Our bags are packed...time to come home...booo hooo

Well this is it. ONE WHOLE MONTH gone just like that. Our time in Switzerland has come to an end. Tomorrow morning is the beginning of our journey back. Saturday, we took it easy and in the afternoon, we spent it with my cousins at their town's end of school Festival. It was so much fun....
Today, we went for a hike and a pic nic and ended the day with a swim in my aunt's pool. Then HUGE thunder and lightening storm came through. It was fabulous.
I am going to miss the cow bells the most. I love to hear the cow bells. When I get home, I need to find myself a CD of SWISS cow bells and play it on my speakers outside and just close my eyes and dream that I am at home in Switzerland....
If any of you know of any such CD (and do not laugh at me, I am totally serious) let me know....I wish I had thought of it earlier, I could have brought a recorder and left it in the field for a few hours.
WEll I have to sign off....still a few things to pack....and there is the final EURO 2008 soccer game to watch: Spain Vs. Germany (rooting for Spain)
See you in California

Out of office Reply....look below for newer posts

I am off for a trip to Switzerland (and France). I am using this photo as my Weekend snapshot for June 1st.... This is where you will find me for the next 30 days....hiking through the beautiful scenery of my home Switzerland...haaa breathing fresh air.
I will try to post as much as I can, but I am not sure what my internet connection will be like and how much I will want to spend indoors when I can be walking through sceneries such as this one.....
Leave me comments if you are here visiting.... I will reply when I get back..
PHOTO HUNTERS: I have my whole MONTH on automatic posting,so check below. My posts will magically pop up! I will come and visit everyone when I get back....


For more weekend snapthots

Photo Hunt: Bright

For this week's theme, BRIGHT, I went with the bright and colorful colors in the town of Portofino, Italy. I had to dig for this one. Photo taken in 2003.

Malina's dream barn....and mine too

Malina's trainer put us in touch with a good friend of his here in Switzerland. He owns a world class sale barn in Switzerland. It was only one hour from my aunt's house, in an area renowned to be a place for horses. This barn took our breath away. So we have both agreed to stay here and Malina can work at the barn and I am happy in my Swiss mountains with the sound of cowbells... I only have time for a few photos... I will post more of the area (we saw more then just the barn) later....

The last few days in Switzerland

We have had a busy and very hot and humid week. The weather turned from cold and rainy to hot and humid. It has been so stuffy, I cannot tell you how much I miss the cooler days I had when I first got to Switzerland. In Celsius, it literally went from 6 degrees to 34 degrees and humid overnight!
Yet, Switzerland is just so gorgeous when it is sunny. The green, the white of the alps and the clouds, and the blue of the lakes is just stunning.
We enjoyed our time in Luzern (Lucerne) seeing friends and hiking up the Rigi. Then we came home and Malina and I attended a wedding of a fellow blogger, Jess! The wedding which a just gorgeous and what yummy food we had!On Sunday, we went to France to visit family. We had a fabulous time there.
Today we went to the Basel Zoo.
Tomorrow, we are visiting a Barn that Malina's trainer knows very well. It is in a nice area. I will make sure to take many photos
Malina is dying to get online, therefore I have to get off now......(***who is boss in this family***)
Ta ta for now


Rigi



Zug
The wedding


France

Photo Hunt: Water

There is something calming about looking at water. Here is the back of my daughter and my brother at a local California lake...yes we have lakes in California!

Happy First day of Summer

We are still enjoying the Swiss Fresh Air.

Just spent three days in Lucerne/Zug area. WE used to live there and moved back to the states 4 years ago. This was our first time back since 2004.....
I am only putting up three photos. We just home and we are invited out to dinner....
But wanted to send sign of life...
Wedding tomorrow.
Family in France on Sunday.
So much to do so little time, but HEY we finally have sunshine since Wednesday. Now it is hot and humid!
Will put more photos when I get some time....it won't be until next week some time....
Check back....


Can you see Malina and Maya on the bridge? They are wearing Red and Green!

Photos of my four days in London

Here are some of the photos of my four days in London. Don't laugh at the ones of me on my trendy bike!First photos are of Hampton Court.

Photo Hunt: Emotion

THis week's theme is emotions. My favorite emotion on my little Maya is when she is happy.

Bonjour de Londres

I have taken the liberty to take a few days sans kids! I flew out of Geneva to London for a few days. My really good friends, Gianna and Simon, live just outside of London and since I needed to come to Heathrow to collect Malina, I thought WELL WHY NOT SPEND a few days with them. I have not seen them since they left California, a year ago.
On Wednesday, I took the train from Neuchatel directly into the Airport at Geneva.....I love that about Swizerland, you can take the train right into the airport of both Zurich and Geneva. At the train station/Airport of Geneva, I met to fellow Americans-living in Geneva-bloggers for a coffee. Though, I was always called Swiss Miss by my high school friends, I met another California Swiss Miss, as well as someone else who seems to think that Life is Good in Switzerland. Both American expats met me with their beautiful babies. It was great to finally meet them after following their blogs for so long.

The weather here in the UK has been quite crappy, but it doesn't bother me. Gianna and I took the bikes out and cycled along the Thames River (photos to follow when I get back to Switzerland...wait until you see my bike!). We only got soaked on the way back so it wasn't so bad. We did stop at a nice Argentinean restaurant along the Thames river and had a bit to drink at lunch (how decadent of us)! Cycling after that was quite funny! We did make it home in one piece, if not a wee bit wet.
Today, we visited Hampton Court where the following celebrities of their time lived... :
Henry VIII (r 1509-47)
Queen Mary I (r 1553-8)
James I (r 1603-25)
Charles I (r 1625-1649)
Charles II (r 1630-85)
William III and Mary II
George II (r 1727-60)
WE even ventured in the maze and made it out in 5:43 minutes. There is a trick you know, but I will not tell you the trick, unless you REALLY WANT TO KNOW..... We enjoyed our visit, pretty impressive gardens and the Kitchen is unbelievable....again photos to follow... (side note, I only brought my little point and shoot camera, but I think I managed to take nice pictures)....
We did get yelled at by a quite rude Museum security lady with no life and no sense of humour. Gianna's mobile phone ran as we entered the Queen's apartments, and turns out you are not allowed to have your mobile phone on when in the apartments. WE didn't bother reading the pamphlets nor any of the signs. I thought it was only the Swiss that could be rude, but turns out the British can be rude as well....

Well, I am not sure what is on the program tomorrow. I am just happy to be relaxing without much to do. I am continuing to see all of the games of the Euro 2008 games, though I was very sadden to see the Swiss lose their first two games, and subsequently end their short stay in the Euro 2008! Tata for now!

More Swiss Photos....my home town..

Here you have photos of my home town of Neuchatel......I have mostly spent the week and weekend at parties, dinners, and seeing friends and family. YOu cannot imagine how much I have eaten.....yikes...But it was all soo yummy and fabulous to be with my family and childhood friends...

Some Swiss Images

I have not blogged in one week...it is like being without air EXCEPT I am breathing the beautiful fresh Swiss air, so it is not so bad... I have a few photos to share!
It has been so nice visiting with my family and childhood friends! The weather has been a bit cold (didnt pack enough for the cold) and a bit rainy! The Euro 2008 is starting today (for those of you not big Soccer fan, this is the Europe Soccer Cup). It is a very exciting time to be here!!!
Maya is loving it here, we have gone on trams (for her it is a train) and lots of hikes....also eating lots of chocolates....life could not be any better...