"Top Ten" posts of 2014

One year has passed since I started the blog Cross Country Chronicles.  Most of the topics and themes were from my travels in the United States and Greece.  The ten most popular out of 101 posts in 2014 and a picture of my two favorite recent graduates (above) were as follows:

1.     Ohio State University GraduationDay 

2.     Porto Rafti

3.     Poseidon’s Temple and the AegeanSea

4.     Hostile Downing of CivilianAirplanes

5.     “Top three”

6.     Mycenae

7.     Island of Lovers

8.     Cook County Hospital

9.     New Orleans

10.   Delphi

As this is the first day of 2015 I would like to wish to 13,000+ visitors of this blog a very Happy and Healthy New Year.   Most of the visitors were from the United States, followed by Greece and Canada.  The next seven countries as far as number of visits were Malaysia, Germany, France, Ukraine, Poland, United Kingdom and Russia.

The Hermit

Arch made of stones and a bell lead to the site where Louis Boucher came to the Canyon around 1889 to mine copper along the creek that bears his name. Boucher carved a trail into the canyon, and for years lived alone at nearby Dripping Springs and acquired the nickname, The Hermit.

Louis Boucher on his mule Calamity Jane.

Within short order, he built a trail from the rim to his dwelling.     

He erected some tents and a small corral for horses, mules, and sheep; planted a garden and an orchard.  Boucher never made a lot of money mining, but the reclusive eccentric tended to his claims in the Canyon for many years, and was a gracious host when tourists stopped by his canyon homes. 

Another hermit (me) on a trail guiding chosen guests (my brother and sister) with his favorite donkey, Aphrodite.....

....to our family’s ancestral home in the village of Zeria (upper).  Guests are always welcome as long as they can trek the mountain paths of northern Peloponnese where Zeria is located.