Even as forces natural or otherwise consume every last trace of our ancestors' time on earth, and we barely notice, the daffodils remember, relentlessly and passionately, and commemorate in massed reflection the ground where human claims fell to dust and ashes.

A derelict homestead on the Mon River Trail, honored lately by daffodils and moss.

Ogh please please please vampire!phantom with something... soft : ]

It was the early hours of the morning. The poet yawned and slid a paw under his glasses to rub his weary eyes. He hadn't been at the castle for long, and... he wasn't exactly sure what his long-term sleep schedule was going to be. Right now, in these hours, his circadian rhythm was more of a circadian cacophony.

He had once been an early riser, and it went against all of his old habits to fall asleep with the sunrise. And yet these days that's when sleep invariably came upon him... easier than sleep had ever come before, and scarcely voluntary... because, after all, that was when his Lord fed. Sleep came freely, the drowsiness rushing into him, after the world's most effective acupuncture routine had drained him of just enough of his lifeblood. And so he slept all day, and was awake and working on his writing all night, and that was that. Still, his body was getting used to the demands imposed upon it, and--

A knock on his bedchamber door awoke the writer from his musings. "My Lord? Is that you?"

"Oui, mon poète. May I enter?"

"Most happily you may," said Woodrow. But as the door opened, he continued, "You are back early, my Lord. There are hours yet before sunrise. Are you tired?"

"Ah, no, mon cœur. It's just... I had a particular desire."

Woodrow blushed, but before he worked up enough sensibility to ask what this desire was exactly, the vampire continued.

"Do you have any fear of heights?"

"Heights!" repeated the poet. "Not as such... I try to keep myself away from high places due to my ill fortune.... but no, I do not dread them naturally. In fact, I once wore stilts of my own volition..." It would be most unfortunate if he DID have this fear, he thought to himself, considering the permanent growth spurt the Fates had granted him.

The vampire, who did not know all of the writer's past, took this to mean he had extended his already unusual tallness, and laughed at the mental image. "I should have liked to see it! But, well, let us waste no more time then- there are things I'd like YOU to see. Come-" and with that he floated towards the room's large window.

Woodrow was slightly confused, as he already gazed out this window frequently. But then Lord Phan undid the latch, and cast the panes open.

Before the poet knew what was happening, he was snatched up in the vampire's grasp, held tight to his chest. His wings unfurled with a loud leathery flap, and the two of them shot out through the opening.

The wings, of course, were unnecessary for the ghost's flight, but they did help with speed... and thus they rocketed upward, towards the crescent moon. As they reached great heights at great velocity, the poet's instinct was to scream- this was a little more than a normal fear of heights would account for - but he swallowed it, and clutched at the vampire's cravat, looking downwards at the castle becoming smaller and smaller.

Soon enough the vampire stopped. The air at this height was chill and moist, and the vampire himself was no less cold, but held so tightly and protectively in his claws, the poet felt warm. And safe. He looked down at Spooky Trails as he had never seen it... rivers and creeks winding through forest, ruined abbeys and derelict villages, and Lord Phan's castle itself, with the grand stage in its courtyard and the Moon Gate further on. Even the occasional creature moved about, both corporeal and spectral, so small that he could scarcely make out their species- just that the glowing white dots were likely Boos. To those below, the Phantom would also be a barely-discernible speck, the poet effectively invisible and the vampire's glowing belly looking like just another star in the sky.

"It's beautiful from up here," said the poet in awe.

"Yes," said the vampire. "I wanted to show you my domain as I see it. The idea came to me when I was in flight. I noticed you often write about birds in your work, so... I surmised that perhaps you might enjoy the bird's eye view. Or the bat's, as it were. You are part of my world, and thus ought to see my world."

"Oh, my Lord, I... thank you."

"You are certain you aren't afraid?"

"I'm never afraid when you're here."

The vampire purred at this, and nuzzled into the poet's neck. Freeing his arms from under the Phantom's grasp, the poet loosened his own collar, starting with the ribbon that held it tight. He looked back down at the world below him, and felt the familiar sting in his neck. Perhaps it was just the intensity of the setting, the dizziness of the heights and the thinness of the air, that made the experience seem extra intense; but the vampire seemed especially amorous tonight, the little licks and the hungry suction at the poet's veins just the right amount of passion tempered by tenderness. He sighed, reaching up a hand absentmindedly to stroke the vampire's cheek and play with his hair, but soon his vision went fuzzy and his paw fell limp.

