Another Accidental Adventure... Being in Switzerland, it was only natural to decide to head up north during my free week to visit my friends in Berlin and my brother in Leipzig.... especially after I discovered Mitfahrgelehgenheit. Mitfahrgelehgenheit is basically a German ride-share internet-based group. So, I searched through and managed to find myself a ride from Leipzig to Zurich, and after extensive promises that I would be there for sure, I was desperate to get a ride from Switzerland to Germany, especially as the flight tickets started to shoot up in price. I gathered all the courage I had and started going back through the Mitfahrgelehgenheit posts that I had initially not asked for one reason or another. I found one. I had not opted for this person, as the email was curt and impersonal. I ... read more

Hi all, As another week flew by, the days were filled with teaching, and the weekend packed with sightseeing. This weekend was especially exceptional, as it was marked by the arrival of my cousin and his girlfriend, pausing for a moment on their world motorcycling tour... We spent the first day walking around town, where I got to show off the local vending machine, restaurant & hill-view... We meandered in the pleasant afternoon sun, enjoying the break from the rain and then enjoyed the 'raclette' that my host-family made for us with great travel-conversations. The next day, it was rainy and miserable, so we took advantage of the time to sleep in and have an extended brunch. After, we saw that there was a bit of a pause in the downpour, so we set off to ... read more

Another magnificent old town! What a wonderful way to see the city as a teacher in practicum - field trip! The high school class arranged a half day trip to learn some history about a famous, courageous baker that lived in Stein and Rein. Now, it must be said that Stein and Rein is a beautiful, incredibly decorated old town. This small town has been preserved, but was actually nothing much more than any other local town - until they came up with the mural idea. It was ingenious, they had the plan a few decades back, that they could paint the towns history on the building and invest in preserving the old beauty, colours, and historical feel. This combined with the ideal setting on the lake and the old monastery did exactly as planned, and ... read more

Maps in hand and mind set, I was ready to cycle to Germany & back. Having collected enough maps and general advise, I set out, making my way up the glatt towards Germany. It was the perfect ride, an John had decided to accompany me an hour or so to a friend's house where we would stop for lunch. We pedaled along, soaking up the view of rolling hills, swiss houses, and farm or ranch land curving over the hills in the distance. The path we were on, however, was flat (actually, a pleasant down-slope that I had been warned about for my return journey), as it was the landscape that followed the river flowing down to the lake. The paths along the glatt left me in awe. They were mostly paved, often with a gravel ... read more

The adventure continues... and so do the wonders of small-town Switzerland! The first week was project-week (art) for the local school, so we had an art-fiesta on the last day to display and show all of the creative works of the students... after the frantic final wrap-up which, for me, entailed "Frau Sam...., Frau Samp, helfen, Bitte!" It was fantastic - the students paraded in and out of classrooms, curious about what their friends had been doing, and showing off all of their creations to family and neighbours. Of course, the teacher's room continued to produce good cheer, new friends, and perpetual chocolate! Not to mention, my other bemused discoveries, like rainbow eggs and the oh-so-swiss chocolate yogurt! As it turns out, tradition in Switzerland still dominates and all boiled eggs sold in the market are ... read more