High vibration three day vacation.

The north shore of Kauai is spectacular. As we headed to the beach for sunset it was like no time had passed since I'd seen Floyd, Michael and Lehua four years ago. The beach (any beach) is always great for people watching, there's often a wedding (there was) a family photo with the uniform of khaki pants and white shirts (check), people leaping in front of a camera (normally me but not on this evening) and then there are the picnickers....we fell into this category. Cheese and wine never tasted so good.

Kids have a way of speeding up time as their change is so rapid in contrast to our own more gradual demise. Despite our extra grey hairs and wrinkles the joy of hanging out with people I love and who love me, was nourishing and as familiar as the proverbial old shoe.

As Lehua and I walked the beach we almost didn't see this sleeping Hawaiian Monk Seal.  Once spotted though if was impossible not to stop and hang out as she rolled, flapped and napped. Beauty personified.

As if that wasn't enough, not five minutes walk from sealville was a tree with some rope that was begging to be played on.

Tarzan I am not!

Base camp was up to Floyd and Michaels usual standards.....

With a perfect break out the back door. 

It's amazing how restorative the perfect set up is, not to mention what incredible cooks the boys are and what great company Lehua is. 

Oh, and this within walking distance!

Tahiti Nui is the local dive bar that is also frequented by a lot of tourists, which gives it a peculiar split personality. So as a gay couple with an adopted Chinese daughter and an ex-wife in tow, we fit right in! 

 Oh lordy lord.......

Ditto!

It was so good to unplug, reconnect and play. As I headed home I was really grateful to have been around love, family and laughter and it made my resolve to create more of that stronger.

I have been hermiting for too long and some proactive social measures are in order!

Fruits, faces and other assorted things.

My tree branches have been straining under the weight of their star fruit labour. There's way too much for one (and this is my third harvest of this size), so I wash them, keep a couple for myself,  bag up the rest and leave them on the doorsteps of friends I know who love them.

Don't let this happen to you! Driving along after an enjoyable bike ride to the winery (despite having drunk nothing but coffee), I nearly lost my bike. Whoops a daisy, that could have been an expensive lesson that thankfully an extra $2.00 bungee will fix!

How apropos that I saw this on the back of a lorry the day after my bike ride.

Given the terrain, I wouldn't exactly call it a beach walk, but it's fantastic what you can find along the way. Here is young Master Goya hoisting the recycle flag he found.

Nothing like a bit of fungus to brighten the scenery.

A bit of a fixer upper.

 This alarmed piece of wood was asking to be snapped.

As was this wide eyed chap on the way to work the other morning.

However, these Picasso pants are the best yet. Not my pici, but credit to the anonymous person who took it. Or as the great man himself once said, "Good artists copy, great artists steal".
Pablo Picasso 

Seasonal change.

Another day, another ride, another fantastic view. As we rode, the girls pointed out their winter world, where their clients live, how crazy it can be to commute in the snow and it was hard to imagine the place covered in white.

However, as luck would have it the next day as the kettle boiled I drew back the curtains this is what I saw-it had snowed! I was like a kid on Christmas morning "look, look, look what it did" I said, to no one in particular as the vision of  my friends other world was manifest before my very eyes.

Bellisima.

We waited for a small window of opportunity (namely for it to stop raining) to go out and play. Not five minutes from the house I had to jump off the bike and express myself.

Renata (the pro) jumps as if she has her snowboard attached to her feet.

The clouds were ominous and we rode into a beautiful valley where we were both itching to proceed. "If you go to the little white dot of a hotel in the distance and then go left" Renata said "it's amazing". Aghhhhh, but that ride will have to wait for another time

It was starting to rain and we knew it wouldn't let up, so when your guide says it's best to go home there was no argument (more a sigh of relief) from me. Cold, wet and facing a head wind we headed out of the valley and decided to take the bus home.

With a 50 minute wait we parked our bikes and headed in for a wonderful coffee and the best nusstorte and maroni torte (made from chestnuts) I'd ever tasted.  My fingers slowly thawed as I held my cup and we stood dripping and happy making 'mmmmmmmm' noises with every bite and slurp.

