Baja Trip-1

April 25, 2023April 25, 2023 / Juliana Lightle / 1 Comment

Day one we drove across border to Tijuana where we visited the incredible La Caja Art Gallery. We viewed a variety of art works, drank delicious Mexican chocolate, and had a sensory experience blind-folded.

A close up of the previous painting. It consists of not only layers of paint but also carving into the surface.

Food for thought.

A different artist for the above and the following.

This one was painted directly onto the wall.

Later we experienced lunch at Caesar’s where supposedly (this is contested by some other places in Mexico) the original Caesar Salad was created.

One Book a Week-9: “Flights”, Olga Tokarczuk

February 27, 2023 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

How to describe this unusual novel? Here’s a possible list:

-No over all plot.

-Several stories about individuals scattered throughout, e.g. read about a person and event, then many pages later back to that person and the consequences of the event(s).

-Short philosophical musings/vignettes interspersed here and there. One reviewer counted 116.

-One common theme relates to the title, Flights, in that in most of the “stories” people are traveling or have traveled on quests for “meaning” or escape from a cumbersome reality.

I learned the following from reading this book:

-Per his request Chopin’s heart was taken from his body. His body was buried in Paris but his sister secretly transported his heart in a jar of special preservation liquid back to Poland, the land of his birth.

-A Dutch anatomist discovered the Achilles tendon after dissecting his own amputated leg.

-Plastination is the method used in anatomy to preserve bodies and body parts. Several characters in the book make their living or are obsessed with this process.

This is not a book for those who prefer relaxing reading or for the “faint of heart”.

Note: The author won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2018. This book won the Mann Booker for translated literature from all over earth in 2018. I plan to read another of her books–have now read two of them–but since the other one in English is 1000 pages long rather guess it might take more than a week for me to read it. This is actually the 11th book I have read to date in 2023 but did not start blogging about them so two are missing in the blog posts,

Italy–a day in Naples

January 4, 2020 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Naples is big; it is old; it contains stark extremes. How old? The New Castle was built in the 13th century; yes, that one is the new one. Coming from Sorrento one first sees the ship yards, huge apartment complexes where the less fortunate dwell, industrial areas.

Some said they thought it looked dingy. I laughed to myself. These buildings are old and near the sea. Will anything built in the US last this long?

Then we drove up higher and higher into another part of Naples. You can see Mt. Vesuvius in the background.

The island to the right in the distance is Capri. More on Capri in a later post. In this part of Naples it is obvious that some people live very well there.

Then we went lower again driving along the seafront and parked where we could walk to the oldest part of Naples.

A very old cathedral in the background to the left. We wanted to go in but it was closed until later in the day. To the right of this photo, a large group of protestors were shouting slogans, etc. through loud speakers. Military were evident in the square.

A city government building. The statues are of various famous people in the history of Naples.

Looking across the square from the church steps.

The oldest opera house is in Naples. Operas are still performed here.

We walked to another area and went inside this building which is filled with restaurants and shops, many with very high end clothing.

As we left, I noticed the bay was filled with tiny sailboats. It was very windy and I thought they were very brave. Later, I learned that these tiny boats are training boats, the ones you use when you are first learning to sail. It looks daunting to me. I have only sailed on boats much bigger.

Why do so many people still live so near a non-dormant volcano? Someone asked this question. The response was: Why do people live in Florida, Houston where there are hurricanes rather often. Why do people live where there are tornadoes, earthquakes, mudslides? At least Vesuvius provides a beautiful backdrop.

Cooking in Italy

December 12, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / 1 Comment

After spending most of the day exploring Pompeii, we rushed back to Sorrento for an evening cooking class up on a mountainside above the main part of the city. We made eggplant parmesan and cheese ravioli. Their take on the eggplant dish was different from any I have seen in the US. They had sliced the eggplant on the diagonal and already cooked it. Each person received several pieces of the already cooked eggplant and a bowl of their homemade mozzarella cheese. We were instructed to place a teaspoon of the cheese in the middle of each piece of eggplant, roll it up, and place it in a small casserole dish with their homemade tomato sauce already in the dish. Instead of layers of eggplant, sauce, and cheese, this was rolls of eggplant filled with cheese atop a tomato sauce in a casserole dish which they baked while we made ravioli.

