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Archive for October, 2007

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A matter of Perspective

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

Yesterday the wind blew so hard there was a coat of dust on everything–our table, eyelids, teeth, and clean dishes. Then the rain started pouring through trees permanently bent from frequent gusting. I had to laugh when I remembered that this, THIS “good weather forecast” is exactly the reason we are here. “Here” is France, teeny Le Capte, not far from Hyères, not too far from Marseilles and the glamorous St. Tropez beaches (anyone else just hear a suntan lotion jingle?). “Here” is also affectionately Daniel’s “second home,” again exactly for “wonderful” days like this. Yes, I think windsurfers may have a few marbles blown loose. But still, after watching a stream of them excitedly drag their gear to the beach and fly across the waves like butterflies with a wing plucked off, I wished I could do it too.

Sadly for Daniel and the other wind-hungry campers we have also had a couple TERRIBLE weather days here too. The first evening I took a run on a cliff trail overlooking the Mediterranean Sea at gorgeous sundrop. Today we awoke to beautiful blue skies, hot sun, and still trees. Damn. Can’t wait for more “good weather” so that maybe I can find out what it’s like to trade two wings for one.

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” Marcus Aurelius quotes

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Sweating, Shivering, Scarfing, Savoring Switzerland

Friday, October 12th, 2007

I have wondered during the past few days if Switzerland can really truly be this idyllic, or whether it’s just starry vacation eyes that make it seem so. So many meals are enjoyed with groans and cheese-coated smiles; so many mornings I wake up in awe of the mountains that must have awoken much earlier, so über-alert.

Yesterday Daniel and I completed the mountain bike ride to trump all mountain bike rides (Grindelwald to/from Grosse Sheidigg out of Interlaken). Definitely for me my most difficult with about 25 km in length and 1200 meters (~3600 feet) of height gained in the first 10 (consecutively, unrelentingly, painfully). It was cloudy when we started, disappointing for Daniel who knew what amazing things were hidden. For me though it was more exciting getting a peep show of clouds, light, glacier tongues and sharp ridges from the sky, little by little.

By the time our whining legs carried us to the top, the sun was indecisively coming and going, taking turns with a cold, cold wind. Two cups of hot chocolate, rips of cheese and bread and we decided that surprisingly the downhill was more to be feared than the up given our pingpong ball goosebumps and summer outfitting. “I am not a vinter biker!” Daniel had protested earlier, but here we were anyway—setting our gears so that we could still pedal on the downhill while braking, slowing in every sunny spot, taking more breaks than we did on the uphill…perfect for sucking scenery that was now dramatically unveiled.

Warmed and wasted, on the drive back into town we stopped at one of the best establishments in Switzerland—a small dairy shop. Loaded with supplies and instructions, we made our way back to our cow-ringed campsite for the best after-workout meal I’ve ever had: creamy cheese fondue scooped and dunked with bread……pause, breathe, activate second stomach……then a chocolate fondue dipped with raspberries. OHHHHH, I like Switzerland.

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Europe on a shoestring and a bungy cord

Tuesday, October 9th, 2007
Rolling along in a faded red VW camper, the engine's humming reminds me of other European trips, usually viewed from the back window, locations nameless to a kid who is just as interested in finishing her latchhook pillow.  Now though ... [Continue reading this entry]

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