Les Gorges du Verdon

Last weekend, Kirstyn, Emily and I took a trip to spend the weekend at our friend Mathilde’s house. 

The train journey was in itself incredible, as we took a tiny little train all the way up into and through the Alps. The sun was starting to set, and we saw mountains, valleys, wild flowers, sheep gamboling in the fields, and lots of old people who would wave at the train as it passed by the bottom of their gardens.

The next day we drove to the Gorges du Verdon – Europe’s biggest canyon don’t you know! They’re more famous though, for their incredible bright blue/green colour, which is just BREATHTAKING, especially when the sun is shining. After a picnic including some delicious quiche handmade by Mathilde, we decided to have a go on a pedalo. 

It was pretty windy…

But passing through the Gorge itself was an amazing experience which felt like entering another world. I haven’t adjusted these colours at all!

As Mathilde would say, ‘Perfect!’

 

Even this trip reminded me of the faithfulness of God, even in the small things. Before moving to Nice I was researching the region and looking at things to do here. I read about the gorges and had recommendations from various friends that they were a must, but being over 3 hours away and a car being necessary to get there, I had accepted the fact that maybe this would have to be something that happened another time. Yet, 3 weeks before I leave this place, I get the chance to go and see this awesome creation with my own eyes. Thank you. 

Happy Easter

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” Luke 24: 5-6

Happy day of celebrating the fact that Jesus died for us and for all our sins and rose again so that we don’t have to be separated from God but can enjoy and experience a relationship with him and life to the full! (Bit of a mouthful, so Happy Easter for short!)

Here are some pictures from a recent trip to St Jean Cap Ferrat, a beautiful peninsular to the east of Nice. The weather was perfect for walking all the way along the peninsular, experiencing (and dodging) the crashing waves, admiring the lighthouse up close (normally I watch the light sweep round over the bay from my bus stop every morning) and feeling very windswept and on the edge of the world.

Cactus graffiti - I'd like to think that this is somebody's Grandma and Granddad declaring their love for each other...

A staircase leading to the sea. We sat and watched the waves for a while and left behind a message for whoever would come after us; I wonder if anyone found it?

Coucou les Alpes!

Saturday was mountain day! We took the bus up to Isola 2000 which is close to the Italian border, in the Southern Alps. The journey took 2 and a half hours, and buses and I aren’t always the best of friends, but this was 100% worth it. We followed the Var river upstream closer to its source, driving along the steep V-shaped valley (merci GCSE Geography!) as palm trees turned to pine trees, it got narrower and narrower, and the valley sides got steeper and steeper until they turned into mountains.

We passed dozens of hilltop villages, some of them appearing to teeter on the brink, with all the houses piled up on top of each other and a church tower crowning every one. As we got nearer the Alps we drove through tunnels carved through the hillside. The descriptions we found for it were the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Disney ride, and Mario Kart.Isn’t it weird the descriptions have gone full circle and we are now using the man made to described the natural (and maybe a bit sad?) We all thought it though – I even saw a little dilapidated rope bridge missing a few wooden slats…

Then we passed the snow line and we were there! There was snow everywhere, and everytime we turned the corner of the hairpin bends, there were the Alps in full view. It was so sunny for a January day. And how beautiful! It felt great just to be on top of a mountain and breathe really deeply, it was such a good feeling!

Surrounded by snow and pine trees, Laura and I chilled (literally, sorry, I couldn’t resist) on some deck chairs on the mountainside while the others skied and snowboarded down the slopes. We drank hot chocolate in probably the most memorable setting of my life, and then moved inside when we couldn’t feel our toes to warm up with some vin chaud and crepes au nutella.

Miam miam

A slightly hairy moment occurred when we thought we were going to miss the last bus back to Nice and be stranded in the mountains overnight ( would that really have been such a bad thing?) but we made it in the nick of time and half dozed, half watched the sunset fade over the mountains on our way home.

It was so beautiful that no words I use can really justify it at all. Mountains are such powerful imagery used to show the awesome might of nature and our Creator, that it was almost a bit surreal to actually be on a proper one. Now whenever I sing of the mountains trembling or soaring above them, I have a real mental picture to help me envisage it. Result.

Devenir ce que nous sommes déjà

Last weekend I went away with the GBU (Groupe Biblique Universitaire). We were supposed to leave on Friday afternoon, but the heavy rain and flooding meant that a new location needed to be found. Thankfully, we were provided with a new location and set off on Saturday morning for Aix-en-Provence. The rain continued but it didn’t stop it being an excellent weekend. I was reminded of how small the world is by the fact that the speaker became a Christian at Jesmond Parish Church!

The theme was about our identity in Christ. It’s interesting because I’ve been thinking and praying so far for what the point of this year was, what my purpose, goals and ambitions are, and the phrase ‘Devenir ce que nous sommes déjà’ (Becoming who we already are) popped up in one of the talks – this idea has been following me around during my time in France and I really think it’s applicable here. It’s amazing grace that we are loved unconditionally and beyond comprehension as who we are right now, but at the same time, as Mumford and Sons put it, ‘You were made to meet your Maker’. At the moment, I have taken a step out of ‘real life’, I’m away from my friends and family, it’s the perfect time to reflect upon who I am and whether I’m moving towards God’s good plans for me, living life as he intended it to be – to the full. Food for thought.

The intense weather situation didn’t stop over the weekend either; Tuesday night saw the Promenade des Anglais closed due to gigantic waves crashing onto the road. Whilst this was slightly inconvenient at the time (a three and a half hour journey home from school is less than ideal), it did make for spectacular viewing. The next morning was calmer but the beaches were still closed. When the sea is choppy the water becomes a great milky green colour, in contrast to the usual azure blue. Instead of extending a few metres out, it was this beautiful colour you can see in the background of the picture all the way to the horizon. Going for a run along the Promenade, watching the waves crash upon the rocks was so refreshing, and when ‘How Great Thou Art’ came on my iPod, I ran that little bit faster, reminded of the awesome power of nature and gratitude to our creator God.