While we are traveling

Here are a couple of photos from our last trip to enjoy while we are traveling 24 hours to Vietnam. They are both from Ephesus, Turkey, a prosperous Roman city in its day.  Today the ruins are quite impressive.  We felt rushed through the site and would have liked to linger.  Our guide was on a timetable so we ran (or so it seemed) from one photo op to another so we didn't miss our shopping opportunity.  Turkish rugs.  Very beautiful, but very expensive.

Gallo Nero

This is a sign outside a wine store in San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy. The black rooster label is one of the best in the Chianti region we were told. We did find a bottle when we were there and it was good.  

Why show this photo now?  It reflects our holiday over-indulgence...

I have been silent for most of the month, but I am starting up the blog again in anticipation or our next trip.  This one is to Vietnam.  We leave on Dec 31 and have a very long journey to get there.

There is a re-entry period after returning from a trip that lasts from a few days to a few weeks depending on where I have gone and how exotic the location.  A few weeks before a trip there is much to do to get ready--packing, stopping the mail, etc.  Plus the anticipation.   Not only did the re-entry from one trip and the preparation and anticipation for the next overlap and intersect, the holidays added their own demands.  It is all good and all encompassing.  

Trieste

I left you in the fog on my last post.  This is Trieste.  Looks like a nice spot.  This was all we saw of it since we spent our time in Trieste on board the ship.

We were taken to Trieste where we docked about 3 hours after we were supposed to in Venice.  We were scheduled to get off the ship at noon, but didn't actually set foot on land until 7:30 pm.  And then we had to be bussed to Venice--another 2 and a half hours.  We were dropped at the port only to find the monorail that would take us to the vaporeto stop had ceased running for the night.  We had to take a taxi to the vaporeto and then it was a 30-40 minute ride to our stop at San Marco.  We were really disappointed in the disembarkation in Trieste.  They seemed to be totally disorganized.  (I am being a model of understatement here.)


We got to the hotel at 11 or so, in bed at 11:30.  Of course the room we got this time (we stayed in the same hotel as before the cruise) had the view of the canal!  We made arrangements to get a water taxi to the Piazzale Roma where we got a land taxi to the airport.  It was still foggy so the water taxi didn't want to take us the entire way to the airport. 


Our trip home went according to schedule for the most part and we arrived in Boston only an hour late--but what's an hour compared with the fiasco of the day before.  Nonetheless, it was a long day and we crashed once we arrived at our own, most welcome, abode.


We are happy to be home and have many fine memories of our trip.

Dubrovnik

I wrote this on Nov 20 and am just getting it posted now.

This is the wall surrounding the old city. We walked on top of the wall taking in the views of the city and the sea. Many steps up and down. The day was sunny and warm and very pleasant.

We returned to the ship a bit early so we could take our third tango lesson. We were the only ones to show up so we had a private lesson. We were in one of the bars so had an audience-a bit intimidating.

Woke up this morning, our disembarking day, to thick fog. The port of Venice is closed so they are landing us somewhere else, reports vary. Stay tuned.

At Sea

If we were sailing on Carnival Cruise lines, it would be a 'fun' day at sea. Even though we weren't officially on a fun sea day, we did have fun.

Doug tried out the water slide. I thought the hot tub overlooking the slide was the better choice. We took some tango lessons. We will now be able to dance along with the stars.

Our steward folded the towels into these animals, an elephant, turkey and a turtle? We weren't sure about the middle one.

Grand Bazaar

On to the Grand Bazaar. This was overwhelming--again with just an hour to explore (and not get lost). It is a huge shopping area. We were accosted at every turn with an opportunity to buy leather, jewelry, jeans, Turkish delight candy... And so on.

This was after a demonstration (and sales pitch) at a high-end carpet shop. It was an informative talk, although we had attended one the day before in Izmir. Beautiful rugs, though. We were even tempted, but came to our senses before the credit card came out of our wallet.

Hagia Sophia

Formerly a mosque and a church, it is now a museum. They have recently uncovered Byzantine mosaics under the dome.

After Hagia Sophia, we went to the Topkopi Palace museum. This is a several acre site with many buildings. We had about an hour to explore it all! And it had started to rain. We didn't give it the attention it deserved. Add to that the crowds and the hunger factor, and we were cranky tourists. But despite our short comings, the museum was quite wonderful.

Our lunch was at a hotel that had been a sultan's palace. Views of the water, Turkish food and a belly dancer added to the ambiance.

