Adventures in High Places

And so we continue the  story of our Northwest adventure this past September with a little look at some of the other high places we encountered. Of course a trip far from home always begins with the never ending thrill of flight. Ignoring all the incredible inconveniences of doing so, I still love to move high above the earth to get to where I am going.

Takeoff from the shorter runways and city airspace of Chicago, Midway, is always exciting.

The drama of clouds is interesting for a while, but then you miss seeing that huge expanse of country you are moving over.

My travel partner and I often sit across the aisle from each other for a little extra freedom, but this time we managed to sit together with an empty middle seat. Yeah for room to breath!

My carry-on is always a backpack at my feet containing all my entertainment and nourishment to make the confinement less odious.

While he watched a movie, I practiced my drawing (and storytelling) skills. Water soluble marker and a water brush are easy to use in a tight space. Because I generally work in a Moleskine journal, I sometimes gesso the page to give the watercolor something to attach to (and not bleed through).

I always research and plan extensively on travel to new places so that we can find maximum fun and waste as little time as possible looking for things to do. On this visit I was determined to ride the aerial tram that rises from the Portland river front to one of the highest points in the city at OHSU, the Oregon Health and Sciences University. (Be sure to check out the amazing photos on the Tram's home page. The day we rode was a little hazy so I didn't get the good shot of Mt. Hood.)

Upon researching the ride I fell upon the opportunity for folding it into a great all day adventure about town called the the 4T Trail. The gist of it is: learn how to traverse a large loop of the city encompassing three forms of public transit (train, tram and trolley), but enjoy a serious hillside, deeply wooded, trail hike through several adjoining city parks, beginning at the entrance to the zoo in the West Hills and ending on the OHSU campus at the tram. Brochures with seriously detailed directions were printed and the adventure began after a hearty breakfast at Cheryl's on 12th.

The first order of business is figuring out how to buy a one day pass from the ticket machine and then just standing by for the next train.

Dave gives me his silly stare as we head off for the starting gate: a deep tunnel ride and a very long elevator up to reach the Oregon Zoo.

After crossing over a major highway and following the map we found the start of the trail.

Lucky for us, it was a beautiful day, not too hot, and the trail was nicely packed, neither muddy or loose, because the traversing of four to five miles of steep root and rock entwined switchbacks proved to be more than my ordinary workout! We encountered very few humans (and no animals to speak of) except for a few seriously fit runners and trail bikers, and the occasional city employee working a "situation" of some sort.

At about the half way point, high above the city behind me, we take time for a short break.

Looking west, hard to believe we are in the city.

After what felt like many hours we stumbled out of the woods and onto the OHSU campus at a parking lot with no obvious sign of the tram. A bathroom pit stop and several inquiries later, we found the medical building where the tram arrives and departs on a quite regular schedule, and after enjoying the outstanding view from inside the building, we ventured out to ride the tram standing inside a deceptively large car with numerous doctors, nurses and medical students to descend in all too brief a ride to the river below.

The view from inside the hospital.

Outside in the loading area as the tram arrives.

The hard earned reward ride. Mount Hood is out there in the mist.

The Willamette River that divides Portland into East and West neighborhoods.

Downtown, on the West side. In the center of the shot is the high rise apartment building that may become our new home next year. It too has these views!

A new bridge scheduled to open next year. New trolley lines as well will make transit across to the East side neighborhoods much more practical. 

And so, the final adventure in high places is on the way back home, Mt. Hood, always snow capped, waving goodbye for now.

Next up: Home Sweet Home, a look at some of the culinary pleasures of the city.

Time to "Tauck" About My Trip

I have been putting off doing what should have been a total pleasure for me: talking about my September trip to Spain and Portugal. This in no way reflects on my desire to share, or remember the events of those two glorious weeks, but a simple set of facts. There were 2000 photos taken, and such an intense cultural experience that by the end I was both physically and mentally exhausted. I didn't know where to begin to even think about all I had seen and experienced, let alone lay it out neatly and succinctly for you.

It all started with my husband and I taking a bus tour with the well regarded tour company, Tauck. They are known for their high end accommodations for hotels, food and cultural immersion. They charge a lot, but they give more, to the degree that by the last day I was whining about wanting to stay behind from the city tour and just experience our amazing five star hotel.

So, short of writing a history and travel guide for you (for which I am completely out of my league), I have decided to write an installment for each section of the tour, basically sharing through photos and small remembrances, the highlights. (We all know that only some of you read all the words, and that many more just enjoy the pics, and that's fine with me, too.)

