Bidding farewell to the Winter Beach

Yesterday, as I finished up work at 4pm, I took off to Wheeler, OR, a wonderful coastal village only 4 miles from Manzanita.  Wheeler is located on Nehalem Bay - and is called “Pukalani” , which means "hole in the sky", the surrounding hills seem to protect Wheeler from the prevailing northwest wind and fog.

While Wheeler began in the early 1900's as a major port, today it is home to only 385 residents with a median age of 50.  My draw to this sleepy town is a wonderful quilt store called Creative Fabrics.  My sister Christine and I visited there on our last trip up and down the Oregon coast.  I got there about 4:50, and they closed at 5:30pm.  The woman that ran the store struck up a conversation with me, and we talked and talked about quilting - she even showed me some of her newest free motion quilting.  When I left - it was 5:45pm, was great to talk quilting and odd to be so talkative with a stranger.    Guess quilting will do that to you!!

The Wheeler train station - decked out for the holiday

Today, Tuesday,  was a rainy windy day on the Pacific Ocean beach - I thoroughly enjoyed getting drenched in the rain, feeling the rain on my face, and walking into the 12 mph gusts.  I started the day with a walk on the Manzanita Beach - that which I never tire.  After some work and a trip to the Post Office - to mail all my paper back home - to lighten the load on my suitcase - I ventured out to Cannon Beach, 13 miles north of Manzanita.

While Manzanita feels like a small town with all the amenities one would need, Post Office, Fire, Police, bar and grille, grocery store, galleries and motels; Cannon Beach felt like a tourist town that had rolled up the carpets for the winter.

Cannon Beach street

The beach is difficult to gain access to - with most walkways marked off with fences and signs that say "No public beach access".  But I finally found my way - and the roar of the waves and the rain were great - maybe the waves drown out the words in my head :-)

But it was great to stand on the beach and enjoy the winter wind without worry of frost bite!

Cannon Beach OR

Cannon Beach OR

Hug Bay

Found all the birds hanging out in the cove

Manzanita Beach from the road above

I am all packed up and anxious to see the girls (Jenelle, Colleen, Seneca - with Kili joining us on Thursday night) in Portland tomorrow morning.  I am convinced that if I get to sleep early enough 4am will not be quite so painful!  Their flight gets in at 5:30am, and I am 2 hours from Portland. 

We are spending the weekend in Portland to eat, walk and shop, sleep, then start again!!  Our annual December Christmas shopping weekend.

Feel like I have my dose of the Oregon coast - maybe it will last me until next year!
Cheers my friends and family
K

Winter Beach

Manzanita Beach - Dec 2010
I was anxious to visit the Oregon Coast in the winter - wondering if there would be snow and what the beach would feel like absent the summer activity, the fall beach fires of driftwood, and the absence of the tourists on holiday.

Pacific Ocean waves

Manzanita is small coastal village on the Northern Oregon Coast, the name means "little apple" in Spanish.  It is about two hours west of Portland, and is 13 very curvy miles south of Cannon Beach - where all the tourist activity takes place.

My sister Christine and I came to Manzanita on a lark of exploration, and vowed to return.  We did finally return  - and were SO excited!  It has become a place of tranquility - 

Manzanita Beach

I remember telling my dear friend Shelley about Manzanita, and that I wanted to bring her here - wrap her in a warm blanket and sit on the beach, watch the waves, and feel the Pacific Ocean breeze on our faces.  We didn't make it here together, Shelley was too ill to travel - this is my first trip back since she died - but I still feel that she is seeing it through my eyes and loving every minute of it!


Manzanita has about 750 people and just as many dogs, the median age is 52 so you can imagine that the night life is pretty spectacular!  A great many of the cabins/houses are vacation homes - so walking the streets in December has a bit of "ghost town" feel to it.

I always look forward to a cold beer and a slice of fabulous pizza at the  Manzanita Pizza Pie!

Manzanito's Pizza Pie - the ocean is at the end of the street

Manzanita Grocery & Deli - quite the hub at noon!

The wonderful designs in the sand

Rippled sand with a single dog print

This bird reminded me of my father and his love of the Lake Michigan in Two Rivers, WI.  We placed both mom and dad's remains in that body of water - and I still smile and laugh remembering my cousin Jill with a bike helmet on her heat as we walked the beach after dad's memorial - it was pouring out and I think Jill thought the helmet would keep the rain off her head.

So here I found this bird, firmly planted on the beach, his back to the crashing waves, enjoying the solitude that the beach brought this morning!

