GEORGIA ON MY MIND

Waterfall Wonder, Mountain Mania and Idyllic Gardens

Dahlonega (population nearing 7000) in Lumpkin County, North Georgia was once actively mined for its plethora of gold. Formerly called, Talonga, the name was changed to Dahlonega by Georgia's General Assembly on December 25th, 1873. This new name comes from the Cherokee word, "Dahlonega", meaning 'yellow' or 'gold'.

Today, an imposing gold museum strides near Dahlonega’s darling picturesque square – a gem in its own right.
Most of the gold in Dahlonega is still underground (too hard to extract as the main vein runs through the town). Nevertheless, this popular town boasts another kind of timeless opulence in its above ground beauty: nature spreads out from the town  into a bounteous bastion of connecting counties.

                                                             

The Camerons (to my left)

Visiting the Camerons, my long time dear friends who home half of the year in the area was wonderful. They're great company, and aside from being remarkably hospitable, superb cooks and keenly knowledgeable about the area, both Bobby and Eileen are incredibly fit; they defy the stereotypic image of a retired couple. Suffice it to say the lure of the rocking chair is non-existent for them. This dynamic duo jogs miles almost every day, and is constantly on the go – usually in an uphill fast-moving direction.

I wanted to strengthen my stamina and felt fortunate to have them as my guides. Bobby knows I love nature, and so foremost on the agenda was hiking.

Waterfalls abound here and are accessible as they spill down Smokey Mountain’s impressive range. Many seem to spoke out from Dahlonega within a 40-minute drive time. 

Mountain Climes

First stop was an 8-mile approach trail starting at Amicolola Falls which leads to Springer Mountain where the Appalachian Trail begins.

What they didn’t tell me was the over 400 steps that were waiting for us to climb. A piece of cake for them, but tough for me, the end result was exhilarating, and we avoided any sweat bath along the way; the tall old trees of this area provided ample shade during most of the ascent. Bobby mentioned many of these trees names, including the sturdy, solid white pine, hemlock, poplar, and many more species. We even came upon sassafras. The trail certainly had a lot of rocky areas, but it was well marked with white “blazes” (Bobby taught me that moniker) – white shallow gouges on the surface of tree trunks to guide all hikers.

Tree shaped by Indians to point out a direction

Another climb consisted of a 2-mile easy ascent. It brought us to Preacher Rock - part of the Appalachian trail. Here folks used to get married. At the top, the Smokey Mountains with their bluish hue halo loomed in the distance; it was inspiring to behold. Preacher Rock’s lofty lofty location - also part of the Appalachian Trail - beckons from Suches, an old farming community now sparsely populated and full of tumble-down barns buried in valleys of green.

Bring on the Grits and Serve them in a Gourd

After so much physical activity, it was time for me to find an excuse to get even fatter.

Bobby and Eileen took me to so many wonderful places, including The Gourd Place in Sautee Nachoochee. Here gourds have been crafted into amazing utility-ware, art and decor - even musical instruments -  all on display for purchasing. This place makes you smile. Eileen did when she plunked a huge pumpkin gourd over my head!

Priscilla Wilson and Janice Lymburner

 Priscilla Wilson and Janice Lymburner are the two eccentric women who opened this one-of-a-kind boutique. Their memoir, called Gourd Girls tells their remarkable story and proves them to be pioneers in the art of the gourd. It also shows them to be made of grit.

 Speaking of grit...

We also went to Nora Mill Granary in Helen, Georgia. It’s an 1876 grist mill, sitting alongside the Chattahoochee River. 

The mill still uses the original 1500-lb French Burr Stones for grinding for whole grain products.

 You can buy all kinds of jams, jellies, local honey and candies and more there. Once you taste their grits (they have tasting there) you go gaga over the grits. I got gong –ho addictive on those grits! Dear Bobby made them for  almost every day for breakfast.  

Titanic Waterfalls

Tallulah Gorge State Park covers 2689 acres with trails that both skirt the rim of the gorge or descend to its floor where its river flows. Much information about this extraordinary wildlife and the park’s history can be enjoyed in a video within the Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center.  Discovering this outdoor world wonder, I marveled at its five spectacular cascading falls - best viewed from a very sturdy suspension bridge that admittedly challenged my fear of heights. 

Luckily, I had Bobby and Eileen to hold my hand as I traveled at a snail-pace across it.  One of these falls was called “hurricane” - an apt name for the fierce downward force of the water. Standing and looking down from the bridge was a miraculous moment for us all. It is so compelling to see the turbulent endless flow; the rush of water was deafening rush. And you are right in the middle - high up above it!

On July 18, 1970, a 65-year-old Karl Wallenda performed a high-wire walk across the gorge. About 30,000 people from around the world came to watch Wallenda’s performance which included two headstands as he crossed the quarter-mile-wide gap! You can still see one of the cranes used for his death-defying act.