So this is where it begins, Day 1, a girl and her camera at Le Meridien Hotel on La Rambla, at the heart of Barcelona. (You'll want to check out this link for the great introductory video.) We arrived a day early to acclimate to the time change; napped away our Sunday afternoon, while a street party of tourists and locals played out below our open window. Unlike most American hotels, it was such a pleasure to be able to have fresh outside air in every place we stayed, and I was able to avoid that dreaded stale air conditioning. (European AC isn't as cold either, and we didn't mind.)

This view of the elegant bathroom allows several observations about what we experienced throughout the trip: 1) the toilets were all square like this (unlike American oval shapes), 2) we had all sorts of useful (but not always used) extras like TV monitors, scales and bidets, and 3) we had so much luxury, like this etched glass wall, and all sorts of mood lighting, that you felt like you needed a guide on how to use your room. By the way, on the other side of this wall was the door to the room, so that if someone were using the bathroom, and say, the maid was delivering a turn down service, the person in the bathroom would not have total privacy. 

One of the very few occasions on which I worked in my travel journal. This was breakfast at the hotel restaurant Cent Onze, and I drew my slightly grumpy (still jet-lagged) travel companion, and some of the inside and out-the-window details of my view. It would have been fun to do this once a day, but I soon realized that it takes a lot of mental energy to draw and journal, and I was often more in need of total downtime when the time was there to do it.

On our first official city tour we had a brief stop in the famous city market, Mercat St. Josep (La Bouqueria). These fabulous fresh juice drinks were emblematic of the healthier treats we found throughout the trip.

Here is an example of a modern building designed to accommodate and honor the old. You can see how they bridged the alley for convenience while encouraging easy passage  to a special historic street just beyond. All through our trip we saw the elegance and ease with which history is honored and showcased while melding with modern life and architecture. 

In the Barrio Gotico, the medieval quarter of the city, we experienced a breathtaking meeting room of all the "world's" great leaders of the time. 

Reminiscent of Venice's "bridge of sighs", this ancient ally was full of modern life.

You cannot spend time in Spain without a thorough immersion in the work of their most famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. This famous house, Casa Battlo (snapped from the window of our tour bus) is carved sandstone, with stained glass windows, and inlaid with glazed ceramics and pieces of broken glass.

Not a computer generated kaleidoscope image, but one tiny view of the most famous tourist site in the entire city. Looking up to the ceiling of the Temple de la Sagrada Familia, which has been under construction for over a hundred years, and is still unfinished (but getting close.)

On our own, before the start of the tour, we found our way to the most magical park in the city, Gaudi's Park Guell, a childs' (and adult) wonderland. Behind me, as I stand on the upper square with its surround of winding ceramic encrusted bench, the city spreads out to the South and the Mediterranean Sea behind me.

A delightful surprise: Monk Parakeets squawking, flying, and nesting in the palms throughout the park.

The fantasy world included private grottoes in which to relax, get out of the heat, and enjoy the view of the blue, blue sky.

I may not have access to good public transit where I live now, but having been a resident of Philly and DC during many years of my life, I am very comfortable getting around even foreign towns on the subway. I found the ticket system easy to use, even though I don't speak any Catalan.

I have experienced street entertainers in many places, but was totally blown away by the character mimes along Las Ramblas. I was told they are licenced by the city and must meet very high standards to be given the opportunity to make quite a good living this way. I do believe the source of this character was the painting, "The Burning Giraffe."

Well, I hope you enjoyed this tiny taste of Barcelona. (And by the way, our favorite meal here was sitting on a curb eating amazing gelato out of a paper cup.) Do follow the links to learn a bit more. As we leave the city, on our next installment, we will begin our journey to Montserrat, Cardona, and La Seu D'Urgell.

Scattered

Today's Forecast: Warming toward life, but chance of scattered brain activity.


The Man got called into work in the middle of the night last evening. For us, one a.m. is the middle, since he usually rises at 4. I was worried about this emergency, because I hate when he misses sleep, and there was a wind and rain "event" going on outside where he had to drive and also face the "crisis." Finally asleep again, I was awakened by his alarm at 4. This time a pill to help me under, and when finally resurfacing this morning, way past my usual rising time, of course there was dizziness and discombobulation of brain waves. I tell you all of this to illustrate my general state of mind lately. I'm the one who has the good fortune to go back to bed, yet I am the one who always seems out of focus.


Part of this loss of a direct path to goals lately is due to the usual up and down of the change of seasons. One week above normal, one below. Autumn this year had been a see-saw from summer to winter temps. I even caught the newscasters on the Chicago station saying that we were expecting the first storm of winter. Well, not really! It's hardly winter yet! But I can see I am not alone in my confusion.