Even in the wet and chill the array of bright flowers makes things cheery somehow better,

At home, Renata got the fire going and the tea brewing. All I had to do was shower, recieve and enjoy. We could easily have stayed home for a cozy night in, but as luck would have it Renata had won a certificate to one of the best restaurants in town that had to be used up by next week.

Joined by her wonderful friend Uli we had a truly marvelous gourmet evening followed by a braulio amaro...divine!

Tschierva.

"It will be a long day" said Mel, as we packed our backpacks with sunscreen, snacks and water. We left at 9:15 am and cycled a quick half hour to pick up Montana and Tanya before heading over to Pontresina and meeting up with Nadine and the fabby Fabia.

I thought my happy meter was high when we cycled from Champfer to St. Moritz, but it just kept rising as we proceeded in to the valley.

Bloody hell, are you kidding me?

A couple of hours later and it was time to lock the bikes, have a quick snack and start walking up to our goal which was the base of the Tschierva glacier. The weather was spectacular and the views exceptional.

The trail is clear and cut into the valley hillside, but after a while the ascent steepens and does not let up. As I walked (head down focusing on each step) it was easy to forget the stunning surroundings. Living at sea level I'm not used to altitude, so as we were heading to 2584 meters I took many a banana, water and photo op break.

Still a long way to go with my happy meter hovering at a nine!

I'd have probably cut 20 minutes off my fat two hours ascent if I hadn't been taking so many photo's!

Hallelujah-made it !

Let me tell you, the Tschierva hut was a very welcome end as I was ready to stop, rest, pee and eat (not necessarily in that order).

As with all things Swiss, there is always an incredible meal to be had as a reward for your effort. This is Rossti, a traditional dish of potatoes and eggs. Sounds simple enough, but the taste was exceptional. Oh and I'll have a slice of plum pie and a latte while I'm at it please! 

While it was the end of the road for our party, this is start for many who are serious climbers.

I can see the allure and pull to go deep.

.....but it's not my thing and I certainly don't have the right footwear.

Fed and watered, we were ready for the decent.

Just one more shot before we go......it was a hard to leave, but as it was already 3:15pm we pushed back down giving our quads a good workout.

By 6pm we were home and starving and poor Mel had just enough time to eat and shower before giving a 7pm massage! By 8pm we'd all cleaned up and reconvened (looking quite different in heals and lipstick) for a self congratulatory bottle of wine (or two) and finally tip toed in at two minutes past midnight. The German was right, it was a long day!

Back in the Engadin.

I was excited as soon as I touched down in Zurich, not only because I knew what was coming, but because my spirits rose at the mere fact of being in this wonderful country. Taking one of the most spectacular train rides in Europe didn't exactly dampen my mood either!

The weather was amazing, so from Tiefencastel I  hung my head out of the window like a happy dog. Christ, you'd better watch out though, as there's not room for your head, hand and camera as you go in to the tunnels!

Tantalizingly close.

16:58 arrival 17:58 weisen! 

Renata greeted me at the station with a perfect plastic lei and we made more noise at seeing each other than the rest of the disembarking passengers put together! While she got organized for an appointment with a client, I dropped my suitcase off and promptly proceeded back out the door with Mel. We took a brisk 40 minute walk from our nest in Champfer around the lake and ordered the beer we had been planning on for months. 

No photograph I've yet taken has caught the magical beauty of this place (though you might want to double click on this one). It's special and has a potent and tangible energy that I feel in full affinity with.

If you have to be a cow, you'd be hard pressed to pick a better spot to graze on.

As we sat on top of the world, my hostess and wonderful friend Renata pointed out all the places she has hiked, skied and climbed in her last 25 years in the Engadin Valley. Let me tell you, she's been a busy girl and knows this place like the back of her hand, yet is still is enthralled by it's magnificence and finds new trails and peaks to explore. Suffice to say I'm in good hands.