Basilica Di San Francesco

Assisi is the final resting place of my Favorite Saint, and home to the most famous monks. Before the brilliant green lawn inscribed with the Latin word for peace, and before the arched entryway in the The Piazza del Loge mill monks in their brown robes, and nuns in their black and white attire.

The church is perched atop the hill here, and beyond it there appears only sky. The building is mostly white, and from the exterior, very simple, not at all the striking image many churches in Italy have.

The church is on two levels. The lower level, entered though the side doors is decorated in frescoes, and houses the tomb of St. Francis. Above, the vaulted ceiling sweeps upward, sunlight shines through stain glass windows into a dark interior. Here too, frescoes, by great masters of the both known and unnamed, grace the walls.

Lewis, Natchez, Avaleen, and some very good Junk.

In mid July we took a little trip down to the area of Tennessee that is south of Nashville. This is one part of the state I haven't been to much, aside from once making a brief visit to the Natchez Trace Pkwy. And this visit too, began with a stretch of the Trace, and a piece of history that was new to me.

You might not immediately recognize the name Merriweather Lewis, but if I told you he took an expedition with William Clark, you might guess who he is. Well, after returning from that famous trip, Lewis became Governor of the Louisiana Territory. Business brought him along the Natchez Trace. While there is some controversy as to what brought his life to an end near Hohenwald, TN, it is generally accepted as a suicide. Merriweather Lewis died and was buried right here in Tennessee.

We made another stop along the Trace to take a short walk to see fall hollow. This aptly name little spot is a small hollow/holler/gully which two small streams pour into creating several small but pretty waterfalls.

In this area also is the Amber Falls Winery. This winery has a broad selection of wines. We tasted the sweet and semi-sweet, and were not disappointed by any we tried. We picked up a couple bottles, and then headed to Linden, and the Avaleen Springs Bed and Breakfast. The first thing we saw when we pulled up were orange tabby cats everywhere.
After the owner greeted us and showed us the cabin and the dinning/social area with books, movies and boardgames in the guesthaus, we were left alone to explore the properties 30 acres with trails leading past friendly fish in a beaver pond, small waterfalls, and little statues tucked in every corner.

For diner, we headed into Hohenwald to eat at the Junkyard Dog Steakhouse, whose quirky atmosphere and good food make it an unusual find for such a small town. The walls are hung heavy with decorations, ranging from old school sports pictures, to mardi gras beads and masques, to western items. The steaks were perfect, tender and juicy.

After returning full to the Bed and Breakfast, we spent the twilight relaxing in adirondack chairs, a cat in each lap, and a glass of wine as we watched bats dart overhead in the darkening sky. In addition to the relaxing atmosphere outside, the inside of the cabin impressed as well, with a cedar latter that could be used to climb to a loft, and a massive tub that, combined with the jets and the provided bubble bath made enough foam to fill my tub at home a few times over.

Overall, I was very impressed with this little corner of my home state. It's one area I hope to visit again soon, maybe to watch the leaves change, and have a good steak. Coincidentally, Hohenwald is also home of the Elephant Sanctuary

The Stone Monsters of Bomarzo

Late in the evening we arrived in the town of Bomarzo, a town of so many brown buildings, huddled upon a bluff overlook the Tennessee like landscape of the Tiber River. While it's possible that this small town's history may go back to the Roman era, being named as it is for the god Mars, the town's primary claim to fame comes from the 1500's and a man named Pier Francesco Orsini, whose fiefdom, this once was.

Orsini oversaw the construction of a park, filled with unusual and large sculptures, carved into existing limestone on site. Now, 500 years later, these sculptures are marked with time and rain, and moss has found a foothold on many. Despite being relatively recent in the scope of Italy's long history, the structures seem a part of the forest setting, and timeless.

Known as Parco del Mostri, the Park of the Monsters, it is located somewhat off the beaten path. Through a small visitors center and cafe, a country lane leads down past chickens and cattle to the gated entrance. Beyond the gate lies a land of slightly grotesque fantasy.

