The Not Taken Vacation: Torre de Hercules, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

I am typing with two hands, ten fingers, no toes! It is so exciting to be able to return to a relatively normal life even though it was extremely difficult for a few days. My arm is nowhere near as strong as it once was – not that it ever was – but at least I am getting some skills back. Two-fingered typing was getting efficient, but two-handed is much better.

So, where are we today on my untaken vacation? We have sailed from Liverpool south, down the coast of France, perhaps watching the coast as we cruise past Normandy and down through the Bay of Biscay – or further out to sea to meet up with the western bit of the Iberian Peninsula as we head to A Coruna. But! Alas! We could not make it into port in A Coruna – probably the same sucky weather that prevented our mooring in Ireland.

What do we miss? An old city. What do we see as we bypass this port? The one thing that struck me as most-likely-to-be-seen was the lighthouse known as the Tower of Hercules – formerly Farum Brigantium. A bit of research shows a genuinely amazing bit of history as it is the oldest known extant lighthouse, one dating from the 2nd century AD (CE if you want!), and possibly erected by a Roman emperor. For me, one who lives in a SoCal suburb, such history is hard to consider, much less a building of such age.

Read the blurb on Wikipedia – when I looked it up, the Torre de Hercules was astonishing. My humble sketch does not do it justice.

OT

Off topic? Old Toad? Only Today?

No, Occupational Therapy. Gentler than physical therapy and aimed at a somewhat different clientele perhaps, I had my first of many sessions to come. Being immobilized for 6 weeks for a fractured left humerus, it is time to get back to my former self as much as possible. Going very slowly, in part because of my own fear and in part because of the long period of non-movement, we have begun with very simple exercises to get joint mobility back right now.

I am doing shoulder, elbow, and wrist exercises. I hurt! I am using my sling for support when I think I need it, and using my fingers to do more and more. I know the process will be slow and tedious, but time is all it takes, along with a bit of grit. I am still typing one-handed, but I hope to begin to change that soon!

The Tree in the Park

It is just one of those perfect Southern California fall days – cool, crisp, bright blue sky, soft breeze. The outdoors beckons, but limited as I am with my broken arm, I have to be careful, even if I hate every minute of it! (Being careful, that is.)

A Tree in the Library Park

I wandered around a bit, looking for a nice place to sit, and found a bench along the pathway with some nice trees to admire. I chose this one for its texture and lights and darks. My viewpoint has a darker tree with deeper shadows than the camera shows.

The Drawing of the Tree in the Park

I had to put my purse on top of my sketchbook so I could snap this pic! Breezes are a bit brisker than is ideal for a one-handed photographer can handle.