The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Sunday 27 September 2020

Brrr!!!!

I've been keeping an eye on my friend's place as she and her sister drove to southern Spain last week where they've just bought a house. Her sister will be staying on as she intends to make her life in Spain (she's lived there before) and my friend will be back shortly. I sent my friend a message to say everything was ok and she mentioned that she had already received an appointment for 1 December for Annecy to check her paperwork in connection with her request for French citizenship! Say what????? She only sent her request in about 10 days ago and she's already got an appointment? I sent my request in July 2019 and not a peep. She did mention that as soon as she sent her email she got an automatic reply saying "if you've already made a request please send another one with the word "reminder" in the subject line", so I've now done that too. I don't actually mind too much as other than my French test I already had everything pretty much ready to go and I'm sure I'll get an appointment soon, but heck, it's a good job she mentioned it isn't it!

On Wednesday I did my first stint at the gym trying out the workout programme my coach drew up for me and I actually really enjoyed it. It certainly made a difference being shown how to use the machines correctly and while it was hard work it was good fun. The young coach was working on the ground floor and said if I had any difficulties to give him a yell and he would come upstairs and show me what I needed to be doing, so I'm pleased with the "service" too. My idea is to go to the gym on Wednesdays and Fridays but then they also seem to be the only days I will have to meet up with friends and set up appointments so I reckon I'll be lucky to get two days a week in at the gym, to be honest! That being said, I was aching pretty badly come Friday so I was more than pleased to have the excuse not to go as I was meeting up with friends in Geneva for lunch. As it was my birthday on Thursday they kindly paid for me but it is always a treat to catch up with these particular friends anyway as we've known each other for years and have a lot to catch up on. Well saying that, it was all great until I walked back out to my car and discovered I had got a parking ticket. Stupid idiot that I am I had forgotten to put my blue "free parking" disk up, and since Swiss parking attendants are like grey ghosts I got stung. Actually (and I think this is pretty horrible, to be honest) they even pay people who live locally to "snoop" (as I put it) and dash out and put parking tickets on cars for them. One old lady has a dreadful reputation as the local snitch as she lives just above a bakery and is forever dashing out of her house and giving people tickets. Still, I'm sure it gives her a lot of pleasure right? And in any case, although I would have been allowed to park free of charge for four hours, I did indeed forget to put my blue disk up, so more fool me!

When I got home from grocery shopping on Thursday my neighbour and her daughter had left a beautiful flower display outside my front door so I went round to thank her and have a coffee and a chat. But man-oh-man, did I get an earful. I've mentioned before that they are one of the unhappiest couples I know and she really let me have it so I guess it was more of an opportunity for her to get things off her chest than for us to have a chat. I hate to see her like this as I sense she is verging on a breakdown but what can I do? I hear the yelling either out in the back garden or through my wall but .... My only selfish consolation is that it is no longer me and my husband screaming and entertaining the neighbourhood, but I feel so sad for my neighbour as I think the world of her!

My friend hasn't been well so I guess I will see him when he feels a bit better, and the kids have told me to block 18 October as they are taking me out for the day - oh and "you'll need your swimsuit"! Damn, I wonder what my chances of losing 10 kg between now and then are - zero right? It's going to be a kinda group birthday outing as it's Jen's birthday at the beginning of October and also her mom's so we're all going out together. I'm thinking a hot springs somewhere - they have a lovely one at Chamonix I'd love to go to - but I guess I'll have to wait and see! I had my André Rieu concert lined up for 17 October but that has just been cancelled so at least there is a "positive" in that I won't be in Zurich that night!

My "Walk 1,000 Miles in 2020" FB group is still going strong and I'm loving some of the pictures these people are posting - they really are putting me to shame. Someone recently posted a picture of their hike over Crib Goch in north Wales and it was beautiful. My mom was from a small village in Snowdonia National Park and I really would love the chance to go back there to see the place as an adult rather than through a child's eyes!

Crib Goch - can you believe this was classed as a
"mountain walk for novice walkers"!

I guess everything is relative but I remember going hiking with the school to the Lake District when I was 11 and they took us over Helvellyn, with us having to walk over Striding Edge to get to it!!! Maybe I'm just older but looking back I do wonder about taking kids over such hikes. I think also in the UK the bigger problem than the actual difficulty of the walk is the constantly changing weather conditions, but again, I still can't believe we went over Striding Edge at such a young age and probably not properly equipped!

Striding Edge


Helvellyn

My sister called me for my birthday and she was asking if I'd noticed how ill Boris Johnson looked. Well he's just gone through a nasty divorce (which is what happens when you get your girlfriend pregnant while still married I guess), he must still be feeling the effects of having a serious attack of covid, but I also think he thought he could "buffoon" his way through being Prime Minister and is probably only now realizing just how hard it is! I actually used to quite like him when he was just "Boris the Buffoon" but now? No way! If you do everything in your power to take on that kind of job you'd better damn well be serious about it - or at least have the gumption to surround yourself with competent people who know what they're doing. Remind you of anyone?

I see too that yet again the UK Government are promoting an anti-obesity campaign, partly as a result of the dreadful state some people are in in the UK and partly because they are trying to push people to understand that obesity is a pretty crucial factor in just how ill you might get if you have the misfortune to catch the coronavirus. I think it's a commendable aim, but when they post pictures on the TV more or less saying "your aim should be not to look like this", my mind always jumps to wondering if some of the (headless) people they are showing photos of might actually recognize themselves because of their clothes! I know that's not the point of the whole campaign but can you imagine just how mortified you would be (or maybe not - who knows) if you actually recognized yourself as the "face" (belly?) of the anti-obesity campaign!! (First thing I'd do is burn that bloody T-shirt, just in case anyone recognized me)!


