Blogs from Switzerland, Europe - page 9

Our final term started off with a bang, with me continuing on teaching full time at school. This was unexpected but luckily Mum and Dad were still around to support us through the crazy start of term. We had a last minute visit from Katie, Daisy and Ted from the UK, what a treat! Anke dropped in briefly for a coffee. And Jo from NZ swung in to help us empty our pantry just before we left, thanks Jo! I finished up at my school at half term, allowing for me to just focus on the task of exiting Geneva. Leaving is stressful, emotional and administratively heavy, particularly with the added language barrier issue. We managed to hold it together, although we were/are exhausted. We celebrated World Toilet Day and the next day our 15 year ... read more

When the hotel wrote me last week to say they were having a big private do tonight, restaurant closed, lots of music, "expect some noise" until 2 am. I sorta flipped out. Expect noise? At their prices? So I asked, and they promised a room Higher up, quieter. Top floor with private terrace at the same price, thank you very much indeed. That will do nicely. Maybe I shouldn't have asked so fast. Half an our ago, as we lay here reading, somebody started up a muffled, big band version of "Heartbreak Hotel". (oh, dear.) I opened the window. It WAS a big band. A pretty good one, playing in the square just below us. Next we got Begin The Beguin, followed by about six other numbers. They are gone now, but we enjoyed our private ... read more

Today the countryside is blanketed in fresh snow. At the train station there is a vending machine full of wooden animal figures and selling for 20-25 francs. The train glides past the Olympic bobsled, and numerous ski hills. Many homes have either horses, sheep or cows right in their backyards. Each bovine has a large brass bell suspended from their neck. Must be annoying for them, and the neighbours. Our ears have been popping constantly as we descend from 2,253 meters. Four different train rides and into the Swiss town of Interlaken which means ‘between the lakes’ of Brienz and Thun. This charming village is like a fairytale setting with pastel coloured houses nestled in the Swiss Alps. Chris takes the Jungfraujoch cog train to the Top of Europe and I stay back to nurse my ... read more

Because I didn't give you pics yesterday!... read more

We have travelled around the world - but we have not travelled to some places where the whole world travels to. One of these places is the Gornergrat in Zermatt. Nearly all travellers say that one has to visit this special place once. It was somehow on our bucket list, but definitely not in summer when you probably tramp on the tourists. We wanted to go there in off season when it is less crowded and cheaper. When Markus had to work on a project at the entrance of the Mattertal, the valley that leads to Zermatt, by the end of october, we checked the weatherforecast and it was a quick decision. We could organise the work on a friday, we booked a hotel room for a night and I (Nina) came with Markus. Basically, it ... read more