For making the ravioli, in front of each person they placed a pile of a couple cups of flour and dishes of water and oil. We were instructed to add the oil and a little water to make a stiff dough. Then we were told that the key to really good ravioli dough (and I am guessing any pasta dough) is to knead it a lot. Yes, to do all this, we had to use our hands. After the dough was thoroughly kneaded, we patted it out into an oval and then ran it through a pasta maker several times to make it thin. We laid this rolled dough on the table and then with a ravioli cutter, we cut circles, filled them with mozzarella cheese, but not too much. The key is to get just the right amount of cheese so you have enough but can still fold it over and seal the edges with the cheese inside. It must be sealed thoroughly so it does not fall apart when being boiled in the salty water.

The owner asked my grandson to help cook the ravioli. Here he is working away.

After the ravioli was done, we all sat down and enjoyed the eggplant, the ravioli with their homemade tomato sauce, and their local wines. Making both dishes was much easier than I expected. And fun. The evening was filled with joy, laughter, and good company.

Italy–the Amalfi Coast

November 25, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

On one of our day trips from Sorrento, we headed down the Amalfi Coast. For years I have seen photos and told myself, “Wow”. No photo can do this coastline justice. The highway is excellent but narrow. On many of the turns, only one vehicle can proceed. A large bus cannot travel this highway. Even with the small ones we took, the driver would often honk as we turned a corner which we could not see around.

We stopped at one of the few turnoffs along the highway and took a short hike down to an overlook. This is the town of Positano. I took the following photos while at this overlook.

I love bougainvillea and all colors grew everywhere.

Looking across the Mediterranean.

The land is rugged with both new and ancient buildings hanging off mountainsides and cliffs.

A closer view of Positano.

Another view across the Mediterranean.

The highway, houses hanging off the edge, olive trees, lushness everywhere.

It was a stormy looking day. We kept thinking it would rain but luckily it did not.

The Amalfi Cathedral in the town of Almalfi. Its design is unique and shows the cultural influence of the Muslim world with whom the town was a major trading center for centuries–arches, gold and green.

A typical street in Amalfi. We walked all the way up this street to just below the school, found all sorts of delightful shops, and ate our favorite food of the entire trip. My favorite was spaghetti with a lemon creme sauce. Recipe comes later.

Near the sea looking up into the city. The large building up on the slopes is now a cemetery but used to be a monastery.

Same spot as previous photo, just looking the other direction.

We were supposed to take a little boat trip out into the sea but it was too rough. Ema, my daughter, walked all the way out to the end of the pier.

The water was so high I thought perhaps it was high tide. I was told it was not.

Today I asked my daughter and grandson what/where was their favorite in Italy. We all agree, Amalfi. I also loved Capri–more about there later.

Italy–Rome

November 18, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / 1 Comment

Where have I been? Italy, on a trip planned for months, a trip with friends and family centered around a group of women writers with The Story Circle Network, a group focused on women telling their stories. Yes, we had classes and wrote every day. When we were not writing, we discovered a little part of Italy. The first half day we strolled through ancient Rome, starting with the Coliseum.

To the left of the Coliseum stands this arch–see a bit of the Coliseum on the right side of this photo.

The Coliseum is so large that it is impossible to take of photo of all of it at once. We were there on a holiday. There was a long line of people waiting to get inside. We did not go inside.

The arch in the first photo seen from the side.

On the other side of the Coliseum facing down a wide pedestrian only boulevard. Many of the following photos were taken along this boulevard. The trees in these photos are umbrella pines. They are everywhere in Rome and other parts of Italy south of Rome.

My daughter and grandson strolling along with friends in the background.

One of the things I found most enjoyable strolling along were the street musicians: One played classical guitar music, farther down the boulevard another was playing popular music while another man danced to it. I wanted to stop and dance along but everyone was walking fast away from me. Getting lost in Rome did not seem to be a great idea.

While sauntering along, I turned around and took a photo of the Coliseum in the distance.

In one short walk in Rome, I saw so many things from thousands of years of history, it was hard to fathom.

Away from the boulevard and walking toward Trevi Fountain, we saw this memorial. It was a rainy, stormy day. I kept thinking it is going to rain but it didn’t. In many places, the ancient, the not so ancient, and the new could all be seen in one place.

And, of course, one of the most famous places in Rome. We found a little restaurant near here. I had my first Italian cappuccino and a delectable desert which I tried to find everywhere else we went but did not. It was in a little cup, 2/3 was a creamy bottom, 1/3 was berries on top.

