While Polynesian spirits sing to me from trees and waterfalls and Indian ancestral spirits inhabit shaded arroyos and sun- drenched sandy deserts in New Mexico, ancient gods of Rome seem to sit on my shoulder and whisper in my ear.

They guide me to ruins of Pompeii and Rome.

Italy is an endless feast. Layers of history overlap and each generation has left its legacy.

I also search for that beauty in Medieval and Renaissance gardens and villas in Venice, Florence, Rome, Sicily, and Lake Como.