Lascaux

[dr_pretentious]

You're probably not a spelunker. Goodness knows I'm not. Even the anthropologists on my friends list don't have the right specialties to see the paintings at Lascaux in person. Considering the delicate condition of the paintings (which is deteriorating in new ways recently, perhaps due to global warming), it's a good thing the caves are closed now to everybody but researchers doing specific, relevant projects. But sometimes I wish I'd gone, back when the caves were still open to tourists.

Fortunately, the consolation prize doesn't require a hard hat.

Thanks to anghara for the link.

Comments

[paganpilgrim.livejournal.com]

hate to be a bitch but actual cavers think the work spelunking to be pretentious
but you probably already new that

its like octopus, any one who has worked with the animal would never say octopi, but proudly giggle out octopusses

[paganpilgrim.livejournal.com]

oops work = word

must get back to my Sufi book

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

There's something I didn't know when I woke up this morning. Thank you. I always found the word "spelunker" to be giggle-worthy. It's just plain fun to say. But I can see the appeal of "caver," too. In practical usage, a two-syllable word will beat out a three-syllable word, every time.

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

We call it potholing in the north of England; elsewhere - and here as well - the word caving is used. For most mortals, potholes are those things in the road, but hereabouts it's also used to describe shafts and vertical caves.

We went through the long tour of the Alderley Edge caves with the Derbyshire Caving Club a couple of years ago. If we'd known how tight it would be, and how much crawling was involved, my parents mightn't have done it. As it was, Dad's back held out, and we had a brilliant time travelling adventure through all the centuries of mining in the area, from the early 20th century quarrying to the pre-Roman copper mining and the imprints of small ancient hands and feet in the rock. Perhaps the very best part was when they turned all the lamps off. There's something astonishing about being hundreds of feet underground in absolute, utter darkness. It's a darkness more complete than anything I've ever experienced, and it is profound in every sense. Something to do some time when you're visiting!

Sadly, the Lascaux link crashes my browser, but relying on imagination isn't so bad :)

[radiotelescope.livejournal.com]

And you have a doctor's degree in Pretentious!

(I, myself, am much too humble to avoid a word merely because it's pretentious.)

[spindlewand.livejournal.com]

And I look at these amazing paintings and wonder if it was mostly done by the odd guy of the bunch - you know..."Gog strange but harmless."

Seriously, now that I have seen these I am going to have to go find some art-historical discussion of them.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

So beautiful.

This is a website full of peace and grace for me.

Thank you for posting it.

Mentoring Request

[doverider.livejournal.com]

Hi Sarah,
My nieces LJ is at thompsonsgirl63. I've suggested that she friend you too. Hopefully this will all work out easily.

BTW if there's anything I cna EVER do for you... just say the word!!
Hugs
Dove