Fallingwater

 

I cannot recall the first time I saw "Fallingwater"... All I know is I was pretty young and that it left an indelible mark on me.  I have always loved this place and I never understood why.  It seemed so modern and yet it was built in the 1930's.  It has always maintained a timeless feel to me.  It conjured up some pretty special feelings that both moved and inspired me.  It was a place that I immediately identified with and wanted to see very much.  The idea that I could someday see this place seemed so unlikely..... a pipe dream.

Maybe you have seen it too... I wonder what your experience was?  I hope it was like mine. 

I have always love Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture though not much of a student until recently.  I have become very connected with his philosophy and enamored with the principles he espoused.  He seemed way ahead of his time and has heavily influenced the way at least American's live through bringing his beliefs to life through his architecture.  He loved architecture, he loved nature, he loved the principles around humanity.  He didn't seem to get into God from a religious perspective, but I believe nature was his deity.

I know nothing of architecture, construction or engineering....  I do know a bit about design, not in the technical sense of the areas listed above, but more so from a organizational design perspective which I do at work quite a bit.  The idea of envisioning feels comfortable to me and I think that is partly why I identify so strongly with this most amazing structure.  This particular design mirrored what in my world is called systems thinking.  Something that I have tried to apply to organizational design.

This mindset is very much aligned with FLW's philosophy.  I believe the objective of Fallingwater was to interconnect with nature in such a way that it transformed the structure and the landscape equally.   Through thoughtful design seamlessly integrated with its natural setting, the building, its furnishings, and the surroundings become cohesive parts of one unified, interrelated composition.  

FLW captured my imagination because I happened to visit Taliesen West in AZ with my daughter.  It was completely enthralling and I became a member and have done my best to travel to as many of his sites as I can to really capture what I have been learning about him.  I have seen about 8 of his homes now including Taliesin in WI and Taliesen West.  I had never been to Fallingwater, until recently.

Many say Fallingwater was FLW's greatest achievement.  Fallingwater is the consummation of his organic architecture philosophy of merging design with nature in a way that leaves nature even better than it was before. Fallingwater is FLW's declaration that in nature man finds his spiritual as well as his physical energies, that a harmonious response to nature yields the poetry and joy that nourish human living.  This is demonstrated so well with his invitation to the Kaufmann's who owned the home: 

"I want you to live with the waterfall, not just to look at it, but for it to become an integral part of your lives."

Frank Lloyd Wright to the Kaufmanns, ca 1935

Only after being there, experiencing the home for myself, engaging all my sense do I finally realize that Fallingwater to me is spiritual, not just beautiful.  I am not sure how he did that, but he was able to do this with other designs as well.

I won't forget the anticipation I felt as I walked the path from the visitor's center through the forest imagining what I would see first.  I didn't know what to expect.  When it came into view I felt the goosebumps form on my arms and shoulders.  There it was.... it was real after all, not just this fantasy I had imagined for so long.  Seeing it emerge through the trees was very cool.

This is such an unusual house because you are using all of your senses in a heightened way.  What you see, hear, touch and feel is magnified.  You are literally walking in the forest over a waterfall as you walk through the house. It just isn't the same as any proverbial cabin in the woods.  It is different. 

The cars could drive up and through the house underneath these amazing latticed beams that tied directly into the limestone walls. The road goes right up to the guest quarters and pool that was added later. 

The guest rooms rooms are very cool

One of the absolute genius elements is the staircase that goes from inside the home to the edge of the stream that flows underneath the home right above the falls.  You can dip your feet into the water or just jump in and swim around.  The water is always present.  The sound of water is constant.....Amazing!

He left the floor uneven to mirror the unevenness of the floor of the woods and trails outside.  He didn't want the owners to forget where they were.  He made the granite shiny to seem wet like the stones outside in the river.

He designed an almost secret stair case directly from the master bedroom that ended up in a small natural plunge pool.  FLW didn't like swimming pools but allowed it here as long it was naturally fed from spring water.

 On hot days it probably was wonderful to sneak down, dip and then then run back up to the room without anyone seeing.

 Here is another gem from the mind of FLW.  If you notice there is a basin of slow running water that naturally flows from spring and if you look close, there is a bar of white soap on a chain.  This seems way ahead of its time.   (Remember soap on the rope ?) The idea was to quickly dip your feet in the pool and clean them off before entering the home.  No spigot, just natural water that flows back down into the river. 