Blue mosque

This is the dome of the Blue Mosque. We started with a walk through the Hippodrome with its Theodosius Obelisk and Serpentine Column. The obelisk came from Egypt and the column is only partly intake, the other portion having been looted by one of the Italian city states (Venice or Genoa?). There was a lot of looting going on back then, in particular during the Crusades.

The Blue Mosque is still in use as a mosque, but visitors are welcome when not in use for prayers. It is an impressive structure with tiles in a tulip and rose pattern, symbolic of Allah and Mohammed, respectively.

Arriving in Istanbul

This is a view from the ship as we were sailing into port in Istanbul on Thursday. Our day started early with a 7:45 meeting time for our day-long excursion.

Izmir

THis is the port we stopped at in order to visit Ephesus. It is the 3rd largest city in Turkey with a population of about 4 million. Doug refers to the city by its Greek name, Smyrna. His first father-in-law lived there for a time before he emigrated to the US at the age of 14.

Next stop, Istanbul.

Izmir

THis is the port we stopped at in order to visit Ephesus. It is the 3rd largest city in Turkey with a population of about 4 million. Doug refers to the city by its Greek name, Smyrna. His first father-in-law lived there for a time before he emigrated to the US at the age of 14.

Next stop, Istanbul.

Genuine fake

This sign amused us. Many of the carts and stalls pass knock-offs as the real thing. So to have a shop actually say 'Genuine Fake' was refreshingly honest.

We spent the day at Ephesus, a remarkable archeological site. Roman ruins of a prosperous city of 300 BC. I will post photos of the site later. My blog app is not cooperating so I have to take a photo rather than using one from already taken photos. We were on a time schedule so I didn't get a blog photo.

From the town of Katakolon

Shot of the Greek flag, part of the town and the cruise ship.

Tonight is one of the two galas on board ship this week, with Captain's reception. We can have our photo taken with the Captain. Doug is not into the photo opps--not like some people I know. (That would be my life guard friends--Pat, Peg and Cindy. I have thought of you often as we boarded. I have had to show Doug the ropes, being so familiar with them after all our cruises.)

Katakolon

This port's reason for being today is as a stop for cruise ships and the point of departure for tours of Olympia. We walked around the town looking at shops and putting on our best sales resistance faces. It almost worked...

The port was developed in the early 19th century as a shipping center with harbor and railroad.

St Nicholas and his church

Our first stop on our cruise was Bari, Italy. This one of the main churches in the old town of Bari. After Florence and Venice it was a bit underwhelming...

We got to the ship with no problems-Doug's recon Sun am assured our success. We spent the rest of the day acclimating ourselves to the ship, the Costa Favolosa.

Water Taxi Adventures

Saturday. We purchased our 36 hour vaporetto pass and started to ride. After a few false starts we got the hang of it. They operate like buses and subways in that the are routes posted at the stops indicating the direction of travel. Don't get on the vaporetto marked Rialto if you want to go to San Marco. We did a circle route on the number 2 all the way around the fish's mouth (Venice is shaped like a fish) and through the Grand Canal. We didn't see much because of the crowded bus, but our purpose was to see if we could take the vaporetto to the cruise ship port, Stazione Marittima.

It looked as if we could, but our hotel concierge shook his head and gave us another option. Piazza Roma to the monorail. On our way to dinner we did a dry run--and couldn't find the monorail. Doug the Intrepid got up this morning (Sun.) and found it. We could get another taxi, but we already paid for the vaporetto and, in Doug's words, "where's the adventure in that."

In between, we took the vaporetto to Murano and wandered from glass shop to glass shop. Found some treasures.

Today we board the cruise ship. There is internet on board, but it probably costs and so I will be judicious in my time spent on line. So posts may be more sporadic this next week.

Runner on Tank

At regular times a runner mounts the treadmill on top of the tank and by running, makes the tank wheels and treads go around.

Biennale USA pavilion

Here is the upside down tank in front of the US pavilion. It got a lot of press in June when the Biennale opened. I spent a good part of the day at the Giardini and the main pavilions located there. Doug was off on his explorations. We will compare notes later.

Time Stamp!

I just realized as I was reading over my blog posts that the time is off. Since I turned off all my data plan functions, the clock on my phone hasn't reset to local time. Just add 5 hours to the time on the blog to get our time in Italy.

