The Masters Year at EGS, June/July 2011

It's a different girl that arrived in Saas Fee on June 9, 2011 than the one who arrived starry-eyed and awestruck in 2007. A tour of duty in a lovely location is still a tour of duty. One would think that with the thesis finished, printed and ready for defense I would be dancing on air. And parts of me are. The other parts are dragging a damaged ankle that stops me from joining in the dance and a psyche worn out from so much "thought" and process.

Everything here looks the same - familiar. The school, the hotel, the chalets, the little town. I know where I am and how to get where I need to go. But the mountains change from minute to minute, depending on the light and atmospheric conditions. That is the most exciting thing!

I decided to roam the town with fresh eyes and see what I could find that I hadn't already encountered. That's where the "troupe of locals" photography on FaceBook came from.

I settled into my room then went walking, gingerly at first to see how the ankle would hold out. Most of the shops and attractions in town are closed as their tourist season doesn't open until late June. Makes it easy to not spend money!

Also encourages ambling and resting. On one of my walks I found the site of a wee bonfire and the charcoal that was left seemed perfect for sketching. I didn't have anything to put the messy stuff in, however. I decided to approach some folks who were photographing the marmots nearby and discovered that my French was adequate enough to ask for a napkin to put the pieces in and have a little conversation as well. It is such a benefit to speak (if even badly) a second language!

The second day I went up into the woods and discovered something called a "barefoot path". It is a short trail with a variety of textures to walk over barefoot, beginning with wood chips, then small gravel followed by larger gravel, then rounded rock set into cement and ending with a glacier water-filled pool to walk in. Quite an experience! Oh, and there was also a couple of "arm baths" - troughs filled with running glacial water that you soak your forearm in for 30-60 seconds to encourage circulation, relieve headaches and all kinds of malady. I could only do the 30 seconds as the water was numbing!

Going further into the wooded trail which was flanked by a type of aqueduct, I was treated to spring blossoms that I didn't see last time since it was later in the summer when I was here then. They seemed so delicate and vivid. And the green.....everywhere the green. And the stone....everywhere the stone and rock and rushing water. Who wants to go to school when there's this to study???

Inside Mount Allalin, July 2008


At the top (or inside) of Mount Allalin is the world's largest ice grotto (or so the signage says and I have no reason to doubt it). It is an enormous cave-like space with walkways leading to different areas of interest. Stone and mineral crystals taken from the surrounding mountains are on display along with some amazing ice crystals.

The tunnels are hollowed out of the ice and you can run your hand over water frozen thousands of years ago.

Also inside is a cave featuring some local artists' sculptured renderings of the "Poor Souls" that wander the mountains from October 'til spring. Legend has it that if you spend a night up there during that time, the souls will come to take your life force and you will become one of them. Sounds rather Borg-like! The lighting gave the area an ethereal atmosphere so that you could almost believe the story!

If you look closely at the mountain picture you can see little Saas-Fee nestled in the valley near the bottom of the photo. It was a fabulous day!

From the large deck the view is 360 dgrees of Alps. One of the most breathtaking scenes I have witnessed.

Yesterday was a free day until 4:00 p.m. so I took the opportunity to check out the mountain that our hotel is named for. The trip up required two gondola lifts. Good job I'm not afraid of heights. Don't think I've ever been this high up in the air! Each gondola holds about 10 people and a lot of them are geared up for skiing and snowboarding. Some of us just gape out the windows in disbelief at what we are seeing and where we are hanging!

The giant gears that keep us safe and moving are enormous and actually quite colourful. After the gondolas we boarded a vertical train for the final ascent. At the final stop we were 4,000 metres up.

Mount Allalin watches over the little town of Saas-Fee and provides all-year skiing and snowboarding for the well-off. It is sparklingly beautiful. I sat on in a deck chair with my little painting journal and did my best to due justice to the view that surrounded me.

We had an excursion day on Sunday, travelling by bus to another valley and a more accessible glacier. The hike was strenuous but awesomely beautiful. The valley was lush, green and full of "happy Swiss cows" grazing on the slopes. They all wear bells, so the sound was like non-stop windchimes. Quite enthralling. The other side of the valley was home to a rushing glacial stream that created its own song by rushing through a rocky gorge on its way down from the glacier.