Of course the best way to see the entire house is only from this one famous spot where everyone goes to take a pic.  To think that he designed this home in less than 4 hours after the Kaufmanns told him they were on their way to see him and the design of the home.  He sketched it out and had his drafts people finish as the door bell rang. He visited the site beforehand, but it had been a while so most of it was in his head.  Pure genius.

Is it not absolutely incredible?  Fora do comum one would say in Portuguese. Unique and timeliness....

I can't believe I finally got there.  It was all that I hoped it would be and more....

Sometimes when you see something you fantasize about for so long it can be disappointing in real life.  I wondered how it would be for me..... It turned out to be perfect.  To have been able to touch the uneven wet walls, listen to the ever present sound of rushing of water and to see the leaves fall across the open verandas was a childhood dream come true.  And to finally stand where he did when he first looked at the waterfall and envisioned an incredible dream was very special.  

“Space is the breath of art.”

― Frank Lloyd Wright

 

What I learned from Dear Evan Hansen

 

I knew nothing about this musical until I saw the move last week.  I was glad I hadn't heard anything to skew my experience.  I didn't even know who Ben Platt was. 

I braced myself for an array politically and socially charged themes to stir me up emotionally.  It happened, I did get stirred up emotionally--big time!  My heart was affected, but not my views on politics or social issues.  I was so pleasantly surprised to experience the movie purely.....as someone fairly ignorant of the mental illness continuum.  Someone who hasn't spent enough time thinking about how immense mental illness truly is.  The lyrics of the first song choked me up quickly.  I must have been ready to just let the performances seep into me without filtering too much.  It made all the difference.  I can't imagine anyone being able to perform and sing the way Ben did.  His range is ridiculous but to also sing while acting in character was very special.

I was blown away by the performances.  The songs were so knowingly written and were delivered perfectly.  I found myself empathetic to all the characters.  They made it easy to soar and then to also feel the terrible dread in the pit of my stomach knowing that the fall would come.... I just didn't know how hard the fall would be.  I almost turned my head thinking of the horrible implications of his lying narrative being exposed to so many people. I didn't think he would could recover.  But he did.  That was one of the great lessons for me:  

Never quit!  When it feels like you are at the bottom of a bottomless pit of despair and there isn't even a sliver of light, grit your teeth, take it all in and stand up......Do not quit.  It was a miracle that he didn't take his life.

"I am left with a loneliness so overpowering it threatens to seep from my eyes. I have no one."

I know I have felt alone at times in my life. I am sure you have too.  I have felt lonely as well. I cannot say I have felt the pervasive feeling of loneliness that must accompany those that live with the permanence of mental illness.  Debilitating isn't even the right word.... like the song says: "Words fail, words fail..."  How does one start to explain their plight and suffering?  It's not possible.  And yet, there is a spark in everyone, in every soul in every heart.  Maybe it can't always be found in this life, but the eventuality of Christ being able to heal every single instance on the never ending continuum of mental illness is something I do believe in.  I don't understand how it happens, but I believe He is the source of all light and that light beckons all of us to him one way or another.  We may not know his name, or we might call his name something else, but it all comes back to Him.  

"Even if you never get around to doing some remarkable thing, that doesn't mean that you're not worth remembering."

The movie underscored how important each of us are, just as we are.  That we are worth every drop of our Savior's atoning blood. Whether or not we believe it, He always will.  I have to take comfort in that and with each passing year realize that the eternal worth of every soul is of paramount interest to Christ and God.  In fact, it is their only focus and mission.

These troubling times are putting an enormous strain on everyone everywhere.  We are all probably at some peril on the mental illness continuum.  Love, light, tolerance, acceptance, deeper empathy and understanding are the only things that will get us through.

Thank you Evan Hansen, for showing me what the struggle is really like for so many...

The Desert

 

My last post was about the Vatican, a very religious space. I want to talk about another religious and spiritual place--The Sahara.  It wasn't on the bucket list, but somehow we found ourselves there... The path that took us there was through Morocco - another amazing country and culture.

At first glance, the differences are obvious between the two places from a physical properties perspective, but the similarities ended up being so close it surprised me.

Of course these weren't my first thoughts, but once I acclimated to the camel's gangly strides, had soaked in enough of the astonishing vista, taken in the beauty of unending sand dunes and filled my eyes with the blue blue sky, my reflective juices started to flow...

