The carcasses of a deer and a wild boar are hanging up in a cold locker in my backyard right now. The former is roadkill, recovered by my landlord; the latter a prize from hunting the night before. It’s clear we’re not in Kansas anymore… The views here are spectacular but I’m realizing that there’s much more to Alsace than the picture-perfect images of mountains, quaint houses and vines absolutely everywhere. What is certain is that any romanticized expectations I may have previously harboured about working in the vines are well and truly dashed. My arms and legs are covered in fly, mosquito, spider and even horsefly bites, not to mention thistle spines, bruises and sunburn (the latter thankfully camouflages the worst of it). It actually reminds me a lot of my camino experience – physically demanding and exhausting but mentally exhilarating and rewarding. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)
à plus tard, Bordeaux; salü Turckheim!
School’s. Out. For. Summer! It’s brilliant to have all the assignments behind us now. (Actually, all but one. A surprise take-home exam snuck its way onto the roster juuuuust before the last day of school. But, mentally and certainly geographically as much as one can say that, the semester is over, and that’s what’s important.) We have put a lid on the technical audit that has consumed our time for the last two months, culminating in our final presentations.