Island Walk in France

October 5, 2019 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 2 Comments

Last weekend we drove to a nearby town and took a ferry to Ile-aux-Moines,“island of the monks” in Brittney. At 4.3 miles long and 2.2 miles wide, it’s the largest island in the “Golfe du Morbihan.” It is said to have 610 inhabitants but we saw very few people on our blustery hike of the island.

The wind was blowing throughout the day as we hiked around the island, as demonstrated by Adam’s cool hairstyle. I like wind. It feels like energy to me.

I loved the cheerful blue gates and doors and the stone walls that connected them together. What quaint homes and gardens.

Everything was tucked away since summer is now over and as I walked I imagined what the little towns would be like during the warm summer months.

Some of these houses even had thatched roofs. I can’t imagine trusting this through the coastal winds and pelting rain all winter long. But I also realize I have no expertise when it comes to roofs.

I really wish I knew how to speak French. It would be so interesting to hear stories from the people who live here. So far, I have learned the first two greetings on this list. I have been practicing French on Duolingo. It is an app you can put on your phone to learn other languages. It’s fun and free.

Enchanté(e)!	Nice to meet you!
Bonjour	Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon
Bonne journée	Have a nice day
Bonsoir	Good evening
Bonne soirée	Bye (in the evening)/Enjoy your evening
Bonne nuit	Good night
Aurevoir	Good bye

I hope you are are well.

Love,

Ali

Things I have learned

September 29, 2019 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ Leave a comment

It is easy for me to feel scared and overwhelmed navigating a new city alone when I don’t speak the language. This makes me wonder what it is like for someone forced to leave his or her home country and dealing with trauma at the same time. My heart grows with compassion for how this could effect their confidence and ability to cope.
The Isar River and parkways along both of its sides, throughout Munich, is a treasure. It has been my favorite place so far to run.
You can use google maps to search for a public bathroom but it won’t always be free. Once inside the stall it might take some time to figure out how to flush the toilet. I was in one today that only flushed when you opened the door to leave.
Google translate comes up with some very unhelpful translations sometimes, especially when looking at food labels. If you have food allergies you know why I am reading the labels.
Grocery shopping is very slow when you use Google translate on each item because you don’t know the language. Carrots are carrots wherever you are and I love them.
At the bus stop in Nantes, France a little girl and her mother were playing thumb wars just like I used to do with my boys when we had to wait. People aren’t so different.
Germans value nature and have created some beautiful parks. Enjoy these sites below.

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Thanks for traveling with me.

Love,

Ali

A moment in Munich

September 26, 2019 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 2 Comments

St. Peter’s Church, Munich’s oldest parish church (Old Pete), first time mentioned in 1181.

As I stepped in for a moment of quiet I found an empty bench, then chose to sit and just breathe. I love to visit old churches. To take in the space that countless others have sat inside. I wonder about their stories. Eyes closed, I rested in the quiet. Then music began. A rehearsal of musicians played and it was wonderful not to know what time it was or have a place to be next. I listened and just was there in this beautiful church. Eventually, with some hesitation, I pulled out my phone to record a small moment to share with you. Is it disgraceful to use your phone in a sacred place? I’m not sure. But I so wanted to give it to you that I went ahead and recorded these seconds of peace. I am unable to share the video here but you can see it on my instagram. St. Peter’s Church – ali.grimshaw instagram

Finally, I climbed the 299 steps up the very narrow spiral staircase of the bell tower to these views of Marienplatz, the central square in the city centre of Munich, far below.

I am so grateful for this memory of moments surrounded by blue sky and red rooftops.

I hope you choose to take a moment of peacefulness for yourself today.

Sending love your way,

Ali

My first Oktoberfest

September 23, 2019September 24, 2019 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 8 Comments

Lowenbrau Tent – 10,000 (jolly people) capacity with the band on a stage in the center.

The Oktoberfest grounds are huge with 10 big tents and many smaller ones. It has a family carnival atmosphere with rides, games and food booths. Almost everyone is dressed up.

New friends from the Munich Lindy Exchange. We danced with people from Germany and other countries.

Some groups were dressed alike for their region. This is a lady’s hat from the back.

Post festival photo before we crashed for a nap. Our host, Adi, has taken such good care of us.

My favorite part of all was singing songs together in the tent. Standing on a bench and belting out, Take me home country roads, with hundreds of smiling folks. What joy.

Thanks for traveling with us.

Love to all,

Ali

Mt. Wendelstein – Views of the Alps

September 19, 2019 ~ Ali Grimshaw ~ 6 Comments

This is one of the views from the top of Mt. Wendelstein. All I kept saying was wow over and over again. The mountains were breathtaking in contrast to the green fields below. My favorite hikes are climbing upward toward a view top and this was a winner.

Here we are during a quick pause on the way up. Altogether we were a small, easy going group of seven hikers including our fearless leader, Thomas. We laughed and talked up the mountain, each of us from different countries speaking different languages. It was a relief to me that everyone spoke English. After not speaking much for a few days I could go back to asking lots of questions. I really enjoyed learning about the other’s lives.

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Here are some photos from the hike up the trail. Part way up there is a restaurant and a small church. We did encounter a cow blocking the trail at one point and Adam was anointed with a long lick down his arm.

After coming down the mountainside to the sound of a herd of cowbells ringing, we ended the hike with a sunset above a mountain ridge and arrived at the silent train platform in darkness with no one else around. Our leader, Thomas said that we had the option of Kneipp Wassertreten (walking in cold water with one foot held out of the water at a time). There was a cement pool long and rectangular with steps and a railing to hold onto. It was filled with cold water from the nearby river. We all took off our shoes and socks, rolled up our pants and walked in slow circles in the darkness. It felt surprisingly good after the 11 miles of hiking and why not try a new water therapy?

If you want to learn more about this treatment you can go to this website. https://www.kneipp.com/us_en/kneipp-magazine/water-cures/water-treading/

I cannot include video on this blog. If you want to hear the serenade of the cowbells you can listen on my instagram, ali.grimshaw Thanks for following along.

Love to all,

Ali