The Ghost of holidays past

At a time when so many of us have found that we must cancel our get-away spells, I have looked back at some of my favourite memories from past holidays. I always keep a holiday diary and this piece was written in early 2016 in Sils Maria in the upper Engadin in Switzerland.

The town here was very quiet when we arrived on 19th Dec but in the last couple of days it has filled fast, with the forecast of loads of snow all next week. I have to say that whilst there have only been artificial runs open here, we have never seen so many people hobbling around on crutches. That no doubt due to coming to a sudden stop if they miss the edge on the narrow man-made trail.

We have had a lovely time, swimming every morning then breakfast, (which we never have at home) then going for a big hike somewhere. Yesterday we managed to catch the short visiting hours to go inside Nietzsche's house, 3-6pm. I am a complete disgrace in places like that and have not behaved so badly since we went to Mozart's house in Saltzburg, or Monet's home in Giverney. I get caught up in the spirit of a great person’s home with their furniture and ornaments.

The main problem is that I seem to completely forget how to read!!! This means notices that say 'Do not touch' could be Chinese to me. When in the homes of the great and dead I suffer an uncontrollable urge to fondle, not just door and drawer handles that they might have touched, but to move the furniture as they may have done.

My husband Steve has caught this almost hypnotic state in the photos he took of me during this visit. I waited until nobody was near before moving one of the dining chairs and sitting at his table, also at the front door I took the warning notice right off and hid it behind the door! Hopefully God will forgive me, since I am usually very polite in normal life. I don't think Frederich Nieztsche minded, I didn't get any bad vibes from him.

We went up to one of the glaciers yesterday, a trek that gave us both legs ache, and on the way back, down we watched a small group climbing a frozen waterfall. 

So, we feel we have made the most of our visit. Saturday night will be in the Black Forest and then hopefully hack all the way home on Sunday.

The diet resumes next Monday though we have not been too bad whilst we have been away.