early June iris

I didn't get round to blogging this beauty, a couple of weeks ago:

Or this super sexy number:

Dancing - five rhythms and the Ferrand valley

After a two-year absence from five rhythms dancing, I had the opportunity to do (part of) a dance course in Grenoble this weekend. Led by Paris-based Amélie Schweiger on the theme of danser la relation, it was potentially scary stuff. But I transitioned (rather than wallowed in) the emotions that always surface in this dance. It felt like progress and on another level it was good to feel - as always - liberation from the linguistic and other shackles that prevent me fully "being me" in other aspects of life. A perfect way to celebrate the solstice.

Today was a dance à deux with Juan, up the Ferrand Valley. It's a favourite part of the Oisans, where we have had memorable adventures in the past. After the heat of the last two weeks summer has almost caught up with itself - though the sight of sheep rooting around on snow (why? - it wasn't that hot!) was curious. It was a delicious day, warm with a nip in the air. As usual, Mrs lounged around while Mr documented the flora.

summer is here - Lus la Croix Haute revisited

We are getting soft: refuges now hold less appeal than gîtes d'étape where you can drive right to the front door and avoid sardine-style dormitories!

With significant snow still in the Oisans, and unfinished business from last weekend's outing, we decided to head back to what we now know is the "Haut Buëch" - the area around La Jarjatte, near the source of the Buëch. Yet again we found paradise. The flowers were at their best - the last of the winter snow giving way to crocus, daffs and cowslip; and coinciding with an explosion of early summer species: daphne (two types), orchids (at least half a dozen species), pulsatilla, pansy, gentian... And the gîte de La Jarjatte  was a jewel of hospitality and comfort, with the bonus of superlative cooking and wine.

The first day we walked up to Lac Lauzon...

and looked back to where we'd walked last weekend:

The second day we grunted up a nearby hill - an obscure route that ensured we were entirely alone, looking towards both the previous day's and weekend's walks. I love this piecing together of the landscape, seeing it from different angles, feeling how routes and landmarks connect.

Even though Juan understandably found it hard to switch from "arriving back at Vaulnaveys" to "repacking and leaving for the mountains" the following morning I hope we'll make it back this way before the end of the summer. A wonderful weekend.

a domestic Sunday

Anything that isn't mountain walking or gardening seems to slip off the bottom of my priorities... But finally, finally, five weeks after our Turkey holiday, I did the biz with the kilim bought in Antalya (sewing a sleeve through which we ran a piece of lath). It is now adorning the back wall of Juan's office. Hanging it "straight" was harder than you can imagine. Juan thinks it's now perfect and I am inclined to agree.

100-year-old wool kilim from Konya

around Lus la Croix Haute

We retraced part of last weekend's drive south to explore the area just north of Lus la Croix Haute, long on my wish list. Juan took an awesome saxifrage pic...

and we had just about every season in the space of 4 hours...

towards the Grand Ferrand and other Dévoluy peaks

Sun!

We saw it at Vaulnaveys, on Wednesday 5 June!

 

"tu" and "vous"

It drives me crazy – not just the extra conjugation but the slippery goalposts. There are only a few touchstones: “vous” for the bank manager and “tu” for children and close friends (though when a child ceases to be a child is a moot point).

If you join a club you’re likely to “tu” everyone instantly (and do the bise with them, even if a coachload). On a course involving any form of personal development, defences will be dropped and “tu” will be used. For this reason I often move to “tu” with shiatsu clients (though a psych/coach I’ve worked with from a client perspective maintains the “vous”, perhaps as she is an older generation).

For some, the more formal “vous” is considered necessary precisely because of its distancing effect. Several people I’ve spoken to recently “vous” their parents-in-law (waiting for the parents to make the move to "tu"). Observation confirms a more formal and cooler relationship than I would seek. My Berlitz boss has “vous”ed me for 3 years – but “tu”s his administrative colleagues. Said colleagues “tu” everyone.

Yesterday, a student with whom I have a close rapport asked me, Est-ce qu’on a le droit de se tutoyer? Weird that the awful “d” word, “droit”, was being used (how can an employer legislate something as personal as the language you use?), and that I was invited to arbitrate as a non-native. And even weirder to go against both our instincts and to have to say that this would be very unusual in the ultra formal Berlitz culture. We agreed, however, that we would "tu" – and then I felt embarrassed when I was talking with her in front of Berlitz colleagues to be revealing I had somehow broken the code. So I slipped in and out of “vous”, clumsily betraying everyone in the process.

Lesson: don’t speak French during lessons!

And, dear France, in the age of email and tweeting, would a simplification of the language be appropriate? My vote is to put a sock in “vous”…

escape to the Drôme

Going away at the weekend is always a delicate balance - Juan already has a 5-hour return trip to get home. But, lured by the promise of better weather and no snow a couple of hours south of Grenoble, we headed for the back of beyond, in the shape of a gîte d'étape (posh youth hostel cum B & B) in the Drôme département (just south of the Vercors).

It's a wonderful area, where Alps meet Provence. Craggy, wild and empty with cute villages and a very different flora from our usual stamping grounds.

The 2 1/4 hour drive was a little longer than we would normally go for just one night. But "Gîte le Pilhon" (see link) was a real find: run by two friendly and informative Belgians, who gave great advice on walks and lent us their maps. And yes, we did find the sun, hooray hooray. Though this was less important for Juan than two unexpected and rare botanic trophies:

wintergreen

fritillary

Less exciting for him, but no less beautiful, the "long necked" gentians we saw throughout the walk:

So Le Pilhon is added to our growing list of places we hope to revisit...

view down Val Maravel from ridge above Le Pilhon