19th - 25th December

Christmas Day

Thursday 25th December

After breakfast we took the train to Kleine Scheidegg and the boys skied down to Wengen. Rosie went part way by train and walked down to meet up at Wengen. It was very cloudy and cold in the Wengen valley so we caught the train back up to sunny Kleine Scheidegg for lunch.

Richard and David skied back to Grindelwald and as Andrew was still full of cold he and Rosie caught the train back. 

After relaxing in the wellness area we opened our presents before pre dinner drinks. 

Another lovely dinner was enjoyed followed by coffee and drinks in the bar.

Wednesday 24th December

Richard and David were out skiing soon after breakfast. Rosie and Andrew met up with them later. Andrew went off skiing with Richard and David while Rosie walked back down to the hotel. Rosie would love to ski and did contemplate it but the specialists words rang in her ears recommending not to ski. I thought I have two legs that works and if I ski I may be left with less!

We all met up in the pool again and enjoyed time relaxing before Gluewein was served to all guests around a fire outside in the snow. It was a lovely setting and start to Christmas.

During dinner Father Christmas visited every table and left nuts chocolates and fruit.

Tuesday 23rd December

We are all feeling washed out but summon some energy to go up on the gondola to the top of "First" -  one of the mountain runs. The sun and scenery were as ever beautiful but it was only David that had enough energy to ski.

In the afternoon we relaxed in the hotel pool, spa, sauna and steam room, this helped to revitalise us all. A lovely dinner was enjoyed in the evening.

Monday 22nd December

We set off after breakfast and arrived at our hotel for lunchtime. David is keen not to waste anytime and is out on the slopes in the afternoon. Unfortunately Rosie was not feeling well and spent the rest of the day in bed. By dinner time Richard was not well and David had caught the bug soon after. Andrew arrived about 9:45 to find us all ill and he had a really bad cold too. The hotel were very good and although the kitchen staff had finished they provided food for Andrew.

Sunday 21st December

Recovery day! We are all very tired. All the shops are open today and we go and do our last Christmas shopping. From mid afternoon there are choirs singing by the lake and we go down and listen.

We pack and prepare for our week in Grindelwald.

Saturday 20th December

David joined us on a walk down the Uetliberg, there is still quite a bit of snow at the top but it is now slushy lower down. In the afternoon we went to our friends in Oberagerai, as always it was good to see them. Marc (9) and Laura (6) were really pleased to see David and he likewise.

The men played indoor hockey in the garage - Marc is a very good goalkeeper and was the only one left with any energy!

We exchanged presents and  enjoyed an amazing dinner with lots wine and drinks flowing - a really lovely evening. Quite a late night by the time we get back to Zurich.

Friday 19th December

The snow is still with us although in the city it has started to melt. With the sun shining we go out for another walk down the Uetliberg. Richard says it is good training for skiing. We both love the peace and beauty of walking in the snowy forests.

We are looking forward to David arriving this evening and we know he is too. 

In the evening we went out for the traditional Swiss Bratwurst.

11th - 18th December

Thursday 18th December

It was still snowing! again we donned our walking boots and headed for the hills, it is so refreshing walking in these conditions.

In the early evening there were 800 candles floated in the Limmat river in the city. We are not quite sure of the significance of his but it was a very pretty sight on a cold snowy evening with all the street decorations around. Hot punch and biscuits were provided free by the tourist board.

Wednesday 17th December

It was like waking up to every childs dream of Christmas. It was snowing quite heavily and had obviously been snowing all night. Everywhere was a blanket of white including all the roads as the gritting lorries had not been out - for once the Swiss forecasters had been caught out and had not forecast snow for the city area.

After breakfast we head off up the Uetliberg for a walk. There was so much snow and with shoe chains and walking poles (Rosie) we make it to the bottom without incident! What a lovely walk with amazing scenery. After lunch we spent a relaxing time reading and watching it snow.

Tuesday 16th December

A cold bright day and we head off for a brisk winters walk in the Kafler Berg to the north of the city.

Late in the evening it started to snow, we went to bed wondering whether it would amount to any thing much.

Monday 15th December

We met a friend from Guernsey in Zug for lunch today, Corola had been our German teacher in Guernsey so it was good to catch up with her. 

Sunday 14th December

Another bright start to the day and we go out for another drive to Einsiedeln. This is a place Jenny and Rosie visited on separate school trips many years ago when we were 12. Rosie has been back previously and seen how the former village is now very much a town. It has a large cathedral and monastery and produces a passion play every ten years. The hotel we stayed in is still there and open and the main square has not changed too much from what we both remember.