Down a short trail to the left is the toothy head of Proteus.

Back down the main path, a giant Hercules is rending Cacus in two.

Just past these are the more beautiful Pegasus, and behind it, the tortoise, the woman, and the whale.

Nearby, there is a small courtyard, with several interesting carvings. At one end, an imposing Neptune presides over a mossy but empty font.

Also near here, a wide eyed dragon fights lion and dog.

But of all the interesting statues, by far the most striking is the ogre. This massive monster's mouth and eyes gape. The mouth forms a sizable doorway, and inside, in the dark, carved from the rock, are benches and a table, as cool and comfortable, and odd a place as you can have a picnic anywhere.

The secret of the woods

Just south of Raglan New Zealand, off of Kawhia Road, and unassuming little parking lot is the gateway for an easy and beautiful trail that leads through a lush native podocarp forest to a picturesque waterfall, known as Bridal Veil falls.

The mostly level trail leads through a forest of tall trees, covered in a variety of epiphyts. The ground is a collage of fern, moss, and mouldering logs. The trail loosely follows a muddy brook to the edge of the fall's rim. A neatly fenced overlook lets you peer at the falls from the sideA short spur leads to the left for a closer look at the top of the falls. The main trail leads to the right, through a small cut in the earth, and then down again through the forest to the base of the falls.

Bridal Veil Falls itself is a picture perfect beauty. The water falls in a high and narrow stream, into a small basin below. The walls around the falls are basalt, blackened with water. Well worth the short hike for both the plant life and the falls.

San Clemente: the church that runs deep

The Basilica San Clemente is a very good place to get a grip on just how deep Rome's roots run. Today stands a church built during the 12Th century. Marble and gold, this church gleams with the care it has been given. But travel into it's basement, and the change is immediate.

Beneath the present day church lies its former and grander self. Originally built during the 4Th century, this was once graced with colorful frescoes. Today, it is mostly bare, but many decorations are still detectable in a ruinous form. Destroyed by the Normans at the close of the 11Th century, it was filled in, and the new church built above it. Rediscovered in the 1800's, it has been excavated though not really restored.

But the roots here are deeper still, for both of these churches rest upon the ruins of still older roman constructions. Here, there once stood the house of a early Christian convert, who held prayer in secret when Christians were still persecuted in Rome, also excavated are an alleyway, and another building, that served as a mithraeum. Here, at the deepest level, the smell of earth and water pervade the dark atmosphere. The sound of water too, penetrates, as there is an underground water flow even further down, beyond a grate. Through the grate can even be seen bricks which may have been foundations of homes that burned with the rest of Rome, earlier still.

Both eerie and fascinating, San Clemente only serves as one example of many sites where ruins lie beneath. This city has been occupied for thousands of years, and over time, dirt has settled between Rome's seven hills and built up the ground. Eventually, the oldest of buildings, or what remains of them, have been covered over, and the city grew above them. The Eternal City has weathered the storms of time with such roots. What biblical depiction does the Basilica San Clemente bear in its apse? Christ on the Cross, and beneath him, the tree of life , spreading its branches into vines. The inscription beneath, in Latin reads:

"We have likened the Church of Christ to this vine; the Law made it wither but the Cross made it bloom"

Having deep roots certainly helps.

Il Colosseo

Not far from Circus Maximus is the Roman Coliseum, or Il Colosseo. Originally the name of a large statue that once stood in front, it now applies to the iconic largest of all Roman Amphitheatres. Designed much as modern sports arenas, the amphitheater had a wide outer wall, now mostly gone, which encircled inner hallways and stairways, which led to various levels of seating, all the way up to the long gone wooden nose bleed section.

What remains today, while still impressive in its own right, is but a ruinous shadow of the former structure. The marble, which once encased the structure was removed over the nearly 1500 years since it went into disuse. Earthquakes have reduced its height, and its outer wall.

