Scotland// Brilliant Moments

The rain had just stopped as more dark clouds shifted around the rim of the valley. At first, everything became still and silent. Walking through the knee high grass barely made a sound except for when a misplaced step sank into an especially wet spot. Then the sheep on the other side of the valley started moving into a meadow, sensing that this break in the rain might last. A big, long-haired cow started calling out and moving down towards the river, his big cowbell clanging as he walked. The silence was broken but the stillness remained. 

It stayed this way for about an hour while the clouds continued to roll past overhead and the light started to fade. Our feet were completely soaked but neither of us cared. We stared at the river and admired the range of fall colors covering the hillsides. This is what we had come for - a handful of what the Scottish call "brilliant moments" out hillwalking in nature. 

Delft // Dinner en Blanc

It was our first few nights of being back in Delft after traveling throughout Switzerland and after dinner we decided to go for a walk to grab a bottle of wine. We wandered down our street towards the market when we heard music and chatter coming from the main square. As we rounded the corner we were shocked to find hundreds of people dressed all in white dining on long farm tables. We wandered around the event for a while, in a dazed confusion and wondering what was going on.

As we were taking pictures and staring at the unbelievable party before our eyes, a man came up to us and asked "Do you know what this is? Do you have any questions?" We immediately said no, and that yes we had a ton of questions, and he spent the next hour hosting us, inviting us to his table to sit with his friends and drink their wine, to hear all about who we are and what we're doing here, and to tell us all about what it's like living in the Netherlands. As he explained it, we had stumbled upon a Dinner En Blanc party, an event that was started in France and has been adopted by the Netherlands. It involves getting a group of people together and there is only one person that knows where the even will be held. Every year on the day of the event, the group meets at a location dressed all in white and with picnics to share, gets on a bus, and is driven to a random location anywhere in the Netherlands. They then set up shop at farm tables (provided by the event) and feast, make friends, and celebrate "life, light, and the summer" with friends old and new. At the end of the evening we witnessed the sparkler lighting, where very person was handed a sparkler and they toasted the end of the dinner in a sparkling glow. It was such a surreal, beautiful event to witness and partake in, and such an amazing introduction to the hospitality of the dutch and our lively little new home.

France // Mont Blanc, Chamonix

Visiting Mont Blanc was a completely visceral experience. Maybe we should have expected this but looking back, there was really no way we could have anticipated the way that this place would rock our senses.

We were initially drawn here by stories from outdoorsy friends about massive glaciers and the epic hiking trails. There was also the appeal of the tangible significance of the Mont Blanc massif being the highest mountain in the Alps and the tallest peak in Europe. Finally, as a water nerd, I wanted to see the peak that defined a major watershed line between France and Italy. All in all we had plenty of valid, albeit slightly superficial, reasons to make a beeline for Chamonix as early as our travel plans would allow.

I would say that all of that melted away quickly but that would be a misleading expression given the subzero temperatures we faced on top of Aiguille du Midi, a spike of a mountain above Chamonix. At 12,600 feet we were looking down at most of the surrounding peaks and across a narrow saddle at the perennial snow dome that covers the summit of Mont Blanc. Some burly alpinists were climbing below us (we took the cable car up) while others in the distance were starting an expedition to the nearby glaciers. Looking out in each direction, we could see parts of France, Italy, and Switzerland. 

After starting to adjust to the thin and freezing air, we began to appreciate the sights and sounds of this place. A high alpine wind blasted up at us from the valley to the north. On the south side, the air was perfectly still and silent, not even the hum of nearby Chamonix could reach this place. The peaks in the distance looked jagged and sharp but still somehow inviting. It was sunny but only because we were above the clouds. As soon as we realized that, everything we were experiencing started to make sense - this is what it felt like to be above the clouds.

Photography: Anna // Storytelling: Jack