The Beginning

It took all day to get to the Sahara....  That by itself created a heightened anticipation of what the desert would be like.  I had dreamed about the Sahara as a kid.  Some of my favorite stories were tales of the 1000 Arabian Nights.  The many hours on the road getting there gave me time to create a lot of images in my mind.  I won't lie when I say that I didn't get goose bumps when the driver finally pointed to the horizon to show the faint and far away pink dunes rising above the desert plain.  They looked like mountains but weren't the same..... yes, they were mountains, just of sand. The color wasn't quite right.  They were a desert rose color.  They seemed unreal and mystical.  My heart beat a bit faster as we got nearer. It was incredibly romantic, but not in the typical ways, rather, more like the notions that I remembered reading those stories of far away Arabian places.  I let my mind conjure of visions of high adventure and mystical caravans.                                                                          

                                                                        

                                                                        Arrival

I got out of the van, it wasn't hot, but cool.  Winter in the desert is beautiful.  It felt wonderful too. The sun was out, casting an amazing array of light and shadows across the dunes.  It was that time of day when things were settling down, the calm before sunset. There wasn't any noise.....it was so quiet and  so vast.... really peaceful.

Caravan

We met our camels quickly.  Mine was named Bob Marley, which made me laugh!  What interesting creatures they are.  Getting up on and down on one is an adventure all by itself.  After only a few minutes it became so clear that these animals were designed for the desert.  No other animal seemed to make sense being out there.  They are perfectly designed to seamlessly navigate the shifting sands of the Sahara.  (I was sore in places I hadn't been before.....)

The desert is constantly changing.  You have new perspectives every 5 minutes.  The color of the sand seemed to shift as well.   The caravan lines of the camels seemed completely right....there is no other way to travel those dunes.  The slow plodding of each camel's step made ground quickly.  Within a few minutes civilization was nowhere to be found and I had no idea of direction.  I was fascinated by the shapes of the sand, the way the sunlight played off of the landscape.  There was no wind and it was very peaceful.

It was that perfect time of day, when the sun decided to make its own movie by reflecting the picture perfect silhouettes of the caravan against the desert itself -- as if it each dune was it's own projection movie screen.....casting light and shadow whenever it wanted to telling its own story.

It wasn't difficult at all to imagine age old caravans crossing thousands of miles of desert to connect humans to other humans, carrying small samples of their respective cultures in their wares, their food, their language and beliefs.   

This quickly became a place where I didn't want to be a tourist any more....no, I wanted to be local suddenly, with the ability to speak Arabic, talk to camels and know the ways of the desert.  I wanted to shed my skin and go native, like I tried to do in every country I lived in. 

Sunset

We stopped, and walked to the top of a dune.  We sat in the cooling sand watched the sunset which was gorgeous.  The dark orange red sun blazing as it descended out of sight cast a warm glow across the sky.  The Berber camel guides lit a small dry bush on fire and it glowed like a desert lantern.

 “What draws us into the desert is the search for something intimate in the remote.”

Deserts almost devoid of water and life.  In the scriptures, many passages speak of literal deserts and wildernesses, but desert images are also often employed as an opportunity to reflect on our relationship to God.  Our deserts can be literal or metaphorical, but in the Bible we learn they can be the very places where God finally finds us and calls us back to life in him.

“The desert does not mean the absence of men, it means the presence of God”. 

- Carlo Carretto

I came to realize deserts are special places....places that we must travel in order to find ourselves and often, God.  We all have deserts inside of us.  I started to realize the times in my life where there had been spiritual droughts.  Times when I wasn't aligned, questioned my beliefs and even strayed from things I knew were true.  It hit me that these were my desert journeys.  Often they seem isolated and alone.  But they almost always have been temporary, at least for me.  They were like proving grounds, requiring a bit of personal desolation and sacrifice in order to find something clearer on the other side.  They have been bridges linking not knowing to knowing,... from confusion to confidence..... from hurt to healing, from sin to sanctity, and from misery to mercy.  

Haven't you been through your own desert?  

Here are a few who have....

•  "And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel." Luke 1:80

• "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." Matthew 4:1

• "Then John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." Mark 1:4

The deserts of our lives are undoubtedly troubling places of both temptation and doubt, but they can also be the occasion for deep spiritual renewal.

