May / June 2026 Cinqueterre

Cinque Terre I’ve been thinking about this hike for several years and it finally fit in with other plans. The scenery is ravishing, especially the little ridge-top villages (not part of the five) and the five that are mostly next to the ocean. The trails are uniformly tough, reflecting the steep, rocky terrain. They were all badly damaged by the heavy rain and flooding a few years ago, and it’s easy to see why they were impossible to repair fully. It’s hard to believe they farm on such steep slopes! Below the trail are vegetable gardens, olive orchards and, almost everywhere, lush vineyards, many planted in narrow strips of dirt between rock retaining walls. The local wines, product of these vineyards, are excellent. But I wouldn’t want to tend these vines or harvest the grapes – even hiking the trails above the vineyards is an exercise in (barely) controlled vertigo. It took me a couple of days to figure out the small (about 4 inches square) red and white blazes, which can be anywhere, and not always at the intersection, and learn to use “Bike With GPS” (which I found much more difficult and awkward by far than Gaia was before it was acquired and profitized by Outside. Even under corporate downgrading Gaia is still much better than Bike With GPS.) I was blessed with weather, lows in the 60s, highs mostly mid-70s, cooling breezes, a couple of cloudy days, no rain. After the first couple of hikes I realized that I really should have done this when I was first thinking about it, before aging started cutting into my speed, stamina, and endurance. After the second day’s hike I was beginning to wonder if these steep trails were going to simply kick my butt! There are relatively level sections, mostly packed dirt, sometimes partly covered with leaves, often partly paved. Pleasant walking, but getting up to and down from the ridges is steep and often badly eroded. It has been fun now but would have been a lot more fun 5 or 6 years ago, even three years ago, when I hiked 10 days in the Dolomites. I’m glad I got to do it now! The condition of the trails varies a lot. Some parts are paved with grooved concrete, including stairs, longer parts paved with stones, only a few of which are anywhere near flat, so even when on “paved” portions it is necessary to think carefully about almost every step. Many of the stones are black and polished by many shoes (I think they may be very low grade marble.) Unsurprisingly, given the steep terrain, erosion is a big problem, often leaving stairs and stair risers orphaned – either go around them or take huge steps up and down (two feet or even more). I’ve been asked if I was hiking alone. The answer is: like the most popular Gorge trails, it is impossible on the main trails of Cinque Terre to be alone for more than a few minutes. I took one trail back from my first day hike that differed from the recommended trail and didn’t see any other hikers for about two hours, but the crowds are entirely on the primary trails. The quality of this alternative trail was similar to the main trails, except it had no concrete, no pavement until a few broken and eroded stairs at the end, entering town. There are many songbirds in the forest and it was nice to hear them without the constant tourist chatter. I expected the paved parts and even some of the packed dirt stretches to be gravelly and slippery but was pleasantly surprised – in six days’ hiking I skidded on loose gravel only twice, both times for less than a foot. I wouldn’t want to do the rocky parts in wet weather. For a celiac, Italy is rather frustrating, and the section I was hiking more so. Menus are heavily weighted toward pizza and pasta, and meat and fish are usually breaded and fried. For anyone with a healthy gut it would be a gourmet banquet – great bread, frito misto and other breaded dishes including calimari, many varieties of pasta. I was able to have some great meals, but it took a lot of time scanning menus. The best seafood I found was a “warm seafood salad” – squid, octopus, and mussels chopped up with some celery and tomatoes, and a few salted olives that seemed a little out of place. In Porto Venera a few ristorantes also served grilled squid and grilled mixed seafood, both excellent. These options replaced frito misto, the fried mixture of fish I loved so much when I first had it in Venice many years ago. The gelato is consistently good, though some of the servers have shorted me on scoops (curling the gelato into a hollow ball). I found a gelateria with licorizia (the root is grown in this region) – a pasty tan color, an earthy flavor not as sharp as anise. A rare treat – I haven’t seen licorice or anise ice cream in the U.S. in 30 years. I brought a swimsuit with me but made the mistake of not bringing sandals or water shoes and a sunshirt to wear in the water. I could have worn a cotton T-shirt to protect my back from the sun but I wasn’t that motivated to join the crowd in the water. I had a rather amusing “Death in Venice” experience while watching people trying to ride surfboards on the two foot shore break (two of them managed to get a few short rides). I felt a light touch on my butt, looked around and a fortyish guy was walking away. A few minutes later he came back and struck up a conversation, pointing to the rocks by the breakwater: “Is that the end of the beach?” “Yes, I think it’s cliffs beyond.” “I heard there is a naked beach somewhere.” "I haven’t the slightest notion” -- and I walked away. I suppose a MAGA type would have felt compelled