Weathering the Maddening Winds in the Alps

Location: Balzers, Liechtenstein and various villages at the foot of the Alps

For fans of: Ecological horror and psychological thrillers

To read: “The Wind” by Ray Bradbury (1943)

On various days from the middle of March to the end of April, the Foehn wind roars down the lee side of the Alps at up to 130 km (80 miles) per hour, bringing all manners of malady upon the northern border of Italy, some southern parts of France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia, and the entirety of Liechtenstein – from headaches and breathlessness to suicides and hauntings. This month, I will highlight the darker forces that some believe to be at work through the Foehn, or, the Snow Eater, as the locals call it, and encourage you to read Ray Bradbury’s classic short horror story “The Wind” as you tour the Alpine villages of Liechtenstein for yourself. Bradbury’s work tells the story of a stormchaser in 1940s America who believes the winds he has encountered over the years have, finally, come together on his doorstep seeking revenge. I would have recommended something longer (such as JG Ballard’s sci-fi novel The Wind From Nowhere, for example); however, given that dizziness, fatigue, and complete psychosis are common symptoms of the Snow Eater, anything novel-length may admittedly be hard to get through out here. 

The Snow Eater and its kin winds, in fact, appear often in classic literature from all over Europe. Voltaire wrote about the Foehn’s effects in France. Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare both refer to England’s similarly-behaved Helm Wind; the former describing it as “bitter, black, and blustering” and the latter accusing it of causing “gout, the falling evil, the itch, and the ague.” Gabriel Garcia Marquez describes the Tramontana winds of Italy as “harsh, tenacious land wind that carries in it the seeds of madness” which “blows without pause, without relief, with an intensity and cruelty that seemed supernatural.”  

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New Year, New Fear in the Mojave Desert

Overview: Inspired by the journey Magdala and her father are forced to take in Kay Chronister’s Shirley Jackson Award Winning post-apocalyptic novel Desert Creatures, this roadtrip will have you traversing through the desolate Mojave Desert toward the neon lights of Las Vegas, Nevada, or “the Holy Land”, as it is known to the characters in Chronister’s book. The father-daughter duo in Desert Creatures are on a healing mission and, if you approach this trip as a way of facing your fears going into the New Year, you can fancy yourself on a healing mission, too. Who or what would you be most afraid of encountering? A ghost? A clown? Cannibals? A serial killer? A religious cult? No matter. On this trip you will face all five. 

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Celebrate Christmas Among the Dead in Mexico City

At a glance: This trip to Mexico City will see you lodging in the haunted Edificio Rio de Janeiro, or “the Witches House”; attending a traditional midnight mass on Christmas Eve at one of two creepy Cathedrals; visiting the spooky Island of the Dolls; and reading Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova while eating worm salt gelato. 

Mexico City’s colonial history and neo-colonial present ensures that more than a few spirits still roam the capital’s streets and take residence in her buildings. The land now known as Mexico was invaded by Spain in 1519, in a mission led by Hernan Cortes. The ensuing battles among Spanish troops and Indigenous tribes ended two years later, with Cortes declaring victory over the land. The Spanish men proceeded to impose their seed on the indigenous women and girls, leading to the eventual widespread miscegenation of the two peoples, creating the Mexican “race”. The Spanish imposed their religion too. Catholicism continues to guide the political, social, and private lives of all Mexicans, whether they practice Catholicism or not (though the majority of them do). Such conditions, unfortunately, often guarantee the presence of spirits, and the rise of coping rituals. No matter your stance on organized religion or the existence of almighty deities, when visiting Mexico City be prepared to embrace and heavily respect the religious cultural practices and the resulting (haunting) wonders that the residents’ belief systems have inspired over the centuries.

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