What a wonderfully articulate and lucky fellow. I have watched most of your videos and you have a gift for finding people in love with their surroundings and able to express themselves well. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful. I was there one winter and watched the sunset at the beach near Provincetown, and it was the first time I had ever cried watching a sunset purely for its beauty. Thanks for sharing this.
This reminded me of one of my favorite books of all time Henry Beston's "The Outer Most House"...As Beston phrased it, "Nature is a part of our humanity, and without some awareness and experience of that divine mystery man ceases to be man.”
I had the wonderful good fortune to live there back in 1970/71 while stationed with the Air Force at North Truro. I spent a great deal of time walking and at that time driving these dunes in an old vw dunebuggy. Rebuilt an old sailboat with a buddy and sailed it out of N Truro harbor. Hunted for gold coin from the Widdah. Maintained property near the Coast Guard Station. Homes now long devoured by the collapsing sand dunes. Collected driftwood and flotsam and made items for our small apartment. Still have a few of them. Kale soup on a cold winter night. Harvesting scallop and clams. Discussing Nietzche, Kant, and other poets and philosophers in the small tavern in downtown P Town. I will never forget the wild ride from P Town to Otis as we headed to the Hospital for the birth of our first child at Otis AFB. Police escort at 1am town to town all the way down rte 6 at 95mph. Decades ago now but the sound of the wind in the grass, the wind whipping the sand the sheer fear of trying to outsail a November squall and making it back into harbor safely, are still fresh in my mind all these years later. May these Dune shacks remain, forever a reminder of Freedom. Individuality and wild nature.
This is one of my favorite docs and RU-vid videos. Del Deo is so articulate and passionate about the fragility and beauty of the dunes. While the visuals were stunning, his commentary was also so vivid and inspiring that a blind person could listen to the soundtrack to this film and still enjoy it. Kirsten, you were wise to just let him speak and to add your camera's images to enhance and play off his words. I live on the other side of the continent, in the dunes of Baja California, Mexico, which is a less-protected but equally fragile desert ecosystem. This film resonated with me in ways that sent ripples beyond just the 25 minutes I spent watching it. I am a writer, and not only did this help me formulate ideas about the finish of one novel and what my next project will be, it made me realize how much I need to spend more time simply absorbing the nature around me here in Mexico to lend clarity to my work. I'm from Massachusetts originally, and have spent many days on the Cape. In fact, my parents live in Yarmouth. My dad introduced me to the National Seashore and the wonders of Cape beaches as a child. This film makes me yearn to return there to write--maybe as an artist in residence one day soon? Thank you for posting this!
My Aunt lived near Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia in a tiny house with her husband. I was young when I visited and remember how tiny her house was and how large and round my aunt was. But she was a cook and her tiny wood stove made the best chowder and pound cake on the continent. I loved that visit.
I love coming back to this video whenever life gets too cluttered with stuff and I'm not able to physically get away to recharge. It just soothes the soul. Thank you to all involved in making and sharing it with us.
I think a small solar+wind powered water distillery and a solar oven could be used to slightly increase the quality of life. Maybe even adding more stilts and importing some ground, just to have planting pots where to grow food.
If you ever want to go here, I have some tips for you. It's fascinating and I was delighted to take my French spouse here in 2000. He was fascinated and flipped out at the drive-in movie in Wellfleet, ha ha ha!!! He loved this!
MsFrosteetoes Thank heaven! It was wonderful fun, everyone with their folding chairs, coolers and bug spray. The kids went over to the play area. Well-attended. We of course didn't care what the movie was -- that wasn't the point! :)
Wow! Fascinating.Very interesting man and location. Re anyone who thinks these houses are wrecks-the outsides look like other Cape Cod exteriors, perhaps a little more affected by nature than most, and the inside of his looks like a summer camp. Nothing wrong with that.
Wow, one of my favorite episodes yet. Thanks Kirsten! Was this pre-scripted or anything? Or is this man just that well-spoken and intuitive? I didn't have a problem listening to his ideologies for nearly 28 minutes as I sometimes would with some of your other videos.
It wasn't pre-scripted, Romolo just knows the subject and speaks very well. He also takes the time to be alone and to think (part of his attraction to this place) which I believe helps anyone better formulate their ideas.
I truly appreciate the love this man has for this area. I know I'm in the right company here, but I wish more people have a similar love for preservation of nature. And really preservation of Simple Living too! Shame things seem in the total opposite of that though....
I remember seeing one of these homes 30 years ago out on those dunes and thought it was a shame that it was being swallowed up by the sand. What I assumed was that the shack was abandoned, but more likely it was merely the shifting sand and it was one of these homes you've showed. Glad to see that they still exist, hopefully they will continue into the future! Nice Vid!
@@jimbanda Back in the day you just went out yourself and built them. It's part of the National Seashore now so no new construction is allowed, but the shacks that were already there were allowed to stay.
Beautiful Kirsten ! Reminds me of the dunes at Dunkirk - France near which I grew up. Same blue-greyish sky an sea, same vegetation. Thank you for sharing this pure marvel.