Lord Phan finished his work, and held the man in his arms tighter than ever, now barely conscious and floppy as a ragdoll. Soon he would flutter back down to the window and lay him into bed. For now he held him, supporting his head close to his own chest, feeling the warmth of the poet's body on his exterior and the even more intense heat of his freshly given blood inside him. Indeed, the satisfaction was external and internal....

He looked down at the world below. A world that recently he was seeing in a new way, illuminated and given vibrancy by the work of his favorite poet. A world that was better than he had ever known it could be.

Do you have recommendations for what to do and see in Pittsburgh? And is it easy to get around by bus/subway etc?

anon I’m so sorry, I started replying to this at the airport on my way home then saved it to drafts and forgot to go back and publish, oops! anyway…

ok, please bear in mind I am just a person who has visited a few times so this is in no way exhaustive, and will obviously be coloured by how easy things are to get to without a car and things I personally find interesting!

presented in no particular order…

heinz history centre & sports museum

go for a wander through the strip district

fort pitt museum & point state park

national aviary (fun on its own but would thoroughly recommend the penguin encounter as an extra)

andy warhol museum

carnegie science centre (though I just went to a specific exhibit so I don’t actually know about the museum as a whole but I liked what I visited)

walk the three rivers heritage trail along the north shore & visit the mister rogers statue (and I always enjoy walking over one or other of the three sisters bridges to get across from downtown and back afterwards)

take a trip on the inclines (duquesne is the prettiest and has the best views of the city at the top but personally I like to go up the mon - when it’s not closed that is - walk along grandview then come back down via duquesne)

point of view sculpture (just a bit further along grandview from the duquesne incline)

pittsburgh has a couple of theatres so it’s always worth checking out what’s on during your trip, and pittsburgh has some great restaurants/bars to check out too.

also, not really a “thing to do” but I will never get tired of arriving via the fort pitt tunnel when coming in from the airport and downtown just explodes in front of you as you emerge!

there are some other places I haven’t visited yet but are on my list, including the zoo & aquarium, phipps conservatory, carnegie museums of art and natural history, the frick, and randyland.

on the second question, downtown & the areas close by are very walkable but I find it is pretty easy to get around on public transport, yes. PRT now has an app (ready2ride) that includes a journey planner and live trackers (amongst other stuff), lets you buy a range of different types of pass that you then use by just scanning your phone when you get on, and which covers buses, light rail and the inclines. as someone who lives in london and is used to just tapping my phone to travel on public transport, this was way easier for me than having to think about paying fares every time and took a lot of anxiety out of using buses!

the T (light rail) is also free between downtown and the north shore - all the stops between first avenue and allegheny - which is handy! I also think it’s neat that most bus stops have a QR code you can scan for live arrivals info, which also helps you check you’re at the right stop :)

posting my story this way too, in case you prefer this format better

The skies above Paris were dreary and gray, and the Seine below reflected that dreariness. A light fog had settled along the streets and on the surface of the river. It was a gloomy morning in Paris, on that Valentine’s Day, and Aja found it beautiful. Everything looked so soft and romantic,  though his companions may have been skewing his outlook.

Kilian had invited Weiss, Dmitri, and him to his hometown for the month of February, with the intention of them finally getting to celebrate Valentine’s all together. Kilian had paid for their plane tickets, and of course opened his home to the three of them.

That was the nice part about having a partner from a wealthy family. Not only could he afford three plane tickets from Houston to Paris, he had an apartment large enough to accommodate all of them, not to mention the view from the bedroom.

Aja stood at the balconette, sipping his warmly spiced tea, and enjoying the cool humid air on his skin. He liked the chill, and Weiss and Kilian were still wrapped up in bed so they wouldn’t feel it. Dmitri was out in the living room, doing his morning exercises, so he was also safe from the cold.

The morning was quiet, peaceful, so it was a wonder he didn’t hear the soft footsteps approaching from behind.

He jumped a little when arms snaked around his waist, but quickly relaxed when Kilian mumbled a soft, “Good morning, mon roux.”

“Morning,” he replied, practically purring as Kilian pressed against him, chest to thigh. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Joyeuse Saint-Valentin,” Kilian said softly, pressing a kiss to Aja’s ear. “Enjoying the view?”

Aja hummed. “It’s nice. Peaceful. Why don’t you like it here again?”

“It is not that I don’t like the scenery, it is the people I cannot stand.”

Aja chuckled.

“You can’t stand any people.”

“Not true,” Kilian said, brushing the hair from Aja’s neck. “There are three people I like.” So, so gently, Kilian pressed his lips just below Aja’s ear, and slowly trailed kisses lower.