Saturday 13th December

A bright, snowy and sunny day and we decided to drive to the alps and we set off for Klosters and Davos which are less than 2 hours away. As you can see it was a lovely day, we had lunch in a Klosters and then a walk near the lake on the outskirts of Davos. The day was rounded off with Jenny & John taking us out for dinner, we went to a typical Swiss restaurant in the city and then visited a couple of bars that have amazing views over the city.

Friday 12th December

A morning of showing Jenny & John a bit more of the city, we started near the lake and the local Friday market. We then caught a train up the Uetliberg mountain for a walk and a coffee.

The scenery was beautiful with the snow and frost hanging on the trees.

After lunch Rosie and Jenny went shopping and round the Christmas market, which is held within the main station and is the largest indoor Christmas market in Europe. Within the station there is a very big Christmas tree with over 5,000 Swarowski crystal decorations. It has to be seen to really be appreciated.

Thursday 11th December

Exciting day today - we had winter tyres fitted! A must in Switzerland if you want to drive anywhere. (If you are involved in an accident and do not have them fitted you are likely to be blamed even if it wasn't your fault). As the snow was laying even i

n the city we decided it would be a good idea.

Rosie's sister Jenny and her husband John arrived late afternoon and after dropping off their luggage and a cup of tea we took them into the city for a walk and supper of a Bratwurst and Gluewein. Every visitor should try the Bratwurst sausages and they are best eaten with bread standing at a table in the street.

Snow

Wednesday 10th December

When we woke this morning it was snowing! as I write it is still snowing, although it did stop for a while late morning. 

It actually feels a little warmer than yesterday and we have been for a lovely walk in the snow on the Uetliberg. We made it from the top down to Triemli today as with several inches of new snow on the mountain it made walking down hill much easier than when we last went walking there.

Return to Zurich

Monday 8th December

The morning was spent reading - what a lovely way to start a week! 

In the afternoon Richard met up with some Swiss colleagues and Rosie went Christmas shopping. The city was so busy I didn't stay there too long - I thought Mondays were a quiet retail day!

Sunday 7th December

Another grey cold day started with a walk to get an English Sunday paper. After lunch we went to see the film "Anywhere but home" (This may be called "4 Christmases" in the U.K.) light hearted and funny. 

Saturday 6th December

Shopping day today, so out early to avoid the crowds. It gets much busier here late morning by which time we were home. It was a cold grey day so we spent time reading and relaxing.

Friday 5th December

Another "recovery day" started with a walk to the local market near the lake, later we had lunch with one of Richard's former colleagues from Guernsey. 

Thursday 4th December

We caught a train to Basel as we had tickets to a concert by 70's band Focus. We had only ever driven through Basel and you do not get to see the city that way. The old part of the city has very attractive buildings and is quite compact. Again there was a Christmas market which added to the ambience. In the evening we headed out to the suburb where the concert was to be held, this was different to any other concert we had been to! It was held in an old warehouse kitted out for concerts but which was situated on the edge of an industrial site. The old music was really good to hear but neither of us really appreciated their new tracks (maybe our age!). The concert did not end until well after 11:00pm so this was a long day and we did not get back to Zurich until after 1:30am.

Wednesday 3rd December

This was a "rest day" - we had a quiet day in and around Zurich.

Tuesday 2nd December

We bought a travel card today and experienced the Austrian underground and trams, this enabled us to get out to the Schonnenbrun Palace although time did not permit us to go inside, but what a magnificent building, where Mozart played his first concert at the age of 6. Here like in a lot of areas of Vienna there was a Christmas market.

From here we headed back into the city and continued sightseeing including St Stefans Kirche and tasting the Austrian Gluewein - a must for

 any visitor at this time of year. 

Monday 1st December

An early start today as we are off to Vienna. On arrival we caught a bus (it is cheaper and you get to see more) into the city and found our hotel where we dropped our bag off and headed off to explore the city on foot.  We found the museum quarter which has some beautiful 

buildings. 

We were lucky enough to purchase tickets for a chamber orchestra concert in the evening of music by Mozart & Strauss. Needless to say going to a concert in Vienna was truly memorable. 

Sunday 30th November

A bright sunny and frosty morning and we went for a drive to the Greifen See where we went for a lovely crisp walk. After lunch we headed for a pub to watch the Man Utd and Man City match and then onto the Christmas parade.

