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!