Lisbon Trolley Wires
Anyone who has visited Lisbon, or as the Portuguese say, Lisboa would likely recognize this photo as typical Portuguese. Trolley-car wires, stately bright yellow buildings with elaborate architectural designs and narrow balconies. Yellow is often the color of choice for the Portuguese.
The Dolomites are called the Italian Alps, for good reason. The mountains themselves are not extremely tall, but they rise so abruptly from a low valley floor their tall jagged peaks are very impressive. The area is a mecca for skiers, hikers , mountain bike enthusiasts and para-sailing. Many inhabitants do not like that this region became part of Italy after World War I, so there continues to be a strong Austrian influence in the buildings, language and menus. We hiked most days here and learned about Italian rifugios.
Beautiful View
Above the town of Crested Butte, Colorado, and beyond the ski area, is a National Forest. But before getting to this public land, one must pass through 1.5 miles of private land. It is hard for me to imagine that this is someone’s view each day. Crested Butte has some of the most beautiful mountains and land in Colorado.
The drive to Toroweep Overlook on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park is long and dusty. It is 58 miles of dirt road, one way. The last 6 miles require a high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle. I came across two disabled trucks. One had three of the five lug bolts sheered off and the other a blown tire. Another big problem would be to encounter someone going the opposite direction on the narrow road. I took over three hours to cover the 58 miles when the books say it should only take 2 1/2.