes, debating about having surgery in Delhi vs. coming home and taking my chances on my crummy health insurance. On Monday they confirmed that it was cancer, Tuesday afternoon I decided to come home, and Wednesday I flew home. The saintly and uber-efficient Whitney somehow managed to get me an appointment on Friday with one of the top surgeons in the U.S., apparently, for this type of surgery. By the end of the appointment the insurance had been authorized, and Monday morning I was under the knife, a mere 10 days from the colonoscopy. A week later I found out that I don't need chemo or any other treatment, just some additional monitoring and tests over the next few years. Voila.<br />
<br />
My brother Mike faces a greater challenge. He just had brain tumor surgery on Monday and is in intensive care as I write this. He was very weak before the surgery, from a combination of the long-term effects of strong medications, prior surgeries, radioactive treatments, and a new fast-growing tumor that is pressing on his brain. When I first saw him after surgery he couldn't find simple words like yes or no, from swelling on the brain. That seems to have passed, but he doesn't have an easy path ahead of him. I looked at him in bed with a giant white bandage around his head, his face puffy and his eyes having a hard time focusing. It made me wonder about changing places with him if I could.<br />
<br />
If you're able, let these experiences from the Adair boys sink in. There but for the grace of God, go you, dude.<br />
<br />
All my love,<br />
Dave<br />
<br />
<br />
Rishikesh, India, March 2015<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9FLfJRNSAewUzPAiTHC3JK3rYN64wpew5R2eyFToOC4AphNBITn48-g8v6_3ra5pHlQZyN4aQ8-QzqDH-UFSFNUvEzk6OxG0bqyCDhWZRo6w534G8sp9VLTEV6KWgH_lm2qvEDyq1w0kNXiDGILbNgVnCy-gAomOwl59hu_B9I31SJV1kwtPh8KEEarAydSxNwKkv9zGqxYYgKWsuWJP0YuZvrzjHGy6QrMZGSPVPt_kHPGZE51JO1bTQ6TBlwXrL1xye8MJVOzQqc8MtIMqbWv_QqUyK7OlIoUKpn2PYRqsmfPABYadSz7py1I13AOfo0AgxtdNDc_qP75soXBoar_rAXRezpDIuMLl0_WXBaGK-TabGUc1xfuP3JMG2C233TmRAri42ihWm-Mstl-ZlJkY55rPMXbs3vPcF0rVw9ShLAcCr8U0nJyoqmL5Cn0O4n0IRNCjezQXLwDrOhARr62U3CgoNDfYbS7LxaUuHCZqW2SFsXtjqr_FVP6QUtpeMV57rKqtqdOQ8tCp4boLOoy6PBgGmJly1NWhnvbf1tnSZCzs_5-ymMNEhA9xK5G7pTfACQ=w1167-h777-no" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9FLfJRNSAewUzPAiTHC3JK3rYN64wpew5R2eyFToOC4AphNBITn48-g8v6_3ra5pHlQZyN4aQ8-QzqDH-UFSFNUvEzk6OxG0bqyCDhWZRo6w534G8sp9VLTEV6KWgH_lm2qvEDyq1w0kNXiDGILbNgVnCy-gAomOwl59hu_B9I31SJV1kwtPh8KEEarAydSxNwKkv9zGqxYYgKWsuWJP0YuZvrzjHGy6QrMZGSPVPt_kHPGZE51JO1bTQ6TBlwXrL1xye8MJVOzQqc8MtIMqbWv_QqUyK7OlIoUKpn2PYRqsmfPABYadSz7py1I13AOfo0AgxtdNDc_qP75soXBoar_rAXRezpDIuMLl0_WXBaGK-TabGUc1xfuP3JMG2C233TmRAri42ihWm-Mstl-ZlJkY55rPMXbs3vPcF0rVw9ShLAcCr8U0nJyoqmL5Cn0O4n0IRNCjezQXLwDrOhARr62U3CgoNDfYbS7LxaUuHCZqW2SFsXtjqr_FVP6QUtpeMV57rKqtqdOQ8tCp4boLOoy6PBgGmJly1NWhnvbf1tnSZCzs_5-ymMNEhA9xK5G7pTfACQ=w1167-h777-no" width="640" /></a></div>
Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-37967610107755540332015-07-12T16:04:00.000-07:002016-02-29T12:13:56.952-08:00"Look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks within, awakens."<i>"Your vision will become clear when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks within, awakens."</i><br />
<i> ~ Carl Jung</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"The idea that there is a problem… that’s the wild hair in the ass of humanity."</i><br />
<i> ~ Adyashanti</i><br />
<br />
Lovely people!<br />
<br />
I'm sad to have to be delivering this news, but I found out a week ago in Delhi that I have colon cancer. Dang it! How did that happen? After considering and deciding against having surgery in Delhi, I bought a ticket and flew home 12 hours later, leaving Wednesday morning. My angelic friend Whitney (we met 20 years ago next week!) picked me in San Francisco, and prior to my arrival had already managed, miraculously, to get an appointment with the chief gastro surgeon at UCSF Medical Center, a great teaching hospital. The surgeon seems great, and I'm going in for the operation tomorrow morning, Monday, July 13. Dang. Things are moving fast. The plan is to laparascopically remove about one foot of my large intestine. It's a 2 hour surgery, followed by 2-3 days in the hospital, then theoretically a relatively painless recovery. I won't know whether chemo is advised until after the surgery.<br />
