3 . Into the Night

The lights from the cottage windows disappear, as we follow a dark footpath through a field into the open countryside. Thick clouds prevent the moonlight from lighting up the way ahead. Yet, as my eyes begin to get used to the darkness, the landscape around me reveals itself in a new light.

Mount Caburn, an iron-age hill fort (堡垒), looks like shadows against the sky. On the horizon is a tree bent by the wind. The rocky outcrop (露出的部分) at the top of the field turns out to be a flock of sleeping sheep. A fox cries, a pheasant crows, and the air is full of a strong earthy scent.

“For most of human history, man lived in close contact with the land,” says Nigel Berman, my guide. “Only in the past few hundred years have we shut ourselves off from our natural surroundings. Walking at night is a powerful way of reconnecting. When your vision is reduced, your other senses are sharpened.”

Nigel and I walk from the village of Glynde across the South Downs towards the town of Lewes. It is a walk I know well by day, but at night everything is different, and a familiar wander becomes a mini adventure. When Nigel told me not to bring a torch, I was alarmed. I can’t remember the last time I used my night vision and I’m not even sure how it works.

Normally, at this time of night, I would be having a glass of wine in front of the television, but being out in the countryside is a purer form of relaxation. I forget about work and family tensions, and begin to blend into the surroundings. There is no one other than Nigel to see or hear me and, with little visual distraction, my mind calms. I am aware of the breeze on my face, the rustle (沙沙声) of leaves, and as I watch the clouds slowly changing color against the sky like a natural sound and light show, it feels fascinating.

Having got used to the dark, we continue walking and the path that leads up the escarpment (峭壁) of Saxon Down now appears to almost shine in front of us. We climb carefully, feeling our way on the uneven ground. Walking at night is not without risk, but with knowledge and preparation it opens up a new side to walking.

As we reach the top, Lewes appears below as a twinkly mass of lights, a sight I would generally consider as inviting. In just a few hours, however, I find myself unwilling to walk back down. Walking at night is like discovering a new world on your doorstep. As Henry David Thoreau wrote in Night and Moonlight: “Night is certainly more novel and less profane (世俗的) than day.”

4 . Time and time again, I hear someone ask why anyone would want to keep an “ugly” building or a building that is dirty and clearly in need of work. I think you could say we preservationists (文物保护者) look at buildings through a different angle — an angle that can see the swan in the ugly duck, the story in the simple lines, the book behind the cover.

Take the Queen Emma Building for example. While people may remember that building being named as one of the ugliest buildings in town, the angle from which a preservationist will view the building is that it is uniquely constructed with an artistical brise-soleil (遮阳板) to block the sun. The designer used standard concrete bricks to form a decorative wall. Unfortunately, the brise-soleil was removed in 2011, making the building look like many of the contemporary buildings in town.

Sometimes people remember a beautiful site that was replaced by a “very unpleasant” piece of architecture and can’t get over their anger, even when that building becomes an important part of our story. This is particularly true in San Francisco where many preservationists themselves dislike anything newer, than the Victorian era. Yes, it was a tragedy that many failed to appreciate the Victorian buildings and let many get torn down several decades ago, but those losses also tell another important story. It tells the story of the 1950s and 1960s when there was hope for a more equal society with inexpensive housing for the working class. Should that history be wiped from our memories?

Preservation is not just about keeping pretty, well-kept buildings, but about conveying pars of our history — not just the history of huge events, but the story of how everyone used to go to a certain corner market. Our history cannot be told only in buildings that meet someone’s criteria of beauty; sometimes our history is painful, but no less important.

6 . You should see the photo. I’m sitting in red dirt, ________ an ugly purple T-shirt. My face is pink and my hair is wet with sweat. Flies buzz around my head. I’m in the northwest of Australia, on a school trip with 20 parents and 20 kids.

It was a strange choice for a holiday. I like sitting by the pool with a cola, not flies and frogs. I like being ________ and quiet, not a busload of kids. I like ________ washed sheets, not dirty-looking blankets.

But here’s the thing about that photo: I am smiling!

The trip sounded good when I ________. We were told that guides would take us into the heart of the place and I would see a new part of Australia and learn about local ________. Besides I knew it would be a valuable chance for me to stay with my youngest daughter. I would also stay with 40 strangers. I just hope there would be good coffee.

In Darwin we got onto a bus. It quickly became tiresome. The kids were ________ and kept on talking but I hate making small talk.

But later when I looked out at the large empty land, I was surprised at and moved by its ________. Our local guide told us about the land and his culture. I felt far from home.

Finally we reached our ________. There the small room I shared with my daughter was a brick cell, full of crickets (蟋蟀), but too dark to see them.

It didn’t matter. The next nine days were ________. Waterfalls, lakes, community visits, and a trip around Katherine Gorge where we even saw giant crocodiles!

On our last night, a water pipe (管子) ________. We awoke to a mess, everything in water. Usually I would have ________, but it just seemed ________ to be dirty.

Indeed, it was ________ to stay clean. We were hiking in red dirt with temperatures of 35 degrees. Still, I felt a kind of energy I hadn’t ________ in years.

Yes, the coffee was bad, but I was too focused on keeping crickets off my face.

I love that photo of me in the dirt. I look messy but happy. Sometimes it’s another way of traveling. There is beautiful ________ and there is dirt. There was always someone to talk to, someone to laugh with.

7 . Canadian Rockies Family Multi-adventure Camping Tour

Day 1: Awesome views of Mount Rundle and Cascade Mountain are you to admire as you bike through Banff to Lake Minnewanka. Not ready to stop? Ride to Johnston Canyon and hike to a series of impressive waterfalls before arriving at your campsite.

Day 2: Travel around Kootenay National Park on foot. Witness a vast wildfire burnt area while keeping an eye out for the new-growth forest. Move into a hanging valley for a view of extraordinary Sianley Glacier. Hike a family-friendly route through a beautiful valley and stand in awe. of the wonderful upper and lower waterfalls.

Day 3: Keep your eye on the forest for deer, sheep and bears as you cycle to Lake Louise. Visit Moraine Lake and walk through an ice-carved valley beneath huge mountains to Consolation Lake. Kids join leaders for a special night out while adults relax at our campsite.

Day 4: Rafting on the Kicking Horse River-a good time with a taste of white-water thrills! The younger crowd teams up with a local guide for a rock-climbing lesson while grown-ups go for a classic Rockies walk to the historic Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse. Dig into a tasty lunch before returning to Banff.

Dates and Prices

Children 11 to 17 years old receive a 10% saving and children 4 to 10 years old receive a 20 % saving. The earlier you book, the more choice you’ll have and the lower your price will be. Arid you can always change your mind--you won’t be charged if you plan to go on another trip before your final payment is due.

July 1-4, 2022: $1, 800 per person

July 5-4, 2022: $1, 900 per person

August 1-4, 2022: $2, 000 per person

August 5-8, 2022: $2, 100 per person