For Verdant Mountain Majesties

     I love the mountains!  I grew up seeing Pikes Peak every day of my life.  As a child, we spent many weekends camping in the Rocky Mountains and exploring the majesty of Colorado.  When I first thought of living in France my search centered in the Dordogne region of southwestern France.  It is beautiful and impressive there with limestone cliffs and troglodyte villages, caves with amazing prehistoric artwork, deep ancient forests and winding rivers.  On our  first visit there in 1996, Andy and I were in love with the area of the Lot river.

Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods

Rocamadour in the Dordogne Region

     However, there are no mountains in sight as the Dordogne (also called the Perigord) is too far north of the Pyrenees to be able to see even a small glimpse of them.  I did not realize how important the mountains are to my mental health until I lived in Liberal, Kansas for two years to help care for my mom.  I couldn't wait to head West and get my first sighting of the Front Range.  I always thought about the pioneers who headed West in their covered wagons and what that must have been like for people who had never seen the Rockies.  Watching them get closer and closer had to have been a great motivator as they crossed those bleak, empty plains of western Kansas and eastern Colorado.
     I hope that Katherine Lee Bates will forgive the change of adjective in her famous poem which she wrote from the top of Pikes Peak (did you know that?) and which was set to music to become one of our country's most beloved songs.  When you look at the Rockies you can see why she would call them "purple".  Our mountains are rugged and when you mix the colors of the granite and the blues of the spruces and pines you have a definite purple tinge.  So why did I change the color?
     The Pyrenees are so green!!!  They are such different mountains than the Rockies.  They are almost tropical although that isn't a good description, but I can't think of another word to explain how green everything is.  There are waterfalls everywhere.  There are ferns and ivy growing along the roadsides.  The trees are mainly deciduous so I suppose that during the winter they are not particularly green as they would all lose their leaves.  But everything is also covered in moss and that may survive the cold winters.  So many shades of green - like in that box of 64 crayons that I loved getting every Christmas!

Approaching the Pyrenees

Getting greener

Some mountains in the distance

     The rainy, misty weather that we've been having here in Colorado Springs reminds me of the day Andy and I spent in the high Pyrenees when we were in SW France last September.  I want to share some of those photos with you in this blog so you can get an idea of why I'm now in love with this area of France.  I need my mountains - whether in Colorado or in France.  But I'll choose France because I'm also in love with the history of the area which dates back to prehistoric times.  This area of France has been continually inhabited for thousands and thousands of years.  I would like to be one more "blip" on the Pyrenees' timeline.
     Our day began by driving south from our gite (holiday house) and making a loop around the area known as the "Haute Pyrenees" (High Pyrenees) as we went in search of the Cirque de Troumouse and the Col de Tourmalet.  Every turn in the road brought about "Wow" and "Oh My" and "Look at that"!  Our first stop was at Cauterets with its steep mountain walls and narrow valley created by a swift glacier stream.  At one time there was a mineral spring spa here, but now its simply a tourist stop with a small gift/snack shop, public bathrooms across the road and magnificent views of the valley and surrounding mountains.

At Cauterets

The steep cliffs at Cauterets

The beautiful azure glacier stream

     Along our route there were numerous opportunities to enjoy the mountain majesties - waterfalls, rushing streams, hiking trails and those magnificent mountain peaks.  This is an area of France that is always a part of the famous cycling race, the Tour de France.  Andy and I tried to imagine taking these switchbacks and narrow roads on a bicycle!  Along the roads we saw where riders' names had been painted - one of those being for the popular rider from Luxembourg, Andy Schleck.  We made sure my Andy got a picture with his name!

A "swinging" bridge?

Andy and his own stretch of road!

     Finally we made it to the huge ski area known as La Mongie.  This whole area is an agricultural region meaning that pastureland is all around and one often has to yield to the local cows, goats and sheep.  We saw plenty of those - some not particularly welcoming to tourists!  

Goats said this was their road

The unhappy cow

     All of these roads are Tour de France routes as well.  And I've seen them packed with cars, campers and crazy cycling fans that scare me when they get within arms reach of the riders!

     Then we got to the most amazing sights of the day - the Col de Tourmalet and the Cirque de Troumouse.  It was pouring rain by the time we got to the Cirque de Troumouse.  We were surrounded by clouds and mist and it was magical.  Andy wanted to hike so he took off despite the weather.  I stayed in the car and ate lunch and read more about the area and where we would go next.  When he got back to the car about 45 minutes later he was drenched to the bone!  But loved the adventure.  He said he heard more Spanish spoken than French along the trail which makes sense as we were quite close to Spain at that point.