to deck the guy – but I’ve no sympathy with the MAGA concept of manhood – and that would be somebody else’s movie. The hotel in Levanto doesn’t serve breakfast until 7:45, which meant getting on the trail after it’s already warming up, and doing most of the hiking during the heat of the day. I was tempted to skip breakfast for an earlier start, but in this bread-centric culture it would be difficult to find an adequate substitute for the eggs, yogurt, ham, cheese, and fruit salad served by the hotel. Fortunately it doesn’t get hot enough to be a problem and there’s been a breeze most afternoons. I don’t think I’d want to do this in July or August. By day four my legs were beginning to get used to the steep climbs and descents. This was the day for hiking the central trail, the string of cliff-hugging villages of Cinque Terre itself. Going was slow and I stopped frequently to admire the views and find a dish of ice cream in one of the villages. The sixth day’s hike took me up to the top of a ridge , along the ridge top, and gradually down. The next to last kilometer clings to an almost sheer cliff, with several dicey rock-climbs both down and up, above sheer drops. Some of these were on well-polished stone outcrops. I was too busy negotiating the footing to take any pictures. That section of trail is not for vertigo sufferers. I was afraid it might continue along the next cliff but to my great relief it swings around the more gradual slope to the left. The descent into town was still quite steep. In the photo to the right two of the three islands can be seen behind the headland and its vertical cliff. The trail ends with a (typically steep and eroded) descent into Porto Venera (named after Venus, the goddess with a ruined temple at the far end of town). Apparently Lord Byron swam from this spot across the gulf to visit a friend. The bottom of the trail leads past what is apparently the remains of an medieval city wall, ending in a plaza in front of the old fort I walked around the small village for a while, took pictures of the church, then the next day caught a ferry for the small island a couple hundred meters away. The hike around the island was very much like all the other trails, less pavement, more packed dirt, but steep and badly eroded ascents and descents. A marble quarry that is apparently no longer used was an interesting feature at the far end of the island, and on the way back I got some excellent photos of Porto Venere itself. It would be easy to criticize the condition of the trails, but having done a lot of trail work myself it was apparent to me that repairing the flood damage and improving the ascent and descent would take a massive effort, and in places liberal use of dynamite. The trails are passable by any reasonably fit and competent hiker, the most vertiginous stretches could probably be avoided by long detours, and it makes for a very satisfying week of strenuous hikes interspersed with rambling walks through the narrow streets of ancient villages.

June 2026 Cave Art Sites in Spain

In May and early June 2026 I took New Scientist-sponsored tours of neolithic sites in Turkey and Mesolithic cave art sites in Spain, with a 5 day hike of Cinque Terre on the coast of Italy. Spain 2026 Tour of Cave Art sites in Spain The Guide, Beatriz, is loud, enthusiastic, and, like the guide in Turkey, deeply caring. The science expert, Emily Wilson, is a science-educated novelist and science writer, who previously worked on the staff of New Scientist as editor-in-chief. There was a total of 12 guests, all quite knowledgeable. I arrived too late for the first dinner and introductory lecture, checking into the hotel at 11 p.m. (the only direct flight from Milano), still steeped in the language and concepts of the metaphor conference. I was assigned one of the worst rooms in the hotel – one small window behind a curtain in the corner, opening out onto a dingy alley, dim lighting, obviously designed for the decrepit elderly (with a bathing chair in the walk-in shower, and a door stop next to the toilet – miraculously, in two days’ stay I managed to avoid stubbing my toe on that tripping hazard even when I got up in the night.) The room was so claustrophobic, dark and depressing that, during the hour-long “rest period” at the end of the first very long day, I had to take my laptop out and sit in the lobby. The caves El Pendo Cave. Very large chamber – was flat with a large opening to the daylight; roof collapsed covering several layers of occupancy dating back 80,000 years. Unfortunately visitors are not allowed to take any photos, even without flash. The back wall is covered with 19 drawings of animals, many of them incorporating features of the rock (bulges or cracks suggestive of an animal’s back or neck, with the rest of the shape either sketched or filled in by charcoal or mineral pigments (ochres), estimated dating 20,000-25,000 years ago. Some are very evident; the guide pointed to several others, helped us see the outline. Once a viewer’s eyes are trained on what to look for, most of these stand out. A few are so faint that they remained ambiguous. Several images of horses and deer, very elegantly done. One less realistic image believed to be human, not as elegant. It was quite cold (I’m wearing my jacket and beanie from now on!) but I could happily have spent another hour drinking it in. We were on a metal walkway – not allowed down on the jumbled rocks, partly for safety reasons, but also probably partly to keep tourists from breaking the rules and touching