The Dream Lake House

Tuesday 14^th September 2010: Annecy FR: 

The sore throat that has laid dormant for a few days in back, and I think it has brought reinforcements! The weather looked debatable today, not much sunshine and probably no flying either. We decided to have a relaxing day instead today and go fishing.

We drove to a parking area nearer the lake and cycled to find the spot that would catch us the fish! The first place we went to was very quiet, a little wooden place to stand above the water and a great view. The water looked so beautiful, and it was creating mesmerizing patterns on the bed, the light shining through in haloed waved. It looked warm too, and I was right. Waving my feet gently in the water, I hoped that it wouldn’t make my cold any worse. After a while of casting out to the lake, we left to cycle further towards the heart of the lake, ever hopeful for that elusive fish.

We found another secret spot and hid the bikes. It was a 2m decline to the water’s edge, and the Pilot started his fishing, whilst I embarked on making something. I love making things with my hands. It's funny though how I spend most of my adult life not doing so. At school, I was always the best at woodwork and metalwork classes, something a ‘girl’ isn’t supposed to be talented as. As I went higher up the school, I took creative textiles for a GCSE and absolutely loved it. It was there that I learned how to use a sewing machine, how to use sewing patterns and create anything I wanted. I remember researching the dresses of Chanel and the 1950’s before creating an ivory dress. I had sewed little ivory rosebuds around the bust-line. I still have it, but as I was 16 when I made it, I probably don't fit into it anymore!!

Making a fisherman out of river vines

After making willow hearts by Lac Leman in Lausanne, I looked around for something similar to be transformed.. All around the river bed were vines, still wet enough inside to bend. So there we were, the Pilot fishing silently and me crafting silently. It was a very serene moment. I realised then why holidays, although refreshing are almost never enough.

Here, I don't have to worry about whether it is Tuesday or any other day. I don't have to think about what I usually do on a Tuesday, or what I shall be doing the following Tuesday. It's a very different world to what I am used to. Anyone who knows me knows how driven I am. How every moment can be filled with work. Even if I had time to spare, I would plan ahead and make sure that I was super-organised in my work. I would always have a timetable for my time outside of work, and I would never leave anything at all to the last minute. My life, my time, was always accounted for. All of that worked extremely well for me and I was as successful as I could possibly be.

It was a completely different world to the one I am in now, I wonder if I will ever go back to that type of life? When you have tasted freedom, can you ever go back to being satisfied in captivity? I don't know after 7 weeks, but I know that my feelings are evolving constantly during this trip. I am seeing things that are colourful and wonderful. I am feeling things that I never thought I’d feel, both good and bad. I don't know what will happen, but for those few hours sat by the riverbed, I actually felt peace.

After a while of not catching fish, the Pilot lost his last hook, and the fishing was called off for the day. We crossed the most unbelievably busy road and saw the most wondrous sight! A hedge full of the most succulent blackberries that I have ever seen. They were like black pearls dotted around a sea of green. We filled a small plastic bag quite easily, and every time we went to go, we would edge a little further into the thicket and see even more there. Together with the apples we had collected yesterday from the Aire, this would make a good apple and blackberry crumble. We were done here, although we had not caught any supper, we had caught pudding!

As we left to go, however, my heart stopped. There stood elegantly in front of me, was a house, surrounded by an abandoned garden and every window concealed by shutters which had long been opened. I’m not sure if I saw the house of my dreams, or the house I have been dreaming of, either way, I had to go inside and feel its heart beat.

It is breathtaking. I scour the whole house leaving the Pilot calling for me at the side of the road. I know he wants to get back, but I can’t leave this house now. I venture inside the garden and look through the gap in the shutters. I see an abandoned kitchen, in which I can see a chair, slightly removed from the kitchen table and nothing else. The small angle of the shutters does not allow me to see anything else. I can see that this house probably hasn’t been lived in for many years now. I continue to explore the garden to the right and see a huge tree by the side steps leading to a little walled mooring for a boat. This is perfect I whisper to myself and I turn around and see the balconies ‘I could write there’ I continue to think to myself as I venture further into the garden. I feel that perhaps I shouldn’t be here, but as I am appreciating the garden and the house, I hope that they will forgive me. I don’t want to leave and wonder why this house, which is so beautiful, has no one living in it. I resolve to find out some information about it.

As I leave I am starting to realise why, there is an immensely busy road that cars are passing at about 60mph each few seconds. I’m not sure that would put me off, for I have had to put up with much worse in the search of happiness.

We cycle off hoping to make a blackberry and apple crumble, and although we haven’t any fish for supper, we’re suitably contented. The only downside, is that the sore throat that started in Switzerland is now here and I cant smell or taste anything, so after baking the crumble, I just have to take the Pilot’s words that it is yummy. Its brilliant foraging food!

We will have to leave here tomorrow so that we can get into the Flying festival. It’s a place Ive been looking forward to going to for 2 years now. Lets hope its everything its made out to be!