KAYAKING 

Without a doubt, Bobby and Eileen had to put on hold their usual tubing and kayaking into rapids. Having never stepped into a kayak before, I eagerly wanted to embrace this method of traversing water,  but when things are calm, rather than using a canoe or rowboat.

Bobby loaded up the kayaks

 I fell in love with the ease and gentleness of the kayak. We went to two lake areas to do this. One was at Vogel Park and the other at Lake Winfield Scott, near Suches. Tranquil and quiet, Winfield Scott Park also allows for swimming right off the dock and a walk around its lake perimeter.

 Gibbs Gardens...24 ponds, 32 bridges, and 19 waterfalls

The serenity continued when, on my last day, Eileen and I visited Gibbs Gardens. This private sanctuary of floral beauty is owned by Mr. Jim Gibbs himself who generously opened his impressive gardens to the public in 2012.

His manor home can be seen from the outside by visitors who pause to rest on benches placed near one of the facades. The house and gardens' 220 acres include a beautiful stream in this valley haven.  

Eileen and I lingered at the Japanese section in the Valley Gardens section.

   

Most captivating was the endless parade of day lilies. Dazzling shades of orange and yellow greeted our eyes. We hit “gold” with this special exhibit.

Many years ago, I wrote a song titled “Mountain Girl". I feel it apt to share it with you after this unforgettable visit to this Appalachian region – made all the sweeter because my dear friends (whom I call family) shared it with me.

 

Cap Saint-Jacques in May

It was a wonderful May day,so I decided it was time to give my dog, Zak his moment in the sun at the Cap. What a lovely day! Not only was the scenery so restful, but the trees were alive with birdsong.

Water and  lush growth paired up to create splendid views at different spots on the trail we were on.

 

     I spotted a small yellow one among many other different ones of all sizes and areas of water that attracted a chipmunk that was burrowing under a little log. He was camera shy for sure.

Yes, the black flies were out, and it is tic season, so if you do go, cover yourself well, and ensure you dog stays on leash on the paths they are permitted to enjoy. Zak had a great time as we walked for about an hour, ending at a picnic spot.

The skies eventually grew overcast, but I wanted to continue on more trails, and Zak seemed to want to stay too.

 The variety of growth is startling. All kinds of trees 

 mix together side by side. I think this contrast in size and species is a visual delight. 

Within a 20-minute ride from Montreal, you will enter the splendour of it all. Enjoy the vast body of water: Rivière de la Prairie with and Ile-Bizard on one side and Oka at its perimeters. This place is gorgeous!

Read about my previous visits in winter and summer to Cap Saint-Jacques.
https://sntravelandartswithoutborders.blogspot.ca/2017/07/a-summery-day-for-my-doggy-at-cap-saint.html#.WwSPNSAh3IU
https://sntravelandartswithoutborders.blogspot.ca/2017/02/sunny-skiing-on-smooth-trails-in-cap.html#.WwSPuiAh3IU

GAUGUIN (Directed by Edouard Delduc) **

When the impoverished painter lands in Tahiti, his misery continues. He can’t sell his paintings; he lives in a rain-drenched hut of sorts; has a heart attack and finds betrayal and disappointment at every turn. Only his wife brings him pleasure; she is his escape from woes, and his muse. Sounds like good movie material, right? Unfortunately, the film is boring; most parts show him obsessively painting her in all kind of poses or suffering from cold - with respites of fun playing with the children (a scene that went on far too long). Still, it would seem that the stifled feeling plaguing him in Paris was relieved somewhat in his new life. But in the end, nothing really could cheer up this man. Vincent Cassel played the painter’s depression and elation with equal élan and plausible passion. Gauguin was meant to live in nature. Simplicity and a beautiful young woman were his bedfellows.  The film was silly at times and presented itself like a collage piecing together parts of Gauguin’s genius and temperament while in Tahiti. The biopic pales in hue compared to the vivid colours in his paintings. 

The Comical and the Serious with Mozart and Haydn

Bourgie Hall, Sunday, May 6th, 2 pm

A Thrilling Group of Guest Artists

Arion closed its 37^th concert season with remarkable vivacity and outstanding playing – all enhanced by really funny entertaining moments. Mozart and Haydn are a scintillating match for this magnificent orchestra; they handle music’s humour with wit; and gravity with equal emotional understanding.

Guest soprano, Andréanne Brisson Paquin has a voice that beautifully reaches the high notes. Her tone is exquisite; her animated manner worked well as she took over the part of Clorinda, singing Mozart’s Air Vorrei spiegarvi, Oh Dio. I loved the oboe seduction that played out as Daniel Lanthier doubled as oboist and lothario as well. Using his instrument and his gestures to try to win over Clorinda, was highly entertaining and illustrative of the scene. Both singer and oboist interpreted this segment perfectly. Ms. Paquin’s acting was great as witnessed when she sung Suzanna in Mozart’s Air Al desio di chi t’adora.

Another colourful treat in this concert was the performance by horn player, Pierre-Antoine Tremblay. He demonstrated so many different textures with varied contrasts of expression. His breath control and musicality was most impressive during his performance of Mozart’s Horn Concerto in E-flat major, K.447.

