Goldtent TA Paradise

favorite people, places & activities

1. GoldBalloon says:

   November 12, 2024 - 4:01 am at 4:01 am

   Greetings From Italy!

   In reflecting on my life, in addition to my obvious thirst to explore virtually everything, it’s clear that along with the new discoveries, I allow myself to be drawn as if by a magnet to the same people, places and activities, over and over. To varying degrees, I think this is true of everyone. In my case, something not so common is that I experience it on a global scale. Fortunately for me, I also literally feel at home and am comfortable everywhere. Because my range of wandering is pretty much the whole planet, my favorites are also scattered around the globe. I bring this up because of the path of my most recent wanderings, re-visiting a few of my favorites.

   Last week, my time in Chad ended. It was an incredible visit to a totally new environment for me; it will take much time to digest and process all the experiences, as well as all the photos.

   From Chad, I flew to Paris. Upon arrival last Monday, I had no plan at all and didn’t know what came next. When in such a state, my natural tendency is to rent a car and start driving, so that’s what I did. I figured things would become clearer while on a two-week drive around the European countryside. It worked like a charm!

   First stop was a visit with a friend in Normandy, France. It was the best way to start, with a very relaxing three day long deep breath. From there, I drove to Chamonix, an amazingly inspirational place that has attracted me strongly ever since my first visit in 1988. On the way, there was a stop in Vezelay, to appreciate the strong silent energy in its hilltop basilica.

   The late autumn weather was perfect for a drive over the mountains to Aosta, Italy, by way of Martigny, Switzerland. The larch trees decorating the mountain forests were at peak color. The following day, I drove eastward along the base of the mountains, to Lake Garda. I like to think of Garda as one of Italy’s guarded secrets, but it’s really not so secret. What it definitely is is outrageously beautiful, no matter the season or the weather. For my visit, the weather happened to be perfect. Any one of the ancient villages strung along the steep shoreline of the lake is worth visiting, or just appreciating briefly while driving through s-l-o-w-l-y. Slow is necessary for a number of reasons, including the narrowness of the winding roads, all the pedestrian activity and because any faster than a crawl would result in a fortune of automatic traffic fines being levied by the all-too-many speed cameras in Italy. Slow was perfect to get a good look at the endless attractions without having to stop every two seconds. Instead, I only had to stop about every five minutes for a closer look at something that caught my eye.

   Remember, I didn’t have a plan upon arrival in Paris, so neither was there any plan for where to go on this drive. It all unfolded moment-by-moment. Such was the case while staying overnight at Lake Garda. In the morning, with one look at a map it was clear my route from there would be straight north into the Dolomite Mountains. I should point out that I’ve been on all of the roads taken on this trip many times, yet it’s always a revelation to me to experience each route again, each view, and to feel as if it’s a fresh discovery, because it is. So much is always new, from the season, to the light, to new perspectives and most importantly always seeing through new eyes. I could never tire of exploring life, even if from the outside it sometimes looks like it includes a lot of repetition.

   From the south end of Lake Garda, north I drove. Past a tandem paraglider landing lakeside, past windsurfers aplenty, then past someone coming in for a landing under a parachute at Pietramurata after having jumped off of Monte Casale Trento with a wingsuit. North through steep vineyards and into ever higher mountains, until arriving in the distinct Dolomite formation. I continued driving on the winding roads all the way up to Passo Sella, watched the sun set on this special mountain range, then drove back to Canazei to spend the night.

   Yesterday, I spent six hours to drive to a place just two hours away from Canazei, stopping too many times to count. I could easily have spent longer. Close to sunset, I walked up the now-closed road to Tre Cime. On the way down, I had my moon shadow to keep me company in the cold still air. From there, it was a short drive down to Auronzo di Cadore, to spend the night with friends.

   What became clear during my wanderings here in Europe is that this trip will end when the rental car is returned in Paris. With nothing else drawing me forward, it’s time to go home. So, I booked the return flights. Next Monday I will fly back to Oregon.

   There is no new SmugMug photo gallery to share yet, just a few phone photos taken during the last few days. New galleries will come later.

   Wishing you new perspectives and endless appreciation of life!

   GoldBalloon

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   • Fullgoldcrown says:

     November 12, 2024 - 5:18 pm at 5:18 pm

     WOW

     I am reposting this because I think it got lost inthe blozzard of new postings

     Thanks GB …..what a RIDE

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