11 Jun Nostalgia or authentic?

‘No, we cannot make an exception. We can only give you the code if you have a reservation.’ This secret code is to lift a barrier that blocks all traffic to the mountain area in both directions. However, our old reliable campsite does not do reservations. That is precisely its charm. You arrive and look for a spot somewhere on the hilly terrain among everything that is already there. There are no markings, no posts, no hedges.

Thus the campsite always has a different appearance. Here in a corner, a number of small tents are scattered along the noisy stream. There are two friendly campers with picnic tables and children hopping back and forth. Or a large white camper that got lost and is looking for the exit with complicated maneuvers.

We have to wait downstairs until 6 PM. Only then does the barrier open. We spend the afternoon reading on a windy terrace.

Timeless campsite
The municipality’s measure protects the nature reserve but also this timeless campsite. When we finally arrive and have set up our spot, we go to the managers. They recognize us from previous years: ‘Chouette que vous êtes là’ [Nice that you are here]. We receive a wooden board with a number painted on it to place behind the front windshield.

Meanwhile, during the journey uphill, we have lost our internet connection.

Two young children are trying to fly a kite. Cheering, they take turns trying. The stubborn kite flutters around and keeps falling to the ground. Neighbors come by to say hello. The mountains rise with their rocky peaks high above the campsite, basking in the sun.

Familiar cloak
The blue bus in which we travel feels like a familiar cloak around us. It has friendly wooden slats along the walls, a foldable bed that we leave horizontal because you have to be a qualified magician to fold it in and out, and cabinets that are painted soft blue. The bus is old. When you want to regulate the hot air, you have to open the windows.

Why are we so attached to this old bus and this messy campsite? Is it nostalgia? Can we not let go of the past, or do we not want to? Or is there a secret charm to this ‘like it used to be’?

Kite
The next morning I see the kite tangled high in a tree, impossible to free it. I walk over to the girl and say, ‘What now with the kite?’ She explains to me in detail how it happened and runs to her little friend. A little later I see them playing with a light cloth that they throw into the air and let float.

Meanwhile, we know the code number that someone has snitched on us, but we do not want to use it. Early in the morning before the barrier closes, we drive out of the valley. These kinds of spots deserve to be hard to reach.

Seven-step system of Time Surfing
The seven-step system of Time Surfing to work and live stress-free also protect something precious, namely the intense experience of time. By following the natural steps, you are effortlessly present in what you do each time. And that may be the most precious thing in life.