It is neither New Zealand nor Norway but yet...
I am still amazed by my two weeks of adventure in the Alps and on the Atlantic coast... I hadn't really planned this return to France to be on an adventurous lifestyle but in the end, all these improvised escapades made me feel so good. Since I came back from New Zealand in August 2018, I've dreamt of going to explore my own country, for which, at the time, I could not lie to you, I had more disgust than interest for. Originally, last year, before knowing I'd lose my father, we had planned a one-to-two-month road trip across France with Ben. But in the end, with the early return and the grief I was going through, I had no desire to venture into a place I thought I hated too much already...
When I finally left NZ and returned to France last August, my main concern was to spend as much time as possible with my friends and family so that I would be ready to leave for Canada if the opportunity presented itself. So the idea of short French-style trips was absolutely not part of the plan. And this is where the intensity of my discoveries was born... I often realize when I live abroad that the more I plan my life, the less I appreciate it... whereas when I take it as it comes, the more it surprises me and the more I blossom...
To be sincere, what prevented me from starting at the beginning was on one hand the lack of visibility on my Canadian projects (far from me the idea of using all my savings in tourism) and on the other hand, the guilt of not spending more time with my mum while I'm in France (even if, our very similar characters are explosive after three days spent together, eh mum ;)). Except that, the boredom and the lack of projects that come true very quickly got the better of me. When Max insisted that I join him for a few days of hiking in the Alps and Eugé offered me to go and surf on Royan, I finally said yes. After all, you never know... if Canada didn't open up to me, I would at least have enjoyed the Indian summer that keeps going on and on in here.
And that's how, after the Vosges, I set off to discover the Alps and to rediscover the wild Atlantic coast. Two journeys in a familiar land, but in a completely different context. On the program this time? Hiking, bike-skating, cheese tasting, beach wandering, discovering new summits, surfing, meeting with the ibexes, zip-lining and spending time with friends... Enough photos and "blabla" to make you travel once again with me. And a new opportunity for me to tell you more about where I am in my inside journey... So shall I take you along? Let's go...
WEEK 1 : THE ALPS
First of all, let's start towards the Alps and more precisely the region around Thonon-les-Bains. So I went there with Maxime, one of my oldest childhood friends, known on the benches of the music school. He had been talking to me for a few months about joining me wherever I would be in September 2020... In the end, I was in my dear north of France, so it was more like me joining him. (yes it makes me laugh)
DAY 1 : LE BALCON DES MÉMISES
After a late arrival on Monday evening, we set off in the direction of Le Balcon des Mémises, for a first exploration of one of the peaks of the region. The Alps in summer, I had never done. And for Maxime, hiking was a great first. In spite of a few steep climbs and an unplanned detour ("yes yes, straight ahead." - " ehhhhhh no, I think we should have turned when we were down below, at the river..." - "Well, Too late...") the hike was quite easy and the view from the summit was incredible.
The peak is 1674m high and offers a 360° view of Thonon-les bains, Lake of Geneva, Switzerland and the French Alps. It was a real surprise for me to be able to explore French summits while being so close to big cities, even if I have to admit (with photos to prove it) that I spent more time looking at the mountains than the urban side. (Not a city girl anymore!)
DAY 2 : LE SITE DE BISE et LES GORGES DU CHAUDERON
Second day : quiet morning in the direction of Le site de Bise. We parked the car by the lake and walked 25 minutes up through the trees towards the small little "village" by the Cornettes de Bise. At the start, we didn't really know what to expect, but at the end : that was a complete change of scenery.
Compared to the day before, the landscape was so different. This time, we were lost in this basin, surrounded by mountains each one more imposing than the other and in the heart of this micro village. The fact that the site is accessible by car makes it quite busy. But, once you start hiking up the trails that surround it, you quickly feel like you are alone in the world. No telephone network, no electricity, just a "museum" house, a refuge for hikers and a traditional goat cheese farm. I didn't think a place like this existed in France and it was really a great discovery.
I must admit that if I could find a job where I could go and live for a while in the middle of the mountains in a place like this, I would sign right away... (well ok, let's add one or two climbing walls nearby, mountain bike trails, and a good bunch of friends to come and have fun with me and this would be perfect)
In the afternoon, we took the road again in the direction of Montreux, Switzerland, to visit the Gorges du Chauderon. The idea was to explore the surroundings without getting too tired, because on Thursday, we had a rather difficult hike ahead of us. Except that, Max's enthusiasm and my laziness of the day took us on this "walk" along the gorges without too much research before... The waterfalls were pretty, certainly, but after several minutes of climbing, I must admit that I started having doubts... "It's a river, it can't climb very high anyway"... You bet. In the end, we had to face 786m of elevation all the way up... I can still hear myself saying to Max with a frustrated and desperate look on my face "but it never really stops climbing!