The slightly out of focus view of my busy breakfast space. (The CD cover is actually in focus.)

Yesterday, David brought in two gorgeous purple clematis blooms that thought spring had arrived. This morning I was dithering over sitting down to paint them, or to write the blog, or to return to crocheting a metal bead bracelet I have wanted for at least two years now, or maybe take up my promise to myself to work out indoors since the day is definitely not one for walking outside.

Of course, there is also the new stuff to study. In our household My Guy is generally the one to research and buy new mechanical and electronic gear, and I am usually the recipient who must learn how to use it. Often these things arrive before I am ready to study them. Take for example the new car I got last May. It replaced the same type of car I had, but came with all the updated features that seven years of development will bring. Sure, I can drive it, but can I run it's computer system? Heck no! I got a smart phone almost a year ago, and that too, is still a mystery to me most days. Everything we purchase these days is a computer unto itself, only it wants to connect to all our other computers and they don't necessarily play nicely together. I hit the wrong button on my steering wheel the other day and the car told me it couldn't find my phone! I didn't want my car using my phone. Who was it going to call, the Camaro down the block?

The new Sony camera, pictured above, is another example. I haven't even taken the tag off the carrying case. David is one of the most excellent price shoppers you will find. He has a knack for finding the "returned but never used," and "display model ready to be changed out," and getting them at a fraction of their current retail price. I treasure all this opportunity to have updated technology, and yet, again, there is that manual to study, that system to learn. I think I will be giving up on ever learning how to use my "older" digital SLR. Why bother? This one pretty much does the same thing, but better.

There's also the Paul Simon CD I bought two weeks ago, loaded on the computer and pod, that I haven't listened to. When I was a kid, my brain was such a busy place that if I didn't distract some part of it with music all the time, I couldn't concentrate on reading and studying. Now I pretty much need total quiet to pay attention to really creative pursuits.

Meanwhile, I think the statute of limitations has run out on telling you about my summer vacation. I had planned to go into some more detail about our trip around my favorite Oregon places, but for now I just want to share these two journal ink and watercolor sketches from our stay at TuTuTun Lodge. It's the most beautiful and relaxing corner of "nowhere" I can imagine.

I have been somewhat preoccupied with fabric and stitching lately, but I did complete three pages in the last month, sort of closing up summer and beginning autumn.

Playing with greys and using a selective sprig to represent the entire plant in the planter of her head.

Sheer layering of the vine over the arbor. Again, just a detail of a very large and dense growth.

One day after shopping at Costco, this little leaf was waiting on my car door for a ride. I took it home, painted it, then sat in my garage and painted the reflections on the car door and handle. A lot fun to do.

A friend who admired my Junk Mail book wanted me to show her how to transform junk into drawing paper. I used the "good" gouache paints I bought nearly a year ago, and got some beautiful results. Can't wait to draw a second book.

I am currently taking a class in embroidery with a favorite textile artist, Arlee Barr. Her class is called "Frankenstitch," and she is teaching us how to work big, bold, and chunky, to achieve texture and tell a story through simple embroidery stitches stretched to their creative limits. It is very freeing, and fits my "design as you go" personality. I have no plan or pre-design. I am making what I am calling samplers, although they have potential to be finished pieces.

Here is an example of running stitch gone interesting.

This piece is using various silks I have dyed, dye-painted or stencilled with a strip off a "boro-class" weaving. It will be an all buttonhole stitch sampler.

Here is a little sample of "Frankenstiched" buttonhole as I got started.

One of my creative friends called me this week to say she wanted to stop by with a gift of Indian Corn she had grown this year that took on a creative twist of its own. Some of the ears had gone all "rainbowy" with soft pastels of every hue. In all her years of farming she had never seen this happen. It was a fun surprise, and I think I will make a simple wreath out it for the front porch.

Of course, I could paint it while it's still in the warm house. Nah, I'd better read that car manual first, before my "MAXI" starts dating behind my back. Who said she could use my phone!

Groovin'

It has been a groovin' summer for me so far. Maybe not in the sense of lying-on-the-beach laid back, but mine is a kind of permanent vacation, being retired and all. Still my days usually come with as much work and scheduling of projects as a thoroughly supervised corporate peon. Really, my summer project should be learning to climb down from the machine, step away from the idea, forget about the goals. But that's just not me to do that, and I think I really don't mind the structure. It's more a matter of degree. How many projects are enough, are they relevant to my current goals, do they bring me joy or at least satisfaction? So that is where I stand. Having achieved a strong turn this past year toward the life journaling arts, I am finally stepping back, breathing, and feeling a sense of connection to my story.

