Week 7: People

24 August - 30 August: Slovenia - Austria - Italy

Emmanuel and Laura from Bologna were looking for somewhere to have a sit and a bite to eat after trekking up Mount Vogel, a 1500m mountain in the Julian Alps for 3 hours on a 30 degree day. They happened to find a spot in front of a closed pizzeria at a ski resort, as we had. Little did they know that we had taken the cable car up to the top, little did they know that we had gotten up at 10.30am when they were already half way up the mountain. And little did they know that we look like active people when in fact we are frauds all the way through. I mean, the nordic walking sticks, the quick dry gear! Emmanuel and Laura from Bologna are in their 40s but look like they are in their 30s. Between the two of them they mountain bike, canyon, parachute, paraglide, hike and do triathlons. The only reason I suspect they may be in their forties is the grey beard that Emmanuel wears (as he is for the most part, bald) and Laura's lush crown of long black curls betrays strands of white at her temples. I suspect they have been together a long time, perhaps 15 or 20 years, but their affection for each other was so fresh. She would rest her head on his massive shoulder while he would tell some hysterical story, and then she would kiss him where her head had just rested as she would add her spice to the tale. After philosophising on how badly they thought Italians care for the environment and how this might compare across the globe, they gave us some fabulous tips of what to see and what not to see in Slovenia. We smiled to each other, drinking in their funny stories in English much better than our Italian would ever be, knowing that we mightn't be able to do what they recommended and had already seen what they said not to. At the end of the hour long conversation (which was had over lunch and bordering-on-pushy Italian invitations to partake of their picnic, and our embarrassed reciprocation as we had Dutch cheese sandwiches ... we feared not palatable enough for our new friends), we shook hands with great warmth and left the beautiful bronzed pair to sunbake while we made our timid ramble at the top of the mountain. These were beautiful people who had earnt their beauty that can be seen on the outside and they were also the beautiful people whose goodness and generosity radiates from the inside, out.

This man has three dogs. A white pomeranian, a French bull dog and a Jack Russell. While he was out bathing in the Lake Bohinj, he had tied the three best friends to a large piece of drift wood. They were rather a folorn sight, sitting there, captive to an oversize twig. If only they could combine their focus and move towards a common place at the same time! My wish for them seemed to come true, as they somehow began to communicate and shuffle and snuffle all in concert towards their master, dragging the driftwood over the pebbles behind them. Their master shook himself and lay himself down for a rest on his towel and the three realised there was nothing else to do but join in. What a sight! Edwin and I enjoyed watching this tranquil scene very much indeed.