Please see the Book Club pages for my review on our latest book, ‘And the Mountains echoed’ by Khaled Hosseini.
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Friday thought #17 Morocco – what a place!
So I’ve just spent the last 5 days in Morocco, and despite being fortunate enough to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, I’m truly sad to be going home. I have never been to the continent of Africa before and still struggle to believe that a mere 3 hour plane ride from Geneva, Switzerland; a bustling hub of tangible wealth and fortune, you can find yourself in a place so far removed from western culture, where subsistence and daily struggle seem to simply be a way of life. It was one of the most interesting and diverse places I have ever been, and I found it really hard to say goodbye!
We started off in Marrakech and those who’ve spent any time there will know exactly what I mean when I say that after just one day you genuinely feel like your brain may explode! Fascinating isn’t the word, it’s not even close, a massive sensory overload is getting warmer. There is just so much to look at, to listen to, to dodge around, to comment on. It’s so difficult to take it all in, there’s just so much of it! I had heard about the souks, the monkeys, the snakes and the bartering, but until you’re in it you really have no idea. It’s wonderful, it’s amazing, it’s a totally different world. What totally blew my mind as a very first impression was the realisation that there don’t seem to be any rules for vehicles in the centre of Marrakech; rental cars, taxis, donkeys and pedestrians share the same road. Horns blaring, fingers waving and no acknowledgment of lanes; a 2 lane road to us was clearly a 5 lane road to a local Moroccan, it’s every man for himself, a stressful start!
The souks are seriously amazing and such fun! As a white westerner be prepared for hassle and attention, but also be prepared to embrace it! The bartering and haggling is all part of the fun and you just need to stick to your guns and only pay what you were initially prepared to pay. I assumed I’d be a dreadful haggler but was mightily pleased with myself when I managed to negotiate the price for a pair of leather sandals down from 350 dirhams to 150! Marrakech is colourful, it’s noisy, it’s exciting, and it’s so worth a visit.
For many people, Marrakech is the first and final stop, where the Moroccan experience both begins and ends, but as we discovered in just 5 days, there is SO much more to this endlessly fascinating country than its most famous city.
From here we headed to the mountains, to the foothills of Mount Toubkal in the Atlas range. The drive alone was worth it, moving quickly from heaving, bustling, crazy Marrakech to ‘real Morocco’. Here we found dirt roads, curious locals perched on their haunches on the roadside and random camels just grazing next to the road. We stayed in Imlil for one night, a beautiful, tiny mountain village, which would be impossible to describe. Suffice it to say that upon arrival in the village, the ‘hotel’ owner came down to meet us and loaded up our luggage to be carried up the hillside by a mule!
The peace, the tranquility and the pure simplicity of such a place was something to be marvelled at. Everyone was busy, whether it was manning a stall selling local goods, hanging out the washing, or moving earth for a new building project, everyone was doing something, from the very young to the very old.
Having had a whirlwind visit to the city and the mountains, the obvious end to our short trip was a few days by the sea. This I loved. It’s December and we wandered round Essaouira in flip flops and t.shirts! Quite the novelty coming from winter in the Alps! A sunset on the beach in December is hard to beat and without a doubt I could have spent a lot more time in Essaouira.
I never cease to marvel at how air travel can make you feel so far away from home so quickly. These 5 days have reminded me that I want to do trips like this for the rest of my life. From the precious little I saw of it, Morocco is a country that makes me feel like I have gone back in time, and not just a few decades, I’m talking medieval. People live off the land, donkeys and horses are used as transport on a daily basis, happily trotting along main roads and many people are living in sheer squalor yet seem very content. Fashion plays no part, there is no materalism (wow there’s even no alcohol!) It’s good to see how other cultures live, it’s interesting, it opens our eyes, changes our perspective on our own lives.
Morocco is a wonderful place and I will most certainly be back.
Friday thought #16 Giving blood – UK vs France
I’m not sure what giving blood involves in other countries; I can only compare the differences I’ve experienced between giving blood in the UK and in France. I’m sure most people are aware of what giving blood involves; in a nutshell: filling in a form confirming that you are not currently unwell, a pin prick blood test from your finger and a chat with a nice volunteer doctor, finishing up with lying on a gurney whilst blood gently flows out of your arm and in to a plastic bag! It’s a wonderful organisation, run by incredibly hard working doctors and nurses who travel around the country collecting blood to be given to patients in desperate need of a blood transfusion.
I’ve been giving blood for many years and would encourage others to support this as often as possible, but this is not a post telling people to give blood, it’s far less high-brow and virtuous. I simply feel the need to let the world know just how wonderful the after-blood-giving food is when donating in France… This is truly something the French do well and should be applauded for.
To put this in to perspective, after having lost a pint of blood you may understandably be feeling slightly weak, perhaps a little dizzy, and are advised to sit down and have something to eat and drink to ensure you are fully well before leaving the venue. In the UK you are directed to a small seating area and offered a packet of biscuits and a cup of sugary tea. Everyone sits around politely whilst they munch their sugary snacks, then quietly sidles out the door.
