beauty

" beauty is not caused. it is." -- emily dickinson

farther sail!

O my brave soul! O farther, farther, sail! -- Walt Whitman, " Passage to India"

returning from europe leaves time to drift back to idyllic times on peaceful shores, thinking about all the places i haven't been..... and where i'd still like to go if possible. unfortuately, with a trip too short to rent a kayak, i had to just imagine gliding quietly along silent waters taking in the unimaginably beautiful surroundings. this church sitting on an island in lake bled, slovenia as seen from grad bled castle has to be one of the most serene communes with a higher power that created all the amazing sites we saw on our journey.

coming out of the dolomite mountains from cortina, italy we first caught site of lake garda, above riva del garda, and it absolutely took my breath away. like some norwegian fjord, tucked in between steep mountains diving into the water, the lake takes one back to the days of summer villas carved out of the cliffsides and accessible only by watercraft. i'm ready to retire to this stunningly beautiful place.

beginnings

"i had myself a desire to return to the place of the very beginning whence i had, as i have said, renewed my age." -- joshua slocum

leaving tomorrow for switzerland and on to klagenfurt, austria is a trip back to 1967. oh for the carefree days of swimming in crystal clear lakes, climbing mountains and exploring.. but that requires remaking of mistakes and lessons since learned. guess i'll just enjoy the memories. every morning while there i would run up this mountain past the stations of the cross and through the park about 4 miles. then after breakfast i'd ride my bike to the strandbad to play waterpolo and swim all day. it was tough to be an exchange student.