Saturday 29th November

A grey day today so we didn't venture too far, in the afternoon we went to see the film "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas". Having read the book it was a very meaningful film, so sad and showed the naivety of children and the consequences of a lack of truth and communication. 

Friday 28th November

We headed down to the local market near the lake after breakfast only to find it really was freezing cold, it was unusually breezy in the city increasing the wind chill factor. The view across the lake was lovely with lots of snow having fallen on the mountains. 

We are brave or mad and ventured out after lunch for a walk on the Uetliberg. Arriving by train near the to

p we realised how much snow there was, but undeterred we started walking down the hill. 

To begin with this was not too much of a problem with only a few icy patches encountered. Then we reached the steep part! Rosie had fortunately found a sturdy stick to assist her on the very icy parts - mainly on the bends. We passed a few walkers going up the hill who all told us it was worse further down, but being adventurous we continued until we realised it really was too dangerous even with walking boots on. We needed spiked boots. We turned back up the hill and took an easier route back to a train stop as by now the light was beginning to fade.

 

Thursday 27th November

We arrived in Zurich to find that quite a lot of snow had fallen whilst we had been away. In the city there were patches of snow still lying but quite a lot on the roof tops. It was obviously much colder!

Back in Guernsey

Tuesday 18th - Thursday 27th November

We spent these days in Guernsey, it was lovely to see friends and especially Andrew & David (and Penny our cat). 

We spent some time with the boys, caught up on post and wrote our christmas cards! Strange as it may sound it was good to wake up and see the sea again - on our travels we have spent most of our time "inland" - and the smell and sight of the sea is very refreshing what ever the weather.

The time went very quickly especially as Rosie had a "flying" trip back to Oxfordshire to see her Mum who has not been well.

Leaving Guernsey this time was easier than in October, possibly because we have a base we were returning too and it will be only 3 weeks until Andrew & David join us for Christmas and the New Year.

Wednesday 5th - Monday 10th November

We spent a lot of time over these days walking around Zurich and finding areas we had not visited before. The weather was ideal walking weather, some days warm enough to go out without a jacket. We have found some lovely walking paths in forests nearby and have seen some beautiful scenes, both autumnal and wintery. On Sunday we went walking near the airport and could clearly see the snow covered alps - a lovely sight.

Tuesday 11th November

An early start today, we left our apartment at 5:30am to catch a flight to Berlin.  At Berlin airport we purchased a "welcome card" which was an excellent buy - it gave us unlimited travel on all bus, train and tram routes for the 3 days as well as entitling us to reduced entrnce fees to many places of interest. 

The rest of Tuesday was taken up with finding our way around and getting our bearings in Berlin. The buses were an excellent way and very frequent. A city full of contrasts, so much to see and do. 

We also found a huge department store that I just had to visit - well I had to warm up somehow! 

For dinner we found a typical German restaurant and then hopped on a bus for a night time tour of the city.

Wednesday 12th November

After a good breakfast we were set up for a day of sightseeing, as the weather was again warm and sunny we set off on foot. Our first stop was the television tower where we had views over the whole city and beyond. From there we walked for a further 6 hours, visiting the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag where we went to the top of the dome 

for more views and lots more including bombed sites, before ending the day at the

 "Topography of Terror" this was quite chilling and brought home the suffering and persecution that had prevailed. 

Our vision of the wall was far from reality - we had imagined it would be 3 or 4 feet thick but this is not the case as it is only about 1 foot. We also saw memorials to many people who had been shot or drowned whilst trying to escape from the east

to the west.

 This was another reminder of how desperate some of them had been prior to 1989. 

After dinner we took another night time city tour on a different route.

Thursday 13th November

After another good breakfast we set off to walk to the Jewish museum - walking through Check point Charlie on the way -  so much to see

 and read, we could have spent days there. We experienced the Berlin trains which in some cases like the trams were in need of refurbishment.

After another very interesting and informative day we headed back to the airport for our flight back to Zurich. Flying with Air Berlin we had complimentary hot and cold drinks and a savoury sandwich - better than Flybe!!. 

Friday 14th November

Recovery day today! we were both quite tired after our busy time in Berlin, Richard met a former colleague for lunch and Rosie chilled out for a couple of hours! We found time for a couple of walks, my thinking is that the sunny weather won't be around for much longer so we will not want to walk as far or as often.

Saturday 15th November

A grey start to the day but with shades of blue appearing we go out, it is definitely getting colder! After lunch we get on a tram to Oerlikon an area we had not visited before other then travelling through it - lots of shops but too cold to stay out too long and anyway on Saturdays almost all shops close at 4pm.

