Love Lock Update

After researching how the love lock trend has gone out of control in many European tourist areas, I’m happy to report that we barely saw any locks weighing down bridges or monuments when we were in Italy.

Venice

I was honestly a little worried that the Venice bridges Mark and Dawn Hawk cleared last spring might be covered again. Thankfully, that was not the case.

We only spotted a cluster (or two) of rusty locks near Piazza San Marco (the eye of the Venice tourism hurricane) and a few stray locks on railings here and there.

Rome

It was similar in Rome. There would be up to maybe half a dozen on a random piece of a bridge railing or a lamppost.

Maybe it helped that peak tourist season was over. Maybe word is getting out.

Sedona

On the other hand, they’re still happily accepting love locks in the Plaza de la Fuente at Sedona’s Tlaquepaque.

We checked it out when we were there in October, and Phillip was impressed with just how heavy a mass of locks can be.

January 1, 2018March 23, 2021

The Way Trees Grow

My elementary school art teacher didn’t like my trees.

The drawing I had been working on was of a whole forest of them – with trunks that were bent and twisted all different directions.

“Trees grow straight up and down,” she criticized. “Not like that.” She made me start my drawing over.

I remembered this while I was hiking recently.

And I wanted to laugh every time I passed yet another example of nature showing that I had been correct all along.

Find more trees over at Happiness and Food’s Tree Love Thursdays!

December 25, 2017December 27, 2017

November 2017 Photo: Autumn Tree

Fall color tends to come to Arizona a little later.

When we were at Boyce-Thompson Arboretum over Thanksgiving weekend, most of the trees were still green or yellow. But that just made this stunner stand out even more!

PS Also linking up with Tree Love Thursday!

December 18, 2017December 18, 2017

Winter Celebrations of Light

When the nights get longer, so many traditions celebrate light.

Elements like candles, lanterns, and bonfires – as well as the sun, moon, or stars – often play an important part in autumn/winter holidays. Think of Christmas (and Advent), Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Lucia, Moon Festival, and Yule.

In the Southern Hemisphere, this season happens around their winter solstice in June with traditions like the Andean Inti Raymi (“Sun Celebration”) and the Maōri New Year, Matariki (“Pleiades constellation”).

Whatever your source, may you find the light and warmth in your life to guide you through every season of darkness.

November 30, 2017November 30, 2017

7 Things to Love About High Speed Rail

[Some thoughts Phillip wrote down during our journey from Rome to Venice on a high speed Italo Treno train. –S]

How do I love thee high-speed train travel? Let me count the ways!

After my first trip on high speed rail in Italy, I’m a believer!

Here are some things I loved about traveling on a train instead of flying:

1. You don’t have to check your luggage, so it’s way less likely to be lost.

2. Quick boarding and deboarding time.

3. You can move around. Since there’s no turbulence, there’s no “fasten seatbelt sign,” and you can get up and down whenever you want.

4. No extreme pressure changes.

5. No taxi time or Air Traffic Control delays. (For example, when we were traveling back to Phoenix, our plane was stuck on the ground close to 40 minutes at JFK airport).

6. You can keep your phone on. No need to put it in “airplane mode” on a train.

7. Still very fast (250 kmh/150mph). A plane travels around 500 mph, but with all the extra time and hassle at the airport, it might still take about the same amount of time to get to your destination.

We were guests of Italo Treno.