or photographing. We had to imagine looking up at them from the cave floor (now covered in a massive jumble of fallen rock.) Different periods of habitation are marked by layers of dark grey, charcoal from the wood fires, interspersed with brownish and reddish layers of mud and rock. The early stages, 80,000 BCE to about 45,000 BCE were inhabited by Neanderthals; from 40,000 BCE to the end of the ice age by Homo Sapiens – here they seem not to have overlapped. This cave apparently provided shelter; may also have served as a gathering place. Whether the art had other purposes beyond creative expression and decoration is uncertain; it is clear that the depicted animals were culturally significant, both food sources and some predators (lions). Most are so beautiful it is difficult to avoid supposing that we are looking at the work of prehistoric Michealangelos and Picassos. One of the group, Julie, had an attack of heart palpitations, had to be taken to the ER. While we were waiting around the guide suggested we could walk down to the village for coffee if we wished, so five of us se3t out. The sidewalk was paved with some odd little tiles, many of which had been pushed up by roots. I caught my toe on one of these and sprawled face down, landed on my right knee and elbow and, to protect face and head rolled over to my hip (into the edge of the roadway, apparently). I slightly skinned the elbow and knee (no blood) and badly bruised the hip and knee. The others, including the guide when she was told about it, wanted me to see a doctor, but it was apparent to me (after prodding the various wounded areas) that none of it was serious – just one more in a life-long series of tripping over unseen or unnoticed hazards. I walked without pain or limping, and the pain from the scrapes and bruises quickly faded. Santander Archaeological Museum. Among other attractions, they have a great collection of “portable art,” images mostly engraved on bones and bone fragments and found buried in the caves. I spent most of the hour we had before the museum closed at 2:00 p.m. examining these small objects. Some of the images were too faint to see clearly (they were all inside glass enclosures; the light in the room very dim). I discovered, once again, how much better the iPhone sees, so I took pictures of most of them. [The only time I’ve found to write this is on the bus on the way to the next site – very hard not to be distracted by the gorgeous scenery, green hills with farms and woods and small villages.) A few of the photos were spoiled (blurred or over-saturated with light) but most came out quite well. In several examples the artist incorporated features of the bone. I failed to photograph the explanatory labels but I believe they are from later than the art in the caves, possibly around 20,000 BCE or even later, near the end of the ice age. In the evening we enjoyed a feast, 8 courses spread over two hours. Great conversation and regional specialties I will probably never have again but I drank too much wine, ate too much food, and didn’t get to bed until 11, with an 8 a.m. departure. The mismatch of “dinnertime” cultures was a problem throughout the trip, as it so frequently is. I also woke up with pain in my knee and hip and had to get up to take some Motrin – should have known to take it before going to bed. When I woke up for good at six, the pain had not returned – and I handled the descents and ascents into caves without difficulty – Two 6 mg doses apparently did the trick. 2. El Pindo There are two sets of images 30 or 40 meters apart. They both have some abstractions – dots, vertical lines with attached blobs facing right. One has deer and a buffalo. Another seemed to me to be an image of a wild pig with the face formed of a projection from the wall – but the guide explained it as a deer, and indeed the head of a doe was also visible, in an upright position, disproportionately small. The buffalo had what appeared to be a spear embedded in its side. Farther along was an image of a mastodon, with the back and trunk quite clear, but legs and tusks less clear (even when the guide pointed to them I was unable to make them out.) This cave was once more accessible, and it suffered from some damage from people touching the stone (skin oils contain acids that attack the pigments.) For lunch I went with some of the others to a local café recommended by Beatriz, who helped me select two safe local specialties, a goat stew and a salad of shredded lettuce, olives, tomatoes and cubes of some local cheeses including one blue cheese. It was all good, but I skipped the potatoes and still managed to eat only 2/3 of the meat, leaving a long tough strand and the (probably delicate and tasty) morsels tucked in and around the knee joint. Tito Bustillo. This cave was discovered by a group of adolescents who found the small entrance remaining from a collapse of the original large cave entry – one of them died 3 weeks later in a different cave, so the cave was named after him. There are several galleries with important paintings, but many are restricted because of difficult access and to protect the art. We were able to visit only one gallery, considered the most important. It has several pictures of horses, including one identifiable as a breed of alpine horse – its presence suggests that the climate must have been quite cold at the time. There are also two pictures of deer, a stag and a doe. It took a while to identify all of these, but as usual once the guide pointed out the crucial outlines the fuller