Cirque de Troumouse

Cirque de Troumouse

     See, even above timberline, the Pyrenees are green.  There are some rugged peaks in the background.  We felt that the misty overcast conditions added to the beauty and majesty of this mountainous area.  Don't you agree?
    

Col de Tourmalets

Col de Tourmalet

 And, of course we stopped at as many waterfalls as we could see from the road.  It was a long day which ended with a wonderful meal at a little cafe in a small village near a stream.  We had the "poulet en brochettes" - grilled chicken pieces on skewers with onions and peppers.  It was served on a slate serving platter with grilled vegetables and bread (of course!).  Absolutely delicious!   A great way to top off a most enjoyable - if a little wet - day.  But that's why this weather reminds me of that day in France.  Not a bad thing to be reminded of.  And talk about finding out what was "around the next bend"!  A perfect day for that kind of adventure.  All I had was a map and a guide book and we had one glorious surprise after another.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Waterfall near Tourmalets

        Just in case you were wondering if I'm getting any work done on my house, the answer is "yes"!  I've started scraping the 10 ft ceiling in the addition.  It's actually going better than I thought.  It seems to be easier to scrape the popcorn off of the sheet rock than it was off of the plaster ceiling in the older part of the house.  I think the newer popcorn was not put on as heavily.  I still have a ways to go, but at least I'm seeing progress and hope to have it all done (except my bedroom and bathroom) by the end of this week.
     Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog.  I always welcome your thoughts and comments and your company on this journey.  As you can tell, France is never far from my thoughts.  Until next week, I bid you "au revoir" and Merci!

Stuff is Just Stuff

     If you're like me and have been doing some "Spring Cleaning" haven't you found that you have way more "stuff" than you could possibly need or even want?  Andy would call that a "First World Problem" and he would be right.  What other country in the world is so immersed in consumerism and material wealth than the US? 
     My cousin, Gene, sent me a great article this past week.  It's title is, "What It's Really Like to Sell Your Stuff and Move to Italy."  As an introduction to her list, the author, Lisa Condie, states: "Making a conscious decision to choose experiences over possessions, I deliberately let go of anything that couldn't fit in two suitcases, especially if it came with a monthly payment. I was seeking a different type of happiness ... the kind that changed my soul."
     I am going to borrow her eight lessons for today's blog and give it a French twist.  Hope you enjoy it.

1.   THERE'S NO ROOM FOR CLUTTER - as I am renovating each room I am going through desk drawers and cabinets and photos and shelves and realizing what is truly valuable to me and what I see as just clutter.  I, too, plan to live in Europe on what I can fit in two suitcases so everything I look at gets scrutinized through that filter.  Will I take it to France?  Do I need it for survival or for memories left behind?  If I'm not planning to take it with me, is it important enough to leave behind in a storage locker for use when I return to Colorado at some point in the future? 
    Since I plan to house sit for an extended amount of time I can enjoy other people's clutter without having to take my own!
2.   CLOTHING - Since retiring from 31 years of teaching in 2008 I have certainly cut out a lot of my wardrobe.  Retirement clothes are much different from professional clothes, and thankfully so!  But now I have another filter (I like that word!) for choosing/buying/keeping clothes.  Will they come to France with me?  If not, they are given to Good Will or a local consignment store and I certainly will not buy more clothes.  I still have too many things hanging in my closet, but as I get closer to my departure date I will be more selective.
     Something this author writes about and is certainly true of the French is that quality over quantity wins out every time.  Who needs 3 pairs of black boots, when one very well-made Italian leather pair will do quite nicely and even if they are expensive they are more affordable than the 3 pair you had to start with.  The same is true of well-made clothing or beautiful accessories like scarves or purses. 
3.   I CAN LOOK BUT NOT BUY - or in other words, enjoy window shopping!  Since I won't be owning or even renting a home, I will have no place to put furniture, or kitchen gadgets, or artwork.  So I will enjoy seeing these items and not feel like I have to buy anything extra.
4.   MONEY FOR EXPERIENCES - this is a big one, folks!  Who needs stuff when there are so many places to see and experiences to be had all over France.  Or all over Europe, for that matter, since countries are so close in proximity once you're in France.  As the author says, "There's more money for fun when you live small."  Amen! 
5.   STUFF IS STUFF - I will quote the author as she says it best, "It's helped me to un-attach to almost everything I own, and find real joy in that nothing 'owns me'."

