Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Denver, CO – Cheyenne, WY
There is a Denver Cultural District with three museums situated adjacent to each other. We won’t say much about the Denver Art Museum except that it was by the architect Daniel Libeskind and looks more like an overwhelming sculpture than a building. Judging by today’s visit, it is also a very attractive venue for school field trips. Inside, there were many kids, some as young as seven or eight, so the atmosphere felt very crowded and noisy.
Friday, October 19, 201
Rock Island, IL – Amana, IW – Omaha, NE
Due to the rain and fog we saw little of the mighty Mississippi as we crossed a bridge into Iowa, but then the skies cleared quickly and the sun shown behind us, lighting up the countryside in a magical way. Under the right conditions, Eastern Iowa is very beautiful. Tan-colored fields of corn stubble with, here and there, bright white farm buildings are set starkly against the kind of sky one sees in Dutch landscapes. These skies have depth and complexity, layers of greys and whites with occasional glimpses of blue. After yesterday’s gloominess, today’s drive felt so good.
It occurs to me that if we keep writing these chapters as we are doing, the account of this trip will be book-length by the time we finally return to Istanbul. We didn’t intend this to happen, it’s just that, to paraphrase Mark Twain’s famous comment, we don’t have time to make them shorter. Feel free to skim and skip, as you will.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The day was sunny and warm. The lovely fall colors of the trees enhanced our three-and-a-half-hour drive to Kalamazoo to vist old friend Joe and Rosalie. An interesting fact is that this is a family that writes. Joe has written several books and short stories. Rosalie has been published, as well. Their daughters all write either for work or for art. Another fact: all three daughters studied abroad.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
East Aurora, NY – Oakville, Ont.
Our drive to Buffalo and over the Peace Bridge into Canada went smoothly as did the border crossing. In no time we were on the QEW heading for Oakville near Toronto. We arrived at Ralph and Jenny’s new home shortly after noon. We’re very happy to see our friends and to relax in their comfortable surroundings.
Jenny has always had more than a casual interest in wine. Recently she enrolled in a program designed for professional wine stewards, and having passed the rigorous three-day exam, now has the skills and knowledge of a true sommelier. She also has a wine cellar, which she designed, to match her skills. Glass fronted and temperature controlled, its contents are a sight to behold.
