My journey to and from work, as I’m sure is the case for many people, is long and feels tiring, especially when both there and back are in the dark. Sure my commute is for the most part along a motorway surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery, but it’s difficult to enjoy even the most stunning snowy peak in the pitch black of winter mornings and evenings…! It’s totally my choice to live as far away as I do from my place of work so I am in no position to grumble, however, endless hours spent in a car, especially when you get closer to the international borders and cities, can really start to grate on you. The sheer volume of traffic, the angry and intolerant (and incompetent?!) drivers, and the traffic lights, oh the incessant traffic lights!
This tedium day in day out can really get to you, something which so many people can relate to, almost to the point where you feel like you are on auto-pilot, mindlessly covering the kilometres in order to get to where you need to be, and therefore ignoring everything around you.
En route home tonight, adding to the endless stream of Friday night traffic, I took a moment to stop and realise that I don’t always need to be in a hurry. The sunset was beautiful, the mountains were literally glowing, and so I pulled over and just sat, watching the beautiful scenery in front of me. It sounds like a cliché but I’d be interested to know how many people ever stop their daily routine to simply look at the world around them and reflect on how spectacular it is without even trying. We’re all busy people and have a million and one things to do every day, but it’s amazing how peaceful it is to stop every once in a while, pull over and forget that traffic. The World is a beautiful place…
Sunset over the haystacksBeautiful vineyards at sunset
I didn’t grow up with a cat or a dog, therefore I never really had strong feelings either for or against the household pets as a child. We had the standard hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs etc, but occasionally poking at a small creature in a cage isn’t quite the same as taking your dog for a walk. Having no personal experience of these pets, my only opinions were formed through limited time spent with friends’ pets. I grew up with the belief that dogs were big, goofy, friendly creatures who were ‘man’s best friend’ and always keen for a walk. Cats on the other hand were generally considered to be reasonably unfriendly creatures who either slept all day or stalked around, aloof and uninterested. I always liked the idea of having a dog but assumed taking care of them would be too much work, and was never really interested in having a cat as I didn’t really see the point. So overall, as a family we weren’t really pet people.
So a few years ago when my boyfriend suggested we get a cat, I wasn’t massively enthused. I didn’t see the benefit of a hoity toity creature stalking around, ignoring us completely and coming and going when it pleased. But it didn’t offend me too much either and as he was desperately keen, I obliged. And then Lilou arrived, possibly the most un-cat-like cat that’s ever lived. She was desperate for constant attention, loved a belly rub and was only happy whilst sitting on your knee. I had no idea how much I was going to love having a cat as a pet until Lilou came along. However Lilou was a rescue cat and quite elderly. We only had her for a year and a half before she died, but had to remind ourselves that her last 18 months of life with us had to beat being in a cage.
But I had the bug, coming home to a now empty house was unbearable. Sure it’s ‘only a cat’, but the joy created from a creature waiting for you as soon as you walk through the door is something that you just don’t appreciate until it’s not there anymore. After a month of being ‘cat-less’ we decided it was time to get a new one. Not a replacement for Lilou, but a new pet for us. So along came Gozo. It was difficult to imagine a cat more affectionate and more un-cat-like than the last one, but we’ve managed to hit the jackpot once again and have adopted one of the cutest creatures on earth!
I can safely say that I am now a ‘cat person’, not suggesting that means I’m not a ‘dog person’ as I’m fairly sure you can be a fan of both, but I can no longer imagine a house without a cuddly creature wandering around and despite the fact that Gozo might be around for the next 15 years or more, I already feel nervous for when he’s not!
Anyone across Europe would be hard pushed to disagree that this has been one of the worst summers in living memory, weather-wise. Despite an early heat surge in late May/early June, lulling us all in to a false sense of security, July was abysmal and August not much better, well certainly throughout Western Europe anyway. In the final weeks of August here in the Alps we were experiencing midday highs of lower than 20C, and an afternoon thunderstorm that you could almost set your watch to; hardly what you’d expect from summer in France. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, there have been some lovely sunny days and if you are feeling enterprising you can always make the most whatever the weather, even if that means charging uphill in the rain for several hours simply to get some exercise!