<br />
I'm feeling pretty relaxed about the whole thing, and I hope that you'll try to join me in that. We won't be safer or happier if we're stressed out about it; quite the opposite. I have so much to be grateful for: friends and family who love me, good health generally, money in the bank, health insurance. Generally I'm happy about how things are going.<br />
<br />
My friend Lillie will be helping me at the hospital, and she and Whitney will be updating this web page about how the surgery went. When I'm able I'll update it myself. Find updates here:<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/davemo-update">bit.ly/davemo-update</a><br />
<br />
In our culture we tend to equate caring with worry, but it's actually optional. Everything should be just fine, and even if it's not, then THAT will be just fine. All is well.<br />
<br />
If you're interested in reading a little more about accepting what arises, read this post from January, 2014. Seems pretty dang relevant to me!<br />
<a href="http://www.blog.daveadair.com/2014/01/it-is-all-gods-grace.html">www.blog.daveadair.com/2014/01/it-is-all-gods-grace.html</a><br />
<br />
Love to you all,<br />
Dave<br />
<br />
<br />
This photo is California's Sonoma coast, taken when I came home in February to help out my brother Mike. Another story for another day...<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ct4p8yLUDAnelOfHfx5oL2tx7N7dUyZmlZkcWrRR8w5INwjX8s4GSFNHVIimXzOjDNn83GIgOOPvi56urCdFc4l1TtY3X72b1zihvwEz7k-VMsmv-l9VWyLwzsF3D-7EMBhIcTjAmxWpLWlHe-zNrr-hJ4gGTn3EOZsPR4guvP9Qk-Jh0AkCP-6OI1drQFhRg4ogn_79mVETgMr5WFhjS39Vmcf8MhyZV_FXAWVp2pbtOVWUZNbhsMPcKGPZGMQQ6xCVUGVSIQi-eslbfVCUScdE0G7T2VNXKIp9ilBKEPL3UkPUmK1n2Z_tNz30zdb-IeUqxL1cao26Y3jxYYiqeAT3oOpmyv7BU9jUJ-1ma02RLFXxF6DPI9hY7DvvIIvlcDscM7dd5Y7C0ZYwbsdk0W-xsASqKsFfxlJxRU3jKXCY82_iTYbgyUFGqbEKyGhRg3Vucc2M5k0lyfQ_3n3d7diMIqh5B_r5z9I_4kz_R0GXyV8VVhV-sIVyJId5PvrKlRlYpIxX0Y0I_GEfUcDnPCN3jMP76X6rw4Oe-BkBFw19Qo1YInUhIIgnLLcQEZABJeezKw=w1037-h777-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ct4p8yLUDAnelOfHfx5oL2tx7N7dUyZmlZkcWrRR8w5INwjX8s4GSFNHVIimXzOjDNn83GIgOOPvi56urCdFc4l1TtY3X72b1zihvwEz7k-VMsmv-l9VWyLwzsF3D-7EMBhIcTjAmxWpLWlHe-zNrr-hJ4gGTn3EOZsPR4guvP9Qk-Jh0AkCP-6OI1drQFhRg4ogn_79mVETgMr5WFhjS39Vmcf8MhyZV_FXAWVp2pbtOVWUZNbhsMPcKGPZGMQQ6xCVUGVSIQi-eslbfVCUScdE0G7T2VNXKIp9ilBKEPL3UkPUmK1n2Z_tNz30zdb-IeUqxL1cao26Y3jxYYiqeAT3oOpmyv7BU9jUJ-1ma02RLFXxF6DPI9hY7DvvIIvlcDscM7dd5Y7C0ZYwbsdk0W-xsASqKsFfxlJxRU3jKXCY82_iTYbgyUFGqbEKyGhRg3Vucc2M5k0lyfQ_3n3d7diMIqh5B_r5z9I_4kz_R0GXyV8VVhV-sIVyJId5PvrKlRlYpIxX0Y0I_GEfUcDnPCN3jMP76X6rw4Oe-BkBFw19Qo1YInUhIIgnLLcQEZABJeezKw=w1037-h777-no" width="720" /></a></div>
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(The End)Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-59658358238073808382014-07-09T14:33:00.001-07:002014-07-09T14:33:55.581-07:00On War and Mask Dancing<i>“O Lord our God,<br />help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells;<br />help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain;<br />help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief;<br />help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst,<br />blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet!<br />We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts.<br />Amen.”<br /> ~ Mark Twain, "<a href="http://www.readthespirit.com/explore/mark-twains-anti-war-protest-in-the-war-prayer/" target="_blank">The War Prayer</a>" (</i><i><i><i>shortened)</i></i> An anti-war protest, </i><i>published posthumously, rejected by Harper's Bazaar as "too disturbing."</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Most of the Gazans killed so far have died in their homes."<br /> ~ Washington Post, "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israel-steps-up-offensive-against-hamas/2014/07/09/bb366894-074c-11e4-a0dd-f2b22a257353_story.html" target="_blank">New Hamas rockets reach deep into Israel</a>"</i><br />
