Sentiero degli Dei

Path of the Gods 

Thursday April 19, 2018

I have decided that the reason for our delay of a week had more to do with weather than health. We have heard that last week was rainy on the Amalfi Coast and this week is sunny. Hurray! 

What a fabulous hike we had today with a temperature of 23 C, full-on sunshine but just enough shade and breeze when we needed it most. We hiked the Path of the Gods from Montepertuso to Bomerano and back, 14.3 kilometres in five and a half hours of moving time plus eighty minutes of breaks. There were 422 metres of ascent and descent.  Basically we kept going up, up, up then down, down, down but none of it bothered us as much as yesterday’s stair climbing. No doubt not carrying a pack and having our walking sticks made the hike easier.

We took the high route going and the low route coming back. We would not recommend the low route for anyone with vertigo or knee problems, very rugged underfoot. Brian found the return journey to be harder. With his leg brace and support bandage he garnered a lot of attention and admiration.

There were many wildflowers and small ferns. Some of the flowers may have been orchids. We saw various yellows, pinks, and blues as well as purple, orange, white flowers and calla lilies. Two different shades of green lizards repeatedly scurried across our path or up trees or rocks. Only three butterflies: yellow, orange, white. Donkeys, horses, sheep and goats were often heard before they were seen. We feasted our eyes on the Amalfi Coast. I never tire of views of water and it was especially beautiful from varying heights with glimpses of Positano, Montepertuso, Nocelle, Praiano and Bomerano and the ferry and other boats making patterns in the sea.

Soon after Nocelle, near the beginning of our day we found ourselves in the middle of a British group. I said to Brian, “That sure looks like Paul, two ahead of us, and Joanna, two behind us.” They are two of the Niagara Bruce Trail Club hikers. I could not be sure but when Joanna looked me in the eye, we both knew. We walked together for part of the way and had a break together at Bomerano after which they continued with their group to San Lazzaro where their van was waiting and we returned to Montepertuso.

Again a hot shower was all that was needed to cheer us. We are lounging in the shade of our deck. Brian is reading his novel and we are hearing the excited shouts and joy from below as soccer goals are scored. Brian peeks over the edge now and then to see them running around in a dust bowl.

Last night we had dinner at Il Ritrovo restaurant about five hundred metres below us. Salvatore, our host, recommended it as good Italian food and not as expensive as the other restaurant below. When we saw the prices on the menu we were not so sure. Apparently in Italy one is expected to order an appetizer, a first course and a second course. Not only would that have broken the bank but we did not want that much food. We figured we would order what we wanted and if that was insufficient we would get thrown out; so, that was fine. Brian ordered a Calabrese salad and spaghetti with sausage in tomato sauce. I ordered mixed grilled vegetables with three cheese ravioli. Everything was perfect. Not only did we not get thrown out but we were given complimentary prosecco, bruschetta and almond cookies. Receiving our bill took a little while. Our server was very apologetic. It turns out he is the brother of the chef and part owner. He gave us a sachet of the restaurant’s herbs for making bruschetta at home. He said the restaurant has been extra busy. The madness has begun. He is looking forward to November.

A good buffet breakfast this morning: cheeses, salami, cheese bread, fruit bread, two other breads, toasting available, sweet green melon, four homemade jams, yogourt, soles, pears, bananas, juice and cappuccino or other hot drinks available.

The internet is a little weak here; so, not easy to send the blog, especially with photos.

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Montepertuso- Positano

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

A hot shower goes such a long way toward making me feel human again. Margaret and Rick, you would have been delighted with an hour and a half of climbing stairs. The Amalfi Coast is the place for you. We were not feeling as blessed. We have not practiced the way you have. While the view of Positano was beautiful that was not what was taking my breath away. It would have been better minus our backpacks.

This morning Gabriele drove us to the Circumvesuviana train station where we waited for the train for half an hour. Sitting on a marble bench on the platform looking at graffiti was not scenic but it was relaxing in shirtsleeves watching two pigeons hop around the rails while a worker picked up litter. When the train arrived, it was a much newer one than what we had used to date, and not as crowded. Fifty minutes later we arrived in Sorrento and transferred to a comfortable packed bus to Positano. 

