Sledging in Urnerboden

Amazing summer-like weather this week! But no lazy Sunday for us today, as we headed out to the mountains close the famous Klausen Pass to see if there was enough snow for a final sledge (didn't take skiis, but wish we had). We went to a small village called Urnerboden, with a tiny cable car to ship us up to the start of the 8km sledging run down. Up the top it was stunning with views for miles, and we just hung out while the kids messed (and ate) the snow and spotted animal tracks in the snow. Snow was still quite deep at the top, but as the day went on, it was melting fast so the sledging down was pretty hard work at times. More walking, pulling, and crashing than effortless gliding down. Stopped lots on the way down just to enjoy. Probably the last snow trip of the season?

The very old cable car up!

Just a few meters from the top (and only) station.

Bea on a grassy patch. No Alpine flowers yet. . .

The start of the sledge run.
Only saw three others sledging, and a
handful of skiiers all day.

The start of the snowman.

And it gets bigger, and bigger . . .

That's Bea, sliding down the bank. . .

Not sure what Frith was trying to prove!

Back down at the bottom again.

Bea trying to make an iceberg float downstream.

Rechberg Gardens

This place is supposed to be a little Palais (although not very flamboyant by Italian standards) and although we've walked past the gardens umpteen times on the way the the city, we've never explored them. They're small, steep and neat, and as it was just Frith and I out for a wander with Ili today in the sun—Beathan was at a friend's birthday party—we had time to take a look around.

(Ili is in the middle running).

Ili and papa in the Rechberg gardens.

Weeding and whiting

Bea insisted on reading a story (in English) to Ili today. Perhaps the first time he's read her a whole story book? And with a wobbly tooth (this first top row tooth is wobbly). His reading in German is coming along really well now, and he spends more time reading German than English (at school). We'll have to do more English practice to turn that around!

Afternoon in the museum

While the boys were away, Ili and I had a visit to the Zoological museum (aka the "badly-stuffed-dead-animal museum"). We took drawing materials, and it's funny as from whatever perspective Ili saw the creatures from, they always ended up with two eyes, a dot nose in the middle, and a big smiley mouth. I'm not surprised, she's only four and perspective comes later, but it's cute!

Last skiing of the season?

The snow has started to melt in the mountains, so perhaps the last few weeks of skiing might be here already. We had an invitation to join friends in the mountains at their chalet this weekend in Obersaxen, but decided that just the boys would go as the weather has dramatically changed (the sun has gone again), so not much fun for the younger children hanging around waiting for their big brothers to finish their ski runs in the cold. And the boys had a great time! They stayed overnight in the chalet on Friday to get the quiet slopes in the morning. Up until now, Bea has only done the "blue" (beginner) runs, but progressed to the "red" (intermediate) runs with his friend this weekend, and had some good tips from his friend's papa (Swiss, and whose been skiing basically since he was walking). It was great fun for Bea to ski with a friend, and boosted his confidence as he's not much behind in ability. All was good, and we all got together for supper back in Zurich (fondue, of course).

Tennis knock around

Been amazingly hot all week. Summer-like heat for sure. Lucky for us in the school playground where Bea has his piano lesson, they've recently revamped the sports track and field area, which now has a rudimentary tennis court. No net yet, but a good surface and a marked court. So, we took the rackets with us, and after piano had a knock around. Bea was hot!

Construction

I thought my days getting rooted in the street watching big machinery with Bea (diggers, dumpers, dustbin wagons, tractors, road sweepers, etc. etc. etc.) were over (thankfully). But no. Got stuck again today watching mighty big machines. He could have stayed for hours I'm sure. . . . nothing better for me to do than take a piccie.

Visiting day

Visiting day for parents at the school today, here's a few pics from the morning. Interesting to see what they get up to.

Outside in the "pausi" (breaktime).

Bea is in the middle (blue shirt), hanging on the parallel bars.

Climbing the wall bars.

Back in the woods

The cheapskates visit to the zoo! This is the perimeter fence around the tigers, which is accessible from the woods in Zuriberg, where you can see the tigers closer than from inside the zoo. Adds another dimension to a regular Sunday walk in the woods.

Ili

Just a cute picture of Ili.

Lakeside

We headed down to the lake to enjoy the sunshine on the bikes/scooters this afternoon. It felt like summer, with the buskers — Bea enjoyed the little jazz ensemble — and of course ice cream!

Day off school, yippee!

A school training day today, so school was out, and as it weirdly feels like summer is here we spoiled ourselves this morning with a trip to the Zurich Thermal Spa (Hurlimann) which are housed in a renovated brewery. One of the Google headquarters are just next door (tough life for Goggle techies). The pools are pretty funky -- although debatable how much swimming you can do -- and have a mediation pool (no-one meditates while Bea and Ili are in there!), several barrel-type pools indoors that you can swim between, and the unique pool on the roof (you take the elevator up), so you can lounge in 35 degree water, taking in the views of the city, and today we really enjoyed the sun spending three hours dipping from pool to pool. Then in the afternoon we headed up to the woods in Zuriberg, I was looking forward to the Spring walk (saw plenty of birds, flowers, etc), but the kids were on a mission to bring back frogspawn and to check for any tadpoles. Bea loves the frogs, and there were ample of them croaking and spawning away! So, with Bea's little takeaway tub of frogs eggs safely back home, he'll be watching the life cycle of the frog again.

Outside the Hurlimann Spa, Zurich.

Better than school . . . .?

Cooling off, before jumping back in. . . .

The rooftop pool of the Hurlimann Spa, Zurich.

The indoor pools (there are three like this).
Bea is on the left sitting in the bubble jets.

Zuriberg woods, close to the "wald sofa"
where Bea's Kindergarten group used to visit.

Spot Bea and Ili up the top.

Collecting frogspawn.

Memory Lane.

In a whistle stop trip to Edinburgh, we stumbled by (weary from exhaustion, rather than inebriation this time) the first pub we took Bea into on the Shore. Many memories came flooding back of those precious first few months of Bea's early days.

Bit of a Sushi thing

We've a bit of a Sushi thing going on at the moment, and here's the beginning of a birthday supper spread (made myself). Chopsticks at the ready!!

Bang the drum

Ili's regular Monday morning music and singing class in Swiss German. I'm sure we both must have learned something by now!

Double birthday party

Both Bea and Ili were at friend's birthday parties this Saturday so were out most of the day. So, no pics.