<br />
Yesterday was the annual Hemis Festival that everyone-must-see. I'd already been warned by two people that it was worth a miss, but I went anyway. It turned out that there were more tourists in the audience than locals, which isn't a good sign. But it also looked to be an authentic festival, as if I would know the difference. Anyway, photos await.<br />
<br />
The highlight of my day was figuring out how to get back to Leh from Hemis. I'd shared a taxi there with a nice group of Israelis and thought I'd hike down the hill and hitch a ride back for the 40km (25 miles) back to Leh. The Israelis passed me standing up in the back of a truck. Other friends drove past in a bus, yelling "what are you doing?" At the main road the first person to pick me up was a young local guy on a motorcycle. He said, "Don't worry. I'm in the military, and this is my place, so don't worry." Then he said it again. Then he kept saying it. By the time he'd said it about 10 times I really started to worry. I thought I smelled a bit of alcohol on his breath, but it wasn't strong as I leaned forward to hear him when he spoke. When we stopped and he insisted that I drive, I got the full breathy dose, I realized he may have been pretty drunk. So I'm driving without my glasses, the sun in my dust-filled, wind-dried eyes, on a new-to-me motorcycle in India on the wrong side of the road with my partially drunk friend and guide on the back. I loved it. <br />
<br />
I realized that travel stories like this happen when you leave room for them to happen. If you always book things in advance, or take the easiest way out, you may have a more predictable time, but magic happens when you say, like I did yesterday, "something will work out." And it did! It was a great day.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Dave<br />
<br />
I've seen this kind of ceremonial dancing before, and I didn't understand it then, either.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rwl-_AOGKWM/U72Yvi7LEyI/AAAAAAAAbU4/WD6uTbwW-4U/s1600/20140708-DSC00288.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rwl-_AOGKWM/U72Yvi7LEyI/AAAAAAAAbU4/WD6uTbwW-4U/s720/20140708-DSC00288.jpg" /></a>
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Definitely look like Mongolian costumes. Definitely don't know.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5l-3phEGaHQ/U72Y2ZwT07I/AAAAAAAAbVA/cbyRUK4hZuA/s1600/20140708-DSC00303.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5l-3phEGaHQ/U72Y2ZwT07I/AAAAAAAAbVA/cbyRUK4hZuA/s720/20140708-DSC00303.jpg" /></a>
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<br />
These cute young monks were collecting donations as we came in. I've never seen monk hats like these.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3demoXPF198/U72YlZZRlbI/AAAAAAAAbUw/RhaU6JugXZo/s1600/20140708-DSC00282.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3demoXPF198/U72YlZZRlbI/AAAAAAAAbUw/RhaU6JugXZo/s720/20140708-DSC00282.jpg" /></a>
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<br />
The monastery is set in a beautiful, rugged landscape.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jnwiCGrycS4/U72KudtLPOI/AAAAAAAAbRc/uokXxqwqrnQ/s1600/20140708-DSC00356.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jnwiCGrycS4/U72KudtLPOI/AAAAAAAAbRc/uokXxqwqrnQ/s720/20140708-DSC00356.jpg" /></a><br />