The remaining structure is mostly the brick core. While the hypogeum below the Colosseum is not accessible, the upper levels can be explored. The original seating has been heavily eroded, and many areas are capped with concrete to prevent further damage. The white marble of the senators seating is still clearly visible among the red brick. They seemed to be reconstructing the arena floor during our visit, or possibly constructing a temporary stage.

This arena once saw not only gladiatorial fights, but plays, mock battles, and animal hunts. Like any public entertainment venue today, there were vendor stalls and public restrooms. It even had a retractable awning to protect the crowds from rain and bright sun.

Visible from the Colosseum's windows is the Arch of Constantine.

In conjunction with our visit was an exhibit of Eros and Venus related sculpture and artwork. Amongst the work were several Grecian style black and tan urns that depicted explicit acts, which were surprising and interesting to see. But the statues were the really beautiful things, the others were just odd and interesting.

Medicine Wheels, Canyons, and Hot Springs - oh my!

After leaving Yellowstone, having been to Glacier, and Craters of the Moon, you could say the remaining days of out trip was a bit of a denouement. We headed east through Wyoming to the Big Horn Medicine Wheel. Despite the fact that a road stretches all the way to the wheel, which is set high atop a hill, up a steep and winding road, you must park about a mile from the wheel and walk the rest of the way. The medicine wheel is something like a simple Stonehenge. It has astronomically significant alignments, and was especially useful for marking the summer solstice. It consists of rows and circles of piled rocks, in the general shape of a wheel. The walk to it was steep, and there was a biting wind, but it was worth it.

There is a barb wired fence around the wheel, and a path outside of the that you walk counter clockwise around, in respect for the traditional practice. Native Americans still hold ceremonies here, and many leave offerings tied to the fence, in the form of small brightly colored bundles of cloth, or braids of grass. Less traditional offering, such as bandannas, probably come from the few tourists who may actually find their way here. Another bonus for making the walk to the wheel was seeing picas, which are like teeny weenie bunny rabbit mice. They are cute beyond belief.

After the Medicine Wheel, we went to the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. This is a narrow canyon with a green river flowing in a tan hued landscape. There is not a lot of plant life here, but there are the namesake Bighorn, which have made a comeback in the area. There are also wild horses, and we saw a small family near the road on our way in. They are grayish with a black mane, and, if you look, they have horizontal black stripes across their legs in the back. This fascinated me, because it relates to some of Darwin's theories on evolution, about how when modern species or breeds intermix, you tend to see what are the most basic characteristics, and therefore the characteristic of the common ancestors. So here are stripes on a horse, when none of the parent horses would have had them, showing perhaps a trait that is dormant in them, but exemplified in the zebra.

We then headed south toward Thermopolis. The plan had originally been to spend the remainder of the day hanging out at the free to the public hot spring/baths here, but after my visit to Yellowstone and learning about all the nasty extremophile disease causing bacteria that live in hot springs, I'm afraid I lost interest. So we headed instead towards our destination for the next day, which was Fossil Butte National Monument. We got as far a Kemmerer before stopping for the night. It also happened to be the home of James "Cash" Penney, who started the now national chain right here in this little town.

The best laid plans, Not the Day in Rome We Expected

By the time we arrived in Rome, after debarking the ferry in Civitavecchia, we were running late. Late is not a good thing, when you are hoping to visit the Vatican Museum. This museum is extremely popular, and operates under very limited hours, resulting in impressively long lines and wait times, especially for those who are not with a tour group. We reached the walls of Vatican City, and saw the line stretching, far, far from the door. So we decided to visit other destinations on our itinerary instead, and hope to make it to the museum earlier when we returned to Rome for the last few days of our trip.