Thursday. View from our hotel

Today we set off for the Frari church across the Grand Canal from our hotel and Piazza San Marco. To get there we did nothing as mundane as cross a bridge. We crossed on a traghetto, a commuter gondola, if you will. They cross the Grand Canal at certain points, and for a Euro (for two), you get a ride on a gondola. Doug is pleased to tell anyone that asks, that he took me on a gondola ride.

We saw a few more Biennale exhibits as we wended our way back to our hotel. A bit of gelato and we were happy (happier). Doug took off to check out the boat to Murano, the island know for glass, and left me to my blog...

St. Mark Cathedral, again

Here is another view of the cathedral taken from across the square. Wed. afternoon we went to the Correr museum which was the other half of our two-for ticket (mandatory) from the Doge's Palace. More paintings early to late Renaissance, plus the archeology museum and library. We strolled the exhibits trying to muster enthusiasm after all the other period art we have seen.

We ate dinner at a Rick Steves recommended restaurant near the Rialto Bridge and fish market. We had fresh fish--a welcome change from pasta. The night before we, against all advice, had a touristic fixed price meal--horrible! Never again.

Basilica

Our official tour of Venice started at San Marco Basilica. Golden mosaics throughout, marble mosaics on the floor in intricate patterns. Alas, no photos allowed. We plan to return to go through at our leisure, rather on the tour schedule.

Our guide brought us through small, little traveled streets and campos to where Marco Polo lived. Our final stop-the Rialto Bridge. Even though we were there yesterday, we explored the fruit and vegetable markets again. This time they were open.

We keep popping into various exhibits connected to the Venice Biennale. One of them was a huge mosaic of decorated eggs in the Ukrainian exhibit displayed in a church we happened by.

Courtyard of the Doge'e Palace

Once we made it into the palace on the walkways, we toured the palace with all its Tintarettos and Veroneses and other major Venetian artists. So much art to see! The prison cells, Bridge of Sighs and weapons were part of the tour as well as a special exhibit of Venice and Egypt.

After this, we did the long walk to the Rialto Bridge and market. And a different long walk back.

Now for some wine and cheese.

Lion of St Mark

In the Piazza San Marco, on top of the column is the Lion of St Mark with San Giorgio Maggiore in the back ground. This morning we left the hotel and realized we were in the midst of an acqua alta. The walkways were up and we made our way along them to the Doge's Palace. Doug referred to the piazza as Lago San Marco. The water was several inches deep.

Venice

We took the train from Florence to Venice on Monday, the 7th, and encountered a one day strike of the vaporetto drivers. After we had waited about 40 minutes, we realized we may not get a water bus, so we started walking. It was quite an adventure. I usually expect to walk and walk with Doug but this was an unexpected 'bonus'. We arrived, finally, got settled, and then went off again. It had started to rain so out came the umbrellas. No pictures with is post since we were either lugging bags or dodging raindrops. Maybe tomorrow. Although, we are a bit concerned since the 'aqua alta' walkways are lined up on the streets. We may be in for some high water.

Piazza Michelangelo

Another view.

Climbing to Piazza Michelangelo

On Sunday, we climbed to the piazza Michelangelo which overlooks the city of Florence. Impressive views. We then went on to the church at the top. It is still a monastery, with the brothers manning the souvenir shop.

We missed the Medici chapel, designed by Michelangelo, because it closed early. Back to our hotel to get ready for our departure for Venice the next day.

My usual internet cafe was closed on Sunday and the substitution was unsatisfactory, since I never was able to get on line.

From our roof top garden

The hotel has a roof top garden and it is quite pleasant to sit outside at night a sip some grappa.

After our wanderings on Saturday we relaxed up there, too.

Our last stop was the Bargello Museum of sculpture. It has several Michelangelo, Donatello and Cellini sculptures. Pottery, carved ivory, small bronzes and coins are also featured.

On our way back to the hotel, we wondered through the Central Market, an indoor market with cheese, meat, wine and vegetables stalls.

Market today

We wondered into this market on Saturday as we were walking to our appointed destinations. It was a fruit, vegetable and handcrafted goods market. A change from the usual. Every where you go you see stalls with the same leather goods, shawls, pottery, t-shirts and other souvenirs. Tourist goods. I succumbed to one or two items.

Our first stop of the day was at San Marco church. It was a Dominican monastery. Fra Angelico was one of the brothers and his paintings and frescoes are everywhere. Another famous brother was Savonarola, the monk who brought down the Medicis, re-established the republic as a theocracy. His room with some artifacts are in the museum.

