- Main Entry:
- di·aph·a·nous
- Pronunciation:
- \dī-ˈa-fə-nəs\
- Function:
- adjective
- Etymology:
- Medieval Latin diaphanus, from Greek diaphanēs, from diaphainein to show through, from dia- + phainein to show — more at fancy
- Date:
- 1614
1 : characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through <diaphanous fabrics> 2 : characterized by extreme delicacy of form : ethereal diaphanous landscapes> 3 : insubstantial , vague diaphanous hope of success>
— di·aph·a·nous·ly adverb
— di·aph·a·nous·ness noun
I was considering posting about wedding traditions, since this word would tie in quite well w
ith the typical wedding veil and because I will be attending a genuine Spanish wedding this summer. However, when I read the second definition I thought of the most ethereal moment of my life. It was the first time I climbed the Schlossberg in Graz. I even wrote about the experience on my Facebook. Which leads me to an observation on Austrian/German/European culture: They love to climb.All over Europe there's mountains and cliffs and other outdoorsy awesome places. The Schlossberg was only a few hundred meters, a baby in comparison to real mountains in Austria. I also climbed Schoekel which was a few thousand meters. At the bottom we had t-shirts, and at the top there was snow. And of course, the granddaddy of any hill like Sc
hoekel would be found in Tirol. Tirol is in Western Austria and is home to the Austrian Alps. Some of you may have heard of Innsbruck, which is the capital city. When it comes to mountains, Austria is the place to be. Whether it's skiing, hiking, snowboarding, or just climbing, you can do it just about anywhere in Austria. They just don't make the same kind of diaphanous views in the U.S.
I've only climbed a couple of mountains in the U.S., but aside from the weariness of the trek, the view is almost always spectacular. The mountain itself may not be anything more than stone and crag, but I suppose that does allow one to focus on the view from the mountain rather than the mountain itself...
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have expected this connection but I like it. Views like that really do take your breath away. I think about the mist and fog that seem to hover over mountain tops when you see them from afar and that is definitely diaphanous.
ReplyDeleteBreathtaking indeed. I was captured by your line, "the most ethereal moment of my life." How wonderful that moments like that aren't passing unnoticed in your life. Eyes to see and ears to hear. That's what it's all about.
ReplyDeleteSounds lovely! There are also some diaphanous views in Juneau, Alaska, where the clear sky lets you see every detail of life on the mountains. I've had a couple "ethereal moments" there.
ReplyDeleteI wish it wasn't cloudy when you climbed La Giralda.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I hate the fact of climbing, but of course it's always worth it when I get to the top.
Interesting! I had no idea that Austria was such prime mountain land. My boyfriend and I love to go snowboarding, so we'll have to add this to our vacation plans in the near future. The photo you posted looks dreamy. :)
ReplyDelete