Arion Baroque Orchestra certainly chose the right guest artist to act out various parts of the program. Lorenzo Coppola vividly demonstrated musical moments in various works performed by the orchestra. He enacted anger, sullenness, pain, love, and more. At one point Mr. Lorenzo galloped across the stage with an extract form the orchestra to show the instruments rallied together in a hunting scene with the horn leading the musical fray. At another point he jumped across and chair, even flung his belly across it miming swimming to show yet another emotional moment in the music of a particular piece. His historical clarinet of two registers was also the brunt of jokes he made, but his playing was anything but funny. He is a true performer whose varied agile talents, both amuse educate us about various passages. They proved far more enlightening because of his contextual explanations of the scenes and characters. Next time, a bit of English interspersed with his many explanations would be most welcome. He is a character that surely Mozart would have loved.

The final work by Haydn – Symphony Number 76 in B-flat major showed dashingly the orchestra’s incredible versatility and musicality. This work is exciting and technically demanding. The bassoon and flute were inspiring in the first movement, and it just got more and more godly as the work played on. This work is not heard as often as is Haydn’s Surprise Symphony.

Finally, the closing concert had its own personal Arion moment of sadness. Concertmaster and first violinist Chantal Rémillard is embarking on a new chapter in her life. The concert was her last with Arion. One of the four founding members of the orchestra,  Ms. Rémillard will be missed by everyone. This concert must have been a deeply bitter sweet moment for her; she is leaving the orchestra to retire. Her student, Tanya LaPierrière who plays second violin in the orchestra, gave a moving face-to face farewell to Ms. Rémillard. I just wish this concert had been recorded for it was absolutely timeless.

LEANING INTO THE WIND (Directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer) ****

Nature is everything for this amazing artist who is wholly integrated into the vagaries of the ground. It is a vibrant journey through the diverse layers of Andy Goldsworthy's world. From Brazil’s poverty to urban Edinburgh and London to the South of France and New England, each environment he encounters becomes a fresh kaleidoscopic canvas for his art. A lushly-visualized travelogue where yellow leaves decorate the dead tree trunk of an elm, where poppies cover his hand like a glove. Everywhere he goes. He leaves his own personal memory imprint by lying on the ground or at the top fo stairs or on a sidewalk just before rain or snow comes to cover up his body outline. A remarkable man of integrity. He climbs across trees, crawls into a branch infested tangle in water in Gabon, and walks through an urban hedge. He is a true artist who refuses to reinvent nature’s natural gifts to express his own artistry.

FESTIVAL ACCÈS ASIE

Over 70 artists will be performing, giving workshops and more in the sensational events that number twenty. Theatre, dance, music, even a day of feasting on Afghan food is on the plate.  Interdisciplinary concerts that combine different arts is sure to inspire.

Khosro Berahmandi and me

 Khosro Berahmandi, artistic director of this 23-year-old festival that coincides with Asian Heritage Month in Montreal and North America. It brings together all communities of various backgrounds while shining the light on Asian culture and its various artistic expressions.

The opening festival cocktail night featured a jaw-dropping performance of duo of Golestan with oud-master Nazih Borish and percussionist, Ziya Tabassian. The actual group comprises four musicians, but for the festival Marina Salonga will guest with the group. She is a multi-disciplinary dance, and on Moay18th at 8 pm she will be performing with Golestan, improvising to several songs performing gypsy fusion style.

  Borish and Zyia Tabassian

There is something for everyone in this festival so check out the website: www.accesasie.com. Order your tickets now.  Concerts and events run from May 1^st to May 27^th, and are at various venues throughout Montreal. Call (514) 298-0757.

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STRINGS OF ROMANCE: EXPRESSIVE MAGNIFICENCE

Bourgie Hall, May 12^th, 2 p.m.

 presented by Montreal's Centre Kabir

This exhilarating concert in two parts showed off the incredible technique and passion of  three brilliant musicians:  sitarist, Shujajaat Khan and tabla players Indranil Mallick and Osbert Lyall. The sitar playing was so impeccable as Mr. Khan created varying rhythms and speeds, often reaching implausible lightning-speed force where his hand became a blur of movement.  His stamina is off the charts!

 Likewise for the wizard-like ta

bla performers - their synchronicity with the sitar was extraordinary - jaw-dropping, yet deceptively effortless in execution. Their thunderous “hammering” on the taut skin of the paired tabla for each  Mr. Lyall told me that all three had never played together before this concert.

The post-intermission segment  (which by the way was preceded with chai tea and rusk down in Bourgie’s lobby) featured Mr Khan singing both a love song praising his lover’s eyes, followed by a religious ode in two parts to one of the Hindu gods. I had to ask someone sitting beside me what the lyric was about in both songs – a shame we were not briefly told a bit about each song.

Part of Accès Asie Festival, this outstanding concert is eternally imprinted in my soul.