camping

Hello,

We (Simon, Alena, Vince, Ben and I) have just come back from a weekend's camping in Castelane. Yup, its nearly November... but, with numerous cups of coffee and more than a beer or two, anything is possible!

We had a really great time because - before camping on the Saturday - we hiked in the Gorge du Verdon (saw a snake, some circling birds of prey, and teeny, weeny rockclimbers up way above us in the distance. The walk we did was particularly cool as it combines long dark tunnels through the rock with tremedous, airy vistas down the vast gorge and into wooded cliffs. Fanatastic stuff, I can tell you!!

Then, on the Sunday, we slowly woke up and watched as the inverted clouds in the gully to the left of us disspated in the yellow of the morning light... and - less romantically - munched on pain aux chocolats :-) Then we collectd sandwiches from Castellane and headed out to the lakes... where the boys threw stones and we all found fossils.

Now, we're back home - rested and ready to plan our next camping, skiing, hiking trip!!!

(yeah for weekends)

fish eggs

Sunday morning lethargy is stopping me from grading papers...but fits well with the weather as last night's thunder storm is slowly disolving into bird chatter and misty clouds.

This morning I ran out for croissants, and complained as my feet got wet in the morning's puddles. Such complaints are funny though, as yesterday we (Ben, Alex, Cyril and I) were snorkeling and so soaking wet. That swim was wonderful because the wind was slowly preparing for th storm, and so left us with a playground of waves and currents. Equally special was the experience of swimming through fish eggs. Not one or two eggs, but thousands and thousands of them circling around the underwater caverns and rocky inlets. Coloured pink, they floated like miniscule jelly fish - unassuming yet awe-inspiring in their potential. Swimming through them, we reached out hands forward to grasp at their forms.. but held by an underwater wind they blew onward and outward to sea.

Today, as the white of the sun breaks through the moisture of the clouds and my lethargy dissolves into action, I expect such memories will help me through the grading that lies ahead!!

First, though, its time to put the kettle on.
So, bye for now!