Instead, we headed over to Santa Maria Cosmedin. This church, while probably worth a visit in it's own right, wasn't our actual destination, just the center of a couple of things we did want to see. For starters, just near this church is the Circus Maximus. Normally, this isn't too much to look at. All that remains of the once impressive large arena is an oblong field with a mound running down the center. We passed by it a few times both on the first day we landed in Italy, and in the final few days before we left, but it was on this day, during the middle of our trip, that it was decorated with strange white globes, which weren't present before or after. Upon our return, we discovered that this was created by Giancarlo Neri, called Maximo Silencio. At night, the globes glowed and shifted colors. There are several nice videos that can be found through google. It really was interesting, and I wish I'd have been around at night to see the actual display. Here is a link to a good summary video.

Underneath a portico of the church is a large disk bearing a face. Some say it was a fountain, or perhaps a manhole cover. His eyes and mouth are simply holes, and it is known as Bocca Della Verita: the mouth of truth. It was featured prominently in Audrey Hepburn's Roman Holiday. So it goes that if you put your hand into it's mouth, and tell a lie, it will bite off your hand. I didn't test it.

Just across the street from the church are to remains of Forum Boarium, where in Roman times, cattle were sold. What remains today are two temples. One consisting of a circle of columns known as the Temple of Hercules Victor, the other, a rectangular structure is the Temple of Portunus.

Yellowstone Exodus

After staying the night in the fabulous Old Faithful Inn, we packed our bags, and headed to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast. We ordered the buffet, which came with juice and a hot chocolate for each of us, but we had to specifically ask our waiter to bring the hot chocolate, since he did not offer to do so. The hot chocolate was VERY GOOD, but Jake spilled his before even taking a sip, which was a real tragedy, especially because they didn't offer to bring us a replacement. We were put off by the poor service, though the food was very good.

After that we went out for a walk along the boardwalk the led out and around the many geysers in this area. We spent some time hanging around Old Faithful to see if it would go, but got tired of waiting and continued up the trail. We arrived at the Grand Geyser and I began reading the information about it. It is the tallest predictable geyser know. It's much larger than old faithful. it erupts about twice daily. Before it erupts, it begins to churn/bubble strongly. As I read all this, the pool in front of us began to churn. I thought, OK, some geysers do that for hours before an eruption. Then it said, "moments later the geyser erupts" So I'm like hey Jake, it's about to go, and there it went. There were several volunteers who document the geysers, and all remarked on what a good show it was putting on. According wikipedia, it gets as much as 200ft tall. It went on for several minutes, and when it finally died down we wandered further up the trail.

We then walked to the morning glory pool, and as we were headed back down the boardwalk there, we noticed a large lone male buffalo drinking from the opposite side of a stream, no more than 40 yards away; this was during breeding season, when males were feeling especially aggressive, too. Well, we stopped along the trail, confident that we were too far out of range to bother him, and watched. A young woman, who had not been reading the signs about saying on the boardwalks, and not harassing the animals, thought that the 15 foot wide stream was enough of a buffer, and left the trail, and cut through some trees to get a much closer and unobstructed view, and began taking pictures. The buffalo, which obviously felt threatened, stopped drinking and gave her a long look. At which point she smartly backed off, but only about 5 feet, until the buffalo returned to his drink. Realizing that she wasn't moving off, the buffalo then crossed the stream, and ambled casually towards her. She, smartly headed back for the boardwalk, and up towards the morning glory pool. Jake and I stayed still to avoid the buffalo's notice while he stood squarely upon the boardwalk and gazed about. Finally, satisfied that he had made his point that he was VERY LARGE, he continued on his way, up into the forest.

We continued our walk and saw lots of other geysers in various stages of activity, when we suddenly realized it was nearly checkout time at the hotel. It was again near time for Old Faithful, so I reserved us some seats while Jake went to get our luggage from the room and check us out. He returned in time for us to watch the geyser, which really isn't anything like as spectacular as the large ones we'd already seen, and in addition to that, the boardwalk is much further away that it is from other geysers, still as probably the most famous geyser in the world, it's a must to see.