Piazza del signoria

Friday. This is the main piazza in Florence. A few short steps takes you to the Uffizi Gallery featuring paintings from Medieval to Renaissance. Giotto to Michelangelo and Raphael. This was our first stop.
From there we went to the Santa Croce church and church of Santa Maria Novella. Both impressive, lots of frescoes and paintings. Lots of walking. My legs were tired, but so were my eyes. After a while it is hard to concentrate and differentiate. When Doug asked if I wanted to go to another museum, I refused--I just couldn't take in another image.

We collapsed at the end of the day. (Friday) We couldn't even get ourselves out for dinner. Wine and cheese in the room was all we could manage. But it was good...

Another day another tower

Thursday we took an excursion to Siena and San Gimignano. The first thing we did was to climb the Mangia Torre, another really tall (400 steps) tower next to the city hall in Siena. My poor legs. The views, again, were great. That is another one of Doug's things. If there is a tower to climb, we will climb it.

We explored the city a bit. That involved more hills--my legs were thrumming. Then on to San Gimignano. Another hill town known for its towers. I put my foot down. No more tower climbing. The streets themselves were steep, straining my already tired legs.

We have a list of unvisited sites, but no plan as yet for tomorrow. Maybe we can give our legs a rest. Not likely...

A view of the Arno

After the Duomo, we walked on the other side of the river exploring the less traveled road. (A Doug speciality) The Brancacci Chapel in the Santa Maria del Carmine convent was worth a visit.

Top of the dome

Wednesday. We did the Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore, the major cathedral in Florence. We toured the cathedral, went to the museum that contains all the statuary removed from the church, both from the nave and the exterior (to preserve it--copies have been installed instead). And then climbed 463 steps to the top of the dome. Magnificent views.

Ponte Vecchio

The old bridge that spans the Arno River has many shops--mostly jewelry--lining it. We have been over it a few times already. It is one of the noted landmarks of Florence.

My internet access is spotty and my app is acting up so I have to work around these minor obstacles. I will get things out, but two or three posts may get posted at once.

Santa Croce

Fourteenth century church with a 19th century facade. It contains the tombs of several famous Florentines. We didn't go in, but we did go to the leather school in the rear.

We will visit again before we go.
We are still finding our way--it is really easy to get turned around. There is one twisty street after another lined with buildings tall enough to block views of landmarks. At one point we were headed to the Duomo and could hear the bells, but couldn't see it. Turns out it was just around the corner.

San Lorenzo

Our first morning we went on a 3 hour walking tour of Florence with our very helpful and knowledgeable guide. We covered some of the same territory as we did on our own the day before, but had a bit more knowledge to go along with the sights.

This is San Lorenzo, both piazza and church. It is the site of the Medici chapels designed by Michelangelo. Also, there is an outdoor market.

Arrive in Florence

Our flight was on time into Rome with a transfer to a flight to Florence. We were bussed to our hotel which is centrally located and near all the major sites in the old city. We didn't get into our room until about 2:30 at which point I took a nap for an hour or so. Then we wondered to the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and sites in-between. Bought some wine, cheese and fruit for dinner. Oh, and some grappa. Above is the Duomo.

Nor'easter

We awoke to snow--about 5 inches--and no power. Lots of downed trees, including one that landed on our neighbor's deck. But the sun is shining and the snow is melting.

The plane is on time so we will be departing according to plan late today.

Trip Ahead

We are leaving soon for Florence, Venice and a cruise leaving from Venice and sailing to Bari, Italy; Greece (Olympia); Ephesus and Istanbul, Turkey; Dubrovnik, Croatia and back to Venice.

My plan is to post from my destinations, but it is dependent on internet access.  If access is limited, I will catch up when I return.

Stay tuned.

Shoe Story

You may have gathered that I am going on a trip.  The post on Oct. 20 had me practicing my Italian, apologizing for not speaking it well.  Florence and Venice and then a cruise to Turkey leaving from Venice.

After much consideration, here are the contenders for shoe space in my luggage.  From the left:

Agate Beach, Oregon

Tennyson.  This staple of the shoe inventory, known as tennies, sneakers, trainer, etc, is a must because she's a tried and true friend.  Many miles of happy feet.  Her claim to fame (or perhaps that of her fore-runner) is that she played on grass tennis courts at the Newport, RI Tennis Hall of Fame.   Such a star, and yet, so humble.  She also recently hiked in Sedona, AZ.

