ready? set... Champagne!

We'll get there earlier than you, who are on the north american continent ;)! And tomorrow morning, I'll start the new year enjoying a "staying in bed late" moment! So I won't be up on Internet to wish you all the best for this coming 2010!

Enjoy! Be happy! Be healthy! Be wise (but not boring!)!!!!

And take care!

xoxo

In between...

Between Christmas and New Year's Eve, some time to reflect on all the good things of the past year....

Thankfulness for good health, a nice family, a beautiful place to live, with cool people around (which doesn't mean that I/we don't miss you all around the world!!!!!). A satisfacting job for V, sports for him and me, good school for the kids. We're very thankful as we count our blessings!

I hope that you also had a good year, a nice celebration for Christmas, or Hannukka, and I wish you all the best for 2010! Come and comment this blog, as it's what makes it living!

PS: Let me tell you the story of this Christmas tree. I confess that I still regret the "fake" one that I had bought at Goodwill's for a mere 25$... I should have taken it along when we moved, but well... I hope at least that our followers in the house enjoyed it as much as we did!

So ours, this year, is a rented one! It's a real tree, with dirt around its roots, and it's in a pot! Funny, isn't it?

But still... it looses its needles a lot, and I'm not that fond of its look. So I'll bring it back to where it was born, and it will be replanted for the next 350 days! At least it's a positive thing... But I bought today an artificial on sale, with the (nice) decoration for next year.... And I'm glad i did it!

Winter's here!

Although it's not official yet, Winter has arrived! We had an amazing fall this year, much too hot, and all of a sudden, on Monday night, some nice snow coming. To be honest, I love snow, always did, but I'm really happy that it came this year much later than last year! I enjoyed working around the house without freezing my hands (or else!)

On Wednesday, the snow had quite melted already, but it was really cold. Hubby walked the kids to school and then took a ton of pictures of early morning colours in our area. I love living here!

Puss in boots in the old City

Every year, a local artist (also humanist!) prepares something special for kids in the old town. He works with unemployed people, and sets up a "witches path", or "fairy village", or this year, a walk through the old town in the steps of Puss in Boots.

We decided to discover this part of the old town of Fribourg, at the very bottom of the town, surrounded by the Sarine river.

This part of the old town was built in the 16-17th centuries. Most of the houses are still up, and have been restored over the time. Some are really neat, and even their "modern touch" is well integrated in the landscape.

As in any old town the streets are very narrow, and I don't really enjoy driving there with the Sienna! But then I remember that busses use them as well, so they're not that bad! The wooden bridge was built in 1250!

Seen from down there, the Cathedral looks built up a hill. But when I ran next to it the other day, I realized that I still had a good climb past it, to make it to the finish!

This little chapel is part of the old walls.

Beginnings of fall

This morning, I went for ... a nice run with my (Texan) friend April. We enjoyed the colours of the early morning, right after dawn. We had seen this little chapel (Chapelle Ste-Appoline)* a few weeks ago, and all we needed was a camera in order to share the landscape with you!

Here it is!

*The bridge St.Appoline, over the Glâne river, documented as far back as 1243, is right behind the chapel. The chapel St Appoline was first mentioned in 1147, and was newly erected in 1566.

It's on the "Way of St.James"/Via Jacobi, which goes across Switzerland's far eastern part (Lake Konstanz) to the most western part (Geneva).

And when I think of it...

it's really weird! All the aches that I had have disappeared, I ran today, OK, only 30 mins, but it hurt nowhere... Did I really take part in this race, Sunday?

I have a T-shirt as "proof", as well as the picts that my father-in-law took.

But hold on, my friends! You want a good laugh?

Then watch this, the finisher-clip. You see Vladi and me arriving, and then sprinting for the last 20 yards... what a joke!

And if the video doesn't cooperate, you simply click here!

It's been a long time...

...since I wrote here for the last time!

The summer has gone by, faster than I thought, and I must say that I was carrying on a long-term project: a running event, scheduled today, October 4th:

The "Morat-Fribourg" race, commemoration of the victory of the Confederates over Charles the Bold in 1476, after which a man ran the 11 miles to Fribourg in order to carry the good news.