"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I cam to love the Sahara for all of the normal reasons anyone would, amazed by it physical magnificence and majesty, which I expected.

However I left loving the Sahara for all the unconventional reasons anyone would, amazed by its spiritual magnificence and majesty, which I didn't expect.

I have experienced the other end of the wilderness...I have found that well the Little Prince talked about.  And yet, I know that I am not through with my desert sojourns.... more are coming, I know, because I am human and full of faults, but I welcome them more now as I have a deeper appreciation for why I must pass through them.

May your desert journeys be as amazing as mine....

The Vatican

I was at the Vatican today, it was beautiful.  It felt reverent, and like a place to be inspired, lifted and spiritually awakened.

If you are going position your church correctly this isn't a bad template to follow.  Pretty brilliant in fact.  I couldn't believe that there were so few people there.  It added to the reverence I felt.  It seemed like a holy place.  The majesty of St. Peter Basilica and the magnificence of the Sistine chapel was truly awe inspiring.

It was special to experience this as an observer.  To be able to have my own eyes opened to the idea of the Vatican - to serve as a gathering place, a place that invites all to come and be unified in a particular faith.  The works of art in the Vatican museum were some of the best I have ever seen.  Totally comparable to the Louvre, the Met and the Rijks museums.  There is no comparison to the Sistine chapel.  The pinnacle of new testament story telling and interpretation from the greatest of the greats.  Michelangelo, Botticelli, Roselli, Perugino and others.  They were inspired by God I feel to represent what they did.

To be able to see Michelangelo's Pieta here was amazing.  To know that he was basically the art director for the Vatican was something I didn't know.  He structured the arrangement of the Vatican.  Everything he touched was special.

I understood much better how this could draw followers of the faith.  While is isn't mine, I completely could see why people would come the world over to spend time here.  To be spiritually fed and uplifted.  My sense is that Mecca and Medina would be very similar.  

I left with a deeper appreciation for those that believe in God, that live by faith and not just reason and science.  That there are people with vision and endless eternal hope that we can be worthy servants of God and Christ.  That they inspire the most beautiful things men and women can create.  I loved the spiritual lift I left with. 

Shark Fin Cove, North Santa Cruz

If you aren't paying attention, you are likely to just drive right by this place and not even know it.  It is a great little nook on the coast north of Santa Cruz.  Perfect place to spend an afternoon...

.....It was wonderful!

I wandered off and found solace and took a few of my own.  I tried to discover what poses the cove had to offer and saw many.  A few turned out nicely.

If was February and chilly.... but not the biting kind of cold.  You could still be barefoot, but you wouldn't want your piggies to linger in the surf for too long!

Light seemed to play hide and seek.... coming out briefly giving an entirely different perspective of it's surroundings, while in an instant the overcast clouds muffled the light giving yet a new palette of muted colors, beautifully different.......

I watched how the surf would rush in with noise and flurry, then slink back to watery depths where it came from as if being pulled in by some unseen hand, revealing  perfectly smooth sand, like a blank canvas, ready for an artist to paint.

I was fascinated how the sand would be perfectly aligned with the rock formation, nestled next to it as if had been painted there.

The sunlight and ocean were the brush strokes of the artist, painting and experimenting over and over.  Each surge of the surf would reveal something new.  The crash of waves would moisten the moss on the rocks as if wetting one's lips.

What a treat it was to soak this all in.

We were there long enough for the sun to finally dip low and peek through the clouds, casting an amber glow in the cove, signaling us that it was time to leave.

God has all kinds of nooks and crannies full of beauty.  I was so glad to have experienced this one for a brief moment.

Next time you find yourself in in Santa Cruz, head up north and spend a minute here.  You won't regret it.

Images of Como

"When you write a story about two happy lovers, let the story be set upon the banks of Lake Como."

--Franz Liszt

  

"A map says to you.....Read me carefully, follow me closely, doubt me not.....I am the earth in the palm of your hand.”      ― Beryl Markham

“I look at my yesterdays for months past, and find them as good a lot of yesterdays as anybody might want. I sit there in the firelight and see them all. The hours that made them were good, and so were the moments that made the hours. I have had responsibilities and work, dangers and pleasure, good friends, and a world without walls to live in.”

― Beryl Markham

“But, for a little while, this is the place for us -- a good place too--a place of good omen, a place of beginning things--and of ending things I never thought would end.”