I will generally spend a large part of my summer holidays rock climbing and mountaineering, but with rain forecast almost every day it was difficult to ever get a firm plan in place and in the high mountains, heavy rain means snow; not ideal for climbing on rocks. The last few weeks have seen the return to work and to more of a routine, and of course coinciding perfectly with this, the sun has come out and stayed out for the past week or so! Despite having a wonderfully extended summer holiday, I often find that once I return to work I end up doing more, as time seems more precious when you have less of it. When you have every day free it’s not so pressing to get out and make the most of every minute! So I have thoroughly enjoyed this unexpected week of warm weather and have used it to explore the hidden corners of this valley, places that are sitting literally on my doorstep, but which I have never set foot in.
I have lived here for almost 8 years now and feel like by now I should have seen every view. Of course no-one even in a whole lifetime will walk every trail or slide across every skiable patch of snow, but despite having spent so much time in these mountains, I am constantly amazed at how much there is still to discover. A simple run up in to the mountains behind my house last week revealed a completely new area I didn’t even know existed; full of charming chalets and beautiful meadows, and a day hike suggested by a friend took us across an area I had never considered walking to before. We were absolutely astonished that the view across the valley to Mont Blanc that we had looked at so many hundreds of times before could look so different and unveil smaller peaks and features that you simply can’t see from anywhere else. Looking down from a small peak to discover a series of hidden mountain lakes that can only be found by your own exertions is a wonderful feeling, especially when you are the only people there!
This is why I love the mountains so much. You can look at the same view day in day out and it will never be the same, and if you take the time to step out of your door on a sunny day and explore these wonderful places, you are guaranteed to see something that will take your breath away, and you might even discover something completely new!
This is an age old question which I’m sure countless numbers of people have asked themselves at some point in their lives. I would be tempted to say that the majority of people would automatically say ‘beach’ simply because they have spent more time on beaches and very little or no time in mountains, but also because our society tells us that beach holidays are more exotic and the obvious choice for a summer break.
Growing up in the United Kingdom it’s safe to say that we don’t get much experience of impressive mountainous regions or golden sandy beaches, our highest peak being Ben Nevis at 1344m and the hottest average summer temperatures hovering around the mid-twenties. Holidays mean ‘getting away’ and we grow up believing that hot places and beaches are the only option worth considering. This is where the rise in low cost airline flights has come from to countries such as Spain, Greece and Italy; people want a cheap escape to somewhere in the sun, and understandably so. Why would you want a holiday to a freezing snowy place if you spend the other 50 weeks of the year grinding away in a rainy, cold city? Most Brits live in landlocked counties and only see a beach once a year on an annual summer holiday; sand and sea are exciting, different and best of all, cheap. To go on a beach holiday a family needs nothing more than themselves and swimming gear, no expensive hiring of equipment or paying elevated prices for lifts or accommodation. In my experience children couldn’t care less and often have no awareness of whether they are staying in a 5* hotel or in a tiny tent on a crowded campsite so it’s easy to see why beach holidays win for a family.
Skiing holidays are viewed as only for the wealthy and privileged, a pastime which is only ever viewed in magazines or on television for the majority of people. It’s too foreign, too difficult and too expensive, why not just get a cheap flight to Spain with your togs and towel and you’re all set for a holiday? But those who have never visited the Alps or indeed any high mountain range I find are often extremely naive. What people don’t seem to realise is that in the summer months the mountains serve a very different purpose. I remember heading out to the French Alps in July aged 18 to work my first ‘summer season’ and several people asking me if I was going to be a ski instructor. I found this hard to understand because firstly even at 18 and having never stood on a pair of skis, I was aware that you probably needed qualifications and experience to be an instructor, and secondly, it was the summer, didn’t people realise that snow is generally a winter phenomenon??
However I imagine this is a completely different story for those growing up in countries with a more temperate climate or surrounded by mountain scenery such as the States or a lot of mainland Europe. Much of these continents are covered in spectacular peaks which their inhabitants grow up admiring and using in every way, and perhaps these people would have little interest in a beach. You can’t climb it, conquer it, travel down it quickly. I think my opinion of how people view mountains and beaches is very much British as this is the main pool of experience that I can draw from. With the exception of a hardy handful, Brits generally don’t grow up roaming the hills and valleys, children will generally choose building a sandcastle over donning a pair of hiking boots and trailing after dad over the Yorkshire Moors. Most people’s earliest experiences of holidays are on the beach in the sun and this is therefore imprinted in to their brain as what holidays are all about.