Well... for the quiet and resting day, it's a miss... After 1055 steps down from the summit, I can tell you that I just wanted to get back home. It was nice anyway, I just wasn't in the mood that day (so great to be a girl, hello hormones). But don't get it wrong, we laughed a lot about it with Max a bit later !
DAY 3 : LA DENT D'OCHE
It was one of the "difficult" hikes that Max had spotted. I had read that there were a few bits close to the cliffs and others where we would have to be in a climbing mode but I was far from imagining what was waiting for us. At the end, we spent 3 hours of fairly steep climbing with no equipment to reach the 2221 m summit and just as much time to come back down... For me, because I'm a bit of a daredevil (I just discovered the english way of saying that it makes me laugh) and because I'm not afraid of heights, it was OK. But, for anyone who is not used to climbing downhill, it is a bit of a challenge... ehh Max ;)
As for the setting, it was magical: forests, mountains, lakes, cliffside refuge and cheese farm... everything was there. We even had the surprise to see baby ibexes at the top. I was dreaming of seeing them for real and now it's done...
At the top we had a view of the whole Massif du Chablais. It was grandiose. I have to admit that for my part, the more technical it was, almost like climbing or doing via ferrata, the more I had fun ... We even had a whole traverse on the cliffside before starting the descent which gave the impression of walking on the roof of the world. Magical !
And I don't know if you have ever been at the top of a summit like this before but the world seems so big and small at the same time. All your worries suddenly seem very futile. All that matters in these moments is you, standing there. You are like in this in-between, in-between heaven and earth, in-between spiritual and earthly connections. I could spend hours on top of peaks like that, watching the world turn, enjoying the wind on my skin, the drawing created by the flight of the birds, the sounds in the distant valley. It is an experience that I find almost nowhere else... In fact, I often need to be shaken to get back on my feet, because up there, I lose the notion of time a little bit.
DAY 4 : LAC DES PLAGNES - LAC D'ARVOUIN ET FANTASTICABLE
Last day of visit with the Lac des Plagnes. It's a very family stroll that I found rather boring for my part (the proof is that I don't really have any photos of the lake), so after a few minutes I naturally started to venture (taking Maxime along) off the paths. In the end, the minutes of forest bathing were more impressive than the rest of it. I could spend hours there too... Because these green landscapes have this little something that soothes me and constantly feeds my imagination.
After walking an hour, we went back on the roads in the direction of Lake Arvouin, for a lunch break lost in the mountains. The starting point of the hike is at the top of a picturesque road that is already worth taking. After a 35-minute walk through the pastures of the local dairy cows, we were once again "cut off from the rest of the world". The lake had this surprising turquoise blue colour and was so quiet that we decided to take our time and enjoy this captivating place the most. A good way also to feed the mind with nice pictures instead of the daily hassles...
After this extended lunch break, we headed back to Chatel for an activity that Maxime had spotted and that he had been telling me about for weeks: Fantasticable. It is a combination of two zip lines that allow you to fly over the valley at a speed of almost 90km/h. At the beginning, I said to myself "well, this kind of thing, I already know, so I'll let Maxime go by himself". But in the end, considering the very low prices (compared to NZ, this kind of activity in France is so cheap, barely 35 € here including the 4 chairlifts ride to the top and back ) I thought "well, we only leave once... so I'll do it too".
It was nice but I must admit that, as a big fan of thrills, I was almost disappointed. I thought I would feel much more speed. I love that feeling in the stomach when your body is propelled quickly in a context it is not used to. But since we are so far from the ground, our perception is completely distorted (I should have tried to close my eyes maybe) and I just felt like I was flying slowly. At this speed, it only takes a minute on each zip line to reach the finish line. Enough time though to enjoy the flight in the heart of the mountains like an eagle chasing its prey.
I felt a little bit stupid at the end with my "but it's weird that you don't feel the speed at all" while Max had a very good time. I have to admit that I even started to think "fuck, that's it, with all the adventures and thrills I'm used to, I'm getting a bit jaded". But after talking to the chick who was hosting us, I realised that it's all about body and perception. "wheeeewww".
