27 December 2005 - 2 January 2006: Cervieres, Provence, France

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Medieval Hospitality:

Only 3 days after having returned to Germany I am on the road again, a week long road trip to the French Alps, together with my sister and 3 other friends. Symbolically speaking this trip marks my first journey "in my new life" as I am moving forward with my life. As such, it is quite ironic that this first destination takes me back in time, back to Medieval times.
After a long drive through the snowy Alps (driving through 4 countries in the process) we finally arrive in a small village. With not more than 50 houses, this sleepy village, called Cervieres, is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, one of which marks the border to Italy.
Tired and hungry we park the car and knock on an old wooden door of a house that looks like it was stolen from a fairy tale. The door opens and we are greeted by a friendly man who also looks like he was stolen from the same fairy tale. He steps into the freezing night (at least -10 degrees Celsius). Bare-footed wearing flip flops and a light shirt he introduces himself as Franci­s. His handshake was only the first touch of great hospitality. First we are served a glass of champagne and then receive a tour of the house, whose foundation was constructed in the 15th century (possibly before Columbus set foot on the Americas), but even the newer portions of the house are hundreds of years old. I do not think I have ever even been in a house close to this, let alone lived in one. Moving around the house, I constantly had the impression that the walls were speaking to me of the many years they had witnessed. Making it through narrow hall ways, up ladders, ducking my head several times we finally reach our newly constructed apartment, which has an amazing atmosphere of hospitality along with medieval vibrations.
We then gather around the open fire in the kitchen to keep warm during this freezing night and were served a delicious home cooked dinner along with great wine, listening to Francis telling stories. Among many other things, he enlightens us that life is a terrible disease: it is always mortal and spreads tough sexual transmission.
As I fall asleep that night I am not sure if I am actually in a fairy tale or not.














The summit:

Every time I am in the mountains I am put in awe by their majestic beauty. Today we picked on of the white peaks near by and gradually made our way up towards the top. The sunshine reflecting off the snow-covered meadows, the air perfectly crisp and clean, the freezing wind gusts hitting my face. We reach the top and the view is spectacular: snow-covered mountains all around us, some of which are mysteriously wrapped in clouds, others openly displaying their full beauty. I lift my hands upwards in joy.



A day in the mountains:

There is nothing like the breathtaking view from the top of a mountain. The panoramic 360 degree view of snow covered peaks all around, some taller, some shorter, some rocker, some snowier, some in the sunlight, some in the shade, some wrapped into ever-green forests some presenting their naked beauty.
My eyes will never tire of such a view.



French cheese:

Although I have been walking on the face of this earth form some years, from time to time I experience things which are fundamentally new, or should I say unexpected, to me. By that I mean not necessarily that I have never had this experience before but perhaps that I have had the same experience but see it with completely different eyes.
I have been eating cheese my whole life, however I must say over that past three days my relationship with cheese has been transformed fundamentally. Over these three days I have tasted a plethora of cheeses previously unimagined by my gums: the diversity in size, density, texture, smell, colour and of course taste has left me speechless (literally).
Never again will I look at a piece of cheese the same way. Bon apetit.


A walk thorough the forest:

There is something virgin about an untouched snow-covered forest. Over night all trails have disappeared, only to be recreated by the traveller's footprints the next day. One step after the other making the first marks into the crisp and shiny snow surface.
All sounds seem muted by the snow, the constant cadence of one step after the other and the only thing that breaks the silence is an occasional chirping by a bird. Snow flakes continue to drift downwards from the sky. However before descending to the ground some of them transcend the law of gravity and dance in the air as if they wanted to celebrate the individual existence one last time before merging as one with the blanket of snow underneath. A feeling of peace and lightness starts to spread through my body unquestionably ignited by this picture perfect snow covered forest scenery. My gift from the universe on the last day of the year.