+PILGRIMS OF GENETIC TIES+ >in the footsteps of antoine jean baptiste valentin verloin degruy who left the marble and mirrored halls of +VERSAILLES PALACE+ >for the tropical jungles of the french colonies in december 1738 and arriving in new orleans via san domingue in march of the year 1739. >ONE NEVER FORGETS THE FIRST SIGHT OF THE VERDENT JUNGLE AGAINST THE GREEN-BLUE SEA AND >RADIANT WHITE SAND. >(there is one man-made structure (TROPICAL CYCLONES) >still here from antoine's day) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +SANTO DOMINGO CATHEDRAL+ +PRIMEDA DE AMERICA+ (completed, 1540) >is the oldest church in the new world and inside the bones of the genoa +navigator / explorer+ +CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS+ (deceased, 1506) >MOULDER IN A LEAD URN FOUND DEEP IN THE BOWELS OF THE >CATHEDRAL FLOOR IN 1877. >(we must remember there were three great genoa based navigators... +ANDREA DORIA+ +CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS+ (plus our very own) +JEAN BAPTISTE de BRESSE+ >(admiral de bresse street and castle (also grimaldi/valentinois) (CLOSE @ MONACO) >of the savoy dukes in villefranche- +(OUR SAVOY/GRUY PEOPLE)+ (>liguria once savoy< +TERRITORY+) >sur-mer (near nice) france) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (remember the giant templar ship i wrote about constructed at >villefranche sur mer) +PARQUE COLON+ +SANTO DOMINGO+ >marianne and i arrived by ancient taxi late on a sunday afternoon (MANY TROPICAL PEOPLE) >to the park/square outside of +THIS MASSIVE CATHEDRAL+ >MADE VERDANT BY GIGANTIC CIEBA (green monkeys/french islands) >TREES AND OTHER TROPICAL FLORA. +POINT "O" FOR PILGRIMS+ >200 years after this ancient cathedral was completed our first ancestor in (FEBRUARY, 1739) >the new world had arrived at this +VERY SPOT FOR SUNDAY MASS+. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >needless to say we were very (AWE-INSPIRED) >impressed with the impact this made both on his and on our own +S E N S E S+ +SACRED PLACE+ >after many photographs we woke up our ancient driver to drive (HORRID SOUNDS) >us in his expiring jalopie to a >VERY BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL SEA SIDE RESTAURANT WHERE >GIANT YELLOW & BLUE (some 300 yrs. old, >knew antoine<) +MACKAWS+ +WATCHED US DINE+. +SYNCHRONISTIC CEREMONY+ >from our seaside table under a most colorful palapa umbrella we could (FLIGHT OF THE GRUE/GRUY) >see the radiant pink flamingo in their 600 mile spring migration (twice yearly migrations) >IN FRANCE & SWITZERLAND THIS CEREMONY WAS ENACTED WITH (over greater distances) >MUCH DEVOTED ATTENTION. >(the crane/grue in europe is (TREASURED NESTS) >an important good omen.) more later... gene ray, san diego, california