In France, this is a different story. When the needle has been successfully removed from your arm, you are pointed in the direction of what can only be described as a banqueting table. You are seated at an individual place with cutlery, a wine glass, a water glass and a napkin, very like a slightly makeshift restaurant! Then a helpful volunteer will appear as if from nowhere to place a plate in front of you, laden with treats. At my most recent donation the table contained the following:
White, red or rosé wine
A variety of juices
A selection of cheeses, cold meats, patés, olives, a basket of fresh bread, and a platter of sliced apples and tomatoes.
Main course over, dessert consisted of a smorgasbord of home baked cakes and tarts, from which you could choose. The first time I came across this I was stunned and asked the gentleman next to me if this was normal. “Bien sur” was the reply as he looked at me in surprise and quizzically asked what happened in my country. This was not a sugary snack to check you were ok, this was dinner.
Thank you France, you certainly know how to reward your blood donors! What better incentive to do something good than a delicious big feed at the end?! How does it work in other countries? I’d love to know!
Friday thought #15 Snowy walks and ski tours!
Winter is coming to the mountains!! It’s getting darker, much much colder and the snow is imminent. It keeps falling high up and we’ve had some teaser flakes on the ground down here, but we’re still waiting with baited breath to see when REAL winter is going to hit. A few resorts have tentatively opened across Switzerland, France and Italy and getting back on the skis was as exciting as ever, but as always happens at this time of year, it’s hard to let go of summer! We’re still clinging on to the beautiful sunny and autumnal walks and the wonderful feelings that come with with hiking up a stunning mountain trail and breathlessly reaching the top, knowing you’ve just done something brilliant.
But this last week I’ve discovered that it doesn’t have to end quite yet! Snowy walks under blue skies are still possible, just! Once the skiing kicks in properly I’ll be all over it and love every second, but I think when skiing people often forget their surroundings and just don’t have the time to stop and appreciate the mountains in the way you can when travelling uphill, and a lot slower! That’s why ski touring is so special. You drink it all in on the way up, appreciating every second and every peak, then when you finally reach that summit, strap on your skis and get your reward, you know you’ve earned every turn.
We’ve done some wonderful early season ski tours already this year and fingers crossed for a good winter so that there will be many more to come, but this week a friend suggested a snowy winter walk, and we managed to sneak one in, maybe the last of the year, and if so it was a good one! Forest trails are so beautiful in winter, and this is the perfect time of the year to enjoy them. In a few weeks they’ll be buried until spring so make the most of them while you still can!
Friday thought #14 If you had to evacuate, what would you take?
I watched a really interesting documentary this week highlighting the problems being faced by ‘Virunga’, a National Park in the African democratic republic of Congo. I would recommend watching it (available on Netflix) so I won’t go in to detail, but watching the difficult scenes of an emergency evacuation of the local people made me consider the importance of our material possessions. Women were hurrying along with a child tied to both their front and back, and with a small basket of possessions on their heads; men ran towards the trucks clutching a lone suitcase which held all their worldy goods; and a child carried a small box containing a beloved chicken. If you had to drop everything right now and run out the door, possibly never to return, what would you grab?
For me the answer would be: my photo albums, my external hard drive and my cat! Everything else is replaceable and what really matters are the things and memories that mean something to you and are completely irreplaceable. With these 3 things I could rebuild a life without having lost anything important. Sometimes it’s worth thinking about what really matters…
Friday thought #13 Is not wearing make up really an act of charity?
Where did make-up come from? And why has it completely taken over the lives of so many women? It’s something I’ve been pondering lately, due to a number of factors.
Firstly, it would take a lot of persuasion to get me in to a large department store, especially in the lead up to Christmas, because quite frankly, they terrify me! However, having been kindly given some vouchers to spend in one such store in Geneva, I reluctantly popped in to the city en route to the airport this week to do some spending!
Now walking in to the first of the 6 gigantic floors, I immediately felt myself getting far too hot and flustered, as generally happens in places like this! The lights are too bright, there are too many people and there are far too many chinadoll-like women asking me if I would like some help! But aside from my personal fear of department stores, what really struck me was the amount of emphasis there was on make-up and glamour. There was a whole floor dedicated to make-up! And I would hazard that there were in fact more staff busying around than there were customers to serve. It was reasonably early in the morning, perhaps before many glamour seekers chose to surface… But I was genuinely shocked by the amount of slap on the faces of these women who were supposedly there to help me tailor my look and create a more beautiful me. At what point did we become obsessed with covering up our natural faces and creating a completely fake identity?
But what really brought this home for me recently is the latest Children in Need campaign, encouraging women to go ‘bear faced for charity’. Now of course Children in Need is a fantastic cause and they if they believe they can raise enormous amounts of money through persuading people to avoid make-up for a photograph, then by all means cash in. But what bothers me is that it just seems like a dreadful reflection on our society that one of the absolute worst things a woman could possibly imagine doing is being seen in public, or even worse, being photographed, without any make-up on.
I feel like I need a quick reminder of just some of the many challenges that have been done for charitable causes over the years, be it for widely publicised causes like Children in Need and Comic Relief, or smaller, more personal charities.