So much beauty. Filmed in late afternoon, how unusual! How precious this little film is! This person is a poet and someone I would love to cross path with one day. What a brilliant man. Kirsten, this is a jewel. Very well done and, Thank you!!!
wonder how much is spirit of land that first nation people were obedient to...like keeping forests to preserve soil and farming...goes far back routine of things. Think business survival that is head down with one or two weeks off vacation needs to be pushed back at federal level agreement between people. A soul has too much individual freewill discoveries to be rewarded with trophy homes as sign of presence to society.
Absolutly love this lifestyle...Have several pictures that look like the interior of this place !! If only 'we' had ...choices like this ....to live peaceably ...on our own without the 'push/shove/'have too's' ' of modern society!!..Good Job Kristen !!!
Hi. Why not build an underground or integrated-earth home as a way to accept the sand and the wind and weather? Let the sand blow over the roof of the home. Beautiful stories. Thank you for sharing.
I love Your description of the social environment that surrounded the creation of the Mayflower compact.I haven't heard the phrase representative democracy since my government classes in junior high school. The fact that I say junior high school certainly does place me in a certain generation. Do you think you could expand on that very brief conversation about the founding of America and spread it around on RU-vid? It was lost information.
I see others that provide video documents as you do but seriously, your style of interviewing, editing is my favorite, well done young lady. THANKSGIVING
This is the Cape few ever see. Thank you so much for bringing me along to share in another enriching experience, for another charming visit with a unique dweller who has a valuable perspective, who lives in an exceptional location & who is such a pleasure to encounter, as he showed us around a dwelling which he has lived with since childhood. There's a story to be told & our guide touched upon many aspects - each as interesting as the next. .
As a Dune Tour Driver working for Rob Costa, this is one of my absolutely most favorite jobs. It was a dream come true to have Rob ask ME to work for HIM and the Dune Tour Family! This video is AMAZING! Thank you SO much!! :)
So beautiful how you tell the story and your love for the area , much of the dunes of O’ahu , Hawaii , humans flattened but during my childhood they were all there . One of my favorite songs of my dad who grew up on the east coast was Cape cod and I still love it , I have never been my home and birth place Hawaii he fell in love with along with my native Hawaiian mama . So admire these beautiful “ Pu’u One”( sand hills)
I love places like that. It's surprising how little you really need to survive. When the hubby and I were first married we lived in what my in laws called the little house. It was two rooms, bedroom and office/wash room. So with no kitchen the hubby obtained a camper for me and we gutted it and then put in electric appliances and a mini hot water heater. It worked! So it was all we needed. It was like camping all the time. I loved it.
Cape Cod's Dune Shacks are some the most authentically American buildings that are still with us. Imagine... you there on a crisp late spring morning, your coffee at hand (you had to make it cowboy-style over a stove) and... blissful silence, save for the distant cry of an occasional gull... as you wait for the perfect word to come to you... there it is.
This was just a beautiful video...Very calm and positive. Thank you for going out there and recording this Kirsten and also to Romolo. It is just an amazing place..Barbora, Slovakia
the homes, the scenery, the history, the humanity - a wonderful watch from start to finish! p.s. add edward hopper to the list of great artists who spent a lot of time out there
This video restored beautiful memories of a weekend visit to my friend's shack owned by her g'father. It was located on Island beach State Park at the Jersey Shore. We swam and collected mussels during the day and climbed the abandoned 'lookout tower' used during WW2 and played cards by candlelight after a simple meal. There was a magical dormitory type upstairs screened room where you could see the ocean on one side and Barnegat Bay and lights from the mainland on the other side. Truly one of my BEST childhood memories ever!!!
Donald Trump just did a similar thing in Europe trying to build a 5 star golf course in a small town. They had to spend huge amounts of money to have a company come out and have a ton of people plant special grass on the dunes, the grass is said to prevent sand from taking over the areas and buildings nearby
***** They mentioned, that there were forests and English settlers chop em` all, so the dune was moving and basically made it into desert, where it is hard for any tree to grow.
When I first started watching RU-vid [and I was not prepared for the good stuff I find here] I watched this Video. A part of New England history and life that I never knew about. I started to follow alternative homes which were in abundance here. I no longer watch television, don't even have cable. What a wonderful "old friend" this video is, and I keep coming back to it just to experience the history it uncovers, Thanks!
Kristen .. great job.. I actually liked that you said so little and he had a long story line .. It worked on this piece... I was on Cap Cod often and never knew this was there..
I love Ptown because it has such diversity, its perfection to me. Always wanted to live there, but rich ppl are buying up everything now more than ever, so all i can do is dream. They will never touch the dune shacks, some things are not for sale on the cape.
Awesome video. I have driven the dunes with Art's Dune Tours out of Provincetown before, but have never seen an up close and personal account of the shacks themselves. Very well narrated!
Uprated, shared. I am lucky because I spent so much time right here from 1983-2000. We must stay off dunes and leave them alone, and never step on the rare vegetation. "People ruin everything," ha ha ha! When people cut trees, farm, introduce their animals, et c., they wreck ecosystems. This place is really lovely and I was fortunate to actually see these shacks long ago. You need a special vehicle and skills to even drive here. Very fun clip.