But I feel people are missing out on what these places of natural beauty are all about and often it takes an inspirational teacher or a school trip to broaden a young mind as to what nature has to offer. How many of us have walked away from the crowds at a beach and simply sat down to admire the tranquility of the waves, or snuggled up on a rugged coastline to watch the ferocity of a storm? In a similar vein, on those annual skiing trips how many tourists avoid the over-crowded mountain restaurants, take a packed lunch and find a peaceful spot to eat where they can really take in the beauty of a mountain landscape? I worry that ‘holidays’ have become such a desperation for over-worked and fed up people that most don’t even consider where they are going anymore. Wherever is cheap and hot, nothing else matters.
So back to my original question, having spent many a happy summer working on the south and west coasts of France, and having had the fortune to experience the East Coast of Australia in all its glory, I love the beach and the sea. I fell in love with the ‘beach’ way of life in Australia, so simple, so chilled, so beautiful. Scuba diving, snorkelling, sea kayaking, it’s all hard to beat, but for me the mountains will always win. They are a geographical phenomenon and awe-inspiring doesn’t even come close. To me they are nature’s greatest achievement and will be there reigning supreme when everything else is long gone. Life in the mountains is constantly varied and I love that there are 4 very distinct seasons, all of which are magical in their own way. Rather than being a miserable, cold, dark period that everyone hates and wishes away, winter is highly anticipated and never long enough. Every year I think I like winter more and then when summer arrives I change my mind, until the following December when my love of snow is rekindled! Being in the mountains in winter, completely alone with not a soul in sight, having pushed your skis uphill for hours, you have truly earned your turns downhill, and in the summer, having got up at first light and climbed a steep, rocky and exposed ridge, standing on the top of that peak looking down at everything below is a feeling that cannot be beaten.
Beach or mountains? I think deep down, everyone is one or the other. It’s important to experience both. I’ll always spend time on the beach and in the sea, but the mountains will always take my breath away.
I’ve decided I’d like to write a pondering thought each week, something that will give us food for thought over the weekend so I think Friday seems the obvious choice! Here’s number one – enjoy!
Of course moving house is a big deal. It’s time consuming, it’s incredibly stressful and it can be costly. Add to that the travel logistics involved if you’re moving a long distance to another town or city. Throw in to that mix a new country, a new language, a new currency and a completely new culture and you’ve created for yourself a situation that many would describe as their worst nightmare and simply shudder at the thought. Whatever your reason for relocating; whether it’s for a job, a partner or simply on a whim, the whole experience is riddled with unanswerable questions; what will the job be like? Will we like it there? Will we have any friends? Have we made the right decision? No-one can answer these questions for you and the only way of finding out is by going and giving it a try.
Filling in tax returns, registering with a doctor and opening a bank account seem commonplace and mundane, but in a different country and in a language that is not your mother tongue, it can be terrifying. Having lived in France now for almost my whole adult life, I feel fairly comfortable with the French way of life and how things work. But I can’t deny that day to day life would be so much easier if we lived in Britain. From buying standard household essentials to trying to use public transport after 7pm, life in a busy French ski resort is far from straightforward and despite the exotic image of the ‘French Culture’ I can fully understand why so many British expats still rely so much on the UK and the things that are familiar to them. So why do we do it to ourselves? I can only speak for myself at this point, but despite all the annoyances and irritations, the benefits of living here massively outweigh the downsides and our quality of life is superb. After a while you even start to find it almost endearing that the local bakeries close for lunch or that the waiting list at the opticians is over a year long!
So how hard is it to move somewhere new and unknown? The truth is it can very tough and the initial few months can raise a lot of questions as to whether it was the right decision. And how sure should you be to up sticks and move home hook line and sinker? My answer would be that there’s no such thing as no going back. If you go somewhere and give it your best shot and it doesn’t work out, you can always move on, try somewhere else, or return to where you came from. If circumstances allow it, you have to try. I will never forget a quote from Mark Twain that I read as a child and still remember to this day: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do”.