The next fifty minutes we had two Irish ladies behind us who provided a running commentary of the landscape and the narrow serpentine road that the bus driver careened around. There were many oohs and ahs and “Look! Look! Look!” They knew they would not want to live on any of those cliff faces but the views down to the coast we e spectacular, punctuated with fruit filled oranges trees, lemon trees and wisteria. Brian kept reminding them that the driver was texting and reading emails while negotiating hairpins and beeping to let oncoming traffic know we were there. The ladies did not want this information. Many narrow misses.

When we arrived on the northern edge of Positano, high up on a cliff, the bus driver announced we were in Positano. A number of us questioned this but he kept repeating “Positano”. We and others as well as the Irish ladies got off. The ladies took a taxi from there. Brian looked at the GPS and said we had a two and a half kilometre walk. It was a nice day. We thought it was all downhill. How hard could that be?

It was not an all downhill walk after the first half a kilometre and in fact we were not staying in Positano but much higher up in Montepertuso. The GPS lied many times, stating we had another 200 metres to a turn, declining that was really two hundred metres of altitude. I am sure we walked up 5000 steps. Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration, only 4900. I kept imagining Margaret say she could see the top but when I arrived at that step, there was another top.

The good news is that we made it to Le Ghiande B and B where we have a large deck out of our apartment. So far we have only stored clothes on the very long leather sofa but we might  find another use for it. So after our shower and a little rest we walked down the stairs five hundred metres to catch the bus to Positano. Twenty minutes later we were walking down a winding path through shops appealing to tourists: beach wear, art; jewelry, ceramics. The path had a lengthy canopy of fragrant wisteria. We bought a large slice of  delicious pizza and shared this as our lunch (5 PM then). 

A highlight today was arriving on the beach in Positano and shedding my socks and shoes and walking the length of the beach in the water which was Georgian Bay summer warm about 68F, perfect. I will return in my bathing suit. Brian napped on the beach.

A wee list from last night’s fabulous meal; Rossanna is a great chef:  Cod cakes, zucchini frittata on phyllo, braised kale, fried anchovies, spaghetti with pepper and olive sauce, half a grilled dorado, shredded red cabbage, ice cream with fruit, limoncello 

Pompeii

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

5 PM

It was a great day for wandering the streets of Pompeii. At 20 C with mostly sun but hazy skies, we were very comfortable especially once I rolled up my pant legs. To have our picnic lunch, we had to find shade near the largest amphitheatre in Pompeii, the oldest building to have survived the Roman era. Built in 70 BC, it was the one used as a template for the coliseum in Rome although the one in Rome was made bigger.

What an incredible place existed two thousand years ago. It has inspired me to learn more about it. Brian is already well on his way with the novel, Pompeii. He referred to it many times during our five hours of touring. The author must have done a lot of research as well as walk around Pompeii.

With so many well designed and artistically decorated streets, houses, shops, public baths, temples and forums, you would think we would be even further ahead today than we are. I would not want to have been a slave back in the day. It was definitely better to belong to the wealthy class and be male. The effluent from their sewage system all ran downhill to the Bay of Naples. No doubt the shoreline there was not a great place to live.

The wealthy Romans were able to have their flush latrines, steam houses and large houses with interior courtyard gardens thanks to the Emperor Augustus who had a huge aqueduct built to supply water to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples. Naturally Augustus taxed the people well to pay for the aqueduct.

They had a system to collect rain water into the central part of their home then have it heated for cooking and bathing. Most shops had housing above them to make the best use of real estate. We know there is a huge collection at the museum in Naples of artifacts and people who were uncovered over the centuries since 1600 when the first excavations began. We wonder where all of the debris from roof tiles and early artifacts went, possibly into the construction of newer buildings. Pompeii is still being excavated; work is still in progress. It is such a huge site and one we highly recommend. There were thousands of people there today but we have a hard time imagining how many more thousands would be there in summer. I would not tour it in the heat of summer.

We had a delicious four course dinner last night right here at our B and B, mostly made with our hosts’ own produce. First we were served plates of thinly sliced cured hams, scalloped potatoes, carrot salad and grilled thin slices of eggplant. Our second dish was a bowl of typical Roman pasta in a spicy tomato sauce with shredded parmigiana, then a plate with a sausage pattie and slices of beets. Many components of this meal were redolent with fresh chopped garlic that stayed with us all night. We finished with sliced oranges and pears. We settled with tea and coffee and declined the limoncello. I know, we should have sampled but a small glass of their tasty amber wine was enough for me and Brian had consumed the rest of the bottle. The amber colour was a result of the minerals in the volcanic soil here. Gabriele only has sixty bottles left of his wine, after which he says he will not drink wine. His vines were destroyed by fire. He is planting an orchard of lemons as he can get a crop in two years compared to five years for grapes. Limoncello!

