Italian Alps. It's been two years since I was here, on the Pian della Nivoletta in my Gran Paradiso, now Monday evening, here for the first time alone, not a companion of people, but still with many people, daytrips around me, bathers and sunbathers in my 'Lago'. A form of sacrilege. A consolation is that tonight they will return to their Italian homes. At dusk I collect a bag full of seeds, drink my 'last' cappuccino in the somewhat gore bar of the refugio. The cappuccino ritual: a bottom-up of strong coffee, a lot of foamed hot milk, which is beaten off by the barmaid and then poured on the coffee. In the past, the mother of the girl also sprinkled a pinch of cocoa powder over the milk foam, but the mother is no longer there, died or just gone for a while? I don't know, and I don't want to know. The girl continues the ritual, hands me indifferently the cup. How could she know that for me this is more than cappuccino? I'll take the foamy cup, pay 1.50, and to complete the ritual, I'll sprinkle some more white sugar over the brown cocoa. And then quietly drink a sip by sip. This is not only earthly but also heavenly pleasure. This is not only happiness, but also sadness. #alpen #wandelen #GranParadiso #bergen #herinnering

Reminder, August 10, 2003, Gran Paradiso.