Only one week to go before my Alpine adventure in Saas-Fee is done and my first year of master's training is complete. The pace is very demanding but certainly has its rewards.
Yesterday we had our second excursion day to the top of Spielboden (which, loosely translated means "playground". In the winter it is a haven for the snow puppies and in summer it allows an intimate look at the turquoise depths of the glacier's crevaces. As I chose not to hike this 700 metre very vertical ascent and ride the gondola instead, I felt the insistence of a limerica coming on:

'There once was a miss from Toronto
That said "Hike? I really don't want to.
So she slid up the slope
In a glass full of hope
To the top of the mountain, quite pronto!'
Most of the others did the hike and regreted the decision. It was not a hike for older people who are not in top form or used to the rigours of mountain hikes and thinner air.
The views were heart-stopping (pardon the pun) and the little marmots quite prepared to take bits of almonds or apple from your hand.
We were regaled with legends of the mountian folk while we basked in the sun and the 360 degree views. Seems that the "poor souls" were doomed to be frozen into the glaciers for their penance, rather than roast in the fires of hell. Depending upon your earthly transgressions, you could be buried up to your shoulders or just have body parts entombed. The march of the dead is a time to be feared (after October 21st) and no one would dare to stay high in the Alps past that time unless they wanted to risk being absorbed by the dead seeking life. The figures next to the stones in the picture are ceramic interpretations of the "poor souls".
The glacier is the dark blue-gray shape oozing down the mountain side, and the picture above that is a close-up of the crevaces in its body.
The view from the gondola is a bit fuzzy but gives you an idea of the lay of the land and how high up we are going.
At the top, I perched on a rock at the edge of the world, although it doesn't look that high. The tiny dots on the path down below are hikers. The lake you can see is the one I hiked to the other day.
There are crosses in front of a number of dwellings in the valley. The whole crucifixion story is there - the hammer, the flailing balls, the nails, etc. This is a very Catholic area. Yes, it's fish on Fridays for the lot of us!
However, as this picture proves, the mainstay of the Sass-Fee diet is chocolate! One entire aisle from top to bottom of chocolate!

The sky is always changing here. These wisps caught my eye. What do you see in them?
I went for a hike yesterday and discovered a wonderful area of tall larch trees, rushing rapids and what I hope is serpentine stone.
The little glacial lake that awaited my arrival is at the bottom of the second picture. These waters also have the turquoise/green colour of our mountain lakes but appear milkier. Another great day!

As a town with no regular vehicles, Saas-Fee has adopted battery-powered ones. They whip around like crazy but don't make much sound. A traffic jam here consists of one parked "car" with two coming from opposite directions simultaneously and arriving at the same time. Then if the drivers want to chat, well.............. This is the little thing that scoots around for our hotel and school needs with its driver, Manuel. A good swiss name, don't you agree?

So, here is one of our instructors and a founder of our Expressive Arts Therapeutic model. He is the sexiest 75 yr. old I know. Heck, he's one of the sexiest men I know period! The instument is a kotamo - a hybrid of two stringed instruments. One is oriental, the other I will have to ask him about again. Both sides are strung so he just flips it over or reaches under for another sound. The litle bridges you see are moveable rather than stationary frets like a guitar has. He was one of the performers from our poetry and music night. A bit heavy for my taste (Songs of Sky and War) but interesting nonetheless.
As with most places, Saas-Fee and area have their superstitions and legends. There is a "mask" that shows up on many entrances and posts around the town. They are carved into the wood and stand as protection agains evil spirits or at least a harbinger of good luck. I purchased a small carved one with wild and crazy hair as my one souvenir of Saas-Fee. Made in a little valley close by, I'm told. They don't have a particular name, just Mask.

The flower is a silberdistel and is very delicately beautiful. They grow in bunches creating a lovely haze of soft sagey green and mauve.
The buildings here in the foreground are my school classrooms and main hall. As you can see, the view is inspiring. Whenever I get feeling wiped and need a shot of rejuvenatioon, I just go outside and gaze at the mountains for a bit. The half-round one is our main hall where we have lectures and performances. The long rectangular one houses our classrooms. It is quite a hike up there from our hotel and town centre.





These pictures of the town and other buildings were taken from a great bench that I hiked up to yesterday. Doesn't look that high up, but believe me it was enough to get my heart pumping!
Haying here is done by old and new methods. It is cut by machine, then raked by hand with wide wooden rakes that look like they haven't changed in a hundred years. Both men and women do the raking with runners that bring them water when the sun beats down. The hay is then stored in these funny little barns on stilts. Stilts in the mountains, you ask? Not for floods, that's for sure, but for mice. The buildings look ancient. They are squared logs, dovetailed at the corners and raised up about six to eight feet and resting on round cement platforms on top of the footings. Very odd looking, indeed - like some weird space droppings. The hay fields are throughout the townsite in little patches so you never know when your beautiful patch of wildflowers and grasses will end up fodder for the "happy swiss cows".

We have had a busy few days, and some great hiking on our day off. My room mate Laure and I climbed up to Senngbodden - about 2,000 metres above sea level. I think that's the highest I've ever climbed without vehicular assistance and my legs sure let me know about that! It was fabulous. The picture of me sitting and looking so blissful was taken at the highest spot - a small waterfall on an almost 60 degree slope. We were perched on rocks and when I looked down I almost felt dizzy. The other one is a picture of Laure with the view of the other direction. Quite a feat for this old gal!

The gorge pictured here runs through a part of Saas-Fee near where the gondolas run up to Mount Allalin and other faces for the view and the snowboarding. The water has a milky turquoise colour, the reason for which I have yet to discover.