And finally, our temperatures have dropped like a lead balloon these past couple of days. Last night as I was shutting my shutters I saw that it was only 6°C (42°F) and it's "nippy" to say the least. I actually don't mind it being cold as I now get to bundle up and start working outside in comfortable temperatures, but to already see snow on Cou (the small mountain behind me) makes me realize that winter is well and truly on its way!



23 comments:

  1. Citizens can give tickets? Do they get paid? I cannot imagine that hike for children! Burn the shirt!!!

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    1. Citizens most certainly could give tickets in Geneva a few years back. While I'm not in favour of it (as I think it promotes snitching) I remember once leaving my car for about 10 minutes WITH my blue disk visible and coming back to a fine because they didn't like my blue disk - it wasn't the correct (new) kind apparently. As for the hike, can you imagine taking a whole gaggle of 11 year olds on that hike? Then again, it was the '60s so who knows.

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    1. Thanks Bobbie. It doesn't have quite the same importance as when we were 10 does it, but it's nice that people remembered!

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  3. Happy birthday, dear woman!
    Citizens can give other people tickets for parking? I highly disapprove of this. (Like it matters.) Too much like the spying people did on each other during wars. Grown-up tattle-tales.

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    1. Thank you for the birthday wishes - as you can see, Owen is in good company! And yes I dislike the practice of having citizens tittle-tattle on each other too - something that they seem to want to do in the UK now!

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  4. Belated Happy birthday. Covid snoopers, parking ticket neighbours, recipe for arguments. I know what you mean about the obesity campaigns. They always seem to show badly dressed chavvy families.

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    1. Thanks for the birthday wishes Tania. What gets me about some of the photos, apart from choosing the "chavvy" photos, is that more often than not they don't appear to know what shampoo is either. I'm not sure these campaigns have any effect to be honest but ...

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  5. Happy birthday! Your trip in October will be something to look forward to. Pity about Andre Rieu though. He's had a show on Sky Arts channel here through most of lockdown, its been wonderful to watch.
    School trips were certainly something else in the 'olden' days! I met my hubby on a school trip to the Highlands and one day we had to canoe over Loch Torridon in a bit of a storm! Hubby was canoeing for his life, totally terrified as he can't swim!! Can you imagine?
    It's been lovely here, but cold in the mornings and evenings. Minus 1 degree this morning when I got up! x

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    1. Uuughhh minus 1 degree. That's when it gets yucky isn't it. And oh my goodness, the school trips. I seriously don't think they would be allowed now - health and safety concerns I guess - but we had some fun didn't we (your husband notwithstanding)!

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  6. I hope it is a hot springs-how relaxing! I'm sure your neighbor appreciated having someone to talk to, but how awkward for you. I think we mihgt be near our end of the summery days-maybe a surprise day here or there in October, but I was happy for the thick sweater on my lap at outside church.

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    2. I think you probably get it even colder than we do over winter (more snow certainly) so yes I think it's on its way for you too!

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  7. Happy Birthday!!! I'm looking at Oct 12 to start up my gym routine again, and it is fun. BoJo does look bad, perhaps he still has a bit of Covid knocking around in his system, or maybe it's because his Brexit isn't going as well as planned.

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    1. I've always loved the gym too - once I get over the embarrassment of the first time - but luckily it's virtually empty when I go anyway. I'm sure you'll love it too - it's so much better to go when it's cooler isn't it! And yep Bojo has a lot on his plate but then for the most part (except for covid) he actively sought it out didn't he!

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  8. I love reading your posts. They make me happy and envious all at the same time. Your scenery is just breathtaking.
    We all know that one person who is discontented. Even if you did not like being unloaded on it might have been the only safe place she had to vent. It was kind of you even if you did not realize the extent it would be.

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    1. My neighbour unloads on my an awful lot (and to another neighbour actually) but then I think women need to talk, whereas men not so much. The hard part is seeing how difficult (but not impossible) it would be for her to do anything about her situation. We can all see clearly when it pertains to someone else though can't we!

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  9. Belated birthday greetings...whatever the 'number' you must be doing something right as you have so much energy..well done.

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    1. Ah thanks Libby. The number's 62 (and I can't quite believe it myself to be honest) but at least it allowed me to retire and enjoy myself!

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  10. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I envy you for keeping so active. Those are breathtaking views of the hiking trails. I cannot handle hills.

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    1. Thanks T'Pol, I think I'm trying to keep active because the alternative doesn't bear thinking about. And believe, me I can't handle hills either - but everyone has to start somewhere don't they!

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  11. Yes, signs of a receding frost and a thermometer at 4 degrees C when I got up yesterday. It looks as though the season is changing quickly and I’ve been prompted to put T-shirts away (fortunately none patterned or as large as those in your photo!) and get fleeces out. I hope you had a wonderful birthday and the mystery surprise in a swimsuit is definitely intriguing.

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    1. Winter does seem to be "happening" quickly right now. I guess someone forgot that autumn has to come first right! And I'm glad you didn't recognize your T-shirt in that photo - can you imagine???

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