Corsica, Golfe de Porto, 02-06-2002 I have found a slap of rock with exactly my shape. I've been laying there for some time, staring at the sky, at the sea, and at the book on my lap. When the book looses its attraction my attention wanders to the rock that I am laying on. For the first time I notice that it is not part of the cliffs: It is a loose block of stone, about the size of my house, probably fallen from a mountain that I never noticed: I have paddled too close to shore to look inland. I get up, climb the rock, and indeed I find the mountain, right next to me. A rough, vulcanic burp rising straight up for sixhunderd meters. The low, bushy slopes are full of the kind of blocks I am standing on, and mine is by no means the biggest. A landslide of gravel, only every piece of gravel is a mountain in itself. For just a moment I can grasp the grandeur of the scenery, and it takes my breath. My mind is too small to really understand the size of it, but by climbing the rocks with my eyes, from rock to rock and then up the cliff to the top, I get a fleeting glimpse of the majesty of this place. I can repeat the feeling by climbing it again, and again. According to the Corsican people this place was created by the devil in a rage. According to me, it was created by God, with a smile. Just for once he must have wanted to create something bigger then the sun and the stars, by building an open-air cathedral that mankind could never copy, nor understand. At a time like this I am sorry I don't believe in God. There is no one I can thank for creating this place. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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