School visit

Open morning for parents at Bea's school today. Although we couldn't join the regular Friday swim session as the teacher was sick, we joined the class for the rest of the morning. Certainly a lot more serious than Kindergarden, and the new teacher was a tad nervous, but all seemed okay.

Spielgruppe again . . .

She was a bit teary-eyed at the start, but was having fun when I arrived as Ili had her first day back at Spielgruppe (Ili's turn in the cart in the piccy). Gorgeous day for October!

Merry on the merry-go-round

Ili invited to a birthday party (a friend turned three) and Juan was here for the weekend. Here they are, merry on the merry-go-round. Oh, and then the very popular guinea pigs arrived (we're piggysitting them. . . ).

Kids back to Zurich

After a very twitchy wait at the airport hanging out for the kids to arrive, Bea, and Ili (escorted by Dad) arrived safely back in Zurich after their 12 days away. It has been nearly seven years since we've had more than a couple of days away from the little ones!!! Headed out to the thermal baths in Zurich for the day (no pics).

Back to Uzès

Locked up Neuvic, pissed off (in the pissing rain), and were drawn to head south again for the sunshine, the relaxed meanders around Uzès . . . . and the restaurants!

Gardening at Neuvic

Stayed at Neuvic for a few days. . . . too much work in a couple of days to call it a holiday (closing the house down for the winter).

Day in the Luberons

Took a day trip to to very stunning Luberon mountains in Provence. Perhaps somewhat too perfect and we had to get away from the villages (tourist coaches crammed full even out of season), and we took a walk up to the ceder forests to appreciate the landscape from afar. Stunningly beautiful.

Frith in Gordes, before the flocks of tourists arrived.

Gordes, Provence.

Lavender fields in the Luberon.

Walking down from the ceder forest.

Uzes was a gem of a town

Stayed for a couple of nights in Uzès (near Avignon). Gorgeous old town to walk around at night, with some fab restaurants.Yum.

Ardeche - blast from the past

Quite a few years have past since Chris and I first went to the Ardeche as young 20 somethings (hold on, Chris was still a teenager!) to camp "wild" in the gorge. So, on our journey down to southern France for a few days away together we retraced our steps, and found the spot. My memory was surprisingly clear, but it was made easy perhaps as our camp was opposite a naturist site — you don't forgot a-clad-of-naked-men-hopping-around-on-the-rocks sort of detail that easily! 

Camels in the woods

Wow, it's eerily quiet here without the little ones, but a great opportunity to grab some "timeout", so we got some exercise in—bike ride (can go much faster without Ili on the back!), and then a walk in the woods at a reasonable adult pace. But where are the little ones when you need them as when in the middle of the woods three camels on a day trip from the zoo came sauntering by. . . . kids would have loved it!

Kids on a trip!

Dad visited to pick up the kids to take them to the UK for the autumn holidays ("THANK YOU!"). Saturday morning, as we were packing their bags, Bea and Ili were making little paper passports for their toys that would travel with them (Bea's penguin — place of birth: South Pole, etc). And then when at the airport they had passport photographs done of both the fluffy penguin and Ili's orangutan to complete them. Funny.

Another piano piece

And a link on youtube—hope it works!
http://youtu.be/rXE7pNkOQ8g

Bea playing "regenbogen"

Here's a little movie of Bea on the piano today playing his favourite piece of the moment. . . . .

Trip to the mountains

Haven't made it to the mountains much this summer, and as we'll no doubt be dusting down the sledge soon thought we'd better do a little exploring on foot before it gets too late. Had a great day out in Elm (in the Glarus valley), and the children never cease to amaze me at how they can rocket up a hill if they want to, and overall they climbed 650 meters up (equivalent to half way up Ben Nevis) to reach over 2110 meters altitude and the same back down. At the top was a beautiful little lake to spend some time, with nobody around, and it became apparent why when we finally returned very wearily to see the cable cars at our starting point all hanging motionless as they'd ceased to run over an hour ago. After some desperate hunting, I found a nice guy with a school adventure group staying at a nearby guest house who I think felt so sorry for us and our trekking kids, that he offered to take us down from the cable car station to the valley bottom (which was still quite a way) in his car. It would have finished us off if we'd had to have walked that too. Not sure how I managed to cock that one up, but thankfully, it means I'm also way off track to becoming a Swiss citizen!

The beginning of the walk has lots of carved animals to spot.

Couple of dilapidated huts on the way up. 

Looking like Scotland! Bea heading towards a waterfall/stream.

Ili at little lake Chüebodensee (great echos!)

Bea in the freeeezing cold water.

On the way down. . . .

Fab panorama that Frith took from the top — the lake is in the middle.

First class photo

Received this pic from Bea's teacher this morning of his school class. The little boy he is sitting next to is Reuben, which interestingly enough is a child he used to see regularly (although he can't remember) when I took him to the first English-speaking group we found when we arrived in Zurich, based in the city center (i.e., before Bea could even walk). His father is English, and mother French/Japanese and they've just moved into our area. Bea says they play together quite a bit, so, maybe this will develop into a friendship. The little girl to his right is Sophia (German/Brazilian) who has a soft spot for Bea. Perhaps noticeable from the picture, but Frau Meyer is due to have her baby next month . . . .