Frank Picchione

Capri & Taormina

Here are some photos of Villa le Scale in Capri, where a group of us are staying in celebration of our friend Rob's birthday. I am excited for eight seaside days of carbohydrates, abundant fruits and vegetables, lots of wine, and no workouts.From there we are moving on to the Hotel Imperiale in Taormina, Sicily, where we will visit a renowned winery.We may even attempt to trek Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano on the Europian continent.With a bit of planning ahead I am all set for my flights to Rome, Naples and Catania with pre-ordered vegan meals, individual packets of vegan protein powder, a shaker bottle, and raw, organic cashews and walnuts for energizing snacks.

Philip Johnson Glass House

Today's ominous sky was an impressive backdrop to the landscape and architecture of the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan. Thankfully, it did not produce a downpour until we were safely on the road back to the city. Above is the entrance to the art gallery which houses Philip Johnson's personal collection, including the painting below of Mr. Johnson by his good friend Andy Warhol. The two bottom photos are of works by Frank Stella.

Biking in Wilton

I took my new Cannondale SuperSix 5 out for its first ride in Connecticut last weekend. I rode up to North Wilton, where I used to ride many years ago. It was a beautiful early autumn day in the countryside.

Endless Fields of Corn, by Jilda Caccavo

My friend Jilda just returned from riding her bike halfway accross the country. Based on the photos she emailed along the way she subsisted entirely on diner food, beer and Wisconsin custard.  She did find a bit of time between meals to shoot this video while observing the following:

"From western New York State through western Minnesota, I would estimate that 75% of the crops grown are corn, 20% soybean, and 5% other. Millions of acres as far as the eye can see are producing inedible foodstuffs. The energy of the sun and the nutrition of the soil are being squandered into a commodity that sends profits to the few as it poisons nations and the earth. There are millions of square miles of land to be cultivated in this country. This system is not sustainable, it's not just the subject of documentaries, it's real. This is the lesson and the legacy of America - the people are kind, and the land is being wasted."

Agriculture in this country is a nasty business. Along with the livestock industry and factory farming, corn and soybean farming are among the leading causes of global warming. It takes many pounds of grain to yield one pound of beef, and many more gallons of water. Of course not all corn is grown for cow consumption. Much of it is converted into obesity causing corn syrup, which is found in most processed food. One of the most informative and riveting movies about this subject is Food Inc. It is a real eye opener to see how the uninformed are victims of lobbies and advertising.

Dame Daphne Sheldrick at The American Museum of Natural History

On May 8th Dame Daphne gave an inspiring lecture about her life in Kenya and her devotion to orphaned elephants, followed by a book signing.

Hippos in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

We had a lot of fun watching these hippos spray bursts of water high into the air as they resurfaced. The hippopotamus is said to be among Africa's most dangerous animals. They are protective and aggressive. A young English couple we met on their honeymoon said they had to make a run for it when one angry hippo charged their Land Rover. A thrill we sadly did not experience.

The Langata Giraffe Centre

The Langata Giraffe Centre, run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, is a sanctuary for the very rare and endangered Rothschild's giraffe, which is threatened with extinction in the wild. The sanctuary is in Langata, a posh suburb of Nairobi, and the former home of its founder, Jock Leslie-Melville, the Kenyan grandson of a Scottish Earl, and his wife Betty.

We stopped here on our first morning in Kenya on our way to the Sheldrick elephant orphanage. Giraffes are gentle, slobbery animals. The keepers kept telling us, "Don't worry, giraffes' saliva is atiseptic." To which I responded, "Blech, I'm not worried." I was relieved to see two baby giraffes headed our way. They had much smaller and dryer mouths, and nibbled the pellets delicately from my fingers.

Our lodge was in Karen, a neighboring suberb on the land where Karen Blixen's farm stood. Blixen, the auther of Out of Africa, is revered in those parts. That afternoon we enjoyed one of our best meals at the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden.Above is a photo of the neighboring Giraffe Manor.

Below is a photo of kenyan school children visiting the sactuary, who made our visit even more fun.

Dr. Frank - The Bush Doctor

Cam, Chris and I met Dr. Frank earlier this month on our way from Lake Manyara in Tanzania back to the Kilimanjaro Airport. Oddly, my traveling companions had run out of their malaria meds and had to get their hands on more pills before moving on to Zanzibar. Dr. Frank's facility was cheerful and busy, with many people waiting to be seen. The three of us were struck by how genuinely happy and warm this man was. He knew we were rushing to catch our flights and helped us out immediately. Then he took a moment to step outside and say hello to a scraggly dog I was feeding a piece of cake to. As we drove off we talked about how fulfilled he must feel every day, living in that beautiful country and making a difference in so many lives.

On Safari

I'm off to visit my elephant babies and other wild things in Kenya and Tanzania. Back in March with lots of photos and stories.

Palatine Hill, Rome

Rome's Palatine Hill, with its views of the Forum below and the Colosseum in the distance, is one of the most beautiful, peaceful places I have ever been. I wandered for hours in the hot sun, among the citrus trees and olive groves, and never wanted to leave.