I've been training since May 20th, every Wednesday evening with a group preparing for this race, and ran another 2-3 times a week.

And today was THE day...

We arrived at 9h15 AM in the beautiful little city of Morat. The sun was shining, the air not very warm, but it would improve. The landscape beautiful, and the lake of Morat dark blue in the middle of the wineyards. Just gorgeous! There were hundreds - no, thousands! - of people gathering in the same time, with the same goal: running! The atmosphere was nice, you could notice by the queue at the ladiesrooms (and mensrooms!) that it was an important business for everybody: run as light as you can!!!

At 10h39 the start was given for my group (the slowest one, with a predicted time over 1h45!). We started slowly, through the old town, out of it, through villages where people were cheering us on both sides of the street. Some with "guggenmusik", some with a huge stereo installation, some ringing huge cowbells. It gave a very nice feeling!

The landscape in Switzerland is not only mountainous... it can be hilly too! And the denivellation between Morat and Fribourg was very important. Mainly uphill running, as you can see...

Anyway...

After like 5 miles, my right knee started to hurt, and din't stop until I arrived. I'm not that used to run on asphalt, for one, and second, the roads are winding enough not to be really flat. They either have a right, or left incline, or in the best case, are sort of "convex". Then I ran in the middle of the road, with a foot on each side of the white line!

After approx 6 miles, my left leg started to hurt, and I really wasn't comfy, but I decided to still try as hard as I could to finish.

There in the last third (after mile 7) there is this long, abhorred uphill climb. You know what? it did'nt even seem that bad, as my hurting legs forced me to keep to small steps! I couldn't even make longer ones when it was flat or slightly downhill!

Once I was up there, there were only 2 more miles to go. Oh, did they seem long! At a while, I was just hoping for it to be over. But Hubby, who ran all the time along with me, encouraged me. Yeah, we were almost there!

There was a last climb, starting from the Cathedral, and I felt like giving it all in a small sprint to go through the arrival door!

I was done, I did it, and I'm really happy and proud of myself!

It took me 2:04:54

In the last clim... Arrival in in 200 yards probably...

3 days in Italy

Right before I travelled to visit Grit, I took the train with my hubby and we went to a conference in Milano /Italy. My first visit there... 

I really liked to see the Duomo, and even go up its roof.

I even more enjoyed spending time with Alessandra, whom I hadn't seen in almost a year!

And I really enjoyed eating excellent ice-cream (gelati), and strolling down the streets with my friend!

Can you imagine that Milano is only 4.5 hours' train from home?

Visiting Grit

After Grit coming to see us in February and discover the snow and the mountains, it was our turn to ride the night train and go and visit her! We took advantage of a long week-end, and of the possibility to put the car on a train. Otherwise, the journey is over 800 miles, and I would'nt have done it all by myself! After Hamburg, the drive was another 3-4 hours!

 

It was a big joy to meet again, and share good memories. Even if the time spent together was quite short, it was definitely worth the trip! Her area is wonderful, flat, windy, beautiful, soothing (I love the see!)... and her home is really cozy.

Thank you Grit for welcoming us in your home!

You can see the sea from Grit's backyard!

Beautiful Countryside

Old houses with thatch roof

Greifswald: the Cathedral and view of the city from the top of it!

The baltic sea on a grey day with huge wind

... and still windy, but at least sunny!

View from the top of the Church of Gristow, built over the last centuries

Go Cards!

Spring is hot in Switzerland too!

Actually, I never thought it could be!

I really don't remember so high temperatures in May... over 30°C (86°F) yesterday! As hay-fever hit quite hard, we tried to go higher in the mountains, to change the kind of pollen.

The "Black Lake" (Schwarzsee) is approx 45 mins from home, and already 1000m high (approx 3300 ft).

We rode our bikes around the lake, and then, Vladi took a swim, with the kids. I still don't like "cold" water. Although it didn't seem to be that cold.

      

 

1000 m is not really high. These are the "prealps", and not the Alps yet. But I like this kind of landscape, not too oppressing.

Schwarzsee is also a family kind of ski resort, that we'll definitely have to try next Winter!

Something old-fashioned

I think that Spring is really coming back... And today, I was so happy to take the laundry out and hang it to dry in the breeze!

