In the quaint village of Gergei, Sardina is Mario Cesare’s cottage tucked between stone walls, which was our housing for one night. Mario had been an artist who painted and drew portraits of locals capturing their character. His scenes were of village life. He didn’t reach for fame, but rather […]
History and Culture
114 posts
The Discovery The bones of Sister Mary Janina (Ya-nina) were unearthed from the basement cellar of Holy Rosary Catholic church in late 1918. It had been 11 years since the nun had gone missing. Father Edward Podlaszewski was the new priest who wanted to build a stylish church on the […]
Deberio, Ivo’s friend, welcomed us into his winery and art gallery. The clay brick walls and dirt floor made it much cooler than the outdoors. There were a variety paintings hung. He brought us to the side room where the table was adored with a hand stitched cloth. There was […]
We visit the Champion Mill Ruins at the Freda, Michigan ghost town. The ruins are situated on the shores of Lake Superior with lots of dispersed camping available with a couple of miles. The mill started operation in 1901 and was the last producing mill in Copper Country in [...]
As we hiked around the Keweenaw peninsula in upper Michigan we came across copper mining ruins. How did they mine copper? When did this industry cease production? How rustic were the mining towns? It was fascinating discovering the secrets of copper mining! 40,000 years ago two mile thick ice sheets […]
We explore a timber crib dam that is over 120 years old and a unique steel dam. Only three steel dams were ever constructed in the United States. One of those dams failed soon after it was built. This dam is one of many engineering marvels left over from industrial [...]
Spectators, I learned, are discouraged from looking straight into the face of a masked rider. This can bring bad luck. Here’s an example of the direct “look” frozen in this photograph. Don’t stare too long! The three horses stepped out of formation, so I clicked a pic. So far I […]
The mystery of the Nuraghe continues today. Sardinia has more than 7,000 Nuraghe (Nu ra gee) ruins. The indigenous Nuragic people lived here from 1800-1500 B.C.E (Before Common Era or Before Christ’s Era) Their skills have amazed scientists. (and me) In 1958 archaeologists discovered ruins. In 1970 scientists started to […]
Ivo (EE vo) picked us up promptly at 8:00 am. His energy filled the hotel lobby. He would be our local connection and escort throughout the island of Sardinia for the next three days. Bread making with a local family was on our agenda today. Ivo drove us through the […]
From the stucco patio of our hotel room in Cagliari, Sardinia we could hear drumming. It was a Thursday, February 20th so we weren’t sure what the event may be. Chuck and I asked the hotel manager where the parade was located. “Well, can’t you hear it?” He gestured to […]