“And who would those be?”

“Well…” Kilian nuzzled against him- “There’s Weiss-” and kissed him once, at the junction of his neck and shoulder. “Dmitri-” Another kiss, a little higher. “And Fatima.” He whispered into Aja’s ear, sending a pleasant tingle down his spine.

“Get off of me,” Aja laughed, squirming out of Kilian’s arms and slapping him repeatedly on the chest.

Kilian had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face as he halfheartedly fought off all of Aja’s blows, before he seized him by the waist and his smile turned soft.

“Maybe there is one more,” he said.

“If you say your childhood nanny or some shit like that I am going to be so pissed at you.”

“No, no,” he chuckled softly. “It is you, mon roux. I like you very much.”

“Really?” Aja pouted.

“One might even say… I love you,” he murmured against Aja’s lips.

“I love you, too,” Aja smiled into the kiss.

It started chaste, but it did not stay that way. Within moments, Kilian was lapping into Aja’s mouth as his hand slid lower and lower on Aja’s back. 

“Mm…” Aja pulls away just barely and mumbles between kisses. “Do you think Weiss would mind if you fucked me next to them while they were sleeping?”

“Not sleeping,” came the slurred response from the lone body on the bed.

“Oh,” Aja giggles. “Well would you mind if we fucked next to you?”

“Mn-mn.” Weiss wasn’t even turned in their direction.

“Would you… want to join in?” he asked, hopeful.

“My cock isn’t awake yet,” they mumbled, their words still running together in an almost drunken fashion. “Have fun without me.”

“Damn you must be dead tired.”

“Can’t hear you, brain is fondue.”

Aja smiled fondly and turned back to Kilian, who was also looking at Weiss, smiling just as fondly.

“Well it looks like it’s going to be just the two of us,” Aja said.

“A little one-on-one would be enjoyable.”

“It certainly will be,” he smiled, placing his mug of tea on the bedside table and pulling Kilian along to the empty side of the bed, shedding their clothes along the way.

He laid himself down, and Kilian was quick to crawl on top of him and between his legs. They kissed more, hands running over bare skin and between legs, gripping, squeezing, stroking.

Aja wasn’t registering anything outside his and Kilian’s bubble, so when KIlian pulled away, he whined and pouted in protest.

“We’re about to have an audience,” Kilian said.

Aja looked over at Weiss, whose eyes were closed, so that could only mean-

The door to the bedroom opened, and Dmitri walked in, wiping his forehead.

“That was quite the workout, I tell you what, but I need a-” He stopped abruptly when he saw Aja and Kilian. “Well you two look like you’re having fun.”

“‘Need a-’ what, my love?” Aja asked.

“I was going to say ‘shower,’ but…” He tilted his head, his eyes roving over the naked pair.

“Did you want to join in?” Kilian asked.

Dmitri’s face reddened. “I don’t know, I’m a bit sore, I don’t want to be out of commission for any plans we have today…”

“But…”

He toyed with a lock of his dark hair. “But I wouldn’t mind watching.”

“Well I wouldn’t mind either,” Aja said. “Come lay next to us. There’s still room and the view will be better.”

“You want to be able to kiss him, don’t you?” Kilian smirked.

“He’s all sweaty and glistening, of course I want to kiss him!” Aja said. “Also it wouldn’t be too strenuous an activity to have his clit stroked, now would it?”

“Not for me, no,” Dmitri said. “But would you be able to in your current position?”

“I can do it,” Weiss spoke up, apparently awake enough to join in now that there was one more person involved. Or maybe their cock had at last woken up. “Come here.” They lifted the blanket next to them.

“Oh… yeah I could do that.” Dmitri began taking off his clothes, then crawled into bed between Aja and Weiss, settling with Weiss as his big spoon. “What a great way to start the holiday,” he sighed as Weiss nuzzled against him sleepily, their hand snaking down beneath the covers and between his legs.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, to both of you,” Aja smiled softly, and leaned into Dmitri to kiss him. “I love you. Both of you.”

“Love you, too,” Dmitri whispered. “And you, Kilian, and you,” he reached back and stroked Weiss’ hair.

“Saying ‘I love you,’ takes up so much more time when there are four of us,” Kilian lamented.

“You could say ‘I love y’all,’” Aja playfully smiled up at him.

“I will not,” Kilian muttered. “I prefer ‘je vous aime tous.’”

“Te amo todo,” Dmitri chimed in.

