Travel & Photography
The Strange Allure of Cellars, Caves and Other Deep Dark Places
And touring the Medieval-Era wine caves of Strasbourg, France
Is it weird to have an affinity for subterranean cavernous places like cellars and caves? Maybe it’s the mystery of darkened shadowy depths, the coolness and the musty scent that lures us in.
Shouldn’t they be considered creepy or something?
Growing up we had a couple of old potato cellars made of wood, straw and dirt located on our farm. My two older brothers and I were warned not to go in them as they were prone to cave in — certain spots in one of the cellars had already done just that — yet me and my middle brother in particular found them fascinating.
The dirt inside was quite remarkable. So powdery soft, like finely milled flour, and any sound coming from outside was severely muffled. Sounds made on the inside would make a subdued vibrating echo.
My brother would build elaborate infrastructures in the dirt in order to play with his cars and trucks. Sometimes I would play with my barbie dolls but other times I would find a soft ledge to sit on where tiny beams of light filtered in through the cracks in the cellar ceiling. I would open my latest library book and read for…
