Tuesday - Our last full day in Suisse

(checkout our third web album for the last week of our wonderful stay at Chez Goudzwaard)
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Tuesday morning it was crepes for petite dejuner and they were tres bon.

Early afternoon Bryan, Troy and I grabbed our umbrellas and walked to Chevannes de Bogis, the adjacent village.  We made dinner reservations at the local auberge for six while Eva and Steph were faithful to their heritage and worked on making olie bollen.

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing some cleanup and getting ready for our departure tomorrow am.  I made sure to complete the checklist left for guests of Chez Goudzwaard.  I gave the establishments high marks and suggested they apply for inclusion in the next edition of the Michelon guide for fine places to stay in central Europe.

We finished our time in Switzerland with a great dinner in Chavannes de Bogis with a plus being that we were able to walk there and home again.  Au revoir.

Monday - Skiing at Villars

     This morning Bryan, Eva and I drove to Villars - about 1 1/5 hrs.  Bryan and Eva skied while I sat in the lodge allowing my back to heal some more.  Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?  I decided that even though I'd love to go skiing, I didn't want to be medivac'ed from the slopes (we saw three others leave that way).

Saturday - Trees and Lights

We had a relaxing Saturday at home.  Late afternoon we headed for Geneva to see the annual Trees and Lights displays - artistic works around the waterfront combining the trees of the existing landscape with the creative use of lighting.  This was the first day this week that we could rest assured that our stroll would not be interrupted by rain, snow or hail.

On arrival home, we enjoyed another traditional Swiss dinner, raclette - individually melted cheese on a generous helping of chopped tomatoes, corn and mushrooms, all placed on a lightly toasted slice of French bread.  Of course, there is always plenty of white Swiss wine to aid the digestion.  It's no wonder we sleep so well here.

Once again, we celebrate the light!

Bulletin, with words to the carols to be sung,
 at the Christmas day service.

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Eva, Bryan and I went to Old Town, Geneva for the 10 am Christmas service in the historic St. Pierre Cathedral, the church where John Calvin preached when he lived here.  Though the language was not native to our ears, the message was that which has been proclaimed through the ages - Jesus Christ came to earth to redeem broken humanity.

It was inspiring to celebrate Christmas with people of different languages, in a different country, and in a historic setting.  A unity was experienced that can be a guiding value as we continue our individual paths.

Wednesday - Steak and fries

It rained off and on today and much of the snow that had blanketed our village is now just a memory. However, my sledding crash is not just a memory - my movement was seriously limited. So it was indoor games - Scrabble, jigsaw puzzle, etc.

For dinner we went into Geneva and feasted on steak and fries - the only thing on the menu at Le Relais de L'Entrecote. This place is always packed and usually there's a line to get in, even when it is raining.

The city sparkled like crystal as we walked through the wet streets to get back to our cars.

Tuesday - Sledding in the Juras

Bryan got home from work early Tuesday, approx. 1:30 pm. We all got our snow clothes on, loaded up the cars with sleds and went to a sledding hill in the Jura mountains. The small ski area we went to was not yet open for skiing, but we decided sledding would be worth a try.

We had a number of good runs but finally had to call it quits after my race with Bryan ended in a spill. I limped back to the car and we went home and enjoyed another one of Bryan's famous fondue dinners.

No School this week

This day is almost gone.  First, we slept late, then we shoveled snow from the driveway and finally we went to look for a hill to slide down.  This is the way Troy, Quinn and I spent the day.  It was a very good day!

Zurich outing

  This weekend we enjoyed an overnight trip to Zurich. We drove there Saturday morning, as the snow was falling, and drove home early Sunday afternoon, as more snow fell. Was it ever cold (when we were outside).

Saturday we enjoyed strolling through the largest Christmas market in Europe (held in the the main train station). The market centerpiece: a 50-foot tall Christmas tree glittering with more than 5000 Swarovski crystal ornaments is visible from any spot in the market. The effect is nothing short of dazzling!
After a comfortable night in a very modern hotel, we took a 2 hour trolley tour of the city.

We thoroughly enjoyed the trip (especially watching Troy and Quinn eat their dinner desserts) but it was also good to get back to our warm house well stocked with reasonably priced food. 

We ended the day by joining the friendly folks at the Westlake church for the 5 pm service and then dinner and relaxing at home.

Friday - Snow

It snowed all night and this morning everything was transformed - the fields were blanketed in white, cars crawled along trying to maintain traction,











holiday decorations were postcard perfect, and some people resorted to former pasttimes.

Thursday - Run to Lake Geneva

It looked like today we would have some sun so Eva and I decided to run to Lake Geneva (down hill from Bogis-Bossey) and then Stephanie would pick us up in Coppet. The temperature was below freezing but the running kept us warm. In 45 minutes we were sitting in a little coffee shop in Coppet with Stephanie, enjoying a coffee and croissant.

In the afternoon, Eva and Steph dropped me off in Geneva and gave me free run of the city. I caught a train and bus to get back home.

Tuesday - Overcast and freezing

It was cold but not so cold that we couldn't run from Chez Goudzwaard, across the French border to Luc de Divonne and back. We were chilled during the run but returned to a warm house and hot oatmeal. The rest of the morning was spent reading and blogging as Stephanie had to go to Nyon for her weekly French language lessons.

This was an indoor day after the brisk start. Below, both Troy and Quinn are exercising their creative talents - writing stories and songs - before turning in for the night.

Monday - frosty weather after some rest

With the help of Unisom, Eva and I slept great at Chez Goudzwaard, #301. I got up in time, 7am, to walk Troy and Quinn to the bus while it was still dark and Eva slept for 12 hours.

It was brisk today - sunny and frosty. Mostly we stayed inside. Eva and Steph went grocery shopping and I walked to the local ATM to stock up on Swiss francs. This walk allowed me a great view of the chateau in Divonne, France (see my web album). The rest of the time was spent reading, internet access, and encouraging Troy to get on with his report for school.

Travel to Switzerland

At 9am Saturday, we flew with United from LAX to airport in New York. From there Swiss Air took us to Geneva where we arrived at 9:30 am Sunday morning. With this schedule, you don't sleep much on the airplane.

With snow falling off and on today, we did our best to stay awake at Bryan and Stephanie's home. We took a walk through Bogis-Bossey in the afternoon with Troy and Quinn to see the various Christmas decorations. Tonight we will hear and see Quinn as she portrays an angel in the Church program.

A good night's sleep will be welcome so that we stop feeling like zombies.