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Some of the masks are pretty elaborate.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPtY6VNLdFE/U72K0hDhrYI/AAAAAAAAbRk/q-ouYELMheo/s1600/20140708-DSC00343.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPtY6VNLdFE/U72K0hDhrYI/AAAAAAAAbRk/q-ouYELMheo/s720/20140708-DSC00343.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />
These guys are freaking me out a little. Are they staring at me?<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_RTl3lEX7c/U72K56ntQTI/AAAAAAAAbRs/XrjUXoRi6rE/s1600/20140708-DSC00365.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_RTl3lEX7c/U72K56ntQTI/AAAAAAAAbRs/XrjUXoRi6rE/s720/20140708-DSC00365.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />
These photos with the intense colors are HDR pics - high dynamic range. It's a setting I can choose. <br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pIFuBxguuNs/U72LCUeCvHI/AAAAAAAAbR0/FBd8v7-jxL8/s1600/20140708-DSC00367.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pIFuBxguuNs/U72LCUeCvHI/AAAAAAAAbR0/FBd8v7-jxL8/s720/20140708-DSC00367.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />
The two locals who came to watch. OK, there were more than two.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5LQ_Py9uJCs/U72LH0CUVuI/AAAAAAAAbR8/25dPEKh2al8/s1600/20140708-DSC00391.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5LQ_Py9uJCs/U72LH0CUVuI/AAAAAAAAbR8/25dPEKh2al8/s720/20140708-DSC00391.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />
I like this photo.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nR6HVf0lfrc/U72LQufgzjI/AAAAAAAAbSE/8t_p4gqRR6A/s1600/20140708-DSC00374.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nR6HVf0lfrc/U72LQufgzjI/AAAAAAAAbSE/8t_p4gqRR6A/s720/20140708-DSC00374.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />
The monastery itself is pretty impressive.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCSV56fX4nA/U72LX2Na3HI/AAAAAAAAbSM/VdwoZG1BYGU/s1600/20140708-DSC00388.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCSV56fX4nA/U72LX2Na3HI/AAAAAAAAbSM/VdwoZG1BYGU/s720/20140708-DSC00388.jpg" /></a><br />
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Come on everybody, give a big hand for the band. Weren't they great?!<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f7qABnym_l4/U72Lec8VqYI/AAAAAAAAbSU/tOcmBiqXyOM/s1600/20140708-DSC00414.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f7qABnym_l4/U72Lec8VqYI/AAAAAAAAbSU/tOcmBiqXyOM/s720/20140708-DSC00414.jpg" /></a><br />
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I wandered into this kitchen, and like the light coming through the roof.<br />
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This black and white version is quite different than the color one above.<br />
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This massive pot is about 6 feet across (two meters.)<br />
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Monks watching the dance. I love the colors, the fabrics, and their poses.<br />
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Ya got me.<br />
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I walked the 10km (six miles) down to the main road that goes north to Leh. These prayer flags were between posts.<br />
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This bridge crosses the Indus River. More prayer flags.<br />
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I'm happy here because I don't yet realize that my new friend Sawang is inebriated. And maybe driving with his eyes closed. I took this as we're driving.<br />
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Sawang took me to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thikse_Monastery" target="_blank">Thikse Monastery</a>. Beautiful.<br />
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Inside one of the prayer rooms.<br />
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Impressive architecture.<br />
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This is just the top part of a massive two-story Buddha statue.<br />
