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In Which I Go Up In The World
May 11, 2008 by Mike
Valbonne
Far below us: Cannes to the right, Antibes straight ahead and Nice to the left.
Beyond, the Mediterranean stretches far beyond the horizon.
[I need to learn how to spell Mediterranean, don't I, rather than relying on spellcheck every time?]
And in front of us, on a rocky promontory several hundred feet below where we are but high above the cities of the coast, the old town of Gourdon. It's dominated by its church -- god usually gets first dibs and the best views -- and the old town walls. But it's rammed with tourists. There can hardly be room to raise camera to eye to photograph the beautiful view.. of the back of the head of the tourist in front of you.
If only they knew -- instead of following the well-worn path into the town, with its gawdy shops and overpriced restaurants, all they had to do was hike in the sunshine for an hour and a half up this forbiddingly steep hill, the stony path zigging and zagging towards this panoramic peak.. and be surrounded by nothing more than fresh air, fabulous views, and me, Eivind and Vibeke.
I've been lucky enough to spend many summers in central Norway. Some things have changed - more houses, the spelling of the word "milk", the price of fish. And some things never change - the taste of wild blueberries, the magnificence of the mountain skyline and, coming out of nowhere like a whirlwind as I go for a long hike with my family, Eivind and Vibeke overtaking us with a cheery wave.. normally walking about three-and-a-half times faster than it is possible for a human to run. And yet, today, I managed to keep up with them.
I should have suggested they carry me in their backpacks in Norway, too, all those years ago.
--
(And, I'd like to add, having a luxurious swimming pool to relax in after a long walk, would be a pretty smart idea in Norway, too. Nick, Claire, KC -- whaddyareckon?)
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