Postcard from Sonoma Raceway

The photo is titled, “Trouble in Turn Two.” These are Indy Cars, so named after the Indianapolis 500 race, run every year on the Memorial Day Weekend. This photo was taken at the Sonoma Grand Prix run in August of 2014.

The most dangerous part of any race is at the start, when all 25 cars try and negotiate the first turn at the same time. In this race, which is a road course rather than an oval, the first turn is on the other side of the bridge. The cars come out of Turn 1 and go immediately into Turn 2. As you can see, this is where several cars run into problems.

For your information, the red car on the far left is driven by Scott Dixon, who escapes problems here and eventually wins this race. The yellow car, just left of center, is driven by Ryan Hunter-Ray who finished 2nd on this day. This was my very first time at an Indy Car race although I have been a fan of these cars since I was a little boy.

I have now been to three Indy Car races…two at the Sonoma Raceway and one earlier this year in Phoenix (an oval course). I show you this photo for a reason…Next week, I am off to Indianapolis to see the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 race! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to see this race.

When I was a young lad, I used to sit on the patio of my parents home every Memorial Day and listen to this race on the radio. There was no TV coverage then so I could only imagine what was going on. Even then, I was a huge fan. In later years, I could watch it on TV. I’ve seldom missed watching or listening to this race. I always dreamed of going there, and now I will be doing it. A friend of mine from Wisconsin who has been going to the race for 48 straight year and has permanent seats in turn 4, arranged it all for me. I will be joining him and another good friend for 3 days of celebrations and, of course, the big 500 mile race.

As mentioned above, the is the 100th running of the race, so you know they will be making a big deal of it…and we will be at every special event taking it all in. On Thursday night, we will all meet up for the first time at the Possum Trot restaurant in Oakwood, IL. While not connected to the Indy race, it is a traditional dinner my friends do before the race festivities begin.

Then on Friday and Saturday, there are big events during the day at the raceway, including Carburetor Day on Friday. Among the events on those days will be Vintage Car Laps where old-time Indy cars take to the track once again; Pit Stop Competition, an Indy Car Light race, parades and more. Also looking forward to seeing the Indy Car Museum. And, of course, the race itself is on Sunday at Noon, east coast time.

And as part of this trip, my friend Dave and I will take a trip north to visit the campus of Notre Dame. After the race, I will eventually wind up in Minneapolis, another place I have never been. I will play tourist there for a couple of days before flying home. So it looks like it will be a good time.

Because I am traveling, I will be taking a couple of weeks off from writing this or my other blog, “Rants and Raves.”. But I look forward to coming home and sharing more photos from this trip.

Another item to be checked off my Bucket List.

Postcard from Venice

“There is still one of which you never speak.”

Marco Polo bowed his head.

'Venice,” the Khan said.

Marco smiled. 'What else do you believe I have been talking to you about?”

The emperor did not turn a hair. “And yet I have never heard you mention that name.”

And Polo said: “Every time I describe a city I am saying something about Venice.”
―

Excerpt from Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino

Digital Painting by J.R. Corkrum – One Boat Canal

Postcard from Rome

This is the Tomb of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. It was built between the years 134-139 AD. The emperor’s ashes, along with those of his wife and son were entombed here in 139 AD. After that, the remains of other Roman emperors were buried here, the last being the Emperor Caracalla in 219.

In its day, it was quite beautiful. But much of the decorations and even the tomb contents were removed when the building was turned into a fortress in 401 AD. In 410, and later in 537, the structure was looted of most of its precious contents by the Visigoths and the Goths.

Later, the Catholic Church began its own looting, tearing down columns and other ornaments to build its chhurches.  So this structure is only a shell of what it once was. In the 16th century, the Pope of the time turned it into a castle. As you may have seen in the movie, “Angels and Demons,” there is a tunnel leading from the castle to St. Peters in the Vatican. Later, the castle became a Papal Prison.   

Today, the structure is known as Castel Sant'Angelo, aka: Castle of the Holy Angel. But I still prefer to think of it as Hadrian’s Tomb. I prefer it’s Roman History to that of the Catholic Church.

The bridge leading to the tomb crosses the Tiber River and has several statues of angels, as you can see in the photo. Atop the tomb is a large suspended statue of the archangel St. Michael.

I would have loved to seen the original tomb before it was raped and pillaged by barbarian hordes and the Catholic Church.