Dickens describes the gorges of the Simplon. Here is a URL
with a lot of pictures of that area:
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Nave-html/eurcamp/Jun91.html#c1
If I remember rightly, the Orient Express is run by the Venice-Simplon railway company.
Bingley
though probably never ridden by George Plimpton.
sorry, writing on impulse...
Why George Plimpton (RIP) particularly?
"gorges of Simplon" made me think of George Plimpton. that's all. nothing clever.
Aaah. I see. [seriously worried about him-e]
I can see the phonetic link, but I still don't know who George Plimpton is or was. Did our obituarist notify us of his death?
Bingley
Wasn't he the founder-editor of The Paris Review? Or am I thinking of something/someone else?
Amazon is still selling his books.
Name:
George Plimpton Adams
Dates:
Born: October 7, 1882 in Northboro, Massachusetts
Died: 1961 in Berkeley, California
Ph.D. Harvard University: 1911
Retired: 1954
Major Works:
Idealism and the Modern Age (1919)
Man and Metaphysics (1948)
Competitive Economic Systems (1955)
Specializations:
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Idealism
Nature of Philosophy
Biography:
George Plimpton Adams was an American philosopher whose work focused largely upon the nature of philosophy. Specifically, he believed that philosophers faced an insoluble paradox which threatened to undermine the very nature of their work: the most important issues which philosophers had to deal with were those which existed outside the boundaries of human knowledge. This left two basic options: criticize the philosophical writings of others or produce new writings that are dependent not upon reason but simply a romantic who derived everything from intuition.
Neither of these options are all that pleasant - but there is a third possible choice. What Adams advocated was the philosophers adopt the sort of idealism which had become relatively popular through the work of American philosopher Josiah Royce and accept that reality could not be known or understood with a great deal of precision and certainty. This sort of idealism provided philosophers with a great deal more room to operate than a much more restricted naturalism and pragmatism.
I didn't know about George Plimpton Adams, but I adored George Plimpton who was editor of The Paris Review. Can one adore someone they've never met? Anyway, I was very sad to hear of his recent death. What a charming, extraordinary man.
http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1406696.html
thanks, gh. that's the George Plimpton I was thinking about. I remember his stint with the Detroit Lions in the 70's, in a movie which I believe featured Alan Alda.
ah, 1968:
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0063410/
Yes. Paper Lions was one of my favorite books.
He really was an amazing gentleman. Of course, many people remember him as the person who was by Robert Kennedy's side when he was murdered.
Plimpton lived a full exciting life. He accomplished so much. I wish he'd lived much longer for all our sakes.
Not really into obits, but this short article re: his death tells many interesting facts about his great life.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/obituaries/2001747241_web-obitplimpton26.html
Does anyone know who has replaced him at the Paris Review? They were having a hard time coming up with a name last I heard.