It may look a bit oldfashioned, but eventually, it's very economical and eco-friendly!

The laundry smells so fresh after that... Of course, I've got to be lucky and not have the farmer around the corner "spraying" manure on the fields next to the house ;-)!

The brown room

I dedicate this post to my friend Debbie, who visited us around Christmas, and christened the most tasteless room of the house "the brown room".

It IS ugly, but somehow, I've started to kind of like it anyway. When I prepared the move back into this house, I looked for something to make it funny, and I found a great shower curtain at Linen&Things, just before it actually closed down. I cut it and hung it on a... shower rod.

Then, it's become a challenge to find matching colors for that room: spring green and brown mainly.

Today, I found these stickers and could decorate the room (and its door!), to make it a bit more "lively".

Now I still face a possible problem: the toilet seat has a split, and it will definitely break in parts some time. The fact is that 25 years ago, this bathroom was very design and fashionable. The walls are made of marble, the sink matches the toilet: brown (can be convenient sometimes ;-)!). The problem is that the toilet has a special shape, and the seats are not available anymore (the usual seats don't fit!). Or just in white.... and they cost over $200 (plus tax, of course!).

So now, I face the fact that I'll have to remodel that brown room...

Fortunately, I don't have the money for it now!

Amsterdam while waiting for Spring to come!

In the States, there is "Spring break". In Switzerland, there is also a week off, but it's in February. For some people, it's just ski vacation, and for other, it's mainly "Carnaval" time. I'll be there next year to report more precisely about it!

This year, we skied together, a few days, and then, just the two grownups, Vladi and me, flew to Amsterdam to spend there 48h of "just the two of us time"!

It was a première for me, as I hadn't ever been to that place. It's so interesting and beautiful! Even in the not that nice weather that prevailed... 

Some people live in houses along the canals...

... while some prefer to live directly ON the water!

Holland - the Netherlands is... flat! It's paradise for cyclists! Old, young, men, women, dads with kids in special boxes on the bike, women with nice skirts... everybody rides a bike! And no helmet please!!!!!

As spring is around the corner...

This is a view from the ski slopes real close to home. Not spectacular view, but cute nonetheless! As you see, it's not the high mountains yet!

It's now or never that I'll tell you about our first winter back in Switzerland!

First of all, it's been all white for almost 2 months (end of December - end of February), due to a really exceptional winter on one hand, and also to the fact that we live on a higher plain (opposed to lakeshores and/or mountains!). It's been snowing 1-2/ week, and never really got warm enough to melt it all!

The kids went to ski school over the Christmas break. The first day was really difficult for Léa - who hardly ever enjoys that kind of challenge - but they made excellent progress and loved it (eventually!). A nice day out was to go ski as a family! We live approx 25 min away from a small ski resort, with plain lifts and no fuss. Perfect for our kid's level!

And during that long, and cold winter (we've litterally burned 90% of our wood - not that one, reserved for the fireplace - the one that we use for heating the house!), a huge feeling of warmth came to us: Grit visited us for a whole week, along with Klara and Heinrich! Oh the good feeling, oh, the good memories, oh the fun we had together in that white paradise!

      

Another visit that was for us THE Christmas gift: our friend Debbie arriving straight from Clayton with her two daughters! We were able to celebrate Christmas AND blow Hannucka candles together, visit the area, and discuss a lot about everything. Simply a great time, thank you my dear friends for visiting us!

     

In Switzerland, the water fountains are... real! Most of the time, you can drink from them, as Debbie's about to do. These pictures were taken in the village of Gruyères, homeland of the famous real Swiss Cheese "gruyères"! The castle and the surrounding village was built in the 13th century!

The good thing about living in Europe, is that travelling in neighbouring countries is pretty simple. No, no, I don't want to boast (just make you feel like coming and visiting us, haha!)...

Last week was a "Carnaval" break. It's very important culturally, but I'm totally stranger to that customs. Maybe next year I'll be more able to report about it!

Anyway, the kids were off school, and Vladi had a week off too. We skied together a few times, then sent the kids to my parents for 48h. In the meantime, Vladi and me hopped on an EasyJet plane to Amsterdam, where we enjoyed 2 great days together!

This post is already long enough... I'll start a new one!