Memories to take with me

6.   PRIORITIZING - As I decide what to keep and what goes, I look at the emotional value of things that I have.  For example, I want to keep (and take with me) a small angel holding a bluebird that belonged to my mother.  Angels and bluebirds make me think of her.  This will go with me wherever I may call home.  Also, I will take a small blue glass bud vase that was part of my dad's blue glass collection.  And a small paperweight that has a lady bug inside as that was given to me by my mom and has a sweet story behind it.  And, oddly to some, I am setting aside some rocks.  Yes, that's right, some Colorado rocks, which we collected on many many camping trips over the years.  That way a little piece of Colorado will always be with me.  I probably won't take any of my art collection as none of the pieces would fit in a suitcase, but these will certainly be placed in storage or perhaps "loaned" to certain friends and family members who love them as much as I do. 
7.   MEMORIES - The author writes, "We think these are things, but they are actually within us."  She was able to get rid of all the "stuff" that held memories for her and realized that the memories remained even thought the stuff was gone.  I don't have quite that same feeling as I recounted above.  And as someone who believes strongly in passing down certain family memories, I feel it's important to hold onto old photographs (although they are all on a flash drive these days) and certain objects that hold special meaning to me and I hope some day will hold special meaning to Andy and his children.  But those don't have to take up a lot of room.  My Mom made some wonderful Christmas trees using her mother's and her own jewelry, making an outline on a velvet covered board with tiny lights and filling in the outline with the jewelry.  She made 4 as far as I know.  The one that hung in her house forever was noticed and commented on by everyone who visited her.  After Mom's death I wasn't sure what to do with her tree as I already had one and so does Cindy.  My cousin Sara solved the problem.  She said she would feel honored to have it hang on her wall and she and her siblings would take turns keeping it each year and loving it!  Mom would be so happy to know that her tree is being taken care of by her precious nieces and nephew.  So, it's OK to let others share in those memories and keep them going in the family.

My Christmas Tree

8.   FREEDOM - The author says it better than I could so I will quote her: "I no longer can give beautiful dinner parties with 12 place settings of Lenox china and crystal. However, I can tell you where to stand to catch the last wisp of the pink light in a Tuscan sunset. I know exactly where to find a meal of handmade pasta with ricotta and pine nuts, topped with fresh tomatoes and basil, in the tiny town of Cortona. I have hiked along the Italian coast and swum in the crystal clear water of the Tyrrhenian Sea to my heart's content. I turn the key to lock an apartment I do not own, sometimes for weeks at a time, to taste the freedom of a new adventure. I have never once thought it was a poor trade!"
     So there you have it.  What is the price we pay for having stuff and more stuff?  I look forward to a simpler life without all the things that own me.  I look forward to a time when my only expenses are for food and how to get to my next great adventure.  Notice I mentioned food first! :-)  Eating in France (and in Italy) is certainly a great pleasure and quite memorable.
     Thank you for reading this post.  I look forward to your thoughts and comments regarding stuff and how to lessen the hold that it has on us.  It's all part of the journey east for me.  Thanks for coming along!  Merci!

Anticipation and Procrastination

     Yes, I have been channeling Carol King and Scarlet O'Hara this past week.  If  you don't get the reference just ask someone who's over 50!
     What a crazy week of weather we had.  Numerous hail storms mixed in with the rain - even had some snow in the northern part of the city last night.  I am ready for summer!  Every morning I check my vegetable garden to see the newest sprouts or check on the growth of the first ones that peeked through about a week ago.  As they are all root vegetables, except the lettuce (which is thriving despite the hail and freeze last night) they do not seem to be bothered by the strange weather.  I am so anxious to see what my "crop" will yield - potatoes, garlic, shallots, onions, carrots and lettuce.  My neighbor has started some cherry tomato plants for me and will let me know when they are ready to plant.  Last year I planted tomatoes 3 times due to crazy May weather.  So I'm counting on Maggie to let me know when it's safe!

My veggies are looking good!

Flowers close to the house are ok

A columbine bud

     My flower bed is ok.  The buds on the columbines seem so fragile and yet they are still there after the hail.  And even though the peonies were shredded I still see a couple of persistent blooms.  They are such a pretty pink when they are full.  They usually bloom the first part of June and many years I have missed them as that was when I planned my trips to Europe back in my teaching days.  My flower baskets close to the house are ok since they were somewhat sheltered.  It's so nice to see color out there!   I'm tempted to get a rose bush, but I tend to kill them.  They look beautiful all summer but they don't last through winter. 
     So, as Carol King wrote: "Anticipation, anticipation is making me wait; is keeping me waiting."  Waiting for warmer days and flowers blooming and veggies to eat . . .
     I feel like I've become the master procrastinator!  I now have the 8' ladder, however, it is a rather daunting task to climb up there and scrape those 10' ceilings.  I really want to have all the scraping done by the first week in June so I'd better get to it. 

It's a long ways up there!

