Death Valley National Park USA

Why is a place so surreal, so starkly beautiful called Death Valley?

Perhaps its apt for the hottest, driest and lowest place in North America, where daytime summer temperatures reach as high as 50deg C.  Yet, the Park has a mix of sand dunes, salt flats, mountains and creeks and hundreds of kilometres of trails and roads that makes for a worthwhile visit. Inspite of being the largest national park in the US outside of Alaska with an area of 3.3 million acres, it is often overlooked because of its proximity to attractions like the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, Zion and Bryce Canyon and Yosemite.  

Many of the sights in Death Valley have interesting names – Furnace Creek, Badwater Basin, Artists Drive, and so on.  The names are quite literally what they are.  The visitor centre and amenities are located at Furnace Creek and is the starting point.   Badwater basin at 282 feet below MSL, is a large saltwater flat that deceptively appears to be a landscape of nothingness.  The evaporating mineral rich rainwater and the subsequent oozing of salts and minerals through cracks in the flats form a unique polygonal pattern.  North of Bad Water is the nine mile one way Artists Drive, where we saw the mountain faces splashed with Blues, purples, aquamarines, yellows and greens – a result of mineral deposits from centuries of volcanic activity.   

Driving on, the Mesquite sand dunes, Salt Creek and the Dante’s view, one mile above the canyon floor, just give an idea of  how diverse Death Valley actually is.  If we had a couple of days more, we would have driven father to visit the Mars-like Ubehebe crater, Scotty’s castle and the 11000 foot high Telescope peak.  The terrain is so hostile that hardly any flora and fauna exist barring the bighorn sheep, mule deer, coyotes and few others in certain pockets.  

Time moved quickly and it was already late in the afternoon.  Our final stop was Zabriskie point, where a lakebed has been heaved up by tectonic activity and the subsequent erosion has carved, twisted and sculpted the landscape.  We witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets here, one that can parallel or surpass those that are more commonly seen in the Canyon or in Utah.  

The day was a lesson in geological activity over millenia,  An exquisite play of light, shadow, contrast and colour.  A photographer’s delight.  Plethora of different landforms.  Death Valley can hold its own against her more popular cousins.

Sublime Tuscany

It was May 2019, little did we know that a year later the world would be turned upside down…..

As the passenger train, all of two coupes long, weaved its way out of Firenze station, the famous Tuscan countryside came alive against the setting sun.  Wave upon wave of gently rolling landscapes, vineyards, olive groves, small hills with villas and picturesque towns whizzed by – it was perfect.  There was no air-con in the train, so we brought the shutters down and became one with the scene.  Disembarking at Siena, we were prepared for a fairly laid back attitude towards overenthusiastic tourists but did not expect that it would be so difficult to get a simple taxi to Montereggioni, where our farm-stay was located.  The driver turned out to be a cheerful fellow, quite unlike his first interaction, and was a live version of Google maps.  While navigating the winding country roads and roundabouts, we needed his intuitive knowledge more than a digital image.

A simple matter of fact welcome awaited us at Borgo di Brandi when we arrived.  We had a quaint three bedroom, living and kitchenette with terracotta floors, wooden beams, stone construction, small wooden windows, a fireplace and all mod cons.  A large part of the next day was spent exploring the villa and its immediate surroundings.  Borgo di Brandi was originally a monastery – now converted into an agriturismo property with about 11 apartments, dining hall and swimming pool.  The famed Via Fracigena route passes just outside.  It was not difficult to imagine why Tuscany has such a magnetic charm.  The climate, beautiful scenery, rich soil, fresh local produce and friendly people just add a lot more taste to the food and wine and entraps you.

That evening, we took a walk to the Monteregionni castle for dinner.  The uphill walk was quite an exercise, enough to work up a good appetite.   The castle is deceptively small – a small piazza surrounded by a couple of restaurants and cafes and a gift shop.  But the view from the modest ramparts is what is worthwhile.  Miles and miles of rolling countryside covered with vineyards and olive groves -quintessential Tuscany.  After a sumptuous dinner of salads, pasta and pork chops using possibly the freshest greens, meats, cheese and tomatoes, we returned to the villa for a game of cards.   

The interest in the landscape having been piqued, we rose early next morning, rented bikes and rode out into the countryside.  Borgo di Brandi is an ideal base to explore Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra and those gems of Chianti – Castellina and Radda.  For a change, we were not standing in queues in front of monuments or rushing between sights.  Living in the Tuscan moment was perhaps the one of the most refreshing and happy times of last year.  I do hope that Italy bounces back from the COVID pandemic, so the world can behold the beauty of Tuscany, its food and people once more.