“Oh, are we doing native languages?” Weiss asked. “In that case, Ich liebe euch alle.”

“Well, I’m not saying it in Hindi, because ‘I love y’all’ works fine for me,” Aja pouted.

“We’re getting sidetracked,” Kilian said. “We all love each other, in every language, now I would like to fuck, please!”

Aja laughed.

“Just kiss me again,” he said.

Kilian did, happily, and soon, four bodies moved together in a perfect rhythm, each one finding their pleasure in the others.

It was a cold, gloomy day in Paris, but inside, it was joyous, and warm.

⌜❝ 𝙸𝙸. 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙿𝙴𝙽𝚂.

the area iovita makes their home in and claims as their land in this verse is a valley. it could entirely be considered a perfectly fertile valley. enriched by volcanic soil and a wide, winding river. the flat land of the valley floor would have made a wonderful place for a town, a city, even. but instead it lays vastly empty, except for a couple villages. any farms started along the river lay half-started and then abandoned.

the river that winds across the valley floor is dubbed the snake river. lazy, wide, and prone to flooding. mountains ring the valley bowl, and the western range has an old name: mons serpens. this is the range that holds the cave iovita claims as their own. and it's a place both villages warn people away from. the evergreen forest a mile around the cave has been laid waste to several times over. not a single old growth tree still lives. the tall pines only grow greenery at the very tops, the bases of them scorched and blackened. their dead brethren are pale white and soot-marked skeletons. small, young pines grow thick and competitive at their bases. purple flowers flourish in sunlit areas, creating bright carpets of color. most people in the surrounding area know not to venture too far into the young trees, and because of it the area is filled with often-hunted wildlife, despite the fact that a predator lives in the mountain tunnels just above their heads. the only paths through are meandering game trails. the undergrowth is far too thick to go crashing about in, otherwise.

far above their cave, sheltered in a bowl in the mountains, is lake colossus. a massive, ice-cold glacial lake. to people, this signifies the last major landmark of the local dragon's territory.

iovita's cave itself is a twisting mess of chambers, snaking through the mountains they made their home. the main one is the biggest, fit for the massive bulk of their dragon form. the smaller ones are closest to the surface. modified by careful, steady hands to truly resemble a home. a bedroom, a library, a tucked away tunnel that leads to a deep hot spring for bathing. a path to the surface that exits onto a ridge where they make a garden and have planted fruit trees. they don't spend all their time in their dragon form, although they have patterns. when alone for years on end, they prefer to be large and monstrous. when with company, lasting company, they tend to prefer to look more human in appearance.

06/03/2023

Never the same place twice, that was our agreement at the beginning of spring. That is for Fishing, Hiking, Camping, Swimming & all other Outdoor Activities. So many Creeks, Lakes, Ponds, Trails & Rivers in our local area. This is one of the Bear Creek Developments in Franklin County, Alabama, Known as Mon-Dye Bottoms.

Song by: The Wilder Blue - Palamino Gold

Water was cold. We got sunburns over sunburn.