(length of the first cable: 1200m, length of the second 1325m, max height overflown: 240m)
After a few days exploring the mountains it was already time to go back "home". On the way, we stopped at Amandine's house, the third member of our childhood trio! A nice way to see each other again and to spend a very nice evening together! (I'm putting some photos for a Before / After that will make you laugh).
I'm very grateful to Max for all these good moments and for this improvised discovery of the Alps under the sun and without the snow. Of course, we have had some misadventures, like "taking the wrong trail", "discovering the elevation gain on the go", "missing the car thiefs from just a few minutes" and "looking at our car-mirror-destructor running away from us" ... but in the end, they too will be part of the list of memorable memories we have just created for ourselves...
So, thanks again to him!
WEEK 2 : ATLANTIC COAST
After an express return to the north, I took the train back down to the west coast this time to Royan. At the start, I had promised Eugé that I would go and see her in Martinique... In the end, after 3 years of living on the island she returned to France without me ever being able to make my trips match with a passage on this side of the Atlantic. When she told me that she would be spending the summer in France I promised her that I would come to her wherever she would be and that this time I would keep my promise. Three trains, one car journey and three stopovers later (thank you my Suzanne and thank you Isa <3) I finally joined Eugenie... Might as well tell you that it would have been quicker if I had gone to see her in Martinique. lol.
Eugé, you have already seen her on this blog, in my articles from Norway. She's my good laughing partner, together, we are not trouble-makers but almost. Paris, Lyon, life abroad, our professional lives, our personal lives, our love stories, ... we have different backgrounds and yet internally we are very similar and we have been on the same journey. So after a year without seeing each other, it was time to organise a little catch-up.
ROYAN : SEA, SKATE AND SURF
Royan and the Atlantic coast I must confess that I know it well. We often spent our summers there in my parents' campervan when I was a teenager. So the idea of visiting the area didn't excite me more than that, although some places brought back nice memories. On the other hand, the beach on the wild coast, in the off-season, was a nice discovery. Besides, Eugé and his partner surf like pros, so even if we were going to spend time together, I might as well do it while trying a new activity! We had plenty of "Apéros" (Sacred french tradition, before dinner, that involves a gathering with drinks and snacks all shared in an informal, relaxed setting. It can last for hours ;)), walks, bike-skating, surfing, endless conversations and card games, so, I ended up spending a wonderful week with them. It was also great to see the beach without too many tourists and in a "local" point of view. It's amazing how a context can change everything in a city, a region or even a country...
FACING THE WAVE OR TAKING THE WAVE
I had been wanting to try surfing for years and yet I was always a little afraid that the waves would carry me away or push me to the bottom. I think that having Eugé and his partner by my side, both passionate, gave me a lot of confidence. So we did 3 sessions in almost perfect conditions for me. And to my surprise, once in the water, I didn't care about the size of the waves. As long as I was tocuhing the floor and the board was attached to me, I was fine...
However, if you follow my blog posts you know that my love affair with water is a little more complex than my love of the mountains. I still remember one summer when I went windsurfing with my dad and after a few meters of catching the wind I quickly let go of the mast for fear of being alone in the middle of the lake. In Norway it was the river rapids that terrified me. And on the sea, it is usually the big waves, the depths or the distance from the coast...
This time it was Eugé who pointed out to me how I wasn't as scared as I had been saying. And she was right... yet, I know myself and stories of panic underwater, I have 5 or 6 to tell...
Why am I not afraid of the water when I am on my feet or using a flotation device while I am panicking just at the idea of being swept away by a current or not being able to see the bottom anymore? What is the common point (other than water) between my fear of depths, rapids and waves?
I found several answers, but the one I wanted to talk about was the feeling of loss of control. In my personal life as well as in my sports activities, when I lose control for an extended period of time, I panic. With the water moving, I always feel that its power will have the last word: it decides what it wants to do with me and where it wants to take me. And when you get to know the women in my family, you quickly realise that nobody decides for them... (Dedication to my Mily who should smile reading this).
When I'm climbing or mountain biking, I put my trust in myself, but when I'm in the water, it's the opposite. I have absolutely no confidence in my swimming abilities or even in the ability of the water to throw me back a little further on the shore or on the beach. It's very silly because I know that in 98% of the cases, the wave ejects you, but by the time I manage to convince my underwater brain that everything is going to be fine and that I just have to wait a few seconds, I am often already in panic...
