A Surprise Visitor

Julie Anne White came to visit at the last minute on Monday the 25th.  I picked her up in Zurich on the first train I could get which left at 5:30am and we headed back to our flat in time to drop off her things and take a quick nap.  We then hopped on a train and spent the afternoon at Chateaux de Chillon, took a walk by the lake in Montreaux, and then had dinner and walked around Lausanne that evening.  Tuesday we spent the day in Lucern, took a boat ride, saw the Lion Monument, had a few pastries, and tried to stay dry as we walked around town in the pouring rain.  Wednesday was suppose to be sunny, but we barely saw the sun.  We went to Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald, Murren, and then walked around Interlaken for a while.  Thursday, we went to Murten and did a little shopping and then Kelly made us raclette for dinner.  I would love to share all the fabulous pictures I took but I lost my camera and didn't realize it until we all headed to Germany for the four day weekend.

Milan

It was snowing when I woke up this morning, but for the most part, Spring has Sprung.

A friend of ours who has been working as a nanny the last year asked us if she could spend the weekend at our place and then offered to watch the kids.  Yahooey!  Keith and I were excited to take advantage of her offer and yet weren't sure where to go.  Milan is just three hours from Bern and because of our train passes, it was inexpensive to get there.  We left Friday around noon and didn't get home until late Sunday.  Milan is a pretty big city and we saw a lot of it considering we only had two days.

Sant'Antonio de Padova 

Nathaniel, draped in his own flayed skin, Marco d'Agrate, 1562 

 Castillo Sforzesco, 15th Century 

Porto Garibaldi  

Arco della Pace, Porta Sempione  - this road connected Milan to Paris through the Simplon Pass in the Alps 

 

Just one of the shops on Montenapoleone

Leonardo with Pigeon, in front of La Scala Opera 

Duomo di Milano

Avenches & Murten

Josh, Keith and I had a great day seeing the roman ruins in Avenches and taking the Rick Steve's walking tour in Murten.  We have been there before but this was the first time we took the tour and read about it all as we walked.  The weather was beautiful and warm.  Kelly was at a friend's birthday party for the day and evening.

Roman Ruins

The Roman Amphitheater

The Bern Gate in Murten

View from the ramparts

The walls that surround the town of Murten.

Highlights

Highlights of the last few weeks:

*Josh and Keith went skiing in Saanenmöser.  

*Keith and Dru celebrated Keith's birthday by visiting Romont, a medieval walled city on a hilltop in Vaud, Chinese dinner in Lausanne, and watching the Ice Cross World Championship circuit races. 

*Dru and Josh went for an afternoon hike in Kandersteg and Oeschinensee. 

An afternoon walk, after school

Saying good-bye to friends Nadinita (formerly Nadine)  and Dianne

Skiing in Saanenmöser

Hiking in Kandersteg

my next car

Kirche St. Peter und Paul, Bern

Romont Ville

Chateau Romont

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! 

Notre Dame de l'Assomption...

Beautiful Catholic Church in French Switzerland

Lausanne Cathedral

Red Bull Ice-Cross championships, Lausanne

To see the movie, click here