Chasms on the flanks of a Martian volcano Mars has some of the most impressive volcanoes in the Solar System. ESA's Mars Express has now imaged the pitted, fissured flank of the planet's second-tallest: Ascraeus Mons. This image comprises observations from Mars Express' High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). Ascraeus Mons is the northernmost and tallest of three prominent volcanoes found in the Tharsis region of Mars, a volcanic plateau in Mars' western hemisphere. It measures a towering 18 km in height but its slopes are gentle, with an average incline of 7 degrees. This slow climb is reflected in the volcano's huge base diameter of 480 km, giving it a footprint roughly the size of Romania on Earth. Ascraeus Mons is surpassed in height only by Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano not only on Mars but in the entire Solar System. Like ink into water The image shows the lower southern flank of Ascraeus Mons. There is a dramatic difference in elevation from one side to the other, with the left (southern) side of the frame sitting about 10 km lower than the right (northern) side. The volcano's peak is found to the right (north) of the frame, as seen most clearly in the wider context map of the region. Many similarly dramatic features - collectively named Ascraeus Chasmata, encompassing an enormous patch of collapsed terrain over 70 km across - are visible across the frame: lava flows and tubes, chains of craters, channel-like rilles, and large fissures spanning tens of km in length. All of different age and origin, these features knit together to form a scene resembling trails of ink dispersing artfully in water, or a plant's beautifully complex root system as it digs down into soil. Lurking below ground To the right side of the frame lie numerous wrinkled lava flows. This crinkled ground then encounters chains of 'pit craters': features where strings of circular or near-circular depressions have combined and coalesced to form troughs. We see these on Earth too, with a notable example being the dramatic Cenotes found on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The pit crater troughs and chains shown here have also grouped together to form an especially large and eye-catching collapse area. These chains and troughs likely form where hidden voids lie below the surface, causing ground to become unstable and collapse - a bit like a sinkhole. The subsurface voids are thought to be created as the surface layer of a lava flow rapidly cools and hardens; the lava flow beneath then ceases and ebbs away over time, leaving tube-shaped pockets of space lurking several metres below ground. The ground to the left of the pit crater chains is marked by so-called 'sinuous rilles': smaller, snaking channels without rims that are often found at the flanks of volcanoes. It is still unclear how these form, but their creation may involve flows of lava, ash or water - or a combination of the three. The leftmost part of the image is dominated by large fissures of up to 40 km long. Branching out from these fissures are channels that weave and braid together ('braided channels'), isolating chunks of martian terrain to form 'islands' and terraces. These are likely to have formed by water - perhaps as snow and ice built up on the flanks of Ascraeus Mons before later melting away. Exploring Mars Mars Express has been orbiting the Red Planet since 2003, imaging Mars' surface, mapping its minerals, identifying the composition and circulation of its tenuous atmosphere, probing beneath its crust, and exploring how various phenomena interact in the martian environment. The orbiter's HRSC, responsible for these new images, has revealed much about Mars' diverse surface features, with images showing everything from wind-sculpted ridges and grooves to impact craters, tectonic faults, river channels and ancient lava pools. Many Mars Express images feature the Red Planet's immense volcanoes, of which Ascraeus Mons is a fascinating example. The mission's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) was developed and is operated by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). IMAGE....This colour-coded topographic image shows the southern flanks of Ascraeus Mons, the second-tallest volcano on Mars. It was created from data collected by ESA's Mars Express on 5 April 2022 during orbit 24045. It is based on a digital terrain model of the region, from which the topography of the landscape can be derived. Lower parts of the surface are shown in blues and purples, while higher altitude regions show up in whites and reds, as indicated on the scale to the top right.

Day 3 Mon. May 29 Baker City, Oregon to Twin Falls and Idaho Falls, Idaho 700 km

What's become clear is that in order to hit my destinations, I am not going to be able to entirely avoid the Interstates. Case in point, in order to make my 700 km today, I had to take Interstate 84 to Twin Falls. At 80 kph, you don't get much local flavour, and you're certainly not stopping to take pictures. However, you can gather impressions. When I think of Idaho, now I will think of wind turbines, solar farms, transmission lines, irrigation and cattle, cattle, and cattle. I'll also think of the Oregon Trail, which stretches from Missouri to Oregon and 500 miles through Idaho. And always in the distance, scenic mountain ranges, some snow capped, and all sporting fluffy white cloud banks overhead. Without irrigation, it can get pretty brown, but with it, Idaho grows impressive amounts of potatoes, wheat, barley, hay, sugar beets, peas and lentils.

Of the two cities I visited, Twin Falls has a pop of 53,000, Elev. 3,734 ft and is known as the gateway to the Snake River. At its east end, there's Shoshone Falls and at its north Penine Coulee Falls.

Idaho Falls is a city of 66,000, Elev 4,705 ft, and is the commercial, cultural, and healthcare center for eastern Idaho, western Wyoming, and Southern Montana.

I took the scenic route between the two along US 26 and US 20, which took me past the Craters of the Moon, a 600 sq mile lava field that is still regarded as active and likely to erupt again.

I also passed through Arco, apparently the first town in the world to be lighted by atomic power (1955) by the nearby atomic reactors of the 900 square mile Idaho National Laboratory nuclear testing and storage facility. It also sits beneath a mountain covered in the numbers of its graduating classes.

I was bored and so I share some random things I could see my ocs saying to yours.

___________________

Yasuno: Seeing you be interested in Jewelry, how about you take care to shape a diamond in the rough like me... I know I am a wild one but don't you want a challenge in taming me. Make me obey to your words. I doubt you can make it but I would welcome you to try.

Nanoya: I think thanks to you I finally grew closer to fighting all my fears I had before... I still have my regrets but you give me the strength to move on and... I wanted to thank you for that, Grey.

Emil: I... am kind of glad you always invite me... it feel like all the anger and frustration as well as the dark thoughts vanish... but also I am afraid... if you get close to me and Ronnie will try to use that against me... I don't want you to be in danger but I want to be close to you... would you be fine if we keep our meetings still a secret?