Breakfast was equally scrumptious. From leftover breakfast I made a cheese and marmalade sandwich for my lunch along with a little cake filled with marmalade and custard. The homemade marmalade is so good! Brian bought a fresh bun with prosciutto and cheese at the pastry shop across from the train station. We were both happy with our choices. 

Gabriele drove us to the train station and picked us up this afternoon. Our phones and camera were well secured from pickpockets.

Torre del Greco

Art and Architecture in Rome

Sunday, April 15, 2018 Continued

6:09PM

There are more than 900 churches in Rome. No, Brian, we did not visit all of them, it just feels as if we did. In some blocks we see a church and a basilica almost side by side. These are enormous structures with a wealth of paintings, mosaics and carvings as well as gold. Raphael, Bernini and Caravaggio are among the famous artists whose work is on display. We crossed the Tiber this morning. Well, actually we went back and forth a few times to better view the angels and saints adorning the bridges. Pigeons and seagulls particularly like these statues. The heads and wings of angels are a good place for them to perch.

I took more than a few photos of details of architecture both inside and out. Doors, windows and door knockers are always interesting. We watched two children buzz for entry at a twenty foot tall door. When they heard the click for entry both of them pushed with all their might to open the door. They lived there. They allowed us to take a photo from the doorway of the interior garden. Quite a Sight! Sadly they did not invite us in for tea and a tour.

We followed the crowd toward St. Peter’s Square and ended up in a “line” that was six people wide and a few blocks long. We found that more and more people joined the line from the right and advanced much faster than us. Brian said there would be no blessings for the pushy people. Even though it took us almost an hour to get into the square, past a police bag checker then an airport style conveyor belt metal detector, we arrived in time to see Pope Francis come to his top floor window and talk to us and offer prayers. I was delighted that I understood almost all of his Italian and Latin and I found this to be a very emotional experience.  It helped that the pope spoke slowly.

We sauntered through the streets of Trastevere and visited Santa Maria de Trastevere where we borrowed the audio headsets for a tour. That added to our visit.

Back on our side of the Tiber we wandered around the market in Campo di Fiori, sampling Limoncello, amazing parmigiana and pecorino. We bought a container of chopped fresh fruit that quenched our thirst. After a little more exploring we found a small deli/pastry shop and had a little bun with cheese and salami then a crisp sfogliatella filled with lemon custard. We were good for the last couple of kilometres back to our room. Brian needed rest for his knees and a nap.

When we went out for supper, we headed for a restaurant that was reportedly 500 metres away but we took an exploratory right turn and ended up walking. a couple of kilometres in a big arc to arrive at a different establishment in the same neighbourhood, very close to our room. Alessandro was a smooth talker who convinced us to dine at his place. We had a delicious meal and learned when presented with the bill that we should always ask the price of a bottle of wine. A good Barolo, a half size bottle was 32 euros, more than what we paid for lasagna and spaghetti. Always ask, “Quanto costa?”

Less than 17 km today.

Lunedi mattina

Walk to Tremini to catch a train to Napoli then Vesuvius.

Walking in Rome

Sunday, April 15, 2017

By all accounts we got out of southern Ontario at the right time. We hope that all of you are cozy and warm inside while ice, snow, sleet and hail pellet your homes. Hopefully you will not have damages and accompanying power outages. Brian is worried about his fish and I the freezer. Maybe photos from a warmer climate will cheer you. Thanks, Amy, for your ongoing genealogical study and notes.

Yesterday after a brief rest we kept on walking. This time the coliseum was our destination but we happily took in all the other amazing buildings, churches, obelisks, ruins, statues and fountains along the way there and back, by a different route. We were somewhat energized by no longer having to carry our backpacks. About four o’clock Brian let me know he would be getting grumpy soon without some food. After an exterior tour all the way around the coliseum we bought an ice cream cone at one of the many gelatarias. That kept us mobile longer.