Walking along another route. I seem to have a little problem taking photos, walking, and keeping my fingers away from the iPAD mini frame while taking some of these photos. So much seen in a mere half day in Rome. Shortly after lunch, visiting the Trivi Fountain, and passing by the above monument, we headed on the four hour road trip to Sorrento.

I could not resist taking a video of the lush emerald Italian countryside south of Rome.

California Dreaming–Part Two

August 15, 2019August 15, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

My friends and I spent the last two days of my California sojourn driving to and staying in San Francisco where they have an apartment. I had not been in this part of San Francisco before and some things there surprised me. Next to their apartment building resides a grocery where we went shopping for some salad items and cheese. Much to my astonishment most prices were no greater than in Amarillo Texas, near where I live. Some items were cheaper. Who would have thought? Not me.

On the road to San Francisco.

The view from their apartment.

The purpose of our going to San Francisco rather than staying near Carmel was to see the new opera, “if I were you”, commissioned by Merola Opera. It is a modern retelling of the Faust story. The devil is female and much to my astonishment sung/acted by a young woman, Cara Collins, from Amarillo, Texas. The director, a good friend of my hosts, informed me that Cara’s teacher, Mary Jane Johnson who is famous throughout the opera world, was there also. That saying about how small the world is seemed all too true.

After the opera several of us went to a French restaurant where the waiter spoke several languages. I felt a bit envious.

After breakfast the next morning, we took a walk to Alamo Square and to The Mill, a famous coffee shop.

A view of City Hall through the trees.

Above: the Painted Ladies.

Latte at The Mill.

Then off to my flight home.

Day Trip to Wineries and a Lebanese Restaurant Near Lubbock, Texas

June 2, 2019June 2, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Yesterday, Martina, my exchange student from Italy, and I drove to Lubbock so I could say goodbye to Venty, the young woman from Indonesia, whom I co-sponsored at Texas Tech University in conjunction with the teachers’ sorority Alpha Delta Kappa. She received her Masters in Applied Linguistics recently. She will return to her home in what used to be called the Spice Islands later in June.

First, we decided to try something new for lunch. Neither had eaten much food from the Eastern Mediterranean area so we went to Manara. For appetizers we ordered falafel, dolma, and baba ganoush, none of which they had eaten before. After enjoying these appetizers, two of us ordered the kafta kabob dinner and one ordered the chicken. Although the salad was rather ordinary, the saffron rice was heavenly. The kabobs had somewhat different spices than the kabobs I have previously eaten but were fine. They were served with two sauces: garlic yogurt and another which was quite spicy. We enjoyed both. If you want to try something different while in Lubbock, I recommend this restaurant. I would go there just to eat the saffron rice.

Second, once I discovered that Venty did not know there are vineyards and wineries near Lubbock, we decided to take a run over to Caprock and Llano Estacado Wineries. Llano has recently opened an expansive new tasting room. Caprock is still called Caprock Winery, but the wine produced there is called English Newsom Cellars. The following photos were taken at Caprock and Venty’s house.

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Argentinian Adventure–The Road to Wine Country

May 30, 2018 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Late on a Monday morning, Gaston’s parents and I headed toward Cafayate, a relatively small town at the edge of the sierra which grows some of the best wine grapes in the world. It is a long drive through incredibly varied landscapes.

One of the first towns we drive through is Jesus Maria. As in many Argentianian cities, trees line many streets. Here acequias provide water for the trees.

Except where cleared for farming–giant soybean and corn fields, much of the land through which we drove looks like this.

Taken as we sped along, this photo show soybeans in the distance. Since it seemed relatively dry here, I asked if they were irrigated. Gaston’s father told me no, that they had developed a type of soybeans that require much less water.

When I first saw this out my window, I thought maybe water, but no, this was the beginning of miles and miles of salt.

Another photo taken looking through my window.

And then we speed into the cloud forest. I was astonished my whole time here. I had to idea there was such a thing in Argentina.

We climbed higher and higher and stopped at a visitor’s area where displays explained the flora and fauna which live here.

This area is a subtropical jungle.

Often we drove through clouds or along the side of rushing mountain rivers. And then as suddenly as we arrived in these mountains, we were on the other side where it was dry. The selva–jungle–stopped almost as suddenly as it began. One side of the mountains lush and green with ocelots, all sorts of other wildlife, and on the other semi-arid country, equally beautiful but so astonishingly different only a few miles away.