In the end, this panic following the loss of control is very much reflected in my daily life. I may be a very adaptable person, but I also have a strong tendency, in certain areas of my life, to want to control everything. I am very determined in my choices and rarely give up. (In fact, it is climbing that teaches me how to give up). And with a lot of hindsight, I can confirm that it's not really the water that I'm afraid of, but the inner state it forces me into. "To be able to let go & to trust the unknown" in the same way that we would let ourselves float until the current rejects us, is something very complicated for me. But I know that fighting and facing the wave is often more difficult than letting go with it... But who knows why, although we know, there are situations in which we stay very stubborn nah ? A friend of mine in Patagonia used to tell me that I was a bit like an oyster. Once I'm attached to my rock, I find it hard to let go...
In short, all this to say that in spite of everything, I enjoyed learning how to surf. And that every time the wave carried me away, I got up again, feeling stronger than ever. I am often told that, given my fears, I have an almost "masochistic" tendency to engage in activities like this. But in the end, I just try to nourish a little more each day this contradiction that makes up my personality: I am a free electron in constant search of association with other electrons. But every time I associate myself, I am like the oyster on my rock, I freeze and lose a bit of my freedom. The more I push my limits by confronting what I hate, the more I enlarge my comfort zone, the more I transform my anxieties into simple situations of discomfort and the freer I feel... So why should I resist?!
Thank you Eugé & Alex for this beautiful week together !
AND... HOW ARE YOU AT THE MOMENT ?
Honestly, I'm fine. I've had a lot of ups and downs in the last few months, but nothing unusual. And even though 2020 has been full of complications, frustrations and disappointments, I have learned a lot about myself and I can only be grateful for that.
I may not have been able to finish my training in Patagonia, I have lost a lot of money and I still haven't been able to set foot in Canada, but I have rediscovered bits and pieces of New Zealand, I have seen my kiwi family again, I have met great people in Patagonia, I have seen incredible landscapes, I have rediscovered my own country, I have just spent several weeks seeing my friends and family again and I have taken a few steps in this personal journey begun three years ago. ..
Concerning my dad, I talk about him less in my articles, but it doesn't mean that I don't go through any more phases of his absence. Mourning is a forever process once you lost someone, and only people who went through it will know what I'm talking about. In fact, I have started to write about it, but I will share it with you in due course.
Also, this return to France this time will not have had the same bitter taste of other times. Is it because I had the desire and the need to come back? Is it because I am learning as I go and adapting? Is it because I went to visit my country? Or is it because this time I have projects that I can move forward to? Who knows? One thing is sure, it makes me feel good to spend time with my family, with my friends and to travel around our regions. This is exactly what I needed.
And it's also a great way to reconnect with myself. I've been trying things in my life for 3 years now, living at the rhythm of my desires, but I also often feel a little bit lost... The meaning I give to my daily life is happining thanks to my travel. But sometimes I confess, I just want to give up everything, to go back to the small boxes of society and stop questioning myself... I have a thousand projects an hour. I'm going in all directions and I'm fed up with not always knowing how to channel myself. But, on the other hand, I know that this is a strength too. For example, it has allowed me to do a lot of things this year, despite a world that has been forced to slow down...
I also believed for a long time that my vision of France was my own and the only one I would carry, whereas in the end, it was only one of the many ways of looking at it. To fall back in love with one's own country: it is possible. If I leave this time, I know that when I come back, I will have many places to explore at home that might perhaps make me stay one day. (Or not)
To finish, I certainly have my moments where I would give anything to be able to leave right now and urgently start a new life in Canada. Why would I do that? Certainly out of a desire for renewal, to meet new people, to try out new activities, new jobs and then to "move on" as they say. But is that a valid reason to leave? Not all the time... I am so relieved to have made the decision to leave a situation that no longer made me happy in NZ to come back here to France for a while. But I no longer feel like running away when I leave, this time, I want to go by choice and explore Canada in complete freedom, whether physically or mentally. And I waited so long for this project, I cancelled it, then rescheduled it, until it was postponed, twice already, so I tell myself that if things are happening this way, it's for a reason... To give up? Oh no, never. But to let myself go with the rhythm of the waves that this COVID has imposed on us: why not. I did take tickets to fly there soon and if my lucky star want me to go there, then the next article will certainly be written from Canada... And if not, then we'll see. After all, spending the winter in the french mountains might be a good option too !
Love. Co.
Comentários