It is very cool to be surrounded by so many languages. All the boxes of things come in German, French and occasionally English. I thought Paul might get a kick out of seeing the European counterparts of his Tetris contents.

Tonight we have a performance of music and poetry by our faculty. Time to see if they can put their mouths where their money is!

Every day brings new learning, new ideas and new visual feasts. Sleep seems like such a waste of time!

This is only one of many hiking trails just outside of Saas-Fee. This one begins just behind our school and goes up to an alpine restaurant and further up to a network of trails for all levels of endurance. The hotel will let us pack a lunch and go exploring for the day when we have some free time. Which is not too often. But school is so intriguing that I don't really mind.
This week we focused on psychopathology, the traditional and accepted methods for clinical diagnosis and then how EXAT can use the tools without labelling people and making assumptions. All very interesting. I did my drama presentation around a client that I work with in the seniors' home and then discussion followed around what else could be possible and what the challenges are for EXAT folks working with that population. Today is community art, then lecture, then core group training. Whewwww!!!
This busty miss was found in the sculpture garden at the gallery showing the Chagall work. Quite a style - and I think I strike an image that is too close for comfort! i could use a few less similaaries!

We wre lucky enough to enjoy quite a show. We listened to deep tones of the alp horn, a prize-winning yodelling team and a local band playing traditional Swiss music. This guy really knows the meaning of horny!!

This motley crew has just enjoyed a day in Montagny viewing the Chagall exhibit and is now ready for some mischief.
Cally, Dianna, me, Karen and Laure are on our way to see what we can find.

It is unusual to see anything hanging from Saas-Fee balconies but flowers. The Swiss are very particular about appearances. Every establishment has flowers or a well-tended garden somewhere.
Don't know what this guy was up to earlier, but as my dad would sa "he's all in but his shoelaces". Perhaps he is gearing up for a swing in the hammock.

While on the subject of food, I thought at first that this was a chicken restaurant. However, on closer inspection, I discovered that it is indeed a chalet. A lodging place for tourists. No dipping sauce here.

I love artichokes, and so do the Swiss it seems. We have the most awesome salad bar every day, twice a day. Four or five kinds of greens, artichokes, cubed beets, olives of both colours, shredded carrot, onion.....on and on. And toppings, too. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds as well as three types of homemade dressings. Yum Yum!
For breakfast, you can see my bowl of mixed muslix-type cereal (also several types from which to choose) topped with yogurt, fruit salad, hazel and walnuts. We are also offered boiled eggs, ham, salami, several types of bread and at least six kinds of juice. My choice? Hot Swiss chocolate of course!
For dinner there is Spaetzle (a dumpling-like pasta made into small irregular shapes or longer, like linguine), stew made from "happy Swiss cows" guarantees our hotel host or pizza with a lovely thin crust.
I am not starving, for sure!

Fire and ice.

Yes, it's truly me in Switzerland, hanging out with the horned cows, hikers, bikers, skiiers and snowboarders. Thumbs up to the Swiss for their cleanliness, punctuality and great food. Gotta LOVE that chocolate!

Main Street, Saas-Fee. Balconies, flowers, shops, cobblestone streets and a view that makes you lose your balance!

Well, witht help of a fellow student and my own tenacity, I am able to update the blog and show you my first picture of Saas-Fee.
Every day is a new adventure. And every day brings so much delight and wonder. I have an awesome room mate and now friend. She is helping me with my French, I am helping her with her English. We laugh a lot!
School is challenging and engaging. I have ten other students from around the world (all female) in my class and we are finding the challenges of language interesting, frustrating and sometimes funny.
The town is totally surrounded by these awesome mountains that keep watch both day and night. One evening, Mount Allalin was lit up so brightly that it glowed with a ghostly sheen under a sky so full of stars that I had to wonder if perhaps some tourist promoter had planted them there for our benefit.
The meadows are full of wild lupins, Iceland poppies, blue bells, daisies and a host of other perky little flowers that make for an amazing show against the green, gray and white of the mountains. Today we have a break until 4:00 p.m. so I went hiking up the mountain side marvelling at my actually being here and witnessing such strength and gentleness in one place. The wind is warm, the air clear, the sun blazing and today all is right with the world.

Awesome and formidable!

Saas-Fee, Switzerland is indeed breathtaking. The mountains surround and tower over us, the sky is brilliant blue, the glaciers gleam in the sunlight. Every window box is bursting with intense reds and pinks and there are so many balconies I can't count them all.
My flights connected perfectly, as did my train and bus connections. I was really tired after my 32 hour journey, but rested so well in my Swiss duvet-covered bed that today I am a new woman!
The accommodation is very nice - I'm on the ground floor so my door opens not on to a balcony, but the grass, trees, flowers and that ever-present mountain view.
The train ride from Geneva was like our VIA but longer and the sights were better! I am continually amazed at man's ingenuity, persistence and audacity. You wouldn't believe where some of the houses are perched!! And the rows and tiers of grape vines climbing up hill or mountain sides that would make me dizzy.
My eyes are spinning in their orbs and my neck is getting a kink from so much looking up. I am like a kid in a candy store.
The bus ride was riveting! We traveled switchbacks higher and higher into the Alps, careening around bends where there were no sides - just straight and ever down.
The food is incredible, too. So fresh and beautifully prepared. I am getting a great deal for my money.
School starts tomorrow so today I am exploring the area. Tons of walking as there are no cars here, just funny little electric gizmos that run people, luggage and merchandise around. The walk up (and I do mean UP) to our school is formidible. I will be doing that twice per day. To those of you who know my cottage area it's like hiking up Fred's hill from bottom to top.