Share Four Somethings: May 2023

In the house where I work with developmentally disabled adults, it’s a tradition to go on an outing the day after Ascension. This is a day off work and school in Switzerland, where religious holidays are still celebrated as state holidays – and Ascension always falls on a Thursday 40 days after Easter, so most people make it a four-day weekend.

We all loved having the chance to get away from the usual routine and see something different. Our trip involved taking three trains and a gondola to the top of a mountain in the Jura range, the Weissenstein near Solothurn — I’d been there before, but not for many years. We lucked out with the weather, which has been rainy lately, and there were clouds but no precipitation.

We took a short hike along the ridge trail, enjoying the fresh air, rocky landscape, and lush grass and wildflowers. I never get tired of mountain scenery.

When you go to the top of a mountain in Switzerland, there’s almost always a restaurant to refresh you after your journey, and this one is no exception. We enjoyed our meal there, but after breaking my usual habits and eating the delicious dessert of meringue and ice cream, I learned that I really can’t eat sugar. I had stomachaches immediately and terrible diarrhea soon afterward! I even continued to feel sick the next day. It was uncomfortable, but also provided a strong reminder that I won’t forget the next time I’m tempted to eat sweets. Five minutes of pleasure is not worth two days of suffering.

Then we did the whole journey in reverse. After a nine-hour day, I was thankful to get home without further incident, and with everyone else in good condition.

Did you do anything special this month? Or learn any hard but necessary lessons?

Share Four Somethings is a meme hosted by Overflowing with Thankfulness. I thought I’d try something new and join this year, as a way to look back at some of the things I loved, saw, learned, and ate each month. (I’m replacing “reading” with “seeing,” because I always review my reading in my monthly wrap-up post.) If you’d like to join too, the linkup is the last Saturday of each month.

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30 thoughts on “Share Four Somethings: May 2023

  1. Wow, I never thought of celebrating Ascension with a hike! And in Switzerland?! Now that is a treat! I have heard of the beautiful, rolling hills there and hope to one day see it myself! Thank you for the idea… I need to write it down so I can try it either as a belated activity this year or next year for sure!

    Hopping over here from the Grace and Truth linkup. Linking a recent favorite WWII novel author interview, if interested!

    1. Thank you for that link, it was an interesting interview, especially the part about the psalm setting. I am a bit sated with WWII books but there are always new angles to explore.

  2. So green and inviting in the picture itself; the real thing would have been far more so. We’ve lived in the mountains for about 7 years or so when I was in school and I loved taking walks there.

  3. Very civilized, the restaurants on top of mountains. I also love that Jungfrau has a big chocolate store at the top!

  4. How civilised to have an establishment on a mountain top specifically set up to ‘restore’ body and mind! Lovely pics too!

    The end of April saw the start of our choral society’s annual music festival, with the focus on Mozart’s Great Mass in C and Handel’s Dixit Dominus; but after singing two nights in a row, May Day saw me testing positive for Covid, meaning I was unable to accompany former choral scholars in a vocal recital – very disappointing.

    On the plus side we’ve done a fair few lovely walks after a week off feeling awful – it’s great living in a national park, even if it’s not as dramatic as the Swiss Alps!

    1. Switzerland corners the market on civilized. I’m sorry you were sick earlier in the month, hope you’re all better now!

      1. Thanks, all better now (except that, post-virally, I haven’t yet regained my singing voice 😐) – at least it didn’t stop me reading!

        1. Fingers crossed you recover your singing voice soon. And being able to read while sick provides at least some compensation.

  5. Lory, what a wonderful long weekend and such a special trip to take with the adults in your care. I’m retired, but I was a Social Worker who worked with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I loved my work.
    Visiting today from Share Four SOmethings #13

    1. That’s really nice to hear, glad you enjoyed it. I share travel posts occasionally (just did one about a trip to France).

  6. Lory, I’m just now waking up to the fact that you live in Switzerland. Your post brought back a memory of camping for about a week in maybe Lauterbrunnen. It was around 1978 and we drove from Weisbaden, Germany. Going south on a highway from Interlaken and it seemed we got to the end of the road with mountains before us. There was a field for camping and I asked in my halting German where to pay. Someone pointed to a man in a field. I said in German something like “I want to give you money.” LOL. He caught on and we made the transaction. We did not leave the area for the complete stay-I don’t recall any stores, etc. We climbed the mountain, not a huge one, but a day up and down. It was beautiful. I especially remember the Swiss greeting of “Grusse” that was like a song. It give me joy to this day to remember the feel of it.

    1. That area around Interlaken is beautiful. We stayed at the youth hostel in Grindelwald and had some magnificent hikes. I am glad you had such a memorable holiday.

  7. What a lovely day! Aside from the dessert, anyway. I have also been learning dietary lessons this month and have cut out 90% of the carbonation I was drinking before. (Gosh, I love fizz. Sigh.) Here’s to a healthier summer 🙂

    1. Thanks, likewise. I don’t even want to know what’s bad about fizzy water. (Which I don’t overindulge in, but once in a while is nice.)

  8. What a beautiful view! Sorry your stomach didn’t accept the dessert. Super spicy food used to be a favorite of mine but now I know better. Of course, always have to try once in a while.

  9. I’m envious of your mountain sceneries! We have only a very small mountain near me, but even it can provide great repose.

  10. Great views, I’m glad you enjoyed your trip so much! (though I’m sorry about the sugar intolerance, I know a good dessert can be quite tempting!)

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