Carol: Say Azure... I know I miss home a lot but also being with you feels like I found a new home... I already feel kinda happy thinking about the future... how these stories we read often make me fantasize about building a life up with you and... even that already just makes me so happy to think about... so you really don't have to worry about me getting homesick... It will still happen but I know what happiness I have here.

Listen- I have a totally reasonable explanation on why I decided to make them have responses to these- not really but SHHHHHHHH

{ Victoria }

She stares at him coldly, adjusting her blouse as she approached him.

With a light hum and an intimidating gaze that made his mind run wild, she used the tip of her blade to gently lift his chin. Making him look up at her as she stood in front of him.

"Though you may believe that taming you will be a challenge..." She trails off to inch closer to his face.

Victoria began to gently move her thumb against his lips, her glare remaining cold and condescending.

"At the end of the day... A manipulator gets what they want with enough ambition."

♝_____________________________________♝

{ Grey }

She basically audibly gasped before looking away in an attempt to hide her flustered state.

At this point, her heart was running wild to the point it was running a fucking marathon.

Eventually, she turned to him, face flushed with a somewhat embarrassed smile...

"N-No problem.... Happy to help."

♝_____________________________________♝

{ Frisk }

Embarrassed by her blushing face, Frisk hid her embarrassment behind her long lochs of hair.

She didn't know what to say.... But at the same time, she felt that she already knew what she was going to say.

"O-Of course... I'm okay with keeping our meetings secrets as long as we are both safe. Though I am unaware of who "Ronnie" is.... I won't dwell on your past unless you are fully ready to tell me."

♝_____________________________________♝

{ Azure }

Putting down his book, he smiled softly.

Gently caressing Carol's cheek, Azure looked at her lovingly. With every second of his gaze feeling like an endless river of sacred affection.

Much like Carol, Azure was also thinking about his future with her. And though there may be a way for her to eventually return home....

"Mon tout... Even if you are to find a way to return to your original realm where magic is non-existent.... I will wait for you. If it means... You will wait for me as well, if those circumstances were to take place and... We are to say our goodbyes."

Mon 8/21 - Fri 9/1 Ajaccio, Corsica (11 nights)

Checked out of our apartment in Marseilles, and headed to the airport for our flight to Ajaccio. We were met by Dany and her son Guillaume at the airport, and they kindly drove us to our AirBnb (such a nice touch!). Apartment was spacious and comfortable. On the following few days, we swam at the Ajaccio city beach, took the bus west for hiking to the Parata Tower and swam at nearby Moorea Beach, and enjoyed the company of Lorna and Tom after they arrived from Bastia in their rental car (electric- quite a drama for them!). We had dinner several times in the Ajaccio old town, took a sunset cruise to the Sanguinaires Archipelago (with LOTS of wine and singing!), and walked to the Plage Trottel for more swimming. One day we took the Corsica train to the beautiful medieval town of Corte, hiking around the Citadel and visiting the museum there. Another day, Edward took the train to Vizzavona to hike to the Cascades Des Anglais- beautiful forest and river, and the trail was a short part of the famous GR20 trail. Overall a relaxing and beautiful 11 nights in Ajaccio!

Fri 9/1 - Fri 9/8 Calvi, Corsica (7 nights)

After a 5-hour train journey north, we arrived at Calvi and checked into our Airbnb near the train station and up a steep hill. The apartment had a balcony with a stunning view of Calvi Plage and the 2000 meter mountains beyond. Lorna and Tom drove their car from Ajaccio to Calvi, and we got together for more dinners and swimming at the beautiful city beach (VERY LONG, with many beach bars along the way which kept us well fed and lubricated!). Lorna and Tom were only in Calvi for a couple of days before they departed for home, so in our last few days we took the train to the cute village of Algajola, with its Castello and nice beach, and also took another sunset cruise to the west, with opportunities to enter the mouth of a sea cave and swim in a beautiful inlet with many little fish. The waves on the open sea were pretty large, which required expertise from the pilot and the passengers holding on tight- quite exhilarating! We also watched the sunset from the Calvi Citadel one evening, and had several nice dinners at restaurants in the harbor. We’ll want to return to Corsica for sure!

