Of travel and wonder

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People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering. - St. Augustine


Image nabbed from here.

Or, go here and navigate to Norway (link is on the left side).

[UPDATED: 13:23 30-August-2006 to attribute quote.]

Comments

Barbara said…
I knew this had to be that rock in Norway. Have you been there? Isn't it marvelous?
August 30, 2006 12:39 PM
Richard said…
I have never been to Norway. The only European countries I have been to are England and Poland - and neither in the past 30 years or so.
August 30, 2006 1:29 PM
Run Around Paris said…
I'm so afraid of heights that this picture of the brave individual on the cliff actutally makes me dizzy. So dizzy, I almost fell off my chair just now. I bet you'd feel pretty bad if your post made me fall of my chair.
August 30, 2006 8:27 PM
Mother of Invention said…
I love this quote! It is so interestingly true. Also a bit crazy. Why should we lack a sense of wonder in our own lives? Are they really that ordinary and boring? Well, maybe not everything about us is exciting all the time, but I think I could find at least a few things each day of my life that I could wonder about and ponder.
August 30, 2006 10:44 PM
Just me said…
Wonderful quote. Self reflection... sometimes it's very scary even more so than the heights of the mountaintops. Although I love the picture you found! Amazing view!
August 30, 2006 11:10 PM
Irredento Urbanita said…
St Augustine was so right.
Questions are endless, answers always change...

Greetings from Perú
August 30, 2006 11:53 PM
Cavalock said…
hey richard...check this out

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=24344
August 31, 2006 3:10 AM
Richard said…
run around paris: you are right, I would feel bad if you fell out of your chair and injured yourself. May I suggest some Gravol?

MOI: Seneca had said something similar (maybe if you stretch it): Are you surprised that after such long travel and so many changes of scene you have not been able to shake off the gloom and heaviness of your mind? You need a change of soul rather than a change of climate. Though you may cross vast spaces of sea, and as Vergil remarks, "Lands and cities are left astern", your faults will follow you wherever you travel. Socrates made the same remark to one who complained; he said: "Why do you wonder that globe-trotting does not help you, seeing that you always take yourself with you? The reason which set you wandering is ever at your heels." What pleasure is there in seeing new lands? Or in surveying cities and spots of interest? All your bustle is useless. Do you ask why such flight does not help you? It is because you flee along with yourself. You must lay aside the burdens of the mind; until you do this, no place will satisfy you. - Seneca, Letter 28.

freckled-one: I found the picture when I was looking for pictures of fjords a while back.

irredento urbanita: I am not sure if answers change so much as become refined and closer to the truth.

cavalock: I have long heard rumours that William Shatner was supposed to come back and help save the Trek franchise. Glad to see that it looks like it is moving ahead. I was disappointed when 'Enterprise' was cancelled - it was the first decent Star Trek spinoff.
August 31, 2006 8:48 AM
Anonymous said…
Norway is indeed a beautiful place,huh?

I love to travel to unwind and feel the life!!
August 31, 2006 9:56 AM
B said…
Lovely quote. It amazes me when I come across individuals that have traveled and still don't get "it." They don't see themselves in the mountains, the sea, the sky. The more I am out of my element, the more I turn inward. And please don't think that I feel so enlightened or superior...this introspective nature of mine can also be a curse! Thanks for this reminder as I prepare for trips to Singapore, Koh Samui (Thailand) and Paris in October.
August 31, 2006 11:58 PM
Richard said…
ghee: I think every place is beautiful, you just have to know were to look. It also depends what you like. I like the outdoors. Sofia likes the cities. Since you have only just returned, you likely missed my photo-blogs of Peru: Arrival, Ica, Oasis, Paracas National Park, Flora, and Food

breal: there is nothing wrong with self reflection - it is something I do a lot. Glad to hear you have the opportunity to travel. Hope you enjoy it!
September 01, 2006 8:40 AM
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