image became clear. The stag and one of the horses had faint lines in several places that made it difficult to see all the lines, but the others were clear, some immediately, some with a little study and others only after the crucial lines had been pointed out. One of the inaccessible chambers has several oval images with a line partway up the center, generally interpreted as a depiction of the female vulva. Others have other significant animals. Reproductions of these chambers are in the visitor center, which also contains some of the portable art and stone tools that have been found in the caves, as well as a video of a demonstration of techniques for flaking off bits of stone to create stone tools. The day ended with another dinner – with the start moved forward to 8:00 to accommodate us Anglo-Saxon wimps. (I was not the only member of the party used to eating at 6 or 7.) The Caves. Typically, entries were cut and expanded during the time when they were developed as major tourist attractions, and some steel / concrete staircases and walkways were built. But as the archaeologists came to realize how badly the tourists were damaging the art (touching it leaves skin oils and acids, People will take flash photos and even the CO2 from people’s breath damages the art. Consequently, the caves are all locked, access is restricted to a few people a day in small groups, and no photos at all are allowed – not even of the beautiful rock formations. Access to the deeper chambers is rough – hiking over uneven and sometimes slippery ground in near dark – and the newest chambers are closed entirely. They have built an imitation of Altimira, one of the best recently discovered caves, with meticulous reproductions of the art; I describe it later. Much of the art work is so faint that it is difficult to see. Often, once the guide used the laser pointer to trace even one line of an image, the entire image would pop into view, but sometimes the best I could do was see part of the animal – usually the head and sometimes the back or front legs. Many of the images are remarkably sophisticated in technique, but some are more like sketches. The artists used charcoal and minerals, iron oxide and other colored oxides, mixed with animal fats, and they worked by the light of burning animal fat with moss wicks. There is no evidence of soot in the deeper areas, indicating that they did not use torches or other wood or pitch fires. They must have worked by dim and flickering light. Many of the images are in places difficult to access; some are in quite high places, and these often use quite sophisticated perspective techniques so they look natural when viewed from below. Many of the paintings use features of the rock, suggesting that the artist first “saw” a buffalo or deer on the wall, a crack in the shape of an animal’s back or antlers, a bulge in the shape of a hind quarter or belly, and fill in the other details with charcoal, oxides, and sometimes by engraving lines into the rock. Santillana del Mar. Between cave visits and riding from one place to another on the bus we didn’t have much time to explore the charming little villages and ancient downtown areas but on the third day we had half a day in this little town, which features two streets lined with quite old houses, a 12th century monastery, convent and church. The monastery / church is guarded by two lions, made of limestone and so eroded by the frequent rains typical of this region that they are barely recognizable. I was also quite taken with a lifelike statue of a cow in a little cheese and dairy shop. During the colonial period, many residents of the town migrated to South America, most of them to Mexico. A few of these did well and returned home years later with substantial fortunes, bought or built fine houses and installed coats of arms high on the wall where it could be seen by all, evidence of their success. The one on the right is one of the larger. Several of these houses have been inhabited by members of the same family since colonial days. Art reproductions from the Altamira museum / site reproduction. The cave art varies in quality – some of the drawings and paintings have a very amateurish, almost childish quality, but many of the paintings are quite sophisticated in both conception and technique. Some images are daubed in as dots, some smeared on, as if by some kind of brush, and some take the forms of line drawings; many of them incorporate features of the rock – bulges and cracks. Some of the artists found a relatively flat wall to paint but many of the images, occupy panels interrupted by cracks and other features of the rock. It’s hard to be sure what the image to the right of the deer represents. Many of the less sophisticated images are done in an almost child-like style. Two horses in the museum are done in charcoal, in a more self-assured style, one in an interesting pose, head down and facing toward the rear. A second horse is outlined in charcoal with done in color, with reddish pigment inside; a bulge in the wall gives dimensionality to the upper neck. A similar effect is used in several of the bison paintings. Other artists achieved some very sophisticated effects with charcoal, often supplemented by a thin (or faded) wash of pigment. Many engraved images are also found, some worn away and quite faint but some well-defined and easy to read. There are not many images of humans, and those that have been found are often rather distorted and even grotesque. Everyone in the group was taken by the two on the next page, where the artist saw faces in the rock and used a few strokes of charcoal to bring them to life. On the final day, back in Bilbao, we visited the recently opened Guggenheim, part of Bilbao’s turn toward a tourism economy. There were several interesting exhibits; I was particularly taken with the work of 20th century sculptor Ruth Asawa. One of these is origami-style folded paper and the other is made with a single strand of wire. The group

