Thursday, June 30, 2011
A selection of photos from our first week, Part II
Freddy Mercury greets visitors on the quai in Montreux.
Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) surrounded by the Alps.
Tomitha, our wonderful WKU helper.
Savoring the authentic Swiss fondue we made in the hostel kitchen.
A selection of photos from our first week.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...er Day
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Silence of the Mountains
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Adjusted Realities of a Hopeless Romantic...
We literally breathe in literary history and sublimity in our continued exploration (and conquest) of Switzerland. The weary wayfarers of our group were tired, and rightly so, after a hike that took us from Solalex to Derborence. The grey fog clouded our visibility; only the silhouettes of the person in front of you could be seen like ghosts dancing in the mist. In the half-light of the mountains, the grey fog that had adamantly chased us up from Solalex finally lifted to reveal the majestic peaks that blanketed us. But every rose has its thorn; the beauty of the steep trails provided dangers to my fellow traveler, Cailtin, who stumbled in a particularly muddy area. The incident echoed the ideas of Ramuz—floating back into our periphery and reminding us of the mountain’s treachery. Through sweat and blood our journey ended that evening with the taste of victory triumphing over the dryness.
Saturday brought us a different adventure, however. As we boarded the train from Gryon, I could hardly anticipate the scenic train ride, the open-air market of Vevey, and the crystal waters of Lake Geneva. We soon arrived in Vevey, but behind the pale hues of the aged architecture, the town took almost a tangible form. Strolling on the waterfront, I could see why Charlie Chaplin (and a plethora of others) would spend a portion of his life here. His statue stood overlooking the lake, and I could only think what a view for this inanimate object to view everyday: the sailboats dancing and the mountains rising out of Lac Leman. In front of us, the pale shutters and the three crown insignia of Hôtel des Trois Couronnes filled our eyes and our minds. And suddenly through the streets a parade of bicyclers dressed in aged clothing strolled the streets, and I could only gain a nostalgia of something fiction; I could see Daisy Miller and Monsieur Winterbourne strolling in the warm Swiss nights around the town. I’m not sure how or why the Millers' would ever depart from Vevey, especially the grandeur of the hotel.
As we walked through the foyer, we tiptoed through the bar to the outside of the patio for drinks. Lake Geneva sat silent in front of us, as if it were posing for a picture. Despite the price tag, a whiskey sour in the Swiss breeze was as close to nirvana as I may ever come.After our adventures in Vevey, we took the lake boat across the way to Montreaux, the home of the famous Montreaux Jazz Festival. The view of The Palace Hotel was a sharp contrast from the conservative shutters of Hôtel des Trois Couronnes. The bright yellow of the shutters almost personified the melodies that have haunted the town for years. I could almost hear B.B. King’s soulful voice while sliding Lucille’s strings in his shockingly bright attire. Fittingly, a statue of Freddie Mercury found its home near the waterfront. Caroline, Caitlin, Jay, and I ventured further into the town and enjoyed a large Feldschlösschen at the Adams Café. As we waited for our train to depart, the feeling of literary nostalgia overtook me once again. As Montreaux sloped above us, I could almost see a place where I imagined Catherine and Henry, from A Farewell to Arms, were holding each other hidden from the world and the war that raged outside.
And in the Montreaux evening, as the train loudly came into the station, I could only remember Hemingway’s words, “The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.” It most certainly is what I reflect to myself now as I sit in the rustic living room of Chalet Martin with the window open, listening to the sounds of a Brazilian and a Brit, one playing the ukulele and one playing the guitar.
Through Hail and Back...
The night before our epic journey, we discussed Ramuz's When the Mountain Fell. I'll avoid any plot synopses, but I will point out that the original title of the novel was Derborence. Incidentally, that's where we were to hike to and actually see the "mountain that fell."
From Solalex, we were to hike to Derborence, which is a bit of a haul (Google it). As fate may have it, the thickest fog I've ever witnessed rolled in. As we trudged up the mountain, we readily snapped photos of the beautiful surroundings within a 20-yard radius of our path. The fog would lift momentarily throughout the hike and display the hidden grandeur that was actually surrounding us, but for the majority of our march, it remained a virtually unseen looming presence.
The turning point of our hike arrived with fury. As we all rested to enjoy our sandwiches and fruit, the Alps decided to dump a mixture of hail and freezing rain on us. Several hours away from the base and now battling the forces of nature, we began our trip back. Our pace back down the mountain ultimately turned into a slight trot. Within minutes, the hail stopped, the fog lifted, and the sun came out (again, with fury). My shirt, once drenched in freezing rain, now became deeply moistened with sweat. I must relate that we did make it back safe and sound with many stories to tell.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Allison is officially "On top of the world!!"
