Treating new knees kindly, with wine and views

I’m now back at work, more slowly than expected after getting a new knee (I underestimated the fatigue factor). The convalescence time reminded me how much we can enjoy life even when our horizons shrink considerably.

I’m excited about finally having time to share recent wine trips and discoveries with you as I catch up. On the list – Galician treasures, north of north Rhone Syrahs, southern Rhone Chateauneuf-du-pape harvests, the wilds of Sardenia and more.

Just be patient; the knee comes first, I’m afraid.

To make my point that life can still be pleasure-filled when you’re stuck in a small space, here is a quick photo show of highlights from surgery to one month later. Wine represents two things to me: a source of pleasure that helps us keeps the highs and lows of life in perspective, and a never-ending storytelling opportunity. Here is a very small story about one wine writer’s briefly shrunken world. I couldn’t resist two wine-tasting events the week after surgery, and they did set me back a bit, but that was offset by the wonderful wines I enjoyed. Stay tuned for those reports.

Cheers!

Clinic food, day 1. Love it that no one finds it odd if you ask for a glass of red (unfortunately, 1/3 of a glass is plenty, when you’re on meds).

La Valère in Sion knows how to feed us. Day 2.

Wonderful to be able to walk down the corridor and see the fresh snow on the peaks above Sion.

Clinic corridor view, the last leaves of autumn.

Snow in the distance! View from my clinic room, now that I can hobble over to the window.

Dawn view at the clinic, where we are all early risers.

The view from the sofa at home, so nice to be here.

Sensible eating: one of our garden apples, the first of the crop of Fujis from a young tree, yum!

Getting use to watching the day move along, from my perch on the sofa.

Visiting the doctor to have bandage replaced – happily his office is next to David’s chocolate shop, one of the best in Valais.

Right, hobbling over to the kitchen I see that it is the kind of weather where staying indoors makes good sense.

Heaven equals a fine Merlot from Ticino with Nick’s roast chicken, potatoes, caramelized onions, garlic, garden pumpkin and peas. Nice to be nourished properly.

8 days post-surgery and it is time to crack open a nice bottle of red wine. A Merlot from Ticino, one of the most beautiful vineyards in that canton, is just right.

Sue Style and Chandra Kurt, 2 food and wine friends who made the Cayas tasting that much more fun.

Hats off

We are here to taste Syrah, but I sneak a peek at old Petite Arvines, my favourite wine.

Oh, a new beauty! Landon, from JR Germanier, only 1,500 bottles and only in magnums – and the grapes are grown about 300 metres straight down the mountainside from my home. Excited!

No, we are not praying, but yes, we are grateful: 20 years of Cayas Syrah wines to taste. I’m glad I didn’t ask my doctor if this is all right, 11 days after surgery. Stopped the painkillers yesterday.

Just outside the Chanton cellar, a crutches user’s nightmare: cobblestones, damp surfaces and a steep hill to climb down. Deep breath, Ellen.

I made it down the hill, very slowly, given the near freezing temperatures in Visp. And I have to wonder if some people in this town are uncomfortable that the school is named after Sepp Blatter, of Fifa fame?

Temptation led me to a vertical tasting of Heida wines at the Chanton winery in Visp. A history through wine lesson, a treasure!

The turning of the season: snow on the peaks, golden larch just below. My view from the sofa.

The best-ever ice pack for knees turns out to be a wine cooler from Portugal, Vinhos Verde country. I’m sure they didn’t have this in mind, but I’m very grateful. Their wine is good, too!

Thank you Fabienne for cheering me up with a delightfully fruity and elegant Swiss Gamay!

Ah. Explaining to your adult autistic child that you can’t get off the sofa easily or quickly to get her whatever she wants – that’s tricky. But Tara was a trooper, listened quietly and was kind and gentle with me.

You know life is getting back to normal when you can enjoy Swiss cheese fondue and Fendant.

We must not forget to eat a lot of fruit (wine doesn’t count)

Selvarossa

Still looking for comfort from big red wines, this time a luscious Italian Salice Salentino from Negroamaro grapes. Comforting, ample.

At home on the sofa, ice on the knee – and blue sky above snowy peaks!

Wine producer Diserens advised us to carafe his Syrah, so we did, and did not regret it.

Serge Diserens won the world Syrah title this year with his magnificent “Terra Solis” wine from Villeneuve. What better way to celebrate the return of blue skies, sunshine and the temptation to get out and walk!

Day’s end, another view, Valais and the Swiss Alps. Tomorrow: walk one hour.