We have found time to read and relax in the apartment today - lovely.

Italy to Switzerland

25th October

A driving day today starting with Pisa, the sun was again shining today and it was very warm. We enjoyed walking around the town and taking in the obvious tower and other impressive buildings.

On leaving Pisa it was time to put the roof down - we we

re worried with the clocks going back we might not get another chance his year!

We spent a very pleasant few hours idly driving around Tuscany again, the scenery was certainly worth seeing, there were preparations afoot for the olive picking which we had been informed was due to start the following week.       

26th October

A bit of a scary start to the day as the driver started off on the wrong side of the road almost on a bend -  this was not Rosie!

Time to leave Tuscany and Italy and head north to the mediterranean coast of France. Another beautiful day and  the roof was down, it was hard to believe summer time ended yesterday.

With Sunday being a quiet day on the roads in Italy Rosie did share the driving again although we did encounter a vast number of tunnels whilst I was driving.

We arrived in Menton early in th

e afternoon with the sun and sea almost inviting - we stopped short of joining others who had ventured into the water and settled for a walk and an ice cream.

Monday 27th October

Again an unbelievably warm and sunny day so the roof was down again.  Our route this morning was through Monte Carlo and north to Sisteron in Provence. Nothing eventful today.

Tuesday 28th October

 The weather has changed!  What a shock to have to find our jeans and put away our shorts. We drove through an impressive gorge on our way to Uzes.

By the time we reached Uzes the weather had deteriorated to being damp grey and much cooler. We went for a walk into the town which was quite quiet, there were however blankets supplied on chairs at outside tables of coffee shops - we sat inside.

Wednesday 29th October

After a very good breakfast - the best thing about the hotel - we left for Macon, again the weather was dull and damp. We had booked the hotel on the internet and got an amazingly cheap deal so were amazed when we walked into our room and saw what we got for our money, we certainly had a good deal. Due to the weather we ate in the hotel and again were n

ot disappointed - excellent value for money.

Thursday 30th October

A shorter drive to Bern today and it wasn't long before we caught our first sight of snow. The temperature dropped to a cool 1 degree. 

We spent the afternoon discovering Bern, the Bear pit was interesting and we were very pleased to see that a large new bear park is currently under construction adjacent to the existing one and alongside the river. It will be a great improvement and is due for completion early in 2009.

Friday 31st October

Our final day of living out of an holdall, for now anyway! We drove to Zurich and our last hotel before moving into our apartment. We spent the afternoon shopping and locating our apartment and garage space in preparation for Saturday. A traditional Swiss supper of bratwurst and beer to start our time in Zurich.

Saturday 1st November

After collecting the keys we moved in at last! The apartment is actually larger than we thought it would be and lovely and light. After a few trips in the lift - we are on the 7th floor -  we unpacked.  We had a very enjoyable dinner with our friends in Oberageri who had looked after some of our bits and bobs before driving "home". Quite a lot of snow around.

Sunday 2nd November

Lovely to wake up and not be in an hotel. We went for a walk to the city which took us less than 15 minutes so we are really close. If we don't want to walk we have a tram stop within 50 yards from the apartment block. We sorted travel passes and enjoyed being in the city again.

Monday 3rd November

We caught a train up the Uetliberg (a small mountain nearby with snow still lying in places) and went for a walk from there. After lunch we went to the airport and have booked a trip to Berlin next week, another bargain 3 days, 2 nights (incl. hotel with breakfast) for the price of a flight to the UK from Guernsey.

Tuesday 4th November

We have driven to the Black forest area in Germany today, this is only about an hour away. We have been there before and like walking in the area, also shopping is much cheaper there! We visited an Aldi for the first time and were both amazed at how little our trolley load cost - if only Guernsey prices were as good. We of course had to sample some Black forest gateau before the drive home. 

 

  

Italy continued...

24th October

We are now in Lucca having truly enjoyed Siena, a really lovely place & a good base for our tours of Tuscany & Rome. Rome was amazing and we were only too pleased we went by train, as the traffic was a nightmare and not to be messed with!! We saw Rome from an open topped bus tour and walked around quite a bit too. We will return.

Driving around the Tuscan countryside on Wednesday (with the top down to enjoy the warm autumn sunshine - we won't rub it in too much) was a relaxing way to spend the day. We visited San Gimigna

no, another Italian town not to be missed, and then a vineyard for a top up of red wine!

