Podcast 12 - WELCOME BACK
After 6 weeks traveling in Europe I have 1000’s of images to process and select, from my hike around Mont Blanc, my daughters wedding in Germany, and our river cruise down the Danube. I start the TMB Hike and this episode in Les Hoches, France and will continue in episode 13 in Italy and Switzerland.
Writing poetry requires uses a different part of the brain from the visual processing of the images. So expect poetry relating to this trip to appear over the coming weeks. Thanks for your patience, waiting for this podcast!
FOOD A LA FRANCAISE
Relishing each bite
perfectly spiced
exquisitely simple.
light cream sauce
the flavorful fish
floats into my taste buds.
I had almost forgotten
the bliss of a perfect
French meal.
The French are lovers
Lovers of the earths gift
Tasty tomatoes
Perfect peaches
Fragrant fromage
Experts at balancing
flavors into exquisite dishes
STARTING UP DAYS MERGE
Its a rough start to the TMB
the tour de Mont Blanc.
Up and down steep rocky paths
occasional flat stretches
on a smooth trail.
climbing up generating heat
bumping down cooling off
Marriage can be like this
Hot when things are up
cool when coming down.
Then the landscape changes
blackberries and blueberries
waiting to be plucked.
butterflies dancing around colorful flowers
before the rope bridge sways over the glacier.
Down the next steep decline
rubber legs barely moving
approaching a grassland vista
red and green grasses in unison
waving in the wind.
As we reach a summit.
3 days of memories
mixing up the feelings
Of hard, long climbs and tough descents.
Summits that are temporary
before the next climb comes into view.
and the long descent to the next respite
of a good night’s sleep.
one moment Mont Blanc’s snowy summit
appears through the puffy white clouds
above the meadow of round white puffy flowers
white, white, green and then blue sky.
Folds of glacial rocks
cast sharp edged shadows
as water cascades down narrow channels
creating falling water
composing music for my tired body.
These first three days
have merged composting
the difficult and delightful
into healthy respect for the mountains,
absorption into the beauty of changing landscapes
and the feeling of accomplishment
as I learned from my mistakes.
My old boots, comfortable on Florida’s
flat landscape,
crushed my poor toes on steep descents.
Now they are on their way,
gifts for nepalese with smaller feet than mine.
My photographer’s perfectionism
carrying heavy extra lenses
dropped that idea now
and 10 pounds extra weight.
The next 10 days I will float
along.
BEFORE THE FALL
The end of a long third day
an exhausting unexpected climb
on sharp shuddering shale
knowing that a long descent
is yet to come.
Looking across the ridge
seeing a scary steep zig zag path
coming out of the clouds
going down into a valley
far below.
My heart sinks
My legs shudder
My mind says
be strong
you have no choice
No sign has appeared
saying Les Chapieux
Could the guide be wrong.
Over the ridge the Retreat
and a small almost invisible sign
Nailed up as an afterthought.
Les Chapieux that way
a more gentle path.
Joining a group of young Israelis,
a third my age,
they scamper down
too fast for me.
Letting them go on
I say, jokingly,
make sure I get down alive!
Minutes later I trip
rolling over protecting my gear
My ribs land on rocks
My knuckles bleed
I howl with pain
They are far gone
oblivious to my fall.
Painfully rising
I have no choice
but to keep moving
on my jelly legs.
It’s a happy moment
when I finally creep in,
wet from a sudden rain shower
the last one to arrive.
I am so grateful this day
has ended and I am whole,
in one piece.
Maybe these tests
are the challenges
I need to meet
to keep feeling alive,
and young at heart.
©MartinStrasmore2021