This video was amazing. Last spring my partner and I spent a week at Fowler. Each morning I walked over the top of the dunes to your shack. There was a family of foxes living under the shack (one of the sweetest things I've ever encountered) and we decided to call this "the fox shack". Our week in the dunes was the most amazing time that either of us had spent - either together or alone. Somehow I knew that connections like this would arise as we walked down the road...
It's set up so that the descendants cannot inherit and stay there. This will be gone at some point. Access to this huge area is highly restricted and you have heck to pay if you go on the vegetation or stuff. You need a special vehicle to get in here and most people are not skilled enough to drive in this.
slobomotion The dunes were never a wilderness park. There were always homes and other structures there since Cape Cod was settled. I think it is fair to say that the wish and goal of most who have lived there, or live there still is to strike some kind of balance between on-going use and preservation. The shacks themselves are on the registry of National Historic places and they are, in themselves, an important part of this America's history because of their contribution to the arts and letters. Also, the area is so large, the Park has only one patrol a day, the dune residents play an important role in alerting the Park to issues as well as keeping watch in case of groundings and other wildlife emergencies. The dune dwellers played a major role in getting the Park approved in the first place, so most are ery concerned and sensitive to the environmental issues. It is a unique place.
Thank you for this! We are planning our first trip to the Cape this fall. I'm really excited to see the beauty. This man is so well spoken and makes some great common sense points on so many subjects!
The CApe except for the parts further out has pretty much been ruined by developement. I went there for the first time in 35 years and was shocked at the changes. Fortunately the outer cape because it is more remote has been much less effected. You can still be in the lost world of the Pilgrims on the dunes. Parker River Wildlife area in Newbury has a similar feel. Watch out for ticks. they carry Lyme disease.
I miss my home. Lived there for 60 years. Moved 2 years ago. Instant regret. One of our field trips in grade school was 4 days at National Seashore. We slept in tiny cabins. I think they still do it. Beautiful Cape Cod❤.
Gil - I also feel like I was in quality company. I didn't realize it was only ~30 min. long ! ! ! I felt like I was with them, at the dunes - listening and learning. Frankly, I was mesmerized. I feel like it was an all day long experience. Seriously, I'm "basking" in the whole experience. I will watch this again and again.
Great educational video! Can we see more? I'm reminded of how tranquil and peaceful Orleans is when I escape to my getaway town! But in just the last few years I've noticed a monstrosity of homes being built right on Nauset Rd in Nauset Heights! Preservation laws must be enforced to protect the natural habitats from destruction. Seeing too many mega homes continue to dominate the unique scenery and beauty of rural Cape Cod which should be left undisturbed.
Love it! I hitchhiked to Cape Cod when 16 ...many many many moons ago...from Canada...walked the beaches...My English ancestors founded Rhode Island colonies....
He said his children live there too. Where’s the wife? Do they pay taxes? Squatting? Lots of unanswered questions. He said people of artistic status have had access.
Really good piece....Spent a lot of time out there myself. Don't tell anybody, it's one of the best spots ever......if you didn't gather that by the great interview/discussion/treatise.
I couldn't sleep... Stumbled on this it brought me such joy. It also got me thinking about Sal and Dorothy who was so wonderful and amazing... Thankyou 🙏
Concluding sentence 'you basically reduce to speechlessness.. and that happens every single day..' It sums it up the entire effect of this tranquil sanctuary. .. absolutely marvelous..
Beautiful. And well done. As are all of Kirsten's videos. What I don't understand is why is he living by Frenchy's "rules"? Does he live here full time? With his son and daughter? Does he work? Where's the wife? Who owns the shack? Has he inherited it? Is it grandfathered in so he has perpetual rights to living there? And nobody else lives as neighbors? Or can become neighbors? This is a great piece of work, but these questions remain unanswered.
Talking about using driftwood to build their shacks reminded me of that old movie Bicentennial Man. Robin Williams' character the Bicentennial Man built his home from driftwood. Robin Williams was a great actor and funny comedian. I think that more things should be made from driftwood. I once found a straight juniper about 60 feet long and 50inches in diameter washed down from a creek where it stood when my Dad was a boy, back in the early 60s. I know this because I told him that i had found a huge straight beautiful juniper, he remembered it, and remembered it had disappeared, where I saw it was only about 10 miles down stream. But 5 miles were swift Creek and 5 miles were slow river that was fast in a flood. Well I went back to see if I could get it off the bank and out of a log jam. There had been a long storm and the river went up 8 feet and took that old log on down. I hope someone finds her and makes something beautiful.
::Sigh:: This man tells himself stories in his exclusivity. Cape Cod is struggling to survive and is losing the battle. The rules are there to eventually wipe out the shacks. That's OK; they've had a very good run, but it is a push against shove for survival on the dunes.
Enjoyed the video and the commentator who spent his life there. I agree with his assessment that the buildings should stay. If you worship government, then you probably disagree.