We were not over impressed with Florence as a city but didn't have time to visit the main museum/gallery, so we may have to return there too.
We have walked many miles and also become adept at using the Italian buses and trains - sometimes quite an experience. The buses tend to travel quicker than Guernsey buses and venture into very narrow streets.
Tomorrow we are off to Pisa.
Richard is now fully up to speed with the Italian style of driving - basically a free for all, ignore all signs, road markings and other vehicles and they have yet to discover the indicators!!

20th October - Italy

We are now in Siena enjoying clear blue skies and warm sunshine. Tuscan countryside is beautiful. Off to Rome tomorrow and Florence on Thursday. Wednesday we plan to tour in the car around the local area.
We will head north to Lucca on Friday to visit Pisa before heading to the south of France.

Next trip

12th October
Left Guernsey to start our next trip. We stayed jn an excellent farmhouse B&B near Laval.

13th October
Long drive today to Pressigny between Langres and Vesoul. B&B again excellent - our 2nd time there - thoroughly receommended and in a very peaceful village.

14th October
Drove into Switzerland to some friends who are storing some of our bits & bobs until 1st Nov. Following refreshments in their garden we drove on to our B&B for the night on the lake south of Zurich.

15th October
Today was a much more leisurely drive through Klosters and Davos. Stopped for a long walk and picnic in Davos before driving over the Fluella pass to Zernez our stop for the night.

16th October
Richards best day so far - he drove over the Stelvio pass (as seen on Top Gear!) into Italy, so many hairpin bends and steep inclines Rosie was dizzy (as usual!). In places it was very foggy but at the summit there were amazing views of the mountains with snow on the roadside. Drove onto Levico Terme - a lovely town where we had booked a very good hotel which was very cheap.

17th October
Drove to Quarto D'Altino near Venice through the Dolomites and some lovely scenery. A relaxing afternoon walking and reading up on Venice for tomorrow.

18th October
Caught early train to Venice about 20 mins away. Had a lovely day seeing all the sights on foot - we have walked for about 9 hours so guess we covered a fair few miles. Off to Siena tomorrow.

Photos later.

Las Vegas

We're a bit late with this posting - been a bit busy!

On 14th September we went to experience the bright lights and entertainment of Las Vegas. What a place - tacky in places and over the top in  others, but so much t

o do and see. Andrew and David accompanied us (just to make sure we behaved!) and we spent a very enjoyable week, staying at the Luxor Hotel. We arrived to a heat wave with daytime temperatures above 95, at night it cooled to 75!

The highlight of the week was probably our helicop

ter trip to the Grand Canyon, which was huge and amazing. The only downside was that when we landed in the canyon, it rained! Who can go to a desert like that and get rained on??!! at least it was warm rain! It did not spoil the trip too much - the scenery was fantastic, particularly the views of the Canyon itself, Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam and flying back down the Strip before landing.

We all went up the Stratosphere Tower, and Richard, Andrew and David had 

great ideas of "doing" all the rides at the top - until we saw them. In the end they all chickened out and only did the Big Shot ride. Rosie stood back and took photo's thinking of the life insurance - oh no it wouldn't pay out and she started praying!!

Fremont Street did not impress us at all, and we did not stay there too long, but other attractions like the Bellagio fountains were definitely worth seeing, in fact we returned a few times. Some of the other hotels such as The Venetian, Caesars Palace, The MGM Grand, and New York New York to name just a few were amazing. 

We all enjoyed the casino's although we haven't returned home any richer. Richard and David played the roulette tables, Rosie and Andrew preferred the good old machines.

Adjusting to the cold on returning home was more of a problem than the jet lag.

We are now in the final days before we head off for part two of our European adventure. We are off through France and Switzerland to Italy and then back to Switzerland via Provence.  We will be living in Zurich  for 3 months from 1st November. 

Further updates to follow from Europe as and when we have Internet access (permanent from 1st November).

The reason for this blog

When we left work at the end of June 2008, people asked us if we were going to start a blog to document our travels. At the time we did not know how to do this, so our first 3.5 week trip in July through France, Italy and Switzerland was not documented.

We are now on the verge of the next stage of our travels, having been at home entertaining visitors for most of August, which was very enjoyable.

We're off to Las Vegas next week, followed by a return to France and Tuscany by mid October, after which we plan to live in Switzerland for a few months and use it as a base to visit as many major cities as we can by train. Some of the cities on the list are Berlin, Venice and Vienna.

We will try to update this blog as often as possible for those who are interested in where we are and what we are doing.