The reason I’m thinking about this is that I won’t stay here forever. At some point a small ski town will inevitably run its course and it will be time to move on. Where to, who knows? But there are a huge number of things to consider and it may well involve starting completely afresh, even learning another new language. At first this thought filled me with dread, but the more I’ve thought about it the more it excites me. I think you have to put yourself out there sometimes. Throwing yourself in to new things, even if they are scary, is what keeps life interesting.
So it could be dreadful, it could be the best decision you’ve ever made or it could be somewhere in between, but to quote a strong cliché, if you don’t go you’ll never know. No-one can tell you what it will be like and no-one can make that decision for you. The only way to find out is to try. What’s the worst that can happen?
Having spent a lot of time on holiday recently, I’ve really started to notice the way in which people are using cameras today. Ironically I think the most noticeable point is the lack of actual cameras; very few people seem to have a point and click these days, the use of iPhones and iPads seems to be massively on the rise (which leads me on to my pondering of how a cumbersome iPad can be easier to carry around than a pocket camera?! And also, I’ve rarely seen quality as poor as that in a digital photograph!) I can see the appeal of having one device that does everything you want, however I can’t help but feel a tinge of sadness that photographs aren’t sacred like they used to be. Long gone are the days when people thought carefully about what they wanted to photograph and how they should line it up, only having a mere 24 precious frames on the film. Nowadays I think most people don’t photograph for the beauty of something they see, they photograph everything in sight, simply because they can. Apart from those few who still see photography as an art form, I think it’s fair to say that very little thought goes in to taking photos these days.
What strikes me is that photographs are no longer precious, they are simply a way of recording where people have been. I worry that people don’t actually look at where they are with their eyes anymore, they just snap it through a lens. When faced with a magnificent view, a wedding, a family get together, a humorous road sign or a famous person, what is our first reaction? Not to take in the sights or enjoy what we’re seeing, but to grab our cameras. We’re all guilty of it because digital cameras allow us to record everything so there’s no guilt in just snapping away, but does this mean that we’re not actually ‘seeing’ where we are anymore, merely remembering the place by looking back at our photographs?
A friend of mine who leads groups of people on adventurous treks recently told me that once she had a client on a trip through the Himalayas who said that he no longer took a camera on trips. He wanted to experience it all first hand, not through the lens of a camera, and although this is perhaps an extreme view, I can see where he’s coming from. Very rarely do we now talk about our experiences and reminisce fondly over things that have happened, instead we look back at photographs and remember through them. Are we not looking at things anymore? The most extreme example of this is the tourists who simply photograph EVERYTHING! From the cable car station to the rubbish bins to the toilets. When mountaineering in Chamonix we are frequently asked by foreign tourists if they can have a photograph taken with us. Who wants a holiday snap of a random stranger?!
Photographs used to be special, taken with precision and care and lovingly placed in albums. Now they either get transferred straight from an iPhone on to Facebook to live out their days, or at best will be put on to a computer hard drive to be sorted in to the appropriate folder, possibly never to be looked at again. I try my best to document each year that passes in the form of a photo album/scrapbook and endeavour to blow up and frame the ones I’m particularly proud of, but inevitably the majority of photographs end up languishing in a digital folder.
I love my camera and thoroughly enjoy using it to record wonderful places and memories, but I am becoming more and more conscious that I need to stand and reflect on my surroundings in order to create a lasting memory as well as snapping them in a photo.
Our latest choice for the book club is the first adult novel from JK Rowling, who needs no introduction. This book was a recommendation and we are all highly intrigued to see how the Harry Potter author tackles her first story aimed at older readers. It is set in a fictional village based in rural England and seems a million miles from the magical setting of Hogwarts. The reviews are outstanding so looking forward to a good summer read. Watch this space to see what we think!
I’m sure this is a dilemma which faces most people at some point in their lives, many on a daily basis. What is more important; money or your time? Is working a 60 hour week with no free evenings, no weekends and no time with your family and friends worth it if you make plenty of money? Or is it ok to make less money but have more free time to do the things we enjoy doing? I worry sometimes that today’s society is so work driven that many people have forgotten what it’s like to do the things they enjoy and define themselves by their job title rather than their personality or virtues. Indeed I am discovering more and more often that without work people have no idea what to do with their time. Whatever happened to hobbies and interests? Making the most of time off?
