Sienna Moonfire Designs

For the month of September 2001 (no comment), I joined my parents in Europe. I got to see a little bit of France, Portugal & enough of Spain to decide that I've got to go back for at least another month as soon as I can.

My dad's website chronicling his European journey tells his side of the story -- a much longer story because he & Rochelle were gone for 5 months. The website was a way for those of us at home to follow along with their trip. It eased the feeling of distance to go through the stories & pictures he posted every few days as they went (not to mention the obvious entertainment value which lasts beyond their return - & will help me on my next trip!).

The picture above is the view of Coimbra, Portugal from up in its very old university. The one at the left is one the gorgeous creations of Barcelona's Gaudí, such a creative architect it's hard to imagine what people thought of him at the end of the 19th century. It must have been with love because his wonderful works are all over the city, including this winding tiled bench (complete with hiding couple) in Parc Güell.

It took almost forever to get all my pictures back (6 rolls of film & then there were 4 rolls from my week of fishing in Montana & Yellowstone - including my Clark Fork lunker, so proud) but you should see my photo albums now.

It's taken even longer (longer than forever = never) to get the complete web version of the trip posted. You know what they say. Life goes on.

Europe. Wow. Home...wow.

Got the pictures back & I was already busy getting back to normal (which most of us here in the indivisible but not invincible States were thinking on with a little more care at the time).

The flashes of memories -- market colors on an ancient cobblestone street, sound of clapping flamenco dancers in deep red darkness, Porto's ribiera (riverside) of restaurants at left -- that come back to me with lightening speed as I cook or walk down the hill or fall asleep... Flashes of new memories, piled on with still vivid flashes from older trips -- bathing in a hot spring (hot water!) at the bottom of a volcano in the center of its ancient crater, getting lost for as long as possible on rice patty walls, the lesson of the kava bowl... Nothing like leaving home to learn to see your own more clearly.

Those moments that come back later, that keep coming back for years, those are the ones when I can almost feel the sharpening of my perception. They are completely random, unimportant, somehow achingly beautiful moments, that I see & appreciate fully enough so that I see something of Life, something to remember. They come back in flashes & make my life more vivid.

Woah. Who's feeling philosophical? It was that kind of time, okay?