The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Tuesday 17 September 2019

10,000 steps!

I got my 10,000 steps (and more) in yesterday, and how!!! Since I have retired I've only been getting 4,000-5,000 steps in in a day unless I make a huge effort, and to be honest, making a huge effort while it was so hot was not going to happen. So now, seemingly, I have no excuse!

On Saturday I stopped in at Jordan and Jen's to take something over that Jen had asked for. She had not been well (spent the night in hospital) so I wanted to see how she was doing. Initially they suspected appendicitis but that turned out not to be the case, although they found massive internal inflammation instead. Hopefully with a bit of treatment, rest and some TLC she will be feeling better soon! Anyway, I was telling Jen that I wanted to get one hike in, either up Le Môle or up to Balme while the weather was so perfect. But she told me that she had recently taken her patients on a hike up to a place called La Bourgeoise, which was a pretty easy hike but with the most spectacular views! So I decided to take a trip out there on Sunday just to see what it looked like. First I stopped in at a local vide-grenier which was much bigger than I expected and very well organized. I didn't buy anything though as nothing really caught my eye, but it was still nice to be out and about anyway. And then I set out to find La Bourgeoise. It was about an hour from home and just over 50 km and what a lovely spot it turned out to be! I drove up to the top of the pass to a small café which is the starting point for the hike. Since, by this time, it was already 5 p.m. I decided not to go up to the look-out but that I would come back "some time soon". So I sat and had a Perrier water while taking in the sunshine and the beautiful view (all the while trying desperately to look like I'd just done a gruelling hike - but nah, that didn't work). Behind me was a large party having a drink and as they got up to go someone called out "grandma, you forgot your walking stick". I was just thinking how sweet it was that they took "little ol' grandma" up the mountains for a day out, when I turned round and 70+ year old grandma" came striding back to the table all shorts, thigh muscles and hiking boots, picked up her hiking stick and then ran back off to join the rest of her group! That'll teach me about stereotypes I guess, especially around here!

Anyway, yesterday morning I had my early morning yoga class in the next village, and I've come to realize that doing that first thing, right at the beginning of the week, is a wonderful way to set up my week. As so often with yoga, I've found that it doesn't really feel like I'm actually doing anything, but when I leave I feel absolutely wonderful! I love it! So on the way back I was telling my friend about La Bourgeoise and when she said "let's give it a shot", I suggested "how about this afternoon" so off we went. And my was it ever pretty!

The walk to the top was pretty easy actually, although I agree with my friend that it's still probably better to do these hikes with someone as it would have been easy enough to twist an ankle in some of the more treacherous spots. We came across sheep and cows (and a few goats), all with their bells on, and it was just glorious. Most people do this hike in about an hour or less - we took an hour but were fine with that as neither of us like to rush and it was pretty hot to boot!

Right in the distance, to the right, you can see the tip of the Mont Blanc!


That "little dot" in the middle of the patch of green is actually a chalet!
And then didn't we just totally luck out when a group of men came up behind us and were setting up for hang-gliding lessons - and we had an eagle's eye view!


My friend and I were talking about how strong the instructor must be because with a novice they have to be prepared to take the weight of the student, if necessary, when they come back in to land. So my friend was saying she'd need knee pads and shoulder pads (and here's me thinking incontinence pads would be more likely to be on my list of essentials)! Still, it was such a thrill to see them up close in action!

And in other news, seems my scammers are back. There were two yesterday and one of them, a widow, formerly married to General Somebody-or-other in the Congo, apparently wants to marry me!!! Now I must definitely be giving off the wrong vibe - not in the sense that I'm a "woman looking for another woman", but anybody who knows me knows darn well that if they think I am ever getting married again they want their head looking at! But thanks for the offer anyway!

Then last Friday the Swiss/French emergency services carried out a simulation of a "catastrophic" event in one of the tunnels of the new CEVA train line, which will begin running mid-December. The CEVA, or the Léman Express (lake Geneva is called lac Léman in French) will eventually link Geneva airport all the way through to Chamonix/Mont Blanc because skiing, in particular, is very big money around here. In December, however, the section of the line linking Annecy to Geneva (the section that would have benefitted me had I still been at work) will be opening up so they simulated an "incident" (crash/bomb) inside one of the tunnels with 2,000 "victims" and around 900 emergency service personnel/first responders to see how they would cope in such an event. I'm told it went pretty well, but of course the upshot of that, very necessary, exercise is that roads were closed for hours, although they had forewarned people via the press. Unfortunately, on top of that, there was what I understand was a relatively minor three-car smash on the motorway leading to France, but which involved having to close off more roads so that the emergency services could get in! And again, I can only say that I'm just so, so glad that I don't have to do that commute any more!