So yes, a happy medium has got me groovin'. What exactly does this mean? Well, in the sense of the 60's Hippie slang, my life is "groovy"--I am liking, enjoying, being one with--summer! I am sitting still enough for it to warm my bones, soften my consciousness, engage me in just being. Every day possible there is a long walk in the sun with music in my step, there is quiet time in the shade with a beverage, special moments of connection with my husband, time observing and recording my world.


Groovin' is also "in the groove." Literally, fitting in to the stream of the moment. Connecting with a flow both in my online and local worlds. One that I have created over time, and that absorbs me, supports me and lifts me.


So what have I been up to in the last month  (when not just being there?) Starting in mid June, for two weeks , I was totally absorbed and stimulated by 14 lessons in 14 days, in a class called "Photo Silly" by Steve Sonheim. Each morning I woke up to a new challenge, and ended each day with an amazing new vision of my world and my abilities, as well as connections with new friends from, literally, around the world. Two of my newest Facebook friends are from Germany, and we met through the flikr class site. Others were recording their lives in France, and Russia, and New Zealand. While I might be taking shots of an all-American supermarket bagger gathering carts, one of them was doing a portrait of a Maori couple and their wonderful tradition facial tattoos. It was amazing fun.


Here are some shots taken during each day's lesson. These are generally not the completed or chosen entry for the assignment, but illustrate what I was striving to achieve. The complete set of final cuts can be found here on flikr.

Assignment #1-Shooting 20 shots in a row with our eyes closed, but trying to imagine the shots we were getting. This resulted in,  to say the least, some unexpected, but often interesting images.

Assignment #3-Blink. Compose shots with a cardboard viewfinder and  commit to memory or sketch.  Two days later we actually went back to the images and captured them with the camera.

Assignment #4-Biographer Frog. A Self portrait without the self, from the point of view of  a wee thing on the floor. I chose this dark image from a series of seven bracketed exposures, because I like the drama.

Assignment #8-Take Your Camera to Work Day. A rainy start to a day of recording it all. The final pick of twenty shots went into a photo collage.

Assignment #9-Really? Turning our hand into a character and photographing with backlighting. The final pose became the giggle getter on flikr. Look for it there.

Assignment #10-Flip Flop. Teach Steve how to do something in four photo steps. This shot was a warm up idea for "How to Brew Satisfaction".

Assignment #13-Blur. Learning to capture a blurred image on purpose.

What pleased me the most was not any particular technical skills I learned (although the camera started to be less of a mystery, for sure), but three important concepts applicable to all my art:


     1) Find a new focus: look beyond the expected.


     2) Wait for the light: the best photos are real and don't require a lot of artifice to make them work, just look for the best and shoot, shoot, shoot (then toss, toss, toss.)


     3) Connect with my work and the people and animals within it, lose my fear of the stranger and the strange situation, make friends with life.

None of this is what I expected to learn, and all of it was wonderfully useful for moving forward in many disciplines.


Starting next week I will be taking a one week class by Steve called "Shoot Your Art," a more technical set of exercises in how to capture images of your 2D art. I'm expecting this to prove useful and enlightening. (Small pun :-) )


Following the June class I recaptured what I feared I had lost--my need to draw and paint without prompts from others, something I have done on a regular basis since. The carry over of lost fear is allowing me to draw more easily in public, and at a recent minor league baseball game, I did these two journal pages.

Waiting to get in the stadium, I stood in the shade of a tree and sketched a streetlight with my  Grey  Tombow and water brush.

Very new to trying to draw the human figure, and these gentlemen  NEVER stopped moving. An interesting challenge. I was also being watched by my husband's workmates who were sitting nearby.

My little themed handmade books are calling me and I decided to fill the garden journal with ink and watercolor pages that allow me to practice creative composition and record scenes from my own garden while I vacation there in this first half of summer. I am able to do more complex and leisurely painting on my home turf that may take two or more sessions and several hours. Later in the summer I want to practice a simpler,  looser style on locations away from home.

The fountain in the center of my garden, under a large shady elm. The plants were brought in to the house for closer study.

Fourth of July morning,  instead of doing the parade, I painted the hot of the day.

Each of these pots holds a complex floral planting. I decided to go simpler.

One of my online creative friends recently remarked that it doesn't matter how we express ourselves, creativity must out! Less defining, more acceptance and integration with everyday life. The needle is tracking the groove, and it's all beautiful music to me. Care to join the dance?