The view from my window
The blizzards have stopped and the wind has dropped. The temperature is only slightly below freezing and the sun is shining. It’s glorious and I would dearly love to be on the ski slopes along with those who are not too lazy to ski – which is a veiled reference to the one teenager who has barely got herself out of bed all week. It’s all a bit of an exercise in patience for me. On several counts.
I’m very happy that socks take an age to knit and that I’m making good progress on the big pile of books I have wanted to read for ages. This makes me feel that I have actually achieved something this week! Yesterday’s offering was The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal – which I think I would give four stars. It started a little slowly, but became unputdownable. Today it’s and I shall have some peace there by Margaret Roach – a book by one of Martha Stewards editors who chucked it all in and went to live in a house in the woods. Lovely. my sort of thing – it’s been speaking to me since the first sentence. I’m itching to get the seed catalogues out and empty my compost heaps and get going in the garden.
Yesterday was the start of Fasnacht in Andermatt. Fasnacht is the Swiss version of carnival. It started with a parade of Guggenmusiker – a band made up mainly of drums (very loud) and brass instruments (competing with the drums) – at 5am, in the dark in a blizzard with temperatures at minus something unmentionable. There was a small parade of dressed up children and parents in the afternoon. My photos were awful because there was almost no sunlight, the roads are terribly narrow in the centre of the village and there were too many people in the way. It was all rather disorganized and chaotic, but the children were happy. We were a little bemused as to where the group dressed as American footballers fitted into the grand scheme of things. The bakery sold special cakes decorated with clowns and there was a masked ball – for children or adults? We never found out.
In the evening our dinner was enlivened by the arrival of a group of about 20 adult Guggenmusiker – dressed in all their finery – from pirates, to Tigger, to witches and a gentleman who seemed to have a full set of antlers on his head. They had been on their way since 5am, charged with visiting every restaurant in the vicinity (there are 30) and having a drink in each. They were clearly having a great time and were somewhat the worse for wear, but could still make their music more or less in time. My guess is that it will be VERY quiet in the village today.
I guess this is what you do in a little town (pop. 1,000 give or take) in the winter where you are cut of from the rest of the world on a regular basis! I tried to explain to the teenagers that there is probably far more going on here and much more of a sense of community than we would ever find in our own little dormitory village of twice this size. They didn’t get it.
Sorry. I seem to be burbling on a bit today. Cabin fever I guess!
Helen
February 17th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
You’re quite right about the sense of community in the small villages, even in those which aren’t cut off at times – this is just what we became familiar with where we used to live (pop. 1450 including the village up the road…): we had the infrastructure of post, bank, shop, butcher, dairy, electrician, plumber, blacksmith – and if you made the effort to join the activities, it was easy to get involved (we joined the choir, reducing the average age by about 30 years!) and if you have children, you automatically get included. I suspect your masked ball was set up for the kids but enjoyed by adults and kids alike and went on all evening with something for all ages!!
It’s not quite the same in the “dormitory” villages and there are downsides, as with everything. Still, we enjoyed the experience for over 15 years, though we are happy now having moved closer to towns as the children have grown up and away. It’s telling that we don’t have much contact back to the village any more, as it’s definitely a case of out-of-sight, out-of-mind, even only 6 km away!
Enjoy your reading – I can’t remember why I kept putting Amber Eyes down whenever I picked it up, but after consultation with you, I might well decide to read it, after all!
Something completely different: the French film “Intouchables” – not to be missed when you get back to civilisation… absolutely charming and both very funny and touching.
February 17th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
I couldn`t get into The Hare…so perhaps I should try again too. Everyone says it is amazing. I like the look of that other book but it`s not on kindle yet. Grrr. The picture you have of your Swiss winter wonderland is stunning. Good luck surviving the teenagers!
February 17th, 2012 at 7:17 pm
When Evan lived in Lucerne, Fasnacht was his favorite thing ever (he was 20). Your little bit if heaven looks idyllic there. I hope you are having a great, relaxing time.
February 18th, 2012 at 12:10 am
What a view! Your day sounds strange and entrancing all wrapped up together. Good fun.
February 18th, 2012 at 3:09 am
What a view! I’m envious. I think I’ll look up your books – I need a good one to read. Thanks again for the peeks into your world, Helen.
February 18th, 2012 at 9:44 am
Ooh some good recommendations for books – I’ll try the Margaret Roach one – sounds like my sort of thing. The weather is much warmer here too and I hope to get out this afternoon to prune the apple and pear tree (and maybe give my compost a little poke too?) then we have a similar celebration in town – called the Fasank- which I think is Mardi gras. Mind you I don’t think I’ll get himself off the sofa and away from the rugby!
February 18th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
Good gracious, that’s dedication to start a festival at 5am!
We’ve had wonderful spring-like weather today. It seems like we’re on another planet after all the arctic conditions we’ve been going through.
My reading is always rather rushed these days, so much to get through!