And I saw in the newspapers this morning how an elderly cyclist in Australia had died falling off his bike after being "attacked" by magpies! How very sad! But I remember being in Australia in 1983 (my six-month "round Australia" trip) and at one youth hostel in Queensland they had put up signs advising us to "beware of the thieving magpies". Well we just thought it was to warn us to keep an eye on our valuables, but no, it was, indeed, to watch out for the bloody magpies who swooped and basically attacked pedestrians as they were walking down the street. It was quite amazing really!


And finally, I got a call from Max last night to say they would be here tomorrow morning to finish hooking up my heating/hot water system, so I'll finally be able to get my house looking somewhat less like the site of a nuclear "incident"! I also got a call from Patrick, the "official" French translator, to meet him for a drink tomorrow afternoon so I can drop off my parents' death certificates for him to translate in connection with my request for French citizenship. Now I'm not totally convinced I need their death certificates but since it only costs 30 cents a word to get them translated I may as well just go ahead and have everything ready for if and when I ever get my initial appointment with French immigration (don't hold your breath)! So on that note I will love you and leave you as I have my second yoga class of the week a little later this afternoon and I'm sure the ladies would probably appreciate it if I had a shower first!

12 comments:

  1. Well don eon the steps. With our new office location in the building, I am getting several hundred more a day just naturally, which is nice. Not showing anywhere yet on my body. I hope Jen is on the mend. I once saw a movie with folks trapped in a tunnel-I can't even go through them without thinking on this movie. I think it was Sylvester Stallone and Vigo Mortenson. I would take the drill seriously!

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    1. Like I say, I used to get 7,000 steps in easily when I was working - running for the bus, back and forth to the photocopier and so on, so it's quite a shock how little I actually do now that I'm retired. I think you might notice the effect on your body after a while but obviously it does take time! And Jen seems to be better I think, although very tired. But then again, they've had a lot on their plates with the wedding, buying and decorating their new place and packing the old one up. Time for some "down" time I guess.

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  2. Beautiful pictures and view! Kind of reminds me of a few of the hikes we went on near here, once you get up top. But, they definitely weren't easy, for me, haha!

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    1. Oh I'm not a natural by any means. I can do most of them but I have to take it slowly and I hate the heat -give me the cold any time. But I get there in the end. It would just piss me off to spend my retired life in this area without taking advantage of its natural beauty. And like you say, once you get to the top it's magical!

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  3. Just keep in mind even with the lower step count if you are doing yoga that is not indicated in your step count and definitely counts as exercise! I am on sloth level of steps this week - as Buddy's 24/7 caretaker for the next week he can't be left as might try to tear off his bandages holding his hip in place. It still is in place though, fingers and toes crossed it stays there.

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    1. I know the 3 "biggies" are strength, suppleness and stamina. I LOVE the suppleness side of it obviously as it is so wonderful for my back (not that I have a problem with my back - but hey, it obviously works)! I'm willing to work on the strength (slowly) as I hate my bingo wings, but I can't stand aerobics, hence trying to put some time in walking/hiking. I guess it's better than nothing right? And I hope Buddy is doing better now!

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  4. What wonderful pictures, particularly the video. I know that must have been gorgeous!
    Good for you for getting all limber and yogaed up and stepping about and hiking (which I personally thinks sucks, or at least my left knee does, but does have incredible scenery) As long as the temps hover in the 90+ range I will stick to swimming laps.

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  5. Ha ha, that's where we are no longer twins. I can't bear the heat and will happily go out in the cold and snow anytime. I was thinking about swimming though so went out and bought myself a swimming hat for the local (indoor pool) - but man I look like a beached whale and it's even worse with a swimming cap! I hear one of the outdoor pools in Geneva is going to be open all year round now and heated "organically" (whatever that means). Maybe I'll give it a shot!

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  6. I think hang gliding would be sooooo neat.

    And the magpie story was interesting. I always remind people that birds are the descendants of dinosaurs and many of them were not very nice.

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    1. For the hang-gliding I did wonder if I would do it, and in the end I thought "yes, if I really wanted to I would beat that fear and do it", but I don't want to. I did the helicopter thing in St. Lucia and would never do it again because I didn't enjoy it. But I went zip-lining (very intrepidly) and would do it again. So I think it's a question of are you doing it because you want to or because you need to beat that fear? I'm at the stage of thinking "if I want to I will consider it, if not, who cares"?

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  7. I once got stuck on Mont Blanc in a thunder and lightening storm. It was not fun. All the electricity went off so it got colder and colder in the cafe where we were sheltering and there was no tea or coffee. Then eventually our cable car tried to go down and got blown all over the place in the high wind. I almost kissed the ground when we finally got down! It had been a beautiful day when we went up! The scenery near you is stunning, you are very lucky to live in such a pretty area. x

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    1. Eeewwww yuck! Sooner you than me!! It's very cold on top of the Mont Blanc anyway (over 4,000 metres) but I'm surprised the café didn't have a generator. I don't trust the mountains in thunder storms either as they are REALLY violent. Glad you made it out ok though! And yes this really is a beautiful area. I came here in 1980 and I still never tire of it! Found my bit of paradise I guess!

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