There are too many cars and scooters in Rome. Brian grabbed me from getting my toes run over. I put my hand on the back of a car to keep it from running over me. I am so strong. We marvel that we have not seen an accident at one of the many intersections that are not perpendicular and do not have stop or yield signs. Sometimes cars stop for pedestrians at crosswalks.

We were searching for a TIM outlet, no not Tim Horton’s but an internet provider. Brian had bought a TIM SIM card online but did not actually receive the card but a paper that he had to turn in at a TIM store. After more walking and a sidetrip to the Trevi fountain where the multitudes were gathered, we found TIM but our passports were in our room; so, we had to get them or we could not have the card. More walking. We walked just under twenty kilometres on Saturday and were thrilled to dine at a restaurant across the street from our room at eight o’clock. After pizza for Brian and pasta for me with salad and bruschetta we were ready for a shower and bed. A highlight of our shower was mood lighting that switched between blue, red and green. Enough said!

Someone must have drugged us. I cannot remember the last time I slept so well. A very comfortable bed. I heard church bells, lots of them.

What a great B and B. We were served a plentiful breakfast in bed. Brian ate his ham and cheese sandwiches with his omelette. I saved mine for lunch but ate most of the fruit. I made Brian eat some. 

Vatican, here we come!

Arrived Rome

Saturday, April 14, 2018 Rome 

We arrived at Fiumicino Airport at 9:30 AM, snaked back and forth for a long time to get a quick passport stamp with no questions asked. Our one bag pickup was quick. Our train trip a mere 32 minutes and then we walked and walked. I think we saw a number of famous sites on our circuitous one and a half hour walk to discover our room at Rome Visits. So happy to unload our backpacks. Hopefully we will discover a shorter route to the Termini station for our trip to Naples.

We only need four keys to get up our room on the first floor. The room is average sized with high ceilings and a bathroom big enough to turn around in. Our tall window opens allowing street noise in with the fresh air. All is comfortable enough. Our greeter was delightful. She had us sit done with a bottle of cold juice while she took orders for breakfast and gave us a map and recommendations of things to see and restaurants.

Did I mention that it is warm, more than 20C, sunny, no snow! Poppies blooming in ditches, heavenly scent of wisteria. Bliss!

Yesterday, Bryan and Susan treated us to a delicious ciaou send off After appetizers that took in all the food groups we had no need of supper. Tom, Val and Jane participated in our revelry then all of us enjoyed an interesting presentation at the Owen Sound Field Naturalists meeting. The topic was climatic events in 535AD that affected the environment around the world. Possibly even more interesting to us was how the presenter and his wife get paid vacations on cruise ships for the winter by delivering such presentations to the other passengers on these ships. Over time they have parlayed their way up from gigantic ships with thousands of passengers to the more elite fancier smaller ships. What a gig!

We are also thankful to Bryan and Susan for their gifts of books. I read parts of the 2018 Fodors a guide for Italy to Brian as he drove us through the grey landscape to Pearson. We both look forward to the novel, Pompeii, by Robert Harris. Bryan has given it rave reviews. 

Brilynn was waiting for us in departures. After hugs that were too brief, Brilynn drove away and was at home downtown by the time we had gone through baggage drop and security to gate 27…a fast trip for all of us although Brilynn covered many more kilometres. An hour later Marilyn and Ralph arrived. They are on the same flight but did not pay the extra for club class. 

Once again we are delighted with the extra legroom in club. Brian makes more use of the alcoholic drinks. Supper was delicious. We were both stuffed: beef and vegetables for Brian, salmon with pasta and vegetables for me (you knew that), spinach salad, fresh bread, cheese, apple slices, cheesecake. We passed on port with the dessert.

Although Ralph and Marilyn were almost last off the plane while we were first, they got on the bus that took a short cut; so, they were way ahead of us in the passport crowd. We saw them disappear. We hope they made their train connection to Firenze.

Happy News

Thursday, April 5,2018

I will not bury this lead…Brian got a clean bill of health. Instead of having to wait another couple of weeks for a nuclear stress test, he got in on a cancellation on Tuesday morning. The cardiologist phoned late this afternoon to say there are no blockages and no scarring indicating a past problem. Brian is good to travel! Wonderful! Such a relief!

We booked our flights to Rome for Friday, April 13th with a return on May 6th, a week shorter than we originally planned, but we are happy. Tomorrow we will rebook some accommodations.

