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!

Antiques

 Michael's town had an Antique market in the Main Plaza this past weekend and of course, we went to see what was there.  The first day the weather was not very cooperative and it rained a bit so we waited until day 2 to browse the stalls.  

Here is a photo of the Main Plaza looking Northwest.

 

Here are two photos of typical stalls.  Lots of furniture and fun stuff!

One of Maisie's favorite items was this bearded boyfriend for her doll Bridgette.  My favorite was this excellent Knight's helmet.  I loved it, but it was not a $220 kind of love.

  

The creepiest item went to this family of stuffed critters.  Maisie said she secretly wanted one.  Fortunately, she didn't have any money with her.

Mo' Markets

Michael's town has a market every Friday which is wonderful.  After driving Maisie 45 minutes to her bus stop and then driving 45 minutes back, I decided to browse the booths.  Here is a quick shot I took from the top of the main street.  In the foreground is the chicken rotisserie stall.  It costs 15 CHF for a whole roasted chicken and is, hands down, Maisie's favorite food in Switzerland.

I also picked up some peppered goat cheese, fresh bread, a spinach croissant (for lunch) and these beautiful sunflowers (pictured here in Michael's dining room on a table we picked up at the local second-hand store).

We've been keeping very busy since school started.  Other than riding in buses and cars, Maisie likes to spend her time building cardboard castles for her webkinz (when she's not skyping with Madison).  Here is a photo of her latest creation.

Well, that's all for now.  Good luck to all of you in the hurricane (and monsoon) areas.  Oh, and congrats to our friends the Dingley's for surviving their first San Francisco earthquake...stay safe everyone!

School

On Monday we took Maisie to her school orientation.  We were able to meet her teacher, a couple of girls from her class, the principal, the chef, the bus driver, and the donkey and horse who live on campus.  It was a rainy day so the views are not too clear but as you can see, the campus is amazing (kind of reminds me of my school, Longfellow Elementary - ha!)

      

This is Maisie's school.  Her classroom is on the top floor.  This excellent old tree is next to the playground for the younger students and adjacent to a koi pond.

      

This is the cafeteria and the chef.  Maisie says he's very nice because he let her have her pasta sauce on the side on the first day of school.  

      

The horse and two donkeys live on campus.  There are also a few cows who live next to the soccer field but they belong to a neighbor.  The second photo is the view from the cafeteria.

Maisie really enjoyed the first day of school although she didn't like the bus ride (too noisy).  She is the only American in her class of five boys and seven girls.  She's very excited for the school year.  I'm sure she'll enjoy it even more when we move closer to the school!

Vevey, today

As an excuse for me to practice the route to Maisie's school, we took a Sunday drive to a town on the coast of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman to the locals) called Vevey.  They hold a small market on Sundays and as you can see it was another glorious summer day here in Switzerland.

We walked along the water's edge and saw people swimming among the swans, boats and art work.  Here is a photo of a sculpture by one of our favorite artists Claes Oldenburg, and a photo of us lounging on seats out on the rocks.

 

As we walked along we found a beautiful carousel which was built in 1900 and of course, Maisie had to have a ride.

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It was a perfect last day of summer vacation!

We're Here

Hi,

We've decided to join the blogosphere to minimize the amount of time spent at the computer sharing our Swiss adventures with everyone.  We (OK, I) love it here and are enjoying the food, the scenery and mostly the absolutely perfect summer weather.  Here are some photos of our recent hike up to the local castle ruins:

The first photo is of the view about 1/3 of the way up the trail. This is a mixture of fig and pear trees (I think) with a vineyard on the left.  The hike is fairly simple with beautiful views everywhere you turn.

The second photo is a shot outside the castle in an area where Maisie and I love to picnic. 

The third is Maisie under the

picnic tree and the fourth photo is of the view through the main castle door across the way to Valere Cathedral. 

We are actively apartment hunting but are already at odds with our preferences.  We should be able to decide on a place this weekend.

School starts next Tuesday, September 2nd.  Look for an update to our post then.