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The view from the monastery. You can see another monastery in the distance on the small mound. There are endless amazing monsteries in Ladakh.<br />
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Shey Monastery, with ruins on the very top of the hill.<br />
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A panoramic view of the Leh valley from yet another monastery that Sawang took me to.<br />
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(The End)<br />
<br />Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5234491.post-65998726302308981252014-07-03T12:07:00.000-07:002014-07-04T06:14:21.174-07:00A painful, mysterious, love-filled gift<i>"The more we love another person, the more we can sense a potential devastation that could follow from this. We know that we must eventually lose this person, if only at the moment of death. What to do? Protect ourselves by not loving so much? Leave and live in isolation? Adopt a stoic philosophy? Our mind spins. None of these are genuine or satisfying answers. They only distract us from this razor's edge where we feel so sharply pierced by our love and by our vulnerability about where it may lead. Yet we need to feel pierced in this way. It brings us more fully awake and alive."<br /> ~ John Welwood, "Journey of the Heart"</i><br />
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Six years ago today, July 3, 2008, my Mother died. Here's an excerpt from the blog that I was keeping, written three days before her death, at a time when she was was coming in and out of consciousness.<br />
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"There are many gifts in this process. Hearts open, and people get to places they can't normally access. We dread the thought of death, and most of us refuse to think about it, or worse, unconsciously think that it won't happen to us. But we have a choice - don't wait until it's too late to contemplate the changing nature of life, including your own death. Today's a good day to begin, while you have the luxury of ability and time.<br />
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Lastly, I want to add that when I declared that my "suffering has ended" the other day, I was premature. Because Mom is still so with it, she can communicate when she's in pain or restless or wants to get up, and it pushes all my I-don't-want-Mom-to-suffer buttons. I mean, it REALLY pushes those buttons. Mike and I spent a long time today talking with Mom, and at one point, she said, "I feel really good." We talked about our favorite meals she used to make us growing up, and how caring she was, always worried about us. It was so far beyond anything we could have dreamed about a few days ago that we were both feeling so blessed. Towards the end, though, Mom started getting fidgety and anxious, and then complaining clearly about intense pain in her back, and I just about lost it. It's the one thing that I've always wanted for my mother - that she be happy and not suffer. I've been so motivated by that these last six months, but that's really just been the obvious expression of a lifelong desire for her. Between the supreme exhaustion and sleep deprivation, I was totally overwhelmed and cried, but not like a baby - I cried like an adult who really loves his mother, and is starting to understand that love in a whole new way. That, too, is a gift. A huge, painful, beautiful, mysterious, love-filled gift.<br />
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More than ever, I love you Mom.<br />
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Dave"<br />
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<a href="http://www.patadair.com/2008/06/mom-is-still-with-us.html">www.patadair.com/2008/06/mom-is-still-with-us.html</a><br />
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(The End)Dave Adairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231505091734659165noreply@blogger.com