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Thoughts and threads of passion and experience that have woven the fabric I call my life. Sharing experiences, memories and ideas so that they are out in the world for you to find when the time is right.
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 View of the valley below from the Dixence Dam, Switzerland We hiked a short distance along the lake, through the walking tunnel that would lead you for hours if you were more ambitious and prepared! Then we turned back and started making our way down the side of the mountain. We could have done it more simply, by just taking the trolley down the side of the hill. But that was not to be our experience. Our host felt that what we needed to experience was the exhilaration of making our way down the mountain his way!! Our breathtaking experience is shared in the pictures that we took and embraced as part of this amazing day. The walk down the mountain helped us to truly appreciate the majesty of the Grande Dixence Dam as we walked down the mountain. Breathtaking! How blessed we are to be able to have the opportunity to explore these amazing places as we make our way through this life! Our journey holds so many magical experiences in places around the world. Are you finding ways to experience the places your heart longs to see? If not, why not? What is standing between you and your dreams....and how are you going to bridge those barriers?
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 Another hill-top Castle in Switzerland enroute to Grande Dixence Dam. Thursday we struck off about 9am, heading to the Grande Dixience Damn, at the head of the Val d'Hérens in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. At 285 m (935 ft) high, it is the tallest gravity dam in the world and is part of the Cleuson-Dixence Complex.  Structures in Switzerland that have been compared to Stonehenge in terms of mystery. Once there we took the trolley to the top, enjoying the phenomenal views from the top. After walking along the top of the dam, we took some time to explore the trail that runs alongside Lake Dix. We didn't venture too far, just far enough to take in some of the incredible flowers that line the walkway and climb up the side of the mountain.  Me enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the amazing mountain air! After enjoying time at the top, we then all walked down the winding trail down the side of the mountain together. It was a beautiful journey, although the day was very cloudy and hindered some of the view we would have enjoyed with more sunshine. It was still magnificent from start to finish.  Our first glimpse of Lac Dixence, Switzerland. Magnificent! So why do I spend time documenting and sharing the various aspects of our trip on this blog? Well, when I clarify my own passions, some of what becomes clearest to me is my love for travel, photography and writing. When I do the sweet-spot exercise to tryi and pinpoint a job that would put me in my bliss, what comes to mind every single time is being a travel writer. Will I ever actually be a professional one? Maybe, maybe not. But as I take steps to work myself closer and closer to my passions, I have come to realize that I do travel now. I do lose myself in the wonder and love of my photography right now. And I can share my experiences with others around the world right here on my own site right now. So with the philosophy of 'intention, attention, no tension' ...I have set my intention, I am paying attention in the ways that I can...and doing what I love...well that is no tension. If it's meant to be it will be. If not, I am having a blast just living life. I hope you find ways to do the same, whatever your own passions are! Traveling to Italy has been a dream of mine since I was 17 years old. I am not sure why it felt so important for me to see. Maybe it was just all those cute young men from Sorrento's Pizza in Winnipeg that I had the chance to get to know all those many years ago :). But regardless of what drew me, the dream remained. If you saw my blog with the song 'Welcome to Holland' you'll understand that there is also a connection to that dream as a parent who had a child with a disability. What matters most is that I did finally get to go, and I promised to share the adventure with my friends through this blog from the journal I kept on that trip. Travel and photography are two of my greatest passions. I am clear on my...how about you?  Castle on top of a hill as we make our way through Switzerland. I can hardly believe it. it's 8am on Sept 14th, and I have finally arrived in Italy. After dreaming about it for almost 36 years, it feels like it is still an impossibility that I am here! Cec and I arrived in Switzerland on the 11th. JP picked us up and gave us 3 of the most amazing days. I know that we'd have never seen the country so fully had we planned it any other way, and it gave me such a broader view of it all that we could ever have imagined. How lucky we are to have met the people that we have met in this journey of life!  Best fondue ever Le Chalet, Chateau-d'Oex Switzerland I am not even sure what I thought Switzerland might offer, but for some reason I felt surprised by everything we saw and did. Upon our arrival on Tuesday, JP assisted us to get our train tickets for our trip south, then we headed into the heart of switzerland, finally stopping for a lunch of the most amazing fondue at Le Chalet in Chateau-d'Oex. There we enjoyed an amazing lunch, being entertained by a young woman who demonstrated the making of Swiss cheese while we ate, as well as a wonderful old gentleman who played his accordion and demonstrated his talent for yodelling. It was right out of the old story books of the country you read as a child, right down to having the cowbells ringing in the distance.  Graves of World War 2 English Soldiers After our meal, we took a walk up to see the old church on the hill, and the graves of young Englishmen, who most likely died there during the war years. The views from the church grounds were breathtaking in all direction, as we looked down on the quiet little town below. The grounds were decorated with a selection of bronze statues, most of them bearing memorial plaques to honor the families they were dedicated to. After our meal and walk, JP took us on a leisurely ride through the mountains on our way to his home in Muraz, but after our long, sleepless night of flying, both of us were sadly too tired to keep our eyes open. My head kept bobbing in the backseat as badly as Cec's was in the front. We were both pretty poor company I fear!  Window Box on a home in Chateau-D'Oex Switzerland We arrived at JP's house about 3. He lives in a beautiful house on a quiet street surrounded by mountains, and a small dairy farm on one side, neighbors on all the others. His home is lovely! Upon arrival we immediately laid down for a nap, the long journey from Canada catching up to us. That nap turned out to be about 3 hours long! Longer than intended, but less than needed. We woke up and had a light cold cut dinner at JP's and watched a John Wayne movie together. Some things you just can't escape! It was a wonderful start to a long awaited adventure! So what are the things that you have been putting off doing? Are there steps that you can take to move you closer to those things? What one action could you do right now? Maybe clarifying your own passions would be a good first step. Your thoughts? |
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