Zambia: South Luangwa National Park

First day started out well (after a night of good sleep, interrupted intermittently by Hippo snorts and grunts). Pleasant slightly cool morning, chef made good GF muffins and French Toast for me, plus a dish of fruit made a nice breakfast. In a moving car I needed a jacket, but when it stopped I was too warm. We started out watching some of the multitude of hippos in this river, most back in the water as the sun came up; also saw Cape buffalo and a couple of leopards – they’re much more common here than in Botswana. Waterbuck are also plentiful; this is a particularly nice one close enough for a good photo, near a small waterhole with several of these colorful storks and a juvenile crocodile, maybe 6 feet long. A herd of elephants were parading toward a waterhole so we drove there and took a number of nice photos and a couple videos of the elephants drinking. We had a bit of excitement a little later; came across this mama elephant and her half-grown calf, along with another couple of elephants and these impala. Shadrack (my guide / driver) decided that we should take a closer look at the cow and calf, so he drove on to the road behind them, drove up to the point where we had a good view and stopped the vehicle. Mama elephant did not appreciate our presence that close to her baby; she gave a loud trumpet and charged. Leonard (the park service guard with us) raised his gun (to shoot in the air to scare her off, not to shoot the elephant) but she stopped less than 10 feet from the car, swayed, flapped her ears at us, and glowered for a minute or two then turned and ambled on away from us. My heart rate picked up a bit, and I didn’t get a picture (or a recording of her trumpet) – too busy scooting to the far side of the vehicle. We saw one more new animal, a local variety of giraffe, shorter neck and legs than the ones in Botswana, and darker color (Shadrack says that’s a sign of age.) The morning concluded with a brunch picnic in the shade of some trees next to the river. Apparently they get a lot of British clients, since brunch was “Full English Breakfast” – I would have far preferred something lighter focused around fruit and cheese rather than beans and fried mushrooms! Both for lunch and for dinner, they had 3 meats, 3 starches (all with plenty for seconds) and one each of vegetable and salad (with not enough for more than a small serving). Now I am sitting on my deck listening to birds and watching a kingfisher (I think) catch and eat minnows. This is winter in Zambia; nights get cold enough to need a jacket, days only a little hot, for a couple of hours in the afternoon. On my deck, In the evening we went for an informative walk, then drove to an open area by a river with a number of hippos in it and elephants on the far bank for a “sundowner: -- gin and tonic, with some sausages. (I am really getting overdosed on meat – spoke to the hostess about it; she promised to talk to the chef.) After the cocktail hour, we drove through a lovely sunset meadow; I took a few pictures, one of which nicely captures the mood. Golden light, impala and yellow baboons feeding in the meadow. As it was approaching dark, we spotted a leopard, stopped to watch it. It was obviously eying a herd of impala a few hundred meters across the meadow. The light wasn’t good enough for pictures, but with the help of Aubrey’s (the spotter) spotlight, I got these pictures of the leopard stretching and setting off back into the woods. Shadrack was confident the leopard was going to circle around through the woods and try to get one of the impala, so we circled around for a bit, trying to get in front of him; found him again, watched him stalk the impalas, drove out to the herd to be in position to watch the attack if he attempted it (by now it was totally dark). The impala only glanced at us and were all looking intently in the direction of the leopard. After another half hour or so Shadrack decided there was not going to be any action that night, and we went back to camp, where I changed into clean clothes for dinner. Again three meats, all bbq, chicken, think pork chops, and beef steaks, some small thin-walled half squashes (about 1 or 1.5 tablespoon of flesh in each), a cornmeal dish eaten by the natives, and a skimpy bowl of cole slaw, about enough for a large tablespoonful apiece. Instead of taking all the meat up when it was done, they waited to serve it directly from the grill so the pork steak in particular was overcooked and dry. (I only had that and the chicken.) For dessert they served everybody but me what looked like either cheesecake or some kind of custard pie; they set a small green apple on a plate in front of me. It pissed me off and I almost got up and left it there and went back to my room but I didn’t want to spoil the evening for the others, so I cut it up and ate it without comment. I did speak to the hostess this morning; today’s lunch was a vast improvement, cold ham & pineapple, a nice cucumber and avocado dish, oven fry potatoes, rice, and a large salad (at last!) We’ll see what happens at dinner.