From the Old Faithful area, we headed south to West Thumb, then turned east along the norther edge of Yellowstone Lake, finally turning north at Lake Village and cutting through Hayden Valley, which is the place to see buffalo, and wolves possibly. While we saw none of the latter, we got a fairly close encounter with the former. Along the way we saw 2 males butting heads, and further on We noticed a small group of buffalo coming towards the road. 2 females, 1 calf, and a large bull, who was pawing the ground as he came, stirring up dust and grunting. We had pulled into a parking area, but stayed in the car doorways in case he should head our way. This group crossed the road a little behind us and caused a traffic jam.

The main problem was one car. The car would creep up an inch on the buffalo every time it got the chance, and every time, the male would stop and turn and lower his head towards the car. You'd think that driver would have learned to stay still, but he just kept doing it, and managed to make the buffalo pretty angry. He even made a move to headbutt the grill at one point, but stopped short, and finally moved his family off the road.

The sun was setting, and we still had quite a ways to go to leave the park. After darkness had set in, we encountered still more buffalo, having to creep our way through the dark night to avoid a collision with a movable wall. Finally, we exited the park at the north east entrance, and pulled over to sleep at the first shoulder wide enough for our car, completely exhausted, but very satisfied.

Moments like this

Somewhere south of the port city of Olbia, in the island of Sardenia, we sought the beach. We had some time. If I had to guess, it was just north of Tanaunela. We had yet to really stick our feet into the Mediterranean. Technically, this was the Tyrrhenean Sea. Oddly, Italy little touches the Mediterranean itself, being mostly surrounded by the Tyrrhenean, Adriatic, and Ionian seas. Still, the waters wash the same, and we were looking for a little break. We parked in the lot for a somewhat busy beach, and headed down a nearby rocky shore.

The cumulus clouds the size of the island, if not the world were floating in the afternoon light. The water was blue, but full of shadows. And there was a man singing. His skin was tan, his head balding and somewhat grey. He was neither thin nor fat, but had the muscular body of old aged men under loose skin. This was readily apparent because, as European men will, he was wearing a speedo. Tied around the fabric of his left hip, and weighing the speedo down uncomfortably, was a yellow plastic grocery bag. He went along, shin deep in the water, pocket knife in his right hand, scanning the barnacle covered rocks, prying away mussels, adding them to the bag, singing, in that same strong but worn voice that you could see in the skin and muscle.

He came from up the coast, passed us, down towards the swimmers and gone. Along the way, a man with a long rod and a long line fished.

Where I go, I see many great things. Ruins and Museums, Mountains and Rivers. And they teach me my geography and history better than any book ever has. And there is value in that. But it is moments like this when you find the unexpected, common thing in far places that makes the weary standing, walking, driving, flying of travel well, well worth it.

In the House of the Flightless Bird

New Zealand has a unique set of fauna, and, since many species are rare, to fully appreciate them, we decided to pay a visit to the Otorohanga Kiwi House. The kiwi house has kiwi statue outside.

They Kiwi house has a large collection of almost all birds, they being the only large fauna to be found on the island. But the do also have a few other animals mixed in. There are no mammals, because New Zealand does not have any native mammals, not even marsupials.

They do have tataras. A tatara is a relatively primitive reptile, related to dinosaurs, though it does resemble modern day lizards. They also have geckos on display, and a small pool with eels in it. Like salmon, these eels go to sea when young, and return to their birth rivers to spawn. They are in many of the fresh water streams and creeks in New Zealand.

Among the birds, they have many species common in New Zealand, such as paradise ducks, grey ducks, oyster catchers, and the colorful pukeko, which can often be seen near roads and in fields.
They also had the islands' two parrots, the kaka and kea, and native parakeets, as well as the surprisingly large New Zealand Pigeon, a food source for the Maori. They also have the Weka, another flightless bird.