― Beryl Markham

“There are so many doors to open. I am impatient to begin."

--Charlie Gordan”

“Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?”

― Garth Nix

. 

 

Sky Walking

“There are all kinds of silences and each of them means a different thing.”

― Beryl Markham

Have you ever walked in a place transforms your soul?  I am sure you have.  I have had many such walks.  This particular one we took today was one to add to my "hall of fame" of walks.   

This walk was amazing.....unlike any other. It didn't seem to be on earth.....it seemed much more like walking in the sky, as we were so close to the clouds, on top of the world.  Yes.... Sky walking!  That is closer to the truth.  The meandering meadows of little yellow flowers flowed up, right up flush against the edge of its steep cliffs. The yellow looked like a spray of paint from a large brush, flicked against the canvas of the mountainside.

The Dolomites of Northern Italy.  Expansive, impressive and outstanding.  The wide green vistas are seriously unbelievable.  There was so much green it almost hurt the eyes as if looking at a glaring light.  

 "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller

“It was a world as old as Time, but as new as Creation’s hour had left it.”

― Beryl Markham

“Beauty is its own excuse for being.”

― Ralph Waldo Emersono

“Nature presides in all her dignity, permitting us the study and the use of such of her forces as we may understand. It is when we presume to intimacy, having been granted only tolerance, that the harsh stick falls across our impudent knuckles and we rub the pain, staring upward, startled by our ignorance.”

― Beryl Markham

I think we saw 8 people the entire day we were there.  It literally felt like the mountain was ours.  As if we had somehow been worthy of a VIP appointment.  Our special reservation was held for this particular moment.  Knowing we would most likely never pass this way again, we lingered into the afternoon.  Knowing the 9 miles down might be in the dark.  It didn't matter....Not unlike lingering in a museum gazing at a Van Gogh for an extra few minutes, we found ourselves drawn to this place.  Lingering felt right.  Soaking in its silent reverence, and finding a place of proper awe in our hearts for the witness we were given.  It took me a few hours to finally realize that what we were supposed to "see" wasn't only with our eyes.  We were supposed to "feel" with our heart just as much.

Once my eyes (heart) was opened, it was easy to fulfill that request.

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

It isn't easy leaving a place so serene and beautiful.  The inevitability of how temporary the experience is was made clear once a path was found.  Like a gentle way of escorting us back down to where we were meant to be.  The visit was over..... time found its way back into our consciousness and we succumbed voluntarily.  Not with sadness, not with bowed heads......No, rather with a fulness of the soul, an internal knowledge that what we came to find was found.  The thirst we had was quenched.  We had drawn long and deep from the well of this water. We had experienced heaven in a small way and it left an indelible imprint in our minds.  

Years from now, when we find ourselves around a fire, a dinner or just chillin in some chairs we will look at each and just say....."Do you remember.....?" and it will come back in an instant.  The shared spark of remembrance will be as bright then as it was that day.  It will reveal itself in a shared knowing smile....Like s shared secret that just can't be shared in a way that is should.  People must find their own sky walk to truly know.

“At some part of life or the other we all become memories for others. So make sure you be a good one”

― 

Caution: Change Curve Ahead

 Oh Mercy!  We have had it too good I think.....  To have all your grown kids so close to home is a treasure.  I never knew how long that would last.    I am finding out just how long right now......

 I will say we have tried our best to keep them close to,  Gather oft.....   

The word Gather has had new meaning for us in the past few years, especially during COVID.  We understand and believe in Gathering.  It is happening all over the world in a variety of ways.  We have tried to make the most of what and who we can gather in our small circle of the world. We have had some amazing times together and places we have traveled together.  One of the constants has been Landon, very present. 

He left today for his next big thing --Med school.  We knew this date was coming, but we weren't ready for that jagged little pill.  Mom's dose was a little unfair... bigger, more jaggedy, more painful.  Somehow in all the jaggedy-ness, the good part of the hurt eventually won the day.  That put us quickly into the "Valley of Despair" on the Emotional Change curve.

Landon is a great gatherer.  He specializes in them.  He gathers his friends, he gathers his siblings, he gathers his family.  The idea that they won't happen very often now seems unbearable.

Yet....there has to be a transition.  Milestone markers in our life's highway that define measures of distance- and hopefully progression as well.