Of course, money is vital. Without it we couldn’t live and essentially it is what makes the modern world go round. I love meeting people who have chosen a career or a job because they genuinely enjoy it, because I think that this is happening less and less. Very few people you will come across nowadays have a real affection for their occupation and even fewer actually enjoy going to work. I often wonder whether people are making their career choices purely driven by money, or because if they were honest with themselves, they don’t really know what else to do…?
I have decided to take a part time job-share for next year and I have been amazed at how many people have looked at me in surprise and asked ‘What will you do instead?’ Managing to fill my days with activities I enjoy has never been something I’ve struggled with, yet so many can not possibly comprehend what else I would do with my time if I’m not at work. Which brings me back to my question. Has money become more important than time? Has working and earning taken over people’s lives to such an extent that they no longer yearn for those things they enjoy, instead unquestioningly accepting the fact that they must work and earn as much money as is humanly possible?
I’ve said it before and I’m sure this isn’t the last time it’ll be referred to here. We are only here once and we need to make the most of it. When I’m an elderly lady and reflecting on my life and choices, I don’t want to look back and wish that I hadn’t spent the majority of my life on earth slogging away at work. I’d like to look back and realise that yes, I could have had more money and lived a more lavish lifestyle, but instead I chose to live a simpler life, doing the things I enjoy and living life to the full.
So it’s something we hear all the time. To quote Baz Luhrmann: “Do something every day that scares you”. But I wonder whether this is advice that should be branded around or whether it is a foolish suggestion that has no positive impact on a person’s life and indeed could be seen as having quite the opposite effect and proving detrimental. Clearly everyone is different so advice can never be universally helpful, however, is being afraid beneficial at all? Should we ‘face our fears’? Or are we better off steering clear of the things which we fear the most?
I have always seen fun as being in different categories. There are those things which are always brilliant, from the build up, to the activity itself and finally the aftermath. It’s all great fun, really enjoyable and everyone is glad it happened. Such as birthday parties, a wonderful holiday, skiing untracked powder…! Then there is another type of fun. The fun which makes you feel apprehensive beforehand, utterly terrifies you throughout, yet once it’s over you can breathe a great sigh of relief and are thrilled you did it. Although I’ve never done one myself, I imagine that a sky dive or a bungee jump are examples of such activities. People do these things to challenge themselves, to push their limits and to gain new experiences. But is there a third type of ‘fun’? The fun which seems like a good idea at the time and which you feel like you really should do, but which terrifies you and which you look back on afterwards and admit that it probably wasn’t worth the fear and panic. Now this doesn’t sound like a great deal of fun! But overall aren’t these experiences which shape you as a person and inevitably make you stronger?
Living in the mountains is what has got me thinking about this. There is so much excitement around us, so much to explore and new challenges to face every day. Many choose to stay within their comfort zones and keep life simple, enjoying the scenery and opportunities that the landscape provides. However others don’t want to stay where they feel comfortable and choose to take this a step further, or two or three! This could be anything from basic rock climbing to jumping off a cliff side wearing a wing suit! Why people choose to do some of these things, well you would have to ask them, but through mountaineering and alpine sports I have learnt more about myself than in anything else I’ve done. I don’t have a huge risk tolerance and would by no means describe myself as extreme or particularly adventurous, certainly not compared to a lot of the people in this valley! But I am happy to try new things and have a go at something I never thought I would achieve. But being in the mountains is a scary business and no matter how long I spend in amongst them, I don’t think I will ever really feel brave.
I have done many things I am proud of and which tested my limits of both fear and exhaustion. And when it was all over I was happy I’d made it and would even consider doing it all again! But then there is the occasional time when things don’t quite go to plan and if I’m honest, I’d never do again if I was paid! I’m happy to say that I’ve never come to any harm in the mountains, yet I know many that have and I am fully aware of the potential consequences of a minor slip up or accident. Being scared is not something many people enjoy, including me, and I have realised that there are a million and one things I can do which challenge me and make me happy, without having to terrify me at the same time. I think it is so important to step out of your comfort zone every now and again, not to live in a safe bubble all your life. But personally I don’t think that doing things that scare me is beneficial. Things that test me, yes. Things that physically exhaust me, yes. Things that challenge me, yes. But things that scare me, I can live without.
Stunning scenery but slipping is not an option!Not for those with vertigo!
Sharon Wray Writing 