Sunday, July 29, 2012

A rainbow greeted us as we began our journey

Gruyeres, Switzerland


Well, after 6 weeks of adventures, new friendships, being brought to tears at times, one lane backroads through the french countryside, standing in the middle of the eight lane Champs D'Elysees staring down the Arch de Triomphe in Paris, watching schoolchildren hop on the small village trains after school to head home or flying on the bullet train at 300 miles per hour, 7 hours of conversation with a Bosnian refugee heading home for the first time after the war, hypnotized by the bells....cathedrals and cowbells, teaching French Elementary students English for a day in a small village of 1500 souls, 
post card images everywhere I turned....12,000 images on two external harddrives....we have returned home.  

I can't adequately describe the experience that my wife and I have just lived.  I made a journey similar to this back in 1970 but at that time I hitch hiked through Europe.  I have heard it said that you can never repeat the same experience twice and have it mean as much as the first time.  I went back to Europe with downplayed expectations...not wanting to over idealize the journey and then be disappointed.  I wasn't disappointed...it was the most amazing 6 weeks of my life. 

As the next few months roll out....I am going to recount the trip through my photography.  Relay stories of the people we met, the things we have seen, the things we have learned and questions we still have.  

I do want to forewarn anyone following the blog from Europe...please excuse the wonder and astonishment I felt so many time when I came across so many things that were 800 or more years old.  To a boy from the Midwestern United States....200 years is old....800 or a 1000 is hard to get one's head around!  I will be bringing this up several times over the next few months...and when i do...I mean it as the ultimate compliment.  

I will post more images of the rainbow above in Gruyeres, Switzerland...the first place we slept on the continent.  


9 comments:

dianne said...

Dan dear, so happy that you and your wife had a wonderful time, it all sounds very exciting to me.
xoxoxo ♡

ADRIAN said...

It looks as if we have a treat in store. This is a wonderful image. Glad you enjoyed tour trip to the old world. Two thousand year old edifices are not uncommon.

J Cosmo Newbery said...

A pot of gold? Or just a fondue?

DawnTreader said...

So glad the rest of the journey seems to have lived up to that promising start!

Dan Felstead said...

Diane,

We had the time of our life! Without sounding too dramatic...it was a life changing experience for the both of us.

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

Roan....one word says it all!

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

Adrian...how true. It was truly an eye opener for us.

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

Fondue J......fondue!

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

It did dawn treader....I love that continent!

Dan