The mile marker right now for Landon is Med school.  A significant milestone.  One might say a life changing one.  One that will present the most challenge and stretch of his intellectual life, in all the right ways.  Is he ready?  On paper I would say absolutely Yes!  It has been a long wait and he is well prepared.  I could also say is being ready for med school like being ready to have your first kid..... Who is ready for that?  Most of us not I think.  Much like raising a little kid, you just figure it out.  You lower your head, commit and lead with your heart and hope like crazy that you don't mess up too much.  I wouldn't be surprised if he feels the exact same way about school.  

We know something he doesn't though.... We can see a bit further down the road than maybe he can.  While he might contemplate all the things he needs to do, we know all the things that he will become, at least in our mind's eye we do.  I wonder what God sees?  

I got a glimpse as I put my hands on his head and gave him a father's blessing.  Precious glimpses into eternity, of what could be.

We will miss the innovative, creative flavored soda's, the fast food runs, the golfing fun, the games, the travels, the laughter, the crazy dancing, the incessant impromptu soccer games, pickleball, Mario Kart, guitar songs, the movies and the great talks.  We ended with Italy.... what an amazing trip.  It wouldn't have been the same without you.  Memories that we  will live of off in between seeing you occasionally.

So, as we slowly draw back this arrow, that is you, and as we try to hold as steady of a bow as we can as we release that arrow, with all our hopes and dreams packed with you in flight, knowing the direction is sure and the target is right, the words of Gibran come flooding through.  Know our love is profound and know we have exceeding faith that you will be all you are needed to be.

 

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,

but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children

as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

and He bends you with His might

that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,

so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Milan

 

The trip to Italy began in Milan.  Directly from the airport we went to the Duomo.  We didn't waste a second.  We wanted to soak as much in as we could.

All roads lead to Doumo's in Italy.  Cathedrals seem to be at the center of most large cities. 

No one was in line.  It was hot, but the heat felt good.  Perspiring in Italy was entirely going to be ok.

The walking tour up to the roof of the cathedral was incredible.  Once of the most beautiful Gothic churches I have seen.  Walking across the parapets with the view of the square and dotted people below was grand.  I have never been able to do that with other cathedrals. You appreciate the centuries of work as well as the careful restoration that has been done.

If only Notre Dame had that.....

The myriad of spires had saints or historical figures standing on each point.  Very nonchalantly overseeing things.  Less guarding, more pondering.

The architecture was so intricate, the details were mind numbingly beautiful.  And to think this huge gargantuan mammoth was made of marble.

Walking through the buttresses was amazing.  Being able to touch the stone and marble was a nice add.

Being able to actually walk on top of the cathedral was really cool.  No one from the street can see you, but you can look down and see all that is happening on the square below as well as as see the cityscape.

Milan is majestic.

It was fashion week and we think we saw Justin Bieber, but we decided after debate that probably wasn't him.  But we ate the best panzerotti's in the worlds at Luini's.  That started our taste buds going crazy for Italian food.   The gelato was some of the best in Italy.

As you can see, there was hardly anyone there.  We picked a great time to visit.....

Lake Como is next....!

Memento Vivere

TUSCANY

Italy always seemed dreamy to me.  Different than how Germany and France have their particular allure and beauty.  Maybe my imagination got the best of me because it took me so long to get there.   I have often wondered what it would be like to finally taste its' magnificent food, wander the hills of Tuscany, see the Vatican, Lake Como and hike the Dolomites....... and finally see with my own eyes the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo and many of their friends.  To feel the history would be amazing....Italy has been on my bucket list forever.  It no longer is... I finally made it.

It was actually dreamier than I thought it could be....

I have always loved Italian food.  I just love red sauce and pasta as a starting place.  Then there is so much more to experience beyond it's culinary delights.  Architecture, art, geography and history to name a few...

"Under the Tuscan Sun" has been a fun favorite of mine.  Diane Lane was great in the role.  The idea that a tourist can buy an aging villa spontaneously while on vacation and then have these amazing experiences fixing it up and meeting interesting people I am sure has caused many viewers to fantasize of doing the same.  I can now say that it is magnified 10X after actually being in Tuscany first hand.

 

The other one, is "Gladiator", which is one of my all time favorite movies.  Russel Crowe's character is from Tuscany.  Many of the dream sequences from the movie showed this rustic countryside, elegantly dressed with fields of gold wheat, Cyprus lined cart paths and medieval looking villas on tops of hills.

