Imaginary Journeys in isolation

"Suddenly Tom’s talk left the woods and went leaping up the young stream, over bubbling waterfalls, over pebbles and worn rocks, and among small flowers in close grass and wet crannies, wandering at last up on to the Downs. They heard of the Great Barrows, and the green mounds, and the stone-rings upon the hills and in the hollows among the hills. Sheep were bleating in flocks. Green walls and white walls rose. There were fortresses on the heights. Kings of little kingdoms fought together, and the young Sun shone like fire on the red metal of their new and greedy swords. There was victory and defeat; and towers fell, fortresses were burned, and flames went up into the sky. Gold was piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all. Sheep walked for a while biting the grass, but soon the hills were empty again. A shadow came out of dark places far away, and the bones were stirred in the mounds. Barrow-wights walked in the hollow places with a clink of rings on cold fingers, and gold chains in the wind. Stone rings grinned out of the ground like broken teeth in the moonlight." (LOTR)

Why Italians Are Growing Apples for Wild Bears (see link below)

"Bears are made of the same dust as we, and they breathe the same winds and drink of the same waters. A bear's days are warmed by the same sun, his dwellings are overdomed by the same blue sky, and his life turns and ebbs with heart pulsing like ours. He was poured from the same first fountain."

John Muir

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/04/what-wildlife-really-looks-like/609721/

Grizzly Bear seen in Banff National Park Canada (2011)

Lagoon Part Two

Here we are visiting the Island of Torcello for lunch.

both quotes below are from Wikipedia

"Torcello is a sparsely populated[ island at the 

northern end of the Venetian Lagoon, in north-eastern Italy.

It is the oldest continuously populated region of Venice,

and once held the largest population of the Republic of

Venice."

One of the most popular site is,

"The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di 

Santa Maria Assunta) is a basilica church. It is a notable 

example of Venetian-Byzantine architecture, one of the most 

ancient religious edifices in the Venetto, and containing the 

earliest mosaics in the area of Venice."

We were blown away by how lovely the island was and 

the mosaic's in the church were amazing. We hoped to go 

back for a second visit but ran out of time.

                               

We did climb the church tower, but most of my photos

were not great, it was still a bit foggy. Someone has found

a way to shorten the commute.

The boat driver took us to a family fish farm. This farm was not stocked 

with a single species like ours are, they open metal gates so the fry can 

enter and then close them and feed whatever enters.

Helen loved this small building that was built on an

old barge that was then floated in and sunk.

Hunters were busy building duck blinds.

"On the far shore

a white bird is standing

like a white candle —"

from At Great Pond

by Mary Oliver

The lagoon was very quiet and peaceful, we saw egrets, herons, 

cormorants, gulls, terns, a Kingfisher, swallows, and shorebirds,

but none of the sparrows and blackbirds we expected.

Venice Lagoon Part 1

"the tide
and the current for a moment seemed to hang
still in balance and the creaking and knocking
of wood stopped all at once and the known voices
died away"

from Another River

by W.S. Merwin

We spent a day on the Venetian lagoon. It was a bit foggy 

to start but lovely by late morning.