>
> > >Or maybe I just live on the
> > > west coast of North America and so have always had more
> > > iconic landmarks to focus on and never needed to try to make
> > > something impressive out of the English countryside.
> >
> > Dunno what you mean by that. IMO the English countryside doesn't
> need
> > any help to be "impressive" (not that that's really the point -
> subtely
> > beautiful is the point, not somethng garish with neon).
>
> I always half-suspected that the reason folk in England and France
> came up with such intricate sacred patterns linking bits of the
> local landscape was that their local landscape lacks big 4000 meter
> stratovolcanoes rising up from sea level. It was much easier for
> the local tribes to identify their landscape gods when they stood
> out so prominently (we've got dueling volcanic thunder gods, pieces
> of the moon that fell to earth, sacred islands, and so on - no need
> to make patterns to find them!).
>
Um, Jeff... So when are you comming to visit me in the Alps? If you
want "impressive" then I've got a "few" mountains in my backyard that
might do. I must admit that I'm personally impressed by Mt Blanc
myself, but impressions may vary.
I will also admit a major appreciation for Mt St Helens (particularly
_after_ climbing it!) and the Cascades. However I don't think France
lacks impressive landscape at all.
Oh yeah, the invite is open whenever you and Diane want - I've got
quite a few good bottles of bordeaux and borgogne stashed away...
Say hi to the SFC for me.
Yak
(oh, btw, new email address is dpearton(at)gmail.com)
> In good jest -
>
> Jeff