Fri 9/8 - Mom 9/11 London (3 nights)

Flew from Calvi to London via Marseille, and made our way via the Underground and Uber to our final apartment in the Tower Bridge area. On Saturday we had a short visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum- fabulous sculptures by Rodin, Canova and Rysbrack, got some oysters at the Borough Market, and then attended a performance of “Mamma Mia” at the Novello Theater. On Sunday we walked to the Tower Bridge then west along the Thames (Queen’s Walk) to see Southwark Cathedral. Fortunately the organist was preparing for a special Evensong to install a new Canon Prescentor, so we got to hear a Bach Prelude and Fugue while we walked around. The Cathedral was previously known as St Saviour’s Church, and William Shakespeare and his brother were parishioners. After this we walked to the Vinegar Yard for beer and Japanese BBQ chicken, before returning to the apartment for a short rest. Took the bus to Blackfriars for our last London oysters and other seafood at Seabird rooftop restaurant. Home tomorrow!!!

Early March on the Mon River Trail.

Sunday was a gorgeous day for a bike ride, balmy and softly lit by the late Winter sun. The smooth alder (Alnus serrulata) is in bloom along the river - the catkins are incredibly beautiful to me. More whimsical are the pointy-capped flowers of the eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), which emerge from the muddy margins of local swamps in mid-February. At mile marker 17 (last photo from the bottom), I spotted my first bald eagle of the season - a mature, solitary bird who got away before I could get my camera positioned. I'll try again next weekend.

GEORGIA

2023 Oct 2 (Mon) – We drove into Helen for lunch at Paul’s Margarita Deck.  Parking was $20 but they took that off the bill.  The margaritas were excellent.  We sat at a long counter facing the river and watched a couple of guys float by on their tubes.  Yesterday, the river was full of tubers.  Guess the weekend fun is over.

      After lunch, we walked next door to the Georgia Mountain Coaster and rode the cart down the track.  The damn thing was fast!  I kept hoping it wasn’t the wrong thing to eat first.  But everything stayed down and it was actually fun.

      At 5 p.m. we went to a travel meeting.  Group 1 made heavy hors d’oeuvres.  The briefing on our activities at the next campground was very confusing.  I will make up a calendar that makes more sense to me.  We were assigned to group 2.  We will leave at 9:30 a.m. and were assigned to be the leaders of the group.  There will be 3 other rigs with us.

2023 Oct 1 (Sun) – We stayed in for the morning.  At 4 p.m., we rode with Brenda & Rick into town.  The road was so congested yesterday with all the tourists that we decided to leave an hour early.  Taking a back road, we arrived at the parking lot in 15 minutes.  Lol.  Now, we had 45 minutes to kill.  We walked up to main street and walked among the crowd.  Diane (who rode with us), ran into the hat store and bought herself a hat. 

      At 5 p.m. we met the group at the Festhall.  Veterans got in for free.  The caravan paid for the rest of the group.  The hall was huge.  There were long rows of tables and chairs.  Those of us who went (many did not go), sat at two tables.  There was a live band.  The music was great.  Several of us got up and danced.  The best dancing took place when the band took an hour break and the juke box played line dances.  Brenda has absolutely no sense of rhythm.  Watching her dance made me sure I would look good (or least, not worse) than her.  We didn’t care who looked good or moved well.  We just all laughed and moved.

2023 Sep 30 (Sat) – The group went to Unicoi State Park and hiked to the Anna Ruby Falls.  It was a moderately strenuous hike uphill but when we got to the top, there were two waterfalls next to each other.  They both come down and fill the Smith Creek.  There were so many people hiking the trail.

2023 Sep 29 (Fri) – The group went to breakfast this morning at the Country Cottage.  It was a cafeteria type set up where we got plates and went down the row, asking for food items from the steam table.  We carpooled with Bill & Patty.

      We came back and Paul continued working around the RV.  The front cap is trying to separate from the rest of the RV and Paul is working on keeping it attached until we can find a new RV.  I am really looking forward to buying a new rig this January.

      At 3 pm, we went to a first timers session that John & Kathy were having.  We have never done anything special for people who are going on a caravan for the first time and wanted to see if that is something we want to do on our future caravans.  I don’t think there was much that went on that we would want to make it something to do.

      At 4:30 pm, we drove into Helen for dinner at the Hofbrauhaus.  The town is cute; very German.  Helen was a gold mining town.  When the gold ran out, they became a logging town.  When all the timber was gone, the town was in deep trouble.  The founders got together to try and figure out how to keep the town alive.  They decided to create a German town.  There is absolutely no connection to Germany but they did a great job creating the environment.  All the buildings are decorated in European fashion with bric a brac and white lights.  It’s cute with lots of restaurants and souvenir stores.  Very touristy.

