camminando | Roma: Following the Sun and Shadow

The obelisk is located at 41.902245, 12.457274 in the center of the Square. According to the Vatican website (http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_pietro/it/basilica/esterno.htm) the  red granite obelisk was is 25.31-meter tall on a base of 8.25 meter. It was originally placed on the axis of the Circus of Nero—or Circus of Caligula.

An early interpretation of the relative locations of the circus, and the medieval and current Basilicas of St. Peter. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_of_Nero#/media/File:Plan_of_Circus_Neronis_and_St._Peters.gif

The obelisk has a square plan aligned to true north and its shadow acts as a sundial. The surrounding pavement made of sampietrino (beveled basalt stones) and has inserted white marble markers defining a wind rose. The wind rose markers were not added until 1852 during the pontificate of Pius IX.

camminando | Palm Trees, a Pier and a Tall Ship

In Geelong a warm mid-fall day still offers me the opportunity for a healing walk along the Waterfront.

After recording the noon shadow of the usual palm tree, I encounter a replica of the majestic 1830 tall ship Enterprize: the tall ship sailed from Tasmania with the first white settlers that founded the city of Melbourne.

 C'est moi on board

And some public art always frames the beauty of nature in the urban environment.

And a view from above of the Cunningham Pier with the western light:

camminando | Sunset at Waurn Ponds

camminando | Finding My Axis Mundi

 I am finally finding my bearings, that is my axis mundi is getting oriented.

With my relocation to Waurn Ponds/Geelong (Victoria, Australia) my  world —at least in a geographic and astronomical meaning— went upside down:

• At noon the sun is at North
• Eastern is celebrated in fall
• and Christmas in summer. 
• March 20 is the fall equinox
• June 21 the summer solstice
• September 21 spring equinox
• December 21 is the summer solstice
• Driving is on the left side of the road and the steering wheel on the right side

 I finally decided to use my body as a sundial: here my shadow at noon, when side is on the meridian, on the north; my shadow is aligns in the direction north-south from feet to head/