Merrill.  Comfy, black, and good for many, many steps.  She was put through her paces last year in Oregon as we walked the beaches along the coast.  It was a stormy few days and many of beaches were inundated and difficult to traverse.  No matter - she rose to the occasion.  Also she was right at home in the museums and galleries of Portland. OR.

Daisy.  This diamond encrusted flip flop is a study in contrasts.  She is equally at home at the pool and the opera.  In fact, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera of New York.  Because of her small size, she is able to fit snuggly into the small spaces of my carry on bag.

Etta.  This colorful embroidered shoe hails from Turkey and has wanted to revisit her homeland.  Since we will be headed there, she was a natural for inclusion. She isn't as well traveled as her companions, but she showed her true comfort as the go-to-gal for contra dancing.

Azul San Miguel d'Allende.  She just arrived from Mexico and is delighted to be included on this trip.  She is touted to be very comfortable and preliminary assessments are quite hopeful.  Her story involves a friend steering me to a local shop which had a different style of the San Miguel shoe.  Her cousin is a sandal, but I needed a closed toe shoe for November travel.  An on-line search found a supplier in Mexico who gathers 15 orders to the U.S. ships them to Florida where they are rerouted to the address here.  Not speedy, a bit cumbersome, but it works.

Packing--Shoes

Shoes are so important when packing for travel.  How many pairs?  What types?  What will we be doing and what particular shoe will be needed for that activity.  Walking, of course.  Sneakers, tennies, trainers--by whatever name-- will mark us as American tourists.  Of course, that is what we are, but we would like to not be quite so obvious.  My choice then, are my Merrills.  Still not an Italian walking shoe, but they are comfortable and I know my feet will be happy after many, many steps.

That's how I gauge a shoe.  How many steps before my feet complain?  How loudly will they complain--just a whimper, or a full-on scream.  My husband likes to take me on little adventures, which invariably involve lots of extra steps.  I will often announce the relative number of steps my shoes have before they become uncomfortable--not that it has a great influence on the route.  A small one, perhaps.

Mi dispiace non parlo bene italiano.

   Mi dispiace, non parlo bene italiano.
I have been repeating that phrase over and over so it trips convincingly off my tongue.
   Mi dispiace, non parlo bene italiano. 
I'm sorry, I don't speak Italian well.
   Mi dispiace, non parlo bene italiano.
Are you convinced yet?
   Mi dispiace, non parlo bene italiano.
We are traveling to Italy in less than two weeks and my italian is practically non- existent, never mind just not good.
   Mi dispiace, non parlo bene italiano.
We had dinner with friends who visited Italy recently and they had me repeat the phrase a few times, claiming that with these simple words we would be fine.
   Mi dispiace, non parlo bene italiano.

Postcards

As promised in yesterday's post, more on the postcards.


You saw the video.  Here is a still photo of the hot iron still smoldering on the cement.  I printed the photo and cut it up into 4 x 1.5 inch segments and then, glued these to the rusted paper.  The result is a combination of the photo of the event that created the objects used to mark the postcards with rust.  A bit convoluted, but it all ties together.

After the performance...

Yesterday's video worked!  One more step in the technology learning curve.

After the performance, which involved pouring hot iron on paper covered, wet cement, and after the iron had cooled, I collected a few of the pieces.   They are below.  Lots of biomorphic shapes with long tendrils.  One of them reminds me of a gecko.

  I then used them to create rust marks on paper by soaking the paper in water with the iron pieces on top.  The resulting marks and shapes reflect the iron pieces, but have their own character.  I have used rust in my recent art work so this is an extension of that inquiry.

There is one more step in the process.  You will have to stay tuned for the result.  I will post it tomorrow.



Below are four 4 x 6 inch postcards to be.

I have been sending (and receiving) artist postcards for the last three years to (and from) my critique group.  We are 5 artists who have been meeting for 15 years. The group has been active that long, but  some members joined after the group first formed.

Ring of Fire--Performance

More hot iron

This is the ladle just after pouring hot iron into the molds.

Iron Pour at Haystack

For the last few years one of the highlights of the MassArt Alumni Retreat has been an iron pour.  Josh Dow and Lauren Holmgren of the Green Foundry in Eliot, Maine and Laurie Carmen organized the effort.  All are MassArt Alums and members of the Iron Guild.  The Iron Guild does performances in New England and New York.  We were treated to a performance on Saturday Night.

