Let it Snow!

We had our first major snow fall in November.  I'm a little slow with posting the photos and we just got covered with another beautiful blanket this weekend.  Maisie and I still get giddy every time it snows probably because we have no shoveling responsibilities (other than digging the car out when we need to go somewhere)!

The neighbors keep a ping pong table in the courtyard (which they share with us).  We had enough snow to make a couple of snow men and join in a snowball fight with the neighbor's sons (ages 13 and 15 who did not care to be photographed).

 

We pass this house on our path between the apartment and where we have to park the car.  I liked this photo because of the kooky tree and the fact that the motorcycle was covered with snow.  The amount of snow was quiet unexpected and rare so early in the year (so the locals say) but we love every flake of it.

 

This is the view from the guest room....wanna come stay?

We hope you all are enjoying your winter weather whatever it may be!

Bern(e) Revisited

We made a return trip to Bern to check out the English bookstore and their huge market.  It is a really cool Swiss-German town with lots of great shops.  We made our compulsory visit to the bear pits,

 and then walked down to the market.  We saw a spot-on AC/DC cover band which Michael and I wanted watch but old sensitive-eared Maisie (maybe she's not listening to her ipod loudly enough) refused to go near the stage.  

I'm going to save this photo for the teen years when she begs me to let her go to concerts. 

We also saw these men playing a giant game of chess 

but once we saw the freaky blue guys we knew it was time to head for home!

Halloween(ish)

Maisie's school had a Harvest Celebration which originally was planned for Halloween but the weather was so bad it was postponed until November 3.  We had a beautiful (if not a little cold) day and I got to see how the Swiss celebrate Halloween.  There were lots of costumes but very few scary things and a severe shortage of candy but all the kids seemed to have a good time. Maisie dressed up as a devil and at the last minute decided to give the costume a mustachioed twist.  

Love it! 

 

 

Maisie (devil) and her friend Gabby (angel).

The girls from Maisie's class.

Group shot of all of the kids at Maisie's school.

Apples hung from the big tree.

The creepy "eyeball" cupcakes we made, yum!

Thanks to everyone who posted their Halloween pics.  We certainly missed out on our favorite Holiday this year.  Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!!

Funky Fall Colors

We went to Cully to check on a friend's house while they were away.  We searched for a rake but couldn't find one so Maisie decided to take care of the leaves her own way.

  

After "cleaning" up the yard we strolled down to the lake for refreshment.  And no, the locals did not stare at Maisie's outfit.  It matched the day perfectly!

Chamonix, France

Here are a couple of photos from a recent trip to Chamonix.  It is about a 75 minute (white knuckle) drive from Sion.  It is a popular ski-resort destination but since it's not quite ski season everything was pretty quiet.  We had a delicious lunch (Maisie found a restaurant with a Texas Cheeseburger on the menu) and then strolled around the town.  True to form, I forgot the camera so took these shots with my phone.   In the second photo you can see a glacier in the background (the strip of white going up left from the pinkish building).

                               

I'll try to post some photos of the new apartment soon!

Gruyeres

We took a trip to Gruyers Castle in the pre-alpine, Fribourg foothills.  The castle (altitude: 830 meters) is one of the most prestigious in Switzerland and towers majestically above its medieval town.  As always, it was a beautiful day!

  

Gruyeres (yes, famous for the cheese of the same name) is a fortified town and it is a steep hike up to the gates but once you enter, there is a perfectly quaint little town inside.  Here is a photo of Maisie and Michael inside the gates hiking toward the castle (barely seen on the left beyond the chapel in the foreground) and a photo of a house on the main square with some beautiful autumn-red ivy.

      

Here is a photo of the castle gardens and one of Maisie on the rickety courtyard cat walk. Sorry, I didn't take any photos of the interior or a good shot of the exterior but you get the idea.  If you want a better look, come visit!

No trip to a castle is complete without a stop at the gift shop.  Here we bought post cards that are still sitting on the desk and then stopped to pose with a local.  As you can see we're wearing our coats but I think it was an irregularly cold weekend.  It has since warmed up.  Maisie and I went hiking today in t-shirts (and pants).

 

One last shot before we end this post:  Lac Leman at night.  Enjoy!

Autumn vs. Winter

Sorry it's been so long since our last post.  It seems I either forget the camera or forget to charge the battery!  Anyway, we are alive and well and still loving every day in Switzerland.

I wanted to post photos of the beautiful leaves changing color in the valley but this week we had our first snow!  It didn't quite make it down to our area but the surrounding mountains are beautifully capped with white. 

Here in Sion we had to settle for a good rain but by the time we reached the elevation at Maisie's school the rain had changed to sleet.   We felt sad for the cute little deer at the deer farm nearby so after school we stopped to feed them.  I'm not sure if there is any other reason to farm deer other than to eat them so we just pretend the owners farm them because they think deer are as cute as we do!

 

  

Last weekend we went to a town called Lutry for a wine harvesting festival.  There was quite a lot going on including these rival marching bands who dress up in silly costumes and roam around the town.  Maisie and her friend Skye thought they we're too loud so they opted for the bumper cars.  I'm glad it will be a few years before Maisie is legally behind the wheel.  

Last but not least for this post are photos from the Chateau de Chillon.  The castle is the result of several centuries of different construction and alterations from the 12th Century Savoy era until today.  It was last inhabited in 1798.  The Chateau is a short drive beyond Maisie's bus stop so, now that I am living a "life of leisure" (how is it that I'm still so busy?), I took some time while she was at school to take a tour.

 

  

 This is the view from the street approaching the chateau and a view of Lake Geneva from one of the windows.

This is a shot of the interior of the Constable's Dining Room.  The columns are black marble and the fireplace is about 10 feet high by 12 feet wide.  It's very beautiful although I don't think the metal folding chairs are authentic.

Well, that's it for now.  We miss you all and hope you are well!