It has been a roller coaster week: emotionally and weather-wise. I have been contemplating a quote from Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, “ All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.”  This week we saw frequent changes in the sky from sombre grey skies with fog, snow and rain that hid horizons to brilliant sunlight that sparkled on ice coated trees, shrubs, fields and fences. Grass was greening until yesterday when our world turned white again. We made an overnight trip to Toronto and were fortunate to make the two and a half hour drive home after an ice storm and before a snowstorm. We were not caught in multiple vehicle pile-ups as some were.

Our spirits changed frequently from excitement at the prospects of travelling to fear, concern and anxiety about health problems and disappointment in plans foiled. We enjoyed time with family: Dad’s 96th birthday party, long walks with Brilynn, a visit with my brother, Jim, and sister-in-law, Lynn, a visit with Laxmi and our grandchildren. We enjoyed time with friends: playing cards, having dinner at home and at Cobble Beach, seeing The Ghost Island Light performed at the Roxy by Owen Sound Little Theatre. We were supported and comforted by so many emails, phone calls and prayers.

Plenty of light and shadow in our lives. The shadows make the light more brilliant. So much for which to be grateful. So many for whom we are most thankful.

 

Easter Weekend

I walked in sunshine this morning here at Cobble Beach with Brilynn. (Yes, Brilynn is here for the weekend: always delightful!) The sun was shining and the thermometer showed 9C. Warm, right? Not so much when facing a bitter south wind. For the past couple of weeks the north wind has been pretty steady and had kept a solid bridge of ice across Georgian Bay from Cobble Beach all the way in to Owen Sound. The fishing aficionados were delighted. Twenty or so fishermen/women have been on the ice every day. Not out this far because the ice at the edge is not so reliable. I have been questioning their judgment about walking a kilometre and more into the middle of the bay even closer to town, however, as far as I know, no one has gone under.

We have been expecting the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker in since last Sunday. Rumour has it that it will appear on Easter Sunday. The south wind has done a pretty good job of clearing the ice out of the sound at least as far as we can see here at Cobble Beach.

Brilynn and I inspected two of the houses being constructed here. Both houses will have amazing views. Although one of them will more frequently than not be featured in my sunrise photos, it has not taken away my view of the lighthouse and most of Georgian Bay.

After lunch the sun totally disappeared and grey skies took over. The winds picked up, according to the weather report, up to eighty kilometres per hour and the rain has been streaking down on our windows ever since. Brief flurries were seen. It is no longer 9C! You are not surprised! This is a Canadian spring. Totally normal. Actually we have probably had more sun in the past few weeks than is normal. I even did some gardening: I cut back ornamental grasses and hydrangeas. Brian dethatched the lawn.

We had great hopes of a month in Italy with our flight leaving on Easter Monday. It is supposed to be 18 to 20C in Rome next week.  The best laid plans do not always work out. We lead a charmed life, or so we thought, but not this time.

Brian has been having tests as a result of chest pains two weeks ago. The lastest test, an echocardiogram was done this morning. The medical staff in Owen Sound has been very good about following up quickly with each result. The cardiologist phoned Brian this afternoon, on her day off, to advise him to cancel our trip. He has some blockages in his heart. More tests need to be scheduled. Low dose aspirin is now on his daily menu.

We have cancelled our flights, accommodations and car rental. We will continue to experience all the construction happening around us. I was going to do this blog about living in a construction zone. This winter, and into spring,

nineteen homes have been built or are still in progress. Where there was one house in the block to the west of us, there are now eight with another to get started next week. I will post some photos I have taken in the past few days and I will get back to you about our Canadian April.

I have a lengthy list of Canadian literature to read. In the past six weeks, I attended a lecture each Thursday by Gary Draper, a retired professor from Waterloo University. I thought I was well read, but apparently not, there is plenty of interesting reading to keep me busy on a drizzly cold day. It also means more indoor golf, card games and evenings with our many friends. We are fortunate!

Another happy note: yesterday was my father-in-law’s 96th birthday. We celebrated in grand style with lobster and angel food cake. So much for which to be thankful!

Happy Easter, everyone! Be well!

 

 

Black and White

December 7, 2017

What I am about to type, I first wrote by hand in a notebook, very unusual as I have a tendency to type more than I write, a speedier process, but perhaps one that does not give me enough time to think about the actual words I type….

