Today I noticed how quiet the world, or at least the area in which I was walking, was. I saw very few cars, very few people walking, and very little noise from other people.
This doesn’t mean that people weren’t out and about. Although my route was for the most part deserted of people I did encounter crowds at two or three points. I think a man said “hello” but I ignored him for the cardinal sin of not walking single file, down a path, with his companion during the closing days of a pandemic.
“What does it matter?”, you may ask. I would love to do a group hike or a group Ferrata but I can’t because from a scientific point of view Switzerland is not yet clear of the virus. Meeting in groups of more than five is currently still forbidden. The groups I usually go with could be up to twelve people or more. I don’t know how long I will have to wait for the opportunity to do social activities once again.
The title of this post is a joke, not a serious delusion of isolation. I saw that a few sunflowers had come out but that they were looking away, rather than towards me. They are looking at the morning sun and I was walking in the afternoon. They are still in the process of coming out.
Today I was asked if I wanted to go to a restaurant and I automatically said no. Given the data about the rising number of cases in Switzerland it makes no sense to go to towns or cities, and to eat in a crowded place, rather than to continue self-isolating. If I was okay with crowds at this stage in the pandemic I would have gone to the IFSC World cup. I am not fine with crowds, when the number of sick is rising.
One issue is that there seems to be no data for the Canton de Vaud for the last week or two. I don’t know whether that means that there are no cases, or that they have not been counted. Haute Savoie and Geneva are going up, so Vaud should follow.
The table above illustrates why it makes sense not to meet people in towns, cities, restaurants or other places. There is a chance that you could continue as normal, and be fine, but if enough people think that way then large crowds form, and what was safe, in small numbers, becomes a breeding ground for large numbers. At this point, it’s better to walk in the countryside and be ignored by sunflowers.
If I had been asked “Do you want to come over” then I would have said yes, without hesitation. I said no because in my opinion, and according to the data I see, it is not safe to risk spending time around crowds, for now.
When the pandemic ends I look forward to meeting new people to do new things, but for now the likelihood of this happening is low. Yesterday’s solo bike ride was good. I avoided the roads where traffic is aggressive as much as possible, and kept to the more rural, quieter paths. The weather was perfect yesterday.
Today, during the entire walk I felt that it would rain at any minute, but it didn’t. It stayed dry, and that’s good because I was not equipped for the rain.
There is a rule that you should often visit churches and other buildings, if you are authorised to. You can often find something interesting. In the case of the Temple De Crans-près-Céligny it’s the kitsch paintings and blue colour.
The other reason is for the view when you are outside, especially on a clear day. You can see from Geneva and it’s Jet D’eau to the other side of the lake, with the Alps and occassional trains.
The third and superficial reason to visit is that you can get a Camino De Santiago Stamp. The stamp is inside the church, on the left as you enter. What’s amusing is that just one village away, in Celigny you can also get a Camino Stamp.
I have seen many intereting sites, in churches, which is why I like to visit them. It’s not about religion, but about culture and local context. In Gingins there is a very old tombstone, in another there is a block of marble that Michelangelo started to carve but never finished. In the church above the thing that struck me is the blue. Usually churches are painted white or left gray. This one is a strong blue. It’s lighter, and more vibrant. It feels warm. It has a wooden organ in the back but I forgot to photograph it.
Missing Bees
Today when I walked by some woods I noticed that the beehives have gone and I am not sure why. Was it because of the storm winds, where owners chose to keep the bees safe, or to avoid the coming rain? It’s a small detail with big consequences., When I have walked that path, in summer, with the sunflowers on the other side, I have seen a bee superhighway. If the bees have been moved permanently then it will be quieter.
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