Alpine Sublime
An introduction is hard to conquer, but I will try my hand at the hardest task—introducing myself. A chemistry student displaced in the grandness of this study abroad based on the literature of the Swiss Alps, I feel each moment in this country allows me a greater command and adequacy in the understanding and appreciation of each word that I read.
As I viewed the Alps from Chalet Martin, I realized how small human nature is compared to the vast expanse of nature. This appreciation, homage worthy to the Romantics, allows the shapes and forms of the scenery to rise above their physical peak to a transcended state in my mind. After exploring Gryon today, I realized how the beauty (and neutrality of this country) provides a prominent theme for many authors.
As the days ahead in waiting offer only more excitement and exploration, an adventurer, like myself, relishes the chance to climb higher in the physical realm and mental understanding of the Vaud Country and myself.
The Fellowship of the Cow Bell
Swiss Cheese
Bonjour! My name is Caroline Wells. I hail from Glasgow, KY and am a senior at WKU. Although my major is Chemistry (pre-pharmacy) I have had Professor Davies for two English classes now and have been trying to join him on this Switzerland trip for two years! The moment has finally arrived.
We are staying in a chalet/hostel in the quaint village of Gryon in the Alps. The view is “pastoral” and “sublime” as we like to call it. The people are also very accommodating considering everyone here speaks French and I can barely say yes or no in the language. My first thought was that this will be a very relaxing, scenic trip. Scenic is definitely correct, but yesterday we hiked a mountain called the Little Devil. As the name implies, it was a devil!! Once we reached the top (most of us wearing shorts) it began to rain and hail on us! I suppose the feeling of accomplishment overcame the physical numbness of the rest of my body.
Having already conquered a mountain, I am anxious to see what else this trip has in store for the group. My greatest passion is traveling and to be able to travel while learning in depth about the location is absolutely amazing! ‘Til next time….
Luke's Introductory Post
Hello to all who are currently reading this blog! My name is Luke Yap, and I’m a sixteen-year-old boy who’s currently attending the Gatton Academy. I heard of the Switzerland Study Abroad Program when Dr. Davies presented to our English 200 class past experiences he had while hosting the program. I decided to apply for the study abroad program because the landscape looked beautiful, the food had great reviews, and it was an opportunity to improve my writing skills. So far, I have not been disappointed.
Yesterday, we hiked up a mountain known as “Deborence”. For part of our coursework, we were required to read a novel called When The Mountain Fell about when part of Deborence fell. While hiking up the mountain, it was hard to believe an area so beautiful would be so destructive, but I soon changed my mind.
While climbing up a rock along the path leading to the peak of Deborence, my left leg grazed a group of flowers. Soon, I had broken out into hives. After reaching the peak of Deborence, the weather turned from cool and calm to freezing and hailing. When we had finally returned to the hostile, I was itchy, freezing, and wet. As they say in the game of Dungeons & Dragons, the mountain had a chaotic neutrality.
Wish You Were Here
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Blogging with Becky
Hello World
So far, we have been in Switzerland for three days, and it has been amazing!! The food is delicious and the landscape is beautiful. We are staying in Gryon, where we are lucky enough to have the whole attic of the hostel to ourselves. I am really loving my time here.
Mary Boothe
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Hi
Caitlin's Corner
My first impression of Gryon was that it reminded me of Beauty and the Beast. I kept waiting for people to break out into the first song from the movie. It is a very little town and a quiet village. We walked around today and did not see many people, but the people we did see were very friendly and welcoming. The Mountains are very inspiring to me; they are sublime.
This should be an eye-opening experience for me. I've already been shocked by the amount of people who do not speak English. Going to lunch today was difficult because I assumed the waitress did not speak English. I then, luckily, learned that she did speak English. I brought along with me a small French language book to help us out along the way and it has been very helpful. I am most excited about actually visiting the places I've read about in our books.
Why you should care about what I say...
As I stated earlier, I am a grad student of English Literature. The upcoming fall semester will be the beginning of my second full year at WKU. Studying Romantic Literature with Dr. Davies this past semester primes me for the subject matter we will be reading over. We will read poems and other works while admiring the same stimuli as Shelley, Byron, Coleridge, and Wordsworth were admiring. I'm judging from the scenery we have already enjoyed during the first two days that these next few weeks will be absolutely incredible.
We are some of the luckiest individuals attending WKU right now. The purpose of this blog, while being the main part of our grade, is largely for the readers. For those of you who thoroughly enjoy what Switzerland and Romanticism is about, you will more than likely highly enjoy these blog entries.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
The First Post
On a personal note: for my wife and me a return to Switzerland is always a special delight. We met in the small village of Huemoz, just a few miles away from Gryon, in 1975. Four years later we were married in the village church of San Saphorin, on the banks of Lac Leman. Since then we have been able to return periodically to those familiar locations. My study of Romanticism and Alpine literature is inextricably interwoven with our personal romance in Switzerland. We are looking forward to being there once again, and sharing our beloved Alps with this new group of students.