As the name might suggest, the Kiwi House does house kiwi, in a dark, red light lit room so that visitors can see them when they are active, because kiwi are nocturnal. Here they have two kiwis on display, though they keep them separated because they are capable of hurting each other with their long thin beaks. Sharing the airspace over both areas is a morepork, a small native owl. The kiwis run on thick muscles legs, like larger farm chickens. They hunt in the leaf litter of their enclosure, prodding with their beak looking for whatever worms or insects they might find. We were there for feeding time, and they were fed from a plastic cup with a mixture of fruits oats and worms. The hungriest of the pair simply fished around for a worm and slurped it up.

Before we leave, we take a walk through the aviary, where pigeons fly clumsily, tataras lurk, and quail nest under unfurling fern trees.

Just across from the park is a small park established by Otorohanga's Rotary Club. Here grow redwoods that were germinated from seeds send by a Rotary Club in California. The trees were planted in 1971, and so are fewer than 40 years old, and already very tall. This is a pretty little spot and as it's so close by it's worth the visit.

The Nuraghes

The island of Sardenia shelters numerous ruins from a culture that existed 3000 years ago. These people built monolithic stone towers and cities, worked in bronze, and left behind little other evidence of their culture or history.

Cagliari is the capital of this island region of Italy. Within the city lies the local National Archaeological Museum, which has, among Roman and Phoenician finds, a curious collection of small Nuraghic bronze sculpted figurines.

Heading north across the island, through green forests and cork tree farms, we came across our first run in with the law. Two policemen were parked on the side of the road, waving traffic to the shoulder. Well, really, we were the only car around. They were dressed in almost comical uniforms, with buttoned up jackets, belt, and brimmed hat. One held a very small stop sign on a 2 foot long white stick. But we didn't dare laugh, since the other held an assault rifle. Neither spoke the others language, so we gave them our passports and wondered if we had been speeding. They checked our info, conferring on the hood of their car about it, returned it to us, and waved us on. This would be the first of 3 times we would be pulled over in such a random check. What they were looking for, I am not sure.

Finally we arrived at Su Nuraxi. Of the 8,000 or so remnants of Nuraghes this is one of the best preserved and most complex examples, earning it a spot as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, thousands of years ago, the initial tower was built on a low hill, presumably to control passage through the area or for defensive purposes. Over the centuries, additional ringed fortifications were built, and the area developed into a small village or city.

A tour leads through the circular stone foundations of homes, shops, and some fortifications, before leading into the most central nuraghe. Here, large stones are stacked, without mortar, and doorways a capped with longer stones.

The walls are built in double layers, with the interior filled with dirt.

In the rooms and passageways, no light enters save through the primitive doors and windows, and sometimes holes left at the apex of conical roofs.

The interior is a open courtyard of sorts, though, being narrow amongst high walls, it is dim and cool. The rocks, as in the old wall above Arpino, are large. The structure seems incredibly primitive, but it has proven to last the centuries. Our tour, sadly, was in Italian. There are not many foreign tourists here. This place is secret. Quiet.

Falls and Jet

The water from Lake Taupo flows out via the Waikato river. One section of this river narrows to form Huka falls. The falls are not very tall. In fact, the water flowing over the falls almost hides them. But the water is a churning froth. This is beyond white water. Even above the falls, the water churns, and is a strange pale blue, marbled with white. Where it gushes over Huka Falls into the large and suddenly wide river below, The water bubbles up solid white for dozens of yards.
We arrived at the falls overlook, early in the morning. we had the short walk along the narrow stretch of river to ourselves. After we had taken many pictures, none of which look quite real, we headed to hukafalls Jet to get a different perspective of the falls. After suiting up in a rain jacket and life vest that would have made both Neo and Superman proud, we loaded into the boat, Jake and I taking front row seats.

Riding in the boat felt like gliding on ice, as our pilot fishtailed the boat along the banks, in and out of tree stumps and small islands, and under the wings of escaping black swans. On the open water, he cut the wheel, and whoo! partially airborne 360! splash! We headed downstream for a bit, then turned and headed up for the falls. Many "close calls" with the river banks, and spins later, we arrived near the foot of the falls. We could go no further. That white boil of water was more air than H2O, and boats only float on water.