Author brilliantviewpoint

SARDINIA: Neptune’s Grotto

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IMG_1331We’ve all read or seen a pirate movie, YES?  In the pirate stories they usually hide their loot in a hidden cave. When I heard there was a beautiful cave in Alghero called, “Neptune’s Grotto,” I was curious to see for myself “how it feels to be in a cave” and “what it really looks like.”

Local fisherman discovered the cave in the 18th century. They named the grotto after the Roman God, “Neptune.” There are two ways to get to the grotto. Option 1: Park at the top of the cliff and walk down 654 steps and THEN walk back up 654 steps. Choose Option 1, if you want a good work out. Option 2: (which I felt was the better option) Take a boat ride to the entry of the cave.

The top photo is where the boat let us off in front of the grotto. Getting off the boat was definitely an “adventure!” Imagine, the front of the boat comes in to the grotto, and has a plank that they extend out to the grotto’s entry way. The waves were very rough, so when we started to walk the plank, which was jerking back and forth, we definitely felt like there were pirates behind us and if we didn’t hold on to the plank’s railing and move fast, we would fall into the sea and be eaten by the sharks!  ALL of us tourists were a bit shaken by the disembarkment.

IMG_1328The second photo is what we saw once we got off the boat. This is the entry way into the grotto. To the left are stairs that you start to climb, which bring you inside the grotto. Very beautiful you can see.

My camera was not cooperating “inside” the cave, so I found this next photo thanks to www.pixabay.com. When you are inside it looks like this photo, but it is ALL WHITE, not orange. You need to use a flash to take photo and this is how it turns out.

IMG_1337The tourist books say, “This is a place you want to see once in your lifetime.” There are many wonders to see throughout this world. For me, I have always wanted to see “inside a cave,” so I am happy to have checked this off my “bucket list.”

It was wonderful being on the boat for 2 hours round trip. The sea had the most beautiful blue color. Smelling the salty sea air with the wind blowing in our faces was just fabulous.

On to the next adventure!

Italy: The 2017 Mille Miglia auto race takes off in Brescia

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It’s that time of year again. The Mille Miglia auto race just took off yesterday. I was there and captured this quick clip as the cars were speeding off.  It’s wonderful to be in Brescia and see 460 vintage cars around town all getting ready to compete in the race, which goes from Brescia to Rome and back to Bresica about 1,000 miles.

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My friend said to enter the race a card must have been made before 1957.  The race is not about being the fastest, it has to do with car performance. At each stopping point the car is checked for various things. It’s critical to have a co-pilot to help with this. Also, the drivers are going through small towns, mountains, etc., so they have their mechanical team close behind, in case assistance is needed. Cars do break down even before they start.

IMG_1254This is quite a race. Think about it… for each nightly stop they make, ALL the drivers/co-pilots, mechanics, race organizers, etc. must be fed and put up in different hotels for the three different nights. Also, there must be a big enough space for all of the cars, so that the mechanics can do their tweaking, testing, etc. of their cars at night, so car is ready to leave next morning.

Clearly, this is a passion these owners/drivers have for their cars. While most car drivers are Italian, there are many other countries entered to race (Holland, Germany, United Kingdom, United States and more).

The race finishes on Sunday!  If someone gets a channel and can post an update on the race, we would love to see progress reports.

Go Mille Miglia!

Montana: “Our Lady of the Rockies”

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IMG_1284I told you in my last post I had stopped at another site on my “road trip.”  What I found interesting is that only 2 hours from the “Garden of One Thousand Buddhas,” I found another shrine. This was of the Virgin Mary called, “Our Lady of the Rockies.” If it weren’t for www.roadtrippers.com, I would not have known about these sites.

This is a wonderful story of a man who prayed to the Virgin Mary that if his wife survived her cancer, he would build a statue of the Virgin Mary and place it in his backyard. Well, his wife survived! In talking with his friends and people around town, his small statute became a BIG one 90 ft high. With the help of many volunteers and donations, they found a spot for the statue up in the mountain.

