Stranded in Europe = Fine Food and Spring Steeps

The ash cloud above IcelandWill made it back the USA, not without incident, but of an India nature, while I am stuck here in Europe. Like really stranded. I'm talking being forced to eat good cheese and smoked meat, left with no other choice but to drink good German beer and fine French wine. Yeah, its tough, and I still have a week of it to go.

Will... as I mentioned in the last post, he took off to Kerala to indulge in fresh fruit, the ocean and the vibrant colors of the south. Regarding his incident, well he sums it up best in his email to me, quoted below,

"I spent 2 days, 1 night in hospital after trying to flip off a waterfall and slipping, causing me to land on my head on rocks 10 ft below, then falling another 15 ft to the water. I feel extremely fortunate to be here now. I walked away with minor cuts on the top of my head and a migraine that is slowly fading.

I am now back in the states having just arrived about an hour ago. The flight from Abu Dabhi to Chicago was a doozy. I must have had 30 kids all crying simultaneously, mean while the fat Pakistany next to me was shitting himself in his sleep causing green gas to fill the cabin. Then, to top things off, over the intercom comes "If there is a doctor on board, please make yourself known." Long story short a man died on our plane and we had to do an emergency landing in Goose Bay, Canada."

So that landed will back in the States, perhaps luckily because he was planning on a week stop over in Abu Dabbi that would have landed him in the middle of this Vocano fiasco.

Which is exactly where I am at the moment. But it isn't that bad at all. I am holed up at a good friend, Christoph's, place in Freiburg, Germany, my home in Europe. I lived here for two summers a few years ago and it is great having some extra time to catch up with friends.

Last week Christoph and I headed to France, to visit friends in Grenoble and La Grave. It was great to see friends, and intimidating to be in the Alps again. Coming directly from Gulmarg, where the terrain is really pretty mellow, to the steep, dark and cold valley of La Grave La Meije was as much of a culture shock as it was to respect red traffic lights again.

Ph: Snow Media Zone Visiting La Grave has been something I have wanted to do for a long long time, and upon first encountering it, it was like meeting a celebrity. Yeah, it was big, but not as big as I expected. I thought it was the end of the earth, and the theater of alpinists only. (Vein aren't I) Upon getting there, I waited in a sizable queue, looking up at the mogul feild under the telecabine with middle aged, often overwieght holiday skiers. There was the odd guide flaking out a rope, but not the mellee of hardcores that I had expected. 

I come back to my sentiment that La Grave didn't seem as big as I expected. Well, at least it didnt feel that way from the village below. That first day we skied the Pan de Redeau which felt steep-becasue it was- and brought into focus very quickly how "real" the skiing is in La Grave. After that, we had to have Friday off.

Friday we chilled in Grenoble, wondering the old city and drinking coffee and relaxing. We headed back up and stayed in La Grave with a good friend of Christoph's, Matthieu. Saturday, he and I headed out to ski the Glace de la Meije, which is a classic, but according to www.theskierslodge.com, is maybe a little to serious to be classes as such. Skiing under such huge exposure, I kind of had to agree.

Riding the telecabine up in the morning, we had a front row view of the avalnche rescue taking place on the glacier. Conditions were supper stable, but they still caught one group out. So, take my word for it. La Grave is huge. A single run of 2000 vertical meters qualifies as massive in my book.

It was great to finally lay eyes and skis on La Grave and I hope to make it back again soon. We had to leave, however, becasue despite the ash cloud, I still held some hope that my Monday flight would still be a go. It wasn't and until yesterday, Wednesday, Lufthanza had simply switched off their phones because they themselves didnt have any information to pass onto we minions trying to get somewhere.

Flights are running again and it looks like I should get out of here next week, but that is yet to be seen. All the stress aside of those stuck in airports, or those managing warehouses with rotting food, or the African farmers who can't sell millions of dollars worth of flowers to Europe for a week, it is incredible how the world can be relitively brought to its knees by nature in one little fart, and is quite the spectacle to see.

As for the film, well, I am taking a week or two away from it. It perpetually simmers away in my head, but after India, I felt entitled to a wee holiday. If you don't agree, well... tough.

-Anthony



Comments

[Chris Rubens]

hahaha....funny post man..sounds like a great time...good luck getting home