Josh instructing the troops

My husband, Doug, filling his ladle with hot iron

Pouring iron into molds

We prepared a sand mold using found objects or by scratching into the sand.  Into the mold, molten iron would be poured creating an iron tile with a low relief image on it.  Many hands helped stoke the fire and ladle the hot iron into the molds.





The iron pour is a favorite with everyone--how can you not like fire and molten metal.  It is a finely timed and choreographed event.  Sparks fly, iron flows reminding us of our primal and elemental beginnings.

More Haystack

The weather held for the cyanotype workshop.  The process uses sunlight to expose the prints.  The first step is to coat the paper with an emulsion, dry it and then put it outside in the sun.  The areas exposed to UV light (sunlight) turn blue, those not exposed will be the color of the paper or fabric substrate.  The attached image is a photogram.  I used actual objects to block the light.  Photographic negatives can be used, too.  I often print one of my digital images onto transparency film and use it as my negative.

Haystack Day One

I taught two workshops, the first, a monoprinting process using gelatin as the plate. The second was cyanotype, a 19th century photo technique. For both, we used objects found on the Haystack campus to create imagery. The attached photo is of a gelatin monoprint I did a couple of years ago.

Haystack--Arrival

GeoTagged, [N42.34900, E71.08510]

You may have noticed that I didn't post while at Haystack--the internet connection was intermittent and slow. That is actually a good thing, given that it is a retreat.

We arrived a week ago to perfect weather. I sat outside and greeted everyone and gave them cabin assignments. The first night is faculty introductions. I showed slides of my work and then hurried off to prepare for the workshop I was to teach the next day. This image is from outside the dining hall looking toward the water.

Haystack Bound

 Tomorrow we leave for Haystack Mountain School of Art in Deer Isle, Maine.  It is a Massachusetts College of Art Alumni (and friends) retreat and I will be teaching cyanotype and monoprinting workshops.  It is my 5th year attending.  I love it there.

Haystack is a very special place.  It sits amid trees and rocks right on the ocean.  The architecture won many awards as it uses the landscape as a integral part of the design.  The studios and cabins radiate off a central staircase.  The photo on the left is the staircase looking up toward the dining hall and central meeting place.  Below is the view to the sea from the same point on the stairs.  So called "Faculty Row" is very close to the shore.  Good views on the one hand, but many stairs to climb on the other.  It is probably a good thing since the food is so good--a few stairs may help keep extra pounds from accumulating...

Vietnam calligraphy

This is Nguyen Quang Thang, a Vietnamese artist, scholar and calligrapher who visited Mass College of Art this past week.  He showed us several types of old style Vietnamese calligraphy.  The character based writing of Vietnam was romanized during the French colonial period.  His study has helped preserve the calligraphy and at the same time modernized it.

He is creating an image of my name--or an iteration of my name.  Gail=gale=wind.

Our future travel plans include a trip to Vietnam.
More on that later...

Open Studios

ArtSpace Open Studios was this weekend, Sept 24 and 25 from 12 -5 both days. I spent the week getting ready, hanging artwork, cleaning, organizing.  Here is a photo of the studio--in progress.

There were a lot of people through on Saturday and steady, but lighter, traffic on Sunday. Many engaging conversations with visitors.  Most were interested in my process which involves the 19th century photo technique of cyanotype, 21st century digital photography and rust.  The images pictured on the right are each 52 x 40 inches and the triptych on the left is 30 x 36 inches.

It was rewarding and exhausting.

Reflections on my trip

There is always a re-entry period after a trip.  It includes unpacking, doing laundry and reflecting on the trip.  Some things I did while in Sedona but didn't comment on:

I explored galleries while in Sedona and learned a few things.

Druzy is a thin layer of quartz crystals covering the surface of a host gem.  It creates a section of minute crystals which take on the color of the host gem giving it a feeling of added texture.

I found I liked mesquite wood inlay with turquoise.  Actually, it could be any wood and any object--cutting board, table, bowl.

Horsehair pottery is interesting for the texture and patterns created.  Add inlay of metal leaf and the effect is quite beautiful.

Sorry, no pictures this time.

Last Sedona entry

At the airport waiting for my flight. Good memories of the trip. Glad to be heading home.

Red Rock Crossing

Took a pleasant hike along the creek with views of Cathedral Rock. Relaxed at the pool until the clouds came in. Packing up for early morning flights tomorrow.