While I was there, I wanted to go up to the statue, but they said they did not have tours until the summer months.  At night, the statue is lit up, so that you can see and feel her presence watching over Butte, Montana.

I slept very well that night under the protection of “Our Lady of the Rockies!”

One thousand Buddhas in Montana! Where will your road trip take you?

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IMG_1190America is full of amazing places to see. We don’t realize this until we decide to take a “road trip.”  I was planning a drive from Seattle to Chicago. My daughter told me about a website called, “www.RoadTrippers.com.”  I checked it out.

So glad I did, because I found this amazing place in Montana called, “The Garden of One Thousand Buddhas.”  I decided that I was going to make that a stop on my drive. It was beautiful and spiritual. The site was built to be a pilgrimage for people of all faiths. The statue you see is of Tara. The story of “why/who/how” it was built is interesting and a bit long for me to explain. Visit www.ewambuddhagarden.org to read the story.  Here are some photos.

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At the site, they had different stones with sayings on them. This was a good one, which we should ALL think about.

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Stay tuned… I will share another site I visited soon.

HAPPY ROAD TRIPPING!

 

The power of learning strategy. Play the board game “GO!”

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Go Game BoardIsn’t there a saying that if we think about something enough we will attract it to ourselves?  Well, that’s what happened to me yesterday. I’ve been wanting to see and learn how this Asian board game is played. I walked in the coffee shop and there were two guys playing the game.  Wow – I was over there in a micro-second.

You see, I have watched some Asian historical dramas. In those movies the Emperor plays this board game with his Advisor. The Emperor always plays with intensity and strategic thinking. It’s clear that he uses this game as a way to help him think “real war strategy.” As I read the book, “The Art of War,” I wanted to learn about this game too.

These fellas were very welcoming. They told me the board game is called, “GO!”  The object of the game is to get as much territory as possible. As you surround your opponent’s stone(s) with your color of stone, you can take his stone(s) off the board. In the photo, you can see that the gentleman on the right is pointing to the white stones… he was showing me that he was “losing,” and needed to “focus” more.

If you’ve been wanting to learn about this game, I hope this post encourages you to give it a try. I know I’m going to try and play. Wikipedia’s article, “Go (game),” says this board game was created in ancient China 2,500 years ago and it is the oldest board game still played in its original form. The article also gives more information on the history of the game and how/why it tests your thinking and strategic skills.

If you are on the fence about playing, see American Go Association’s website where they list the “Top Ten Reasons to Play Go.”

If you like to think and to conquer, THIS GAME will challenge YOU!

 

WayCap Ez – Raising money on Kickstarter for refillable steel coffee capsule for Nespresso® machines

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Italians have done it again! Through the help of their FIRST Kickstarter campaign in April 2016, they had 3,827 backers pledge €234,407 to support the creation of their refillable steel coffee capsule, so you don’t have to use the pods. Great idea!

WayCap Ez is on their second round of funding through Kickstarter. Based on customer feedback they have been fine tuning the capsule by adding different tops that accommodate various grounds of coffee. Go to their Second Kickstarter page to see a video of how the capsule works. You can still back their second round of fundraising until May 2, 2017.

On their Facebook page, I was reading mixed product reviews from customers. Remember, WayCap Ez is still in their infancy, so I say, “Give them a chance!” Through our feedback they will keep fine tuning the capsule for better use. Inventions are never perfect the first go around. Got to give these Italians credit for coming up with a clever idea, which produces no waste, except for the coffee grounds. Oh, and the steel capsule is being made in Italy.

I’m Italian — I wish them luck!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to find out how to order my capsule.  Buon appetito!

 

 

Need some LADYBUGS, buy Geraniums.

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IMG_3514I enjoy gardening. When Spring comes I have favorite flowers. I love impatiens and geraniums. Imaptiens remind me of Carmel, CA, beautiful bedding plant, but they do need watering every day. Geraniums though, they are a hardy flower that bloom constantly with little care.

