Day 29, Level 1: Awful weather, Roman baths, Cotton Palace and hindsight

-

Not too much to report today!

I was planning to go to Omaha but the weather forecast for today was bad. And it was spot on - the weather was atrocious. Raining and howling and very wintry. It was an inside day for sure.

On the computer all day ticking of stuff. And adding more stuff. It's never-ending right now. 

The contractors didn't come today - the weather was just too awful. 

No flies around today, that's for sure!

The US Election antics go on and on ... and on and on ... I wonder what tomorrow will bring ...!

It's Guy Fawkes' Night tonight - being such an awful night, there have been barely any fireworks. THe neighbours let off a few which looked good from the verandah, but that was it. A bit of a damp squib, literally. Although the rain did stop when darkness fell. 

I'm still chuckling about how much I detested that bath last night! Such a truly badly designed thing. Sigh. 

Here's a real bath - Roman style! The Antique Pool (Cleopatra Pool) at the Hellenistic spa town of Hierapolis/Pamukkale in Turkey, founded in the 2nd Century BC. 

During the Roman period Hierapolis thrived as a health centre. The hot springs, with mineral-rich waters (calcite), are known for their therapeutic qualities. Cleopatra is said to have bathed here.

This is me on holiday in Turkey in Sept 1987.
I remember enjoying this bath very much, surrounded by old pillars.
The water was ever so slightly effervescent. And warm. And very very clear.



This is the same spot in the same pool 25 years later - taken in 2012 and featuring on someone's travel blog. This photo has obviously been enhanced.

These photos below are of Pamukkale, which means Cotton Palace. An unreal landscape of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and terraced basins with mineral springs. 

These are similar to the Pink & White Terraces which were destroyed in the Mt Tarawera eruption in 1886.


My photo of the Travertine pools at Pamukkale, 1987
 
 

A digitally enhanced (aka fake!) photo of the same pools!

 

Petrified waterfalls, 1987

NZ's White Terraces, as painted by Charles Blomfield in 1882.



Pink Terraces, 1886, just before their destruction.
That mountain is smoking!

I flew over where these NZ terraces are buried on an excursion flight over Mt Tarawera and environs, back in 2006, with friend Lyn who was over from the UK. What a shame these utterly beautiful landscapes were destroyed by nature. I'm just very glad I've seen the Turkish version!

 

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Hindsight ...

The value and frustration of knowing something when it's just a bit too late!

Charles Blomfield captured the terraces on canvas before it was too late, no hindsight required! Apparently he churned out hundreds of paintings of them and it's really the only way we can, today, get a glimpse of what they looked like.


 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 69, Level 1: Quiz (a decade of it), Venice, opera and incredible paper dresses

-
Image
Gorgeous day. Blue sky, no wind. Not too hot. On computer or phone most of the day sorting stuff so didn't see too much of it. But it was nice to know it was there.  Quiz tonight - we did well - and came 2nd (again!) by just one point. The team that usually wins and who we battle with won again. Oh well, we did our best. We'd thought it was the last quiz for the year but the final one is next week. So we go again ... maybe next week will be our winning one, to wrap the year up. Despite the strange year of Covid and lockdowns, quiz has provided a steady and pleasant interlude to everything else. It too, shut down of course in lockdowns - but we remember the weeks we were there having fun, not the ones we weren't. Always good food, wine and camaraderie. A few wins, a few placings, and a few duds. That's the nature of life in a nutshell.  Our quizmaster is a lovely young guy who, we found out tonight, has just completed his masters with honours. Not sure what he's stud...
Read more

Day Eight - IndiCat, Emmylou, Home and Dad

-
Image
A stunning April day today, I love this time of year. It was hot. The sunset was sublime. Omaha Photo of the Day - pure beauty right there Today, the 2nd of April, is my Dad's birthday (b. 1937). In 1993 we celebrated his 56th birthday with a family dinner at his favourite Thai Restaurant. A month later he was gone. He would have turned 83 today. Cheers Dad, wish you were here. Yesterday, I talked about Little Barrier looking like it was erupting (see photos from yesterday's blog). Today, every exquisite contour of the island was more clearly visible from Omaha shores than I've seen in a very long time. The clarity was astounding. Dad used to go on occasional fishing expeditions with mates to Hauturu/Little Barrier in the '70s/'80s. One time, however, the boat's motor conked out and even fearless Dad was worried for their safety. He was a GP, well-regarded to be able to fix just about anything in the human and DIY realms, but his recounting of events of...
Read more

Day 86, Level 1: Another post! Rain! And crawdads!

-
Image
Ok so I have done another post (it's become a habit, and habits are hard to break!) But do check back about my next blog ... it's coming Oh how it rained today. On and off, all day long. Heavy rain.  The day was a mix of sunshine and rain - often in huge deluges that hit the deck like the wrath of the gods. The tanks and plants loved every drop of it! And then - by evening - blissful sunlight with golden hued clouds.  And thus is the weather these days ... It blows away the cobwebs and rubbish ...! 6.11pm SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY: "Where the Crawdads Sing" ... Now here's a book worth reading. I don't read a lot these days, mostly write.  But a friend lent me this - and it was right up my alley.  Different, refreshing, and with a fabulous sting in its tail.  A story about humanity and nature that touches on just about everything life offers.  Gentleness meets resilience. Innocence meets revenge. Oh it's a good story.  I am so looking forward to the movie ....
Read more