      After dinner, Paul and I walked the town.  We bought a Christmas ornament, a hair garland for me, and a hat for Paul.  We came across a restaurant that advertised Paul’s Margarita Deck.

2023 Sep 28 (Thu) – It was a mad dash from Iowa to Georgia but we have arrived safely with our small convoy of followers.  Lol.  We left Iowa with 2 rigs following us. The next campground, we picked up another one.  Then, we picked up 2 more at the following campground.  Each day was a move to a new campground over 5 days.   We rolled in with 6 rigs (us included).  One of the members of our party came down with COVID.  They also had a problem with the hookup for their tow vehicle so they traveled separately to get it fixed and stay isolated.

       We are camped at Yonah Mountain Campground in Cleveland, Georgia.  So many states use other state’s city names.  Some use state or country names for their cities.  It can get very confusing.  At any rate, this campground is hilly and campsites are uneven.  It is pretty with lots of trees sprawled over a hillside.  There are 21 RVs on the Autumn in the Appalachians caravan.  We are just participants, enjoying the ride with everyone else.  No leading.  I did volunteer to be the jokester – tell a joke at the beginning of every travel meeting.  Paul volunteered to be the photographer for the caravan. 

      We had an orientation meeting tonight.  We got our jackets (red with the emblem embroidered on the chest), a lovely bag (also embroidered with the emblem of the caravan), a swinger, a pin, and our travel book.  After introductions and overview, we had lasagna for dinner.  There are 6 couples on the caravan who have never been on a caravan before.  Rick & Brenda, Joe & Diane, and Dennis & Terry have been on caravans with us before.  The Wagon Masters (John & Kathy) and Tail Gunners (Tony & Gina) were at the National Muster this year.  This promises to be a fun caravan.

Second GAP: Part 2

Tuesday – photo by Mitch Waxman As described in yesterday’s post, one visited the Great Allegheny Passage trail on the south side of the Monongahela River again, but this time from the Duquesne side of things. That’s part of the United States Steel Mon Valley Works pictured above, which is found on the north side of the river in a community called Braddock. The steel mill is fired up using…

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Showreel Fabien Lemaire from liloulemaire on Vimeo.

Showreel réalisateur Fabien Lemaire fabienlemaire.com

Montage : Julien Munschy FX & upgrade étalonnage : Valentin Naffetat Soundesign & mix : Eric Elvis Simonet

Musique : M83 Echoes of Mine - Hurry up, We're Dreaming

Il est tard. Je cherche mon autre chez-moi, et je prends un chemin que je ne connais pas: Un petit sentier qui longe les usines et la ville entre-coupant par la forêt. Je commence à peine à entrevoir la nature, lorsque tout d'un coup, la nuit tombe. Je suis plongée dans un monde de silence, pourtant je n'ai pas peur. Je m'endors quelques minutes, tout au plus, et quand je me réveille, Le soleil est là et la forêt brille d'une lumière éclatante.

Je reconnais cette forêt. Ce n'est pas une forêt ordinaire, c'est une forêt de souvenirs. Mes souvenirs. Cette rivière blanche et sonore, mon adolescence. Ces grands arbres, les hommes que j'ai aimés. Ces oiseaux qui volent, au loin, mon père disparu. Mes souvenirs ne sont plus des souvenirs. Ils sont là, vivants, près de moi, ils dansent et m'enlacent, chantent et me sourient.

Je regarde mes mains. Je caresse mon visage, et j'ai 20 ans. Et j'aime comme je n'ai jamais aimé.

Translation: "It is late. I am looking for my other home, taking an unfamiliar path: a small trail near the factories and the city, cutting through the forest. I can barely see nature when suddenly, night falls. I am engulfed by a world of silence, yet I am not afraid. I fall asleep for a few minutes at the most, and when I wake up, the sun is there and the forest is shining with a bright light.

I recognize this forest. It is not an ordinary forest, it is a forest of memories. My memories. The white and noisy river, my adolescence. The tall trees, the men I have loved. The birds in flight, and in the distance, my lost father.

My memories aren't memories anymore. They are there, with me, dancing and embracing, singing and smiling at me.

I look at my hands. I caress my face, and I am 20 years old. And I love like I have never loved before."

NS 20E Crossing the Ohio River by Michael Zang

Via Flickr:

NS trail vans (the old NYC/Conrail terminology) climb the ramp leading to and cross the Ohio River on the massive OC bridge. They’ll travel the next 14 miles down the Mon Line before crossing back over the waters of the Monongahela River and proceeding east towards the Allegheny Mountains.