Part way up sat an intensely turquoise lake. One of our intrepid students stripped down to her thong (topless here is no big deal) and dove into the close-to-freezing water. I was tempted, but didn't think to bring a towel or change of underwear, so let the opportunity slip by. I think my heart thanks me for the decision!

There were lots of delicate alpine wildflowers and vistas that would stop a bus (and actually did, as that's how we were transported) Lotschental (or close to that spelling) is a very old village about an hour and a half's ride from Saas-Fee. En route we travelled roads that would make your knees knock if you were a person who had an aversion to heights. I loved it!

I was glad that I had my hiking boots on as the footing was challenging. My toes were happy to find freedom from socks and boots and to take a dip in the river. Coming back to school and routine is difficult in this place. I just want to run, well maybe walk, up into the forested mountains with my little painting kit and not come down for days. Except that it gets very cold here at night and we have had quite a bit of rain, so maybe that wouldn't be the best idea.

This is my last week, my last class and I'm ready to be done with school. Today we did an exercise that was so loud that I had to leave the room. Makes me realize how much I dislike a lot of noise and long for the serenity of the cottage.

I have done more art making this time as I don't have the same urge to run around to see all the sights. Just having the opportunity to paint in this environment is enough. Tomorrow we have a day off and I hope to take the two gondolas and the train that goes into the glacier's ice.

Over the Hump

So, the heat is off, the presentation has been done and now I cant take some time to reflect and rest in the sunshine and warmth that has returned to Saas-Fee. It was an interesting night full of questions and idea exchanges. I have some good material and input for my thesis. It was a lot of work and and a lot of fun puting it all together, but I'm glad it is done!

Now I can put my head in the clouds (quite literally) for awhile and enjoy being in this great space. We have this morning off, and even though it is beautifully sunny and warm, I am enticed by my new ability to add to my blog and be indoors for an hour or so. Then I will leisurely decide what to do with the next few hours before we return to the classroom and study more about the Principles and Practices of Psychotherapy. The approach is a novel one here - very experiencial in its use of the arts as a learning avenue. Works for me!

The skies are amazing, with the mountains piercing them and the clouds snuggling in like batting spilling from an quilt. The mountains look different every day and even from minute to minute. I wish I had the energy to do some more hiking but not today. We are going on an excursion to a glacier on Saturday so I am saving my energy for that.

I am over half way in the academic timetable and am feeling the exertion both physically and mentally. Second year seems a lot more demanding, or maybe being a year older makes more difference than I imagined. Whatever, it is an awesome and fulfilling experience that should pay off in the end with work that excites and supports me - and that's the whole point anyway.


The photo with the umbrellas and flowers is of the patio and lawn where we EGS students eat lunch and dinner. Nice, eh? It's great - food appears, dirty dishes disappear and it happens three times a day! It is usually too cold to eat outside at breakfast, but some hardy souls do anyway.

This is one of the furry beasts that I passed by on my way to school. They have been moved now to another part of town, so I'm glad that I caught this guy on camera when I had the chance. Nice 'do, eh?

On Thursdays there is a street market and most of the stores put out tables and tents to sell their wares. There was one artist making greeting cards and I wondered how well she did for the day. She was very involved in her work and didn't look up when I entered, so I didn't try to chat.

Swiss cows get to live in town, just like the rest of us. I pass by some very large ones with big horns every day on my way to school. They get moved from small pasture to small pasture, so get to see all the sights!

I live in a building much like the ones here - just a little further to the left of where this photo was taken. The rooms are spacious and bright, and I have a large larch just outside my window to keep me company. I have great roommates and we have had some happy times. Most time, though, is spent working on various things. Today I will continue working on my presentation for tomorrow about my thesis topic ( which is still under construction!)

This is the little jade-coloured lake that I painted beside and where the butterflies and other creatures came to observe and taste me. It looks fake, but it is very real and very beautiful.