IMG_3510Recently, I went to the gardening store and was looking for geraniums in this pinkish/redish color. I looked down and this particular geranium was FULL of ladybugs. Of course, I smiled and was transported to my childhood when the “first” ladybug I ever saw had landed on my arm. This little bug was so pretty, sweet and dainty and when it walked up my arm it felt like a little tickle when it moved. My second thought was, “WOW – I must be in for some REALLY GOOD LUCK, there are a lot of ladybugs here!” My third and final thought was, how are there so many ladybugs on “THIS” particular geranium?

So, I read the little instruction sticker and it said that this particular geranium attracts ladybugs to it, which is good for your garden, because ladybugs eat different insects. DID YOU KNOW THAT? I didn’t.

When I got home I Googled “ladybugs” and found that in Europe ladybugs are called “ladybirds.” Not sure that I can see how a ladybug resembles a bird except for the wings it has. At the same time, it made me think that this sweet beautiful little creature does not look like a “bug” either. My research found that ladybugs “are known” for bringing “good luck!”

So, with this post, I share my ladybugs with you.

Let’s see what luck comes our way!

 

 

Inspiration: How can I soar with eagles when I am flying with buzzards?

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Eagle EyesI’ve always been fascinated by eagles. It started when my father got frustrated with his four kids for working too slow or not thinking fast enough on the building site. He would shake his head and say, “How can I soar with eagles, when I am flying with buzzards!”

I always chuckled in my mind when he said that. I would immediately envision those sad looking vultures toward the end of the animated movie, “The Jungle Book” and think, “What… vultures… I’m not a vulture!”

If you’ve never seen the animated Jungle Book movie, watch this clip on YouTube, uploaded by Thomas Ferrin, “vultures on jungle book.”  You’ll have a better understanding on why you wouldn’t want to be a vulture. They have no “joie de vivre!”

Like the photo of the vultures I have, that’s how they look… but it’s important for you to see how they talk and act. They have no energy, no purpose, no goals.

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Then I would think, “NO WAY, I am an eagle!”

This phrase has stayed with me all my life. It’s a tape recording in my mind for those times that I find myself challenged for whatever reason. When I need to draw strength, because I feel there is “no hope,” I remember those words and somehow I stand taller, I take the buzzard out of my mind and I focus on the photo of the eagle above. I draw from his “no nonsense” character, the “determination” in his eyes, and remember, “I do have goals!”

I AM STRONG!

I WILL SOAR!

My Dad will be PROUD!

 

 

 

India: Rescued elephants wear knitted jumpers made by villagers.

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Credit: Roger Allen for this wonderful photo showing the villagers who have knitted colorful jumpers for the elephants.

Did you see the story recently where villagers in India were knitting jumpers to save rescued elephants from freezing temperatures?  This is such a wonderful project. Apparently, an organization called, “Wildlife SOS: Elephant Conservation Care Center,” has been rescuing elephants who have been abused and mistreated. The stories are sad to read. The good news though is that once the elephants are rescued with the help, love, and support of special people the elephants are being nurtured to bring back their emotional and physical well being.

Earlier in the year, the elephants who are still ill and in recovery needed protection from bitter cold temperatures. A group of villagers near the northern part of Mathura, north of Agra, starting knitting big jumpers to keep the elephants warm. They look beautiful.

You can see more photos and read the story about the elephants in The Independent, story called, “Villagers knit jumpers for Indian elephants to protect the large mammals from near-freezing temperatures,” by Mary Bulman.

Too bad when we turn on the television to listen to the news, the media is not sharing more inspiring stories like this one. There is so much “good” going on in the world, it’s sad that we must dig deep to find these stories! Let’s keep sharing!

The Wildlife SOS organization plans to rescue another 50 elephants this year (2017)!  If you are traveling to India, you can stop by the Elephant Conservation Care Center for a 2-hour visit with the elephants. It looks like a very heart warming experience for sure!