Swimming the English Channel
43 marathons in 52 days
Climbing Kilimanjaro
Walking 108km across a Kenyan desert
These challenges have pushed people to the limit, tested their physical and mental strength and have left them with an enormous sense of achievement. Does being forced to not wear any make-up have the same effect? Are they really in the same category? Unfortunately I am being led to believe that the answer is yes, which to me is a truly horrifying reflection on the world we live in today.
Friday thought #12 The joy of baking!
I’ve always loved cooking and am perfectly at home pottering around my kitchen, surrounded by ingredients, trying out a new cookie recipe whilst simultaneously making a lasagne and a loaf of bread!
Having more free time on my hands recently I’ve been thoroughly enjoying spending more time cooking and baking, and especially experimenting more with new recipes. I have rediscovered some of those cookery books which have been gathering dust on my shelves for the past few years, geekily bookmarking recipes I like the look of and writing comments under ones I’ve tried. I find so much pleasure in taking the time to cook something delicious and feeling proud of the result, rather than grabbing something from the freezer and throwing it in the oven because you have no time. Now I am aware that many people either don’t have the time to do this or sadly have no interest, so I count myself lucky that I not only currently have the time but also the inclination to get stuck in to some experimental baking!
I’m not sure what inspired me of late, but this week I had a sudden urge to attempt to decorate cakes. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to properly decorate a cake before, and wisely so I imagine! But I decided to set my sights low and begin easy with some simple cupcakes. I can see why so many parents choose decorating cakes as an activity to do with their children, it’s so much fun! Especially when you let loose with the piping bag! Here is the evidence of my first attempt, banana cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Although they may not look quite shop-bought, they’re super tasty and I think not a terrible start! I definitely plan to continue with my newly found cake decorating enthusiasm, although it might have to be planned around visiting friends or dinner parties as there’s a definite limit to how many cupcakes a person should eat!
Friday thought #11 Wingsuiting – a terrifying sport!
October has provided us with some amazing weather here recently, and one day last week it was a perfect day for a trail run in the mountains. The run ended up at the mid-station lift of the Aiguille de Midi cable car, the highest one in Europe and whilst this is a beautiful spot on its own, I had a free afternoon so decided I might as well head on up the lift to the very top, always breathtaking and worth a visit no matter how many times you’re been up there. Being almost 3000 metres higher than the town, I was pretty cold in my running kit! But I took my time wandering around the various viewing platforms taking photos and generally admiring Mont Blanc and its stunning neighbours! Looking up I was thrilled to learn that I had timed my visit well as teetering on the edge of one of the highest points I spotted a tiny figure in white wearing the distinctive outfit of a wingsuiter. He was geared up and ready to jump, from a height of 3842 metres.
I quickly flicked my camera on to burst mode and managed to capture the whole jump. After stitching the photos together I am pretty happy with the following astonishing sequence as he descended. You can see near the bottom that he’s just starting to move out away from the rock face, he then plateaued and I watched him fly across the valley at the most incredible speed until he became so small that he dropped out of sight.
As a sport this seems to be becoming more and more popular and I have absolutely no idea why! The thought of jumping in to nothing, a total void, especially that close to a rock face, chills me to my very bones. It’s something I can confidently say that I’ll never ever do, but I can understand that to the adrenaline junkies out there it’s as close to flying like a bird mankind will ever get.
Friday thought #10 Beautiful Autumn
I wrote a few weeks ago heralding the coming of Winter, the colder days, the darkness creeping in earlier and earlier, the imminent arrival of the snow… But I feel the need now to perhaps delay that slightly and cling on to the beautiful, and highly underrated, season that is Autumn. I find myself thinking the same thing every year and once again reminding myself that Autumn is one of the most stunning times of the year. In the Alps it is all about winter and summer, the periods bridging the gaps are simply referred to as ‘Interseason’ and I believe are totally forgotten and glossed over.
I feel so strongly that we must embrace these ‘in between’ periods and not just see them as time to kill before the ‘proper’ seasons arrive. There is so much to do in the mountains right now, with the added benefit of it not being too hot, so you can often actually do far more than in the sumer. There is also no-one around. Summer peak season is so overrun with holiday-makers, yet no-one seems to come in the Autumn. It’s like a secret, our own personal paradise, deserted and beautiful. On a walk last week I found myself becoming quite the nature lover and flora photographer! Everywhere I looked I saw stunning colours in the trees, the leaves and the heather. I’ll include some of my amateur snaps, no photoshop, no colour enhancement, just the pure beauty of nature at its best.
New for the Book Club – And the Mountains Echoed – by Khaled Hosseini
The latest choice for the Chamonix Book Club is one I’m very excited about. ‘And the Mountains Echoed’ by Khaled Hosseini is a book that has been on my ‘to read’ list for some time, as I would safely put ‘The Kite Runner’ and ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ in amongst my favourite books of all time. I think Khaled Hosseini is a wonderful writer, whose previous novels have been both heart wrenching and beautiful.
I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of my copy and can’t wait to get started!
Sharon Wray Writing 