I have not written in this notebook for a long time, more than six months! I am currently waiting for my desktop computer to catch up to my commands. Why is it so slow? It may have something to do with saving to the cloud. That cloud must match the one outside. It is saturated.

Georgian Bay is long gone .The lighthouse is disappearing into a uniformly grey sky.. The tone of that grey is getting darker as night descends. Somewhere the sun is setting but it is not at all visible in any direction at Cobble Beach today.

This week I have been experimenting with black and white photography. Why, you might well ask. A friend, Marie, issued me a challenge on Facebook to post a black and white photo each day for seven days. I am to post each photo with no people, no comment, no explanation, photos of my life. Then each day I have also dutifully extended the challenge to someone else. This is day five of the challenge for me.

In the course of the past five days my world has become more and more monochrome as the days shorten and the snow falls, and falls. In the past twenty-four hours more than thirty centimetres of snow has blanketed our neighbourhood.

The snow began in earnest yesterday afternoon with fierce winds driving it horizontally past my windshield as I drove home from a delicious potluck lunch in Port Elgin. I left behind the waves crashing on Lake Huron’s shore, splashing onto the road and icing the branches of shore-side trees and shrubs. The drive reminded me how grateful I am to be retired. I do not have to drive anywhere if I do not feel like it. My preferred mode of travel is walking, cycling and skiing. I will be able to take up skiing tomorrow after four days of golfing this week! Amazing weather changes!

I shoveled out our driveway when I arrived home yesterday. Brian cleaned it out again this morning. I reshovelled after him, adding the steps on both sides of the house and the front walk and porch.

This afternoon in the space of two hours as I cleaned out two friends’ driveways, the snow continued to fall straight down in huge wet flakes with no wind. The kind of snow that sticks to eyelashes. I love it!

Although I have seen such constant snowing in the past I still marvel at the magic and power of such a snowfall.

My efforts at cleaning driveways is no longer obvious as an additional fifteen centimetres have filled them in. My snow angel will soon have disappeared.In fact it is now so dark that I can no longer see it in the yard below even though the white snow is bright in the darkness.

Black and white, yes that is our winter. However, in the natural black and white winter world, I see colour. In the milkweed pod, a golden glow of seeks peeks out of the cracked pod. In a dark sky sunrise varying shades of pink and gold slowly leak across the horizon and line the clouds. Some days, not today, a patch of blue briefly sneaks into existence, a bright spot in a dull day.

Right now, as I look out, the bay has reappeared. The grey shade of the bay is now distinguishable from the far black shore, the medium grey sky and the white snow.

Alan did a fine job of decorating six small trees outside his townhouse, five with white lights and one with red. These sparkle in the black night. Our own small pine in the back yard is weighted down with red and white smudges of light.

I like colour photos more than black and white because even on a monochrome day, I glimpse colour, subtle perhaps, but there, and I like it. That little bit of colour warms my heart and brightens my life.

This black and white challenge is teaching me a thing or two about photography. I think it is more demanding of talent or skill or both. I need to learn more about editing photos and taking the photo using the optimum light in the correct direction.

I chatted with Brilynn on the phone as I waded shin deep through the falling snow along the buried golf course path. I consulted my photography expert on what I had to do to give my black and white photos more definition. Brilynn suggested that I download the snapseed app. I have done so and have even looked at a couple of the tutorials. I have so much to learn about editing photos: colour or black and white.

I sent Brilynn some of my colour photos and asked her to edit them as black and whites. She sent my milkweed pod back in seconds, edited with snapseed. I clapped my hands in delight. The monochrome milkweed pod no longer has black blobs hiding the features that I saw in real time, features I tried to capture with my IPhone. The seeds were missing in my black and white version. Brilynn knew how to use the tools to highlight those seeds.

I finished creating a forty-page book of colour photos this week. I like to assemble my photopages as collages. Many of you would probably say I included too many photos and that the photos would have stood out more with white space and fewer larger photos. No doubt you would be right, but making collages brings me joy. And that is good!

Brilynn pointed out that many of the editing tools are available in the editing software of my iPhone and iPad. I just have to dig a little deeper in those menus. Now perhaps if I learned more about editing I might even select fewer photos but spend more time making them just right. Unlikely!

It is a good thing that I typed this immediately after writing in my notebook. Probably a month from now I would not be able to decipher my hieroglyphics. Decoding handwriting is another reason to opt for typing or thumbing my blog. The resulting black and white text is legible.