I love this beach, don't ask me why, but I just do!

So with this blog - I share a bit of it with you - my friends and family :-)

~ KS

 I love the way the beach grass blows in the wind!

What a great way to celebrate a tree!

Self portrait - enjoying the wind and waves

One of my favorite natural plantings

Last day in Rome - November 14, 2010

Hello family and friends -
We were almost done with the blog for the day - when it just disappeared, so if this post is lacking humor or detail it is because it is the second time through!!

This morning we were up and out of the flat and were excited to see the Coliseum.  Luckily Adriano, our driver told us to go to the Palatine Hill entrance to the Coliseum and Forum on Via Di San Gregorio, as there would be no lines.  Sure enough we zipped past hundreds in line at the main Coliseum entrance to arrive with just one person in front of us at this entrance.
Although the man was incredibly slow, we were still at the Palatine Hill in no time.

 Palatine Hill faces the Forum and is one of the seven hills of Rome, and is considered one of the most ancient parts of Rome.  It was home to the rich and famous of that time, Emperors such as Caesar lived here. 

Current excavation continues today and as recently as July 2006 archeologists discovered the Palatine House, believed to be the birthplace of Rome's first Emperor, Augustus.



While there was little written about this area, and we would not have walked through it except to avoid the lines, it was a beautiful area, offering a beautiful vista of the Coliseum.  It was peaceful and quiet with few visitors but definitely worth the walk.

A great view of the Coliseum - with traffic and all

  

 

The Arch of Constantine

The Coliseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater (in case you get asked in a trivia game) and construction began between 70 and 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD.  It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman Engineers and Architects.   It was the site of gruesome contests between gladiators, slaves, prisoners and animals.  

 

Since we had seen pictures of the exterior of the Coliseum, we were anxious to see the interior and wondered if we could go up on the upper levels.  We were NOT disappointed!

 We found a cathedral along the way (outside the Coliseum) - we never tire of admiring the art work and enjoying the serenity.  Yup, more candles lit.  Note random tourist in church on right - and no lightening!!

This cathedral is called "Francesca Romana" - history has it that the knee imprints of  Saint Peter and Saint Paul are in the flagstones inside.  

The Arch of Constantine is a triumphant arch that is between the Coliseum and Palatine Hill.  It was erected to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battel of Milvian Bridge (which legalized Christianity by the way) on October 28, 312. It was dedicated in 315 and is the latest of the existing triumphal arches in Rome.  The arch was constructed with extensive re-use of parts of earlier buildings.
Outside the Coliseum there were gladiators and horses for the tourists!

Random Tourist crossing street in front of Coliseum

After we were awed by the Coliseum we walked through the Roman Forum  - The Roman Forum was considered the center of civic and economic life, containing temples and halls of justice.  It was the place for religious processions, demonstrations, elections, speeches and parades.  An earthquake in 851 caused extensive damage.  

Inside the Roman Forum, EC found a small area behind a rock formation.  She peaked inside to discover that it had fresh flowers.  Not being able to read Italian - we did not know what Ara Di Cesare meant.   We found out that this was actually where they believe that Julius Caesar's body was burned after he was assassinated in the Theater of Pomprey.    This is where Mark Anthony stood up and said "Friends, Romans, Countryman, lend me your ears, I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him."  When they then burned Caesar's body - the fire got out of control and the fire department had to come put it out!  That was fun!

This is where Caesar's body was believed to have been burned

We also found an exhibition - the building is called Palazzo Nuove - the world's first public museum that was created in 1734.  It had some interested statues that we think were on loan from China.

Then we ventured back to our flat - as our feet were tired.  Walking in the Roman Forum was like walking thru a river bed - walking from stone to stone.  We walked along Via dei Fori Imperiali,  with Trajans Market on our right, this was the world's first shopping mall (a couple stories tall even!). 

Sacred Name of Maria

Via Dei Fori Imperiali was closed to traffic, with street vendors, musicians and lots of history!  It was a wonderful Sunday afternoon with tourists, locals, and families all outside enjoying Rome!  Was great to be a part of it!

Emperor Trajan

Trajan's Market in foreground

EC thought someone was whipping the finger

"The Wedding Cake" Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II

Roman butts say Good Bye for now!

We are ending our visit in Rome with a Thai Massage and an early night.  Adriano picks us up at 5am tomorrow morning, we spend 23 hours getting home tomorrow.  But we are traveling east to west - so we get home at 8pm our time - and go to bed :-)
Thanks for following us - 
Buona notte e addio
K and EC