     But I can always find something else to do!  A visit to the zoo ranks right up there :-)  There's always another book to read (I usually read 3-4 at the same time).  If the sun is shining I'd much rather be outside than inside, as would the dogs!  Kinda hard to scrape ceilings if I'm sitting on the patio, right?

My zoo friend, Asha

3 generations!

Sweet Dembe will be 3 soon

Dembe playing with daddy, Rafiki

      I could live in the Primate House!  ha!  I love seeing the gorillas.  Asha seems to recognize me now and will come sit across from me.  She is the mother to Dembe and the other smaller gorilla, Tumani, in the 3 generation photo.  The gorilla on the top level right is Asha's mother, JuJu.  Yes, we're all on a first name basis now :-)
     So, I need you all to keep me on track!  Keep asking me about the ceilings and the scraping and tell me how wonderful it will all be once it's done.  I used to dread painting, but that's a snap compared to the scraping and prepping.  So now I look forward to painting because that  means I'm at the end of the work for that area.  But "I'll think about that tomorrow."
     On another note, I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Mother's Day.  Andy treated me to breakfast this morning at our favorite westside cafe, Mountain Shadows.  We've been going there for almost 30 years.  Afterwards we drove to the Garden of the Gods and visited the Trading Post - always a wonderful place to spend a little time.  I had hoped we could do some hiking, but . . . . red mud would not look good on my shoes which would have been covered!
     It's my second Mother's Day without my precious Mom and I know many of you are experiencing the same feeling of missing someone special.  This is also her birthday month (and Andy's!).  She loved Mountain Shadows and the Trading Post so I feel like we honored her by going there today. 
     And so, anticipation and procrastination have ruled over me this past week.  I'm hoping for motivation and inspiration for this coming week!  Keep your fingers crossed!
     As always, I thank you for taking the time to follow my blog.  It means a lot to me.  Merci!

Under the Gascon Sun

     OK, I sort of borrowed the title of one of my favorite books and exchanged the Italian region for the French region.  I have Italy (as well as France!) on my mind these days, as I will be taking 16 of my friends and family on a walking tour of Tuscany in September.  Every week I send out an email with info about a certain town or day or excursion and our excitement is growing as the month of September gets closer and closer. 
     I have read and reread Francis Mayes' wonderful book, Under the Tuscan Sun, as well as her sequels and never tire of hearing about her life in Italy.  Since I don't have a lot to report for this past week I decided that I would share with you some of her thoughts on buying an ancient house in a foreign country.

          "I am about to buy a house in a foreign country. A house with the beautiful name of Bramasole. 
     It is tall, square, and apricot-colored with faded green shutters, ancient tile roof, and an iron balcony
     on the second level, where ladies might have sat with their fans to watch some spectacle below. . . .
     The balcony faces southeast, looking into a deep valley, then into the Tuscan Apennines. 
     When it rains or when the light changes, the facade of the house turns gold, sienna, ocher; a previous
     scarlet paint job seeps through in rosy spots like a box of crayons left to melt in the sun.  In
     places where the stucco has fallen away, rugged stone shows what the exterior once was. . .
     Bramasole:  from bramare, to yearn for, and sole, sun:  something that yearns for the sun, and
     yes, I do. . .

An Italian balcony

A Tuscan hill town

      "On that fresh morning, the facade seemed radiant, glazed with layers of lemon, rouge, and

  terra cotta.  We both became silent as we got out of the car.  After all the turns into unknown roads, the house seemed  just to have been waiting all along. . . 

           "Ed opened the inside window and pushed open the shutters to one glorious view after another 

     of cypresses, rippling green hills, distant villas, a valley. . . a dignified house near a Roman road,

     an Etruscan (Etruscan!) wall looming at the top of the hillside, a Medici fortress in sight, a view 

     toward Monte Amiata, one hundred and seventeen olive trees, twenty plums, and still unacounted    apricot, almond, apple and pear trees. . .

          "When I first saw Bramasole, I immediately wanted to  hang my summer clothes in an armadio

     and arrange my books under one of those windows looking out over the valley."

     And so, here I am, constantly dreaming about a house in France, in a tiny valley of the Comminges, in the ancient region named Gascony, located exactly midway between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.  It encompasses the upper valley of one of France's four great rivers, the Garonne, and has been inhabited since the last Ice Age.  The Iberians, Celts and especially the Romans recognized its strategic and commercial importance as a natural crossroads.  Few places in the Pyrenees have as many proud relics of the prehistoric, Roman and Medieval past.  I hope my experience will be as magical as that of Francis Mayes and Peter Mayle - my inspirations!

My valley in the Comminges!

St Bertrand de Comminges

     I am in love!!!   And you are all invited to come visit me once I get settled over there.  In the meantime, thank you for joining me on my journey - around numerous bends both large and small.  Merci!