A Walk through Zinal

This is a village in Valais, one of the french speaking Cantons in Switzerland. I miss it, even though when I was there, I was feeling quite alone. After my friend dropped me off there, I found a bed and breakfast and went to bed early (9 pm) to prepare myself for the climb the next day when I would get up at 7 am. For those of you who know me, this is an ungodly hour for me.

This village and surrounding peaks were incredibly beautiful! After getting up at 7 am and packing my small backpack I walk through the sleep village of Zinal towards the glacier and Besso the main peak in the background of this picture.

The snow had fallen overnight, it was in late September, the low season for this ski/resort town, where hiking is dangerous because of frequent snow storms and skiing isn't yet feasible. I walked along a river for a couple km towards a deep canyon. Beyond that was a glacier and the base of Besso.

There is something about the Swiss culture in the Alps that wraps me up in its hundreds of years of rich tradition. The feeling comes back to me when I see a picture from there. Makes me feel secure and stable. I know that these deep cultural roots will not be so easily altered.

On the other hand, North America has a feeling of searching to me, of a more equal blending of many cultures. Canada's history is short indeed, and the future is wide open and still maleable. It's exciting to be part of a culture where the choice is still in our hands to decide what will be important about our people.