Catching Up

Catching up… I’ve fallen behind in postings, largely due to time pressures connected to the Eagle Creek fire (in the Columbia Gorge, September 2017), COVID, moving to Willamette View in 2020, and deciding to retire in 2024). I haven’t done many back-packing trips since 2017 but I’ve done a lot of hiking, some river rafting, and several more international trips. President’ Trump’s continuing attack on the institutions, norms, and practices that sustain our democracy have also precipitated considerable distress that requires a constant effort to fight off depression. In spring, several major events occurred. As a result of preparing to enjoy Portland Symphony’s performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, which I hadn’t heard in several years, I went online to listen to a performance of it, discovered Yuja Wang, and became a devoted fan. Our most recent trip was a visit to Denver (during a heat wave, alas) to hear her perform Barber’s Piano Concerto at Boulder’s Chautauqua Center. An earlier trip together took us to San Antonio, where a conversation with a high school music teacher, who was playing his violin on a street corner near our hotel. He assured me that I’m not too old to learn to play an instrument – so I have been studying piano with LaJean’s guidance ever since. July 17-21, 2026. We flew to Denver, rented a car, and drove to a small motel in Boulder where we checked in. After freshening up a bit we drove to Chautauqua Park, where we had to park a half mile from the auditorium. We made it to the auditorium and met our friends Kristella and Matt in time to have a quick drink in the restaurant before entering and taking our seats, just a few rows back, close enough to watch Wang play. I find her facial expressions while she plays particularly fascinating. The performance was as good as we thought it would be and, true to her custom, she rewarded the standing ovation with three encores (something I had never before experienced). For a complete account of the performance see https://seenandheard-international.com/2026/07/yuja-wang-and-the-colorado-music-festival-orchestra-deliver-a-stunning-barber-piano-concerto/. The next day we rose early and drove to Estes Park to get into Rocky Mountain National Park before 9 a.m., when entry begins to be limited to those with advance reservations. After breakfast in a local eatery we joined a half-mile line of cars, but still made it through the gate with time to spare. (Many sincere thanks to the efficient park rangers!) LaJean saw the park several years ago when she was in Denver for a conference but this was my first visit. Unfortunately, the heat (topping out in the mid-80s) combined with the 8-9,000 foot elevation to sap our energy, and we did only a couple of miles of walking, in three different stops. We drove to the 11,000 foot pass hoping to stop at the visitor center but the parking lot was full and entry closed. I enjoyed the scenery but LaJean had her eyes tightly closed most of the time. Much of the road hugs a cliff with a drop as much as a thousand feet, in some places on both sides of the road. We finished the evening with a rather late dinner at the restaurant – excellent food (we had braised buffalo rib) but I’ve never seen a restaurant so poorly organized. The second day we drove south to Red Rocks Amphitheater and Park. LaJean found the sun too intense and hot to walk on the only trail that didn’t hug a cliff face but I enjoyed a 2 mile hike, plus climbing the stairs to the amphitheater, which is truly spectacular. I hope some day I will have a chance to see & hear a performance there. After the park we drove into Denver, left the car at the B&B and took an Uber to Meow Wolf, where we spend 2 ½ hours. It is a fascinating place, with 5 stories, multiple rooms of various sizes organized around a central open area, and art of all sizes and shapes (much of it whimsical) tucked away. I’m sure I missed several of the little hidden rooms. We met Kristella and Matt for dinner at the Longhorn Exchange, which LaJean loves for its focus on game. LaJean and I shared an order of elk, buffalo prime rib, and quail (it was too much – I regretted not just sticking with the prime rib). We ordered before dinner drinks but my gin and tonic was almost pure gin, served in a highball glass, so I requested more tonic, but the main course came before I had drunk much of it – very poor service given the cost of the place! The meat was quite good but both salad and vegetables were ordinary, maybe a bit below ordinary. The server was rushed, slightly rude, and quite annoying. I don’t think I’d go back. To dodge the heat on the third day we visited the Botanical Garden, as marvelous as Meow Wolf, though in very different ways. They have placed contemporary statues and other art throughout the park in ways that the plantings and art reinforce each other. From there we went to the Capitol Mall / Art district and hid out in the art museum, where we focused our attention on (mostly contemporary) aboriginal artworks. We will probably go back to Denver – but not in the summer! The only reason we went this July was to satisfy our desire to see Yuja Wang in person, and that was worth the trip.