The movie definitely whetted my appetite considerably.  But, I have also longed to see original works of the masters--Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael etc....  

These movies do a wonderful job of showing the region of Tuscany in particular.  While there is much more to write about Italy,  Tuscany has its' own brand of magic. 

Val D'Orcia

I am hard pressed to only write a few words about this place.  There aren't enough words to describe it's medieval haunting beauty.  It is best experienced by car or bike.  To roam the hills is extraordinary.  To go off the beaten track is exquisite.  We did both! 

One experience that became a catalyst to see Italy was the movie "Gladiator".  It struck me on many levels, but one scene that was particularly striking that left a lingering memory was a dream sequence when Russell Crowe, sees himself walking through fields of gold on his way back to his villa in Tuscany.  The incredible soundtrack from Hans Zimmer and vocals from Lisa Gerrard are still at the top of my all time favorite list.  I remember thinking, I must see Tuscany.   

As we drove south into the region from Florence we came across this small grove of cyprus trees off to the side of the road.  Two cars had stopped there and people were taking pictures.  We decided to stop too.  They looked local so we knew something was cool about this place.  We just happened to come across this very well known old, old grove of trees that was protected with a fence around them.  They were unusually placed without any other trees close by and they just looked amazing.  

Landon had brought his vintage polaroid camera and took this shot which gave this image such and distinctive timeless old look.  Google Val D'Orcia and you will see more images.

The trees looked strong, but isolated at the same time.  This valley is full of all kinds of treasures like these trees.

We came across this incredible structure minutes after getting our e-bikes. Chapel of the Madonna di Vitaleta.  A very small little church in the middle of nowhere. It is quaint and sits atop a hill overlooking the valley.  So simple and unassuming you forget how famous it is.

The e-bike adventures was a very unique and special way to see this valley.s

It was amazing to finally be there.  It was everything I imagined but more.  The drive through Tuscany from Florence was incredible. 

We explored and wandered down fields like this of lavender and gold, hills filled with Cyprus trees lined driveways to medieval villas dotting the landscape.   And to think this is their farmlands.  Compared to the classic red barn and corn fields of Nebraska, it just didn't even seem fair.

“Melancholy skies

and empty fields of gold

grey clouds

and emeralds days

our love in pieces

captured only by poems (of mine).”

― Laura Chouette

I never thought I would find the exact spot where that scene was shot, and I didn't really think I would find myself in fields of gold re-enacting that dream walk of his.    But I did!  With Landon's help, he located the spot near a small town called Pienza.  It was a bit of a walk but so worth it.  As soon as we came upon it it was recognizable.  It was a very cool feeling to be there at about 8pm, near dusk, so quiet, very warm and incredibly picturesque.

We were the only ones there....It was one of those timeless moments where you can sit and soak for a long time.  

There was only one more thing to do.....to complete the moment, to 'matar' the 'saudade' once and for all....

..... Which was to wade out there and pretend to be Russell Crowe for just a minute.  Ha!  So silly but really romantic in an idealistic way.  I had to do it right?  I really dressed well for the occasion too I think.

Landon took the shot and closed the deal.... 

 I will always be glad for that mad dash run/hike to find it before the sun set.  Pretty sure I would have passed if Landon hadn't made it happen. 

Thanks Landon for helping me crush a timeless moment and making a small fantasy come true!

We ended the day finding this really small, hole in the medieval wall restaurant in Pienza.  We ate some food that I don't think we would find anywhere else and this was filled with locals while many other restaurants were empty due to the ravages of COVID.

It was one of the most pleasant and spiritually renewing days I have had.  It is pretty hard when reality actually beats out the imagination.  That rarely occurs but it did happen on this day to me.

Cyrpus trees stand like sentinels on the hillside as if guarding something sacred from the past. Constantly watching, constantly aware, constantly maintaining vigil.

“Pilgrims"

Tuscan reds and ochre hues

Olive greens and skies of blue

Sunlit valleys full of charm

Secluded homestead and hilltop farm

Over hills skim birds in flight

Aromas whet the appetite

Autumn rustle fills the air

Revealing grace of trees laid bare

Pathways meander through the vale

Inviting travelers its height to scale

Sunset rewards as evening ends

And pilgrims to the night descend”

― Collette O'Mahony,