une fois encore
2024 Adventure
Tuscany/Umbria - Liguria
Cassis - Lake District U.K. - Éire
... always with an eye on this recent October attempt to enjoy trekking into little neighborhoods in Europe ... what events we intended to enable there; and did they actually materialize for us—and if not what got in the way? Were such obstacles inevitable? Then the 500 pound gorilla in the room—were these destinations worthy ones for peeps of our years and experience in age-denial?
Remembering & planning
[On the photo above: I still cannot fathom the changes I found here in Avignon. The arty wine bar pictured has closed, along with many of its neighbors; the row of grand plane trees are diseased and have been cut down. I have shock and sorrow, of course, but also gladness for having seen it before its glory dimmed.]
And yet for all the change I observed, many wonderful parts remain magical for me emotionally—breads fresh and wholesome; little hikes that still offer surprising places; old, old places of Christian worship whose majesty beckons yet; smearing soft cheese instead of butter; finding a seductive new wine label for under five euros. Vistas that surround, fresh and exciting for all 360 pulse-quickening degrees.
The Core Concepts page (link below) was proved true, because it turns out that the population factor was indeed a remarkable indicator—whether I'd enjoy days and hours in streets and byways and parks, and in old ruins that continue to bask in the mystery of centuries. The more people crowding around, the less restful the place felt; and it became difficult to receive the story being conveyed.
