It was supposed to be a trip to the high country of New Mexico, with stages of increasing elevation along the way to help us prepare for the big time. My ultimate goal was to be Jicarita Peak, one of the biggies in NM. Besides the urban hiking we would do in the evenings along the way, we had plans to warm up in the Wichita Mountains in OK, and Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, south of Amarillo. Next would come the Texas high point hike in Guadalupe National Park, and an even higher excursion into the Manzano Mtns of NM, and lastly, Jicarita. The plans were wonderful. However, we only made it to the Wichitas in OK, and even there we were robbed by misfortune, as Deb took a tumble on a trail, thus ending the hiking and the journey itself. After her fall, it was essentially a homeward journey, once we were done with the hospital in Lawton.
It wasn't her first fall, either. Four days before leaving, she fell down a flight of six stairs at home, bruising her face and entire body, as well as breaking her left wrist. This after five weeks of intensive training for hill climbing.
Now from the beginning. The Cindependent Film Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, resumed after several years of being shut due to Co-vid. Deb had an animated film accepted there, and was offered two nights accommodation in a downtown hotel. Hard to refuse. So we changed the date of our departure to fit the festival, meaning we would be leaving almost a full week earlier than planned. She got her cast on Thursday. We left Friday morning, Sept. 29th, and were at the festival downtown Cincinnati around 2:30 pm. We registered, Deb as a filmmaker and me as a generic "VIP", then attended a film block. Later, we checked into our hotel, parking the car underground for the weekend. Back to the festival for an evening film block, and then back to the hotel bar for an afterglow party.
Saturday afternoon at 1 pm was the film block in which Deb's animated film "A Fable For Four Voices," was screened. Afterwards there was a Q & A with the audience, in which she participated. We had been walking quite a bit, and we took off again for a while afterwards. I managed to find A Taste of Belgium, a restaurant that has over 20 taps of Belgian and Belgian style ales. I enjoyed a wonderful flight of four ales, and we each had a vegan cookie from their bakery. This was my second visit, and I hope there are many more.
The concourse of our hotel, an Art Deco skyscraper from 1931. We had a complimentary room for two nights. It is called the Hilton Netherland Plaza, and is a sight to behold.
Early morning view from our 12th floor room, looking towards a foggy Ohio River.
Deb and three other directors host a Q & A after their films were shown. Many directors were unable to attend the festival, but those who were there were invited on stage afterwards.
Deb responds to questions about her film from the audience, as she holds one of the stars of the drama, a fox.
The VIP lounge at the festival.
View from the lounge to the vast park across the street.
Flight 201 from A Taste of Belgium in downtown Cincinnati. There was also a 101, for beginners.
View from my bar stool as I enjoyed by Belgian beer flight.
Cincinnati is in many ways an ideal city to visit. Lots of impressive tall buildings, great street life with many restaurants, cafes, bars, and stores. It's a fun city to walk in, whether along the river looking across to Kentucky, or in the middle of the city, or further north in what is called Over the Rhine. We have visited many times, and never been disappointed. It's art museums are justly renowned, also, though there was no time for them this trip. We did manage another visit to the Ohio Bookstore, a used book paradise, where I went in search of a book by Daniel Fuchs. I was alone on the third floor, lost in the "Fs". No Fuchs, but there were enough interesting books on either side of where he should have been that I ended up buying a "F" book anyway. The Days of the King by Bruno Frank is a fictional account of three episodes in the later life of Frederick the Great, with dozens of illustrations by Adolph von Menzel. Quite a bargain at $4.50, and I will be reading it this month. Deb browsed the more popular areas on the main floor, and left with Chopin's Piano: In Search of the Instrument That Transformed Music, by Paul Kildea. Her book choice (which I will also be reading) was published in 2018, mine in 1927 (with an intro by Sinclair Lewis!).
And speaking of books, our welcome bag from the festival each contained an older film book. Mine was Sophia Loren: A Biography by Warren G. Harris, from 1998. Deb got Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, from 1979. Cool stuff!
We attended the awards ceremony Sunday morning. Deb did not win her category, but at least she lost to another very good animated film. A few of the winners in other categories raised our eyebrows, and at least one person who should have won at least one award won nothing. So goes it.
With the cultural portion of our journey at an end, we departed the city around noon Sunday and aimed west, hoping to get some hiking in during the next few weeks. Little did we know.....
...to be continued
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