Home » Switzerland » European Tales: Switzerland 1996, a lengthy tale

It was now 7pm. I was exhausted following the ten-hour hitch and getting a bit desperate as car after car passed me, despite the placard I held which read 'FRANCE: £10?' Just as the streetlights began to buzz a van screeched to a halt a couple of hundred metres down the road, I grabbed my impossibly heavy rucksack and lurched after them. "Ten Quid?" he asked, before opening the door of their small van. I was to share the back with several crates of beer that they'd just bought in the duty free...

European Tales: Switzerland 1996, a lengthy tale

Joseph Tame
2006-06-30 17:53:26

Displayed times (last time: )

managed to spend fifty pounds. By now I was having a great time, introducing myself to everyone, and making sure all were happy. Even the bar staff were plastered by this time. The feeling of mutual friendship and happiness in the Tipi was great; it was an experience not to be forgotten. The next few hours I have had to reconstruct from what others have told me. Apparently I went to Alex's room, we had a long talk, and got everything sorted out. Having no memory of this, I was delighted the next day when things between us felt so different. Apparently Alex had then helped me stagger back to my room. I could only think of work though, and when I couldn't find anyone to do my shift for me I tried to get dressed for it. Allegedly, I turned up in my dirty jeans, unbuttoned shirt hanging out, one ski boot, one shoe, and generally looking in a terrible state. No one stopped me until I got I got into the main corridor of the hotel where I came face to face with the Italian manager - thankfully there were no guests around. I was sent to my room; by this time I was an emotional wreck too.The following day was terribly embarrassing with everyone making fun of me. I virtually went down on bended knee in front of the manager to ask his forgiveness. He basically told me not to do it again ("Please!"), I knew that I had been very lucky. I learnt that I had been excused due to the difficult circumstances in which we were all living, it was accepted that sometimes we have to let off steam. Looking back, I saw that that was just what I had been doing. Following that episode Alex and myself experienced something of a honeymoon period that lasted pretty much until my departure at the end of April. We spent a lot of time hanging out together, going out of our way to accommodate one another. We laughed a lot too about what had happened. I had learnt a lot from that experience, and was very grateful that he'd made my life so difficult at times.

My last month was spent talking and reflecting upon my experiences with Dana, our new secretary from Germany. As she and Alf were an item I felt perfectly at ease when spending a lot of time in her company just talking. For seven months I'd had no real friend with whom I could discuss 'life' and my feelings about Scheidegg - things that mattered to me. It was a wonderful relief to us both when we found that we could share our thoughts with one another. Dana enabled me to think through my time in Switzerland, to reflect upon it, and to come to the conclusion that I was indeed very fortunate to have lived there. It cleared my head, and when I left, I knew that it was absolutely the right time to go. I felt very happy, and although I was sad to be leaving my friends behind, I was looking forward to being back in England. My last day at the Scheidegg was perfect, walking in the lush spring fields, and higher up, the snow-covered mountain slopes. The sun shone, the birds sang and my tan got that last top-up that it needed!

I returned to drizzly old England feeling happier and healthier than I had ever felt before. I was given an amazingly warm welcome by all of my friends, relatives, and even people that I hardly knew before. I was taken aback by how good I felt within myself and towards others. They say that travel enables one to "find oneself". My thought is that Kleine Scheidegg just gave that process a kick-start within me. That's just one reason why I will always love that crazy place, way up in the Swiss Alps.

Joseph Tame

Summer 1997