| Subject: RE: Towers and other observation places |
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There have been more observation vistas that I have forgotten than
recall - the hill with the great viewpoint down upon Caracas or that
building in Warsaw, etc. And, to talk of a favorite almost implies
that I have had the opportunity to return to the place. Alas, I
havent gotten to that luxurious point in my life where I've seen
all of my dream destinations that I can afford the time to return
to old favorites.
So I will talk about memorable bird's eye views. Manhattan atop the Empire State Building from a teen-aged small town perspective - the endless skyscrapers, that patch of green that is Central Park and the 'millions' of yellow dots scooting around the streets. I got the impression that no one owns a car in Manhattan. They all take yellow taxi-cabs! My climb up the 'leaning tower' at Pisa - I was fascinated by the gravitational affects on my body as I circled around the stone steps, at one moment skipping lightly the next half-circle making a stronger effort to lift my legs up. A jump from a plane at 3000 ft (complete with parachute) over bucolic Wisconsin farmland - the utter peace and quiet almost a spiritual epiphany. Yes, my screams were carried totally away :-) Experiencing the Zambezi River Gorge from the bridge at Victoria Falls - darned if that fool friend of mine, Lionel, didnt jump off! I will never forget his whooping as he bounced on the bungy. The swinging gondola that ascended Mt Pilatus in Switzerland with a fairy tale land spreading out below me - the granite peaks, the evergreens far below, patches of snow and cold, crisp air. The ascent by donkey up a hillside on Santorini. This little beast is going to trot my entire bulk up this steep hill? I was bouncing and laughing the entire way as the farmer/owner trotted right behind his beast encouraging it all the way. After I took a breath at the top I looked down upon an azure sea and ancient volcano in the distance. Contrasted behind me stood the white-washed cubistic homes so prevalent in the Greek Isles. Could I ever forget? Cynthia Kilian in Woodstock, Illinois USA |