The land of Milka and honey!

Switzerland.

Everything you imagine it to be.
green rolling hills
snow tipped mountains
crops of apple orchards
rows of berry bushes
fields of sunflowers (unfortunately we clearly arrived a little late in the season to see full bloom....I was disappointed at the drooping almost dead heads! Like a sunflower zombie movie!)
patisseries..chocolate croissants
choclatiers
bread, beautifully baked
cheese glorious cheese
fruit as sweet as can be.
Swiss chateaus with turret towers
Hansel and Gretel-esque houses in all colours shapes and sizes, complete with window shutters.
Fresh water lake in front of impressive mountains, complete with novelty sailing boats and token swan gracefully swimming by.
I have to say we live in a beautiful world. And Switzerland is one of the lookers of the family!

Driving out of the mountains, down to Lake lemon. Rolle.


We arrived about 8pm, the camping areas for tents where chocker, there was no room at the inn. Needing somewhere to pitch the tent and put William to bed I walked along the camper van pitches on the lake, Convinced (obsessively honest) Anthony to be a bit cheeky and pitch up here.........

.....and enjoyed an undisturbed five star view all week!

One of Life's unexplained mysteries:
Why when we have bbq's or camp does the roles of cooking protocol suddenly reverse without question?
I'm not complaining, I loved it being the mans job all week!We enjoyed chilling by the lake, swimming by the lake, cooking by the lake, eating by the lake, sleeping and sunbathing by the lake, walking by the lake, playing tennis and boles by the lake, running along the lake side, swimming in the lake, watching the sailing boat races on the lake, getting the ferry across the lake, drinking hot chocolates at night by the lake and watching the sun set over the lake! An altogether great time....by the lake!

As i enjoyed wandering around the grounds of the Swiss chateau i come to find Anthony marveling over what he describes as ' a lovely bit of turf'(see below). This would be Anthony's ideal garden, where as mine would be a wilderness of wild flowers and Victorian style vegetable garden. It appears that no matter where we go, Anthony still only gets excited by anything that resembles anything football!



We got the boat across to the medieval village of YVOIRE.










I t was the most beautiful village i believe iv ever been to! The Medieval village was pedestrianised so no cars...and original little cobbled lanes to wonder around. It was a delight for the eyes, Little doorways, balcony's, shutters, greenery and flowers cascading down from every building.




I loved all the boutiques, i especially loved the antiques shop we found and sneakily took a photo of the children's section. This was a cave of treasures, I spent quite a bit of time in here but couldn't afford anything more than a few old french postcards!

One last photo before i sign off.........This sign has quite a different meaning since Madeline McCann!

Interpretation:Beware of pedo men who try to lead your children away in 'centre ville'!

Dijon

Dijon was a perfect place to stop off for the night, most of the journey was behind us and we spent the day leisurely walking around the cobbled streets of this medieval french town. The smell of crepes flooded the air, and with a patisserie here and there we took our first opportunity to indulge a little. But how can I come to France and not indulge in my most favourite treat of all, Crepes!

The french certainly do a good job at preserving their history, I thought I was on set of Beauty and the Beast and was waiting for the town people to fling open there shutters singing 'bonjour, bonjour, bonjour bonjour bonjour'..........




In fact the french do such a good job at preserving their history even the public toilets are done medieval style! I was welcomed by a hole in the floor when we stopped on the motorway!
Now these things are tricky, you have to seriously squat to ensure your feet are as far away from the hole as possible in order to avoid splash back!! Anyway I have a tip for you, should you ever find yourself faced with this compromising situation, use the disabled toilets. They always have a conventional toilet in those ones! And in all respect to the french, some of their public toilets where immaculate, the self cleaning type. It was just a lucky dip on what you got!



Around every corner there was something new to discover, from the gargoyles on the church of Notre Dame, to The Palace and its square which was typically french and very '3 musketeers!'


My only marker with that we where actually there is Anthony with the pram who randomly turns up on photos...its a bit like wheres wally!

Some superstition....
On the side of the Notre Dame, was a Little owl in the wall, Superstition tells that if you touch the owl with your left hand (the hand closest to your heart) and make a wish, it will come true.

I'm still waiting for my Condo in New York, Log cabin in French alps, Italian lake side Villa complete with Yacht, Beach house in California, London mansion on the River, Ability to speak French, Spanish and Italian fluently and intellectually, Be a published writer and theatre practitioner, with a PHD in something or other, be a size 8 with skin that doesn't break out every month, and be able to buy everything i like the look of in Westfield, do a triathlon whilst 17 weeks pregnant (like friend Laura), Be able to be pregnant with out any symptoms what so ever...actually id be happy to just not be sick (I'm not pregnant by the way but its become a big fear since the last time), be able to time travel to days when people wore ball gowns every day, and also back in time in my own life...to chill and laugh with School friends in my 6th form common room again, diving down to hide under seats from Mr 'say it don't spray it' Welsh, Do a hippie tree hugging kinda abstract theatre class in uni then sit in the park and laugh with uni friends about the randomness that was Rose Bruford....and all those other nostalgic times a past...to just click my fingers and have them at my disposal..........................What? Have I been a Little over ambitious with my wish??

Alas I am content with my little but big on love family, my humble but more than we need lifestyle, and an abundance of fun friends and family that keep me entertained through life. As for the languages and triathlon...well that's something i can work on myself!

'.....arrr yer we can have a fun road trip, we can share the driving and have good conversations, quality time....yer Anthony driving to Switzerland will be loads a fun, lets do it!' - A conversation with Anthony a few months ago when we decided to go to Switzerland for my friends wedding.

Fast forward to Sunday the 8th of August. The car is packed to the ceiling with camping and baby gear.....we're barely off the m25 (the motorway that circles London), I reach for the pillow behind, grab one of Williams spare blankets and snuggle up against the window............hmmmmmmmm.
Anthony: 'right lets have a meaningful conversation then'.
I just laughed, didn't even open my eyes!

To be fair, although Anthony did all the driving, I was willing but he kept saying he was doing OK, plus we have this mutual understanding - I do night duty, he drives, fair deal -Especially since night duty is just a bit of teething every now and then. Also I'm sure Anthony's driving was safer...I know id forget and go the wrong way on a french round-about!

So off we went. Start point= London. End point= Lake Lemon (Geneva/Lousanne), Switzerland.




First stop. Ferry from Dover to Calais.

This was the first point of excitement for me...like that feeling at an airport. Well for me it was driving into Dover, seeing that castle above those white cliffs and then the port with all the ferry's! The ferry was a perfect way to brake up the journey as well as give William some play time. As we sailed away from those white cliffs, I gave my best Vera Lynn impression...

'There'll be blue birds over
The white cliffs of Dover,
Tomorrow, just you wait and see.

There'll be love and laughter
And peace ever after
Tomorrow, when the world is free.....'

A bit of nerd info on Cliffs:

The 100-metre high White Cliffs of Dover require no introduction. These icons of England have been the sign of home for travellers over the centuries, immortalised during the Second World War in Vera Lynn’s song ‘There’ll be Blue Birds over the White Cliffs of Dover’. Both Shakespeare and Wordsworth wrote about the cliffs, their beauty and their role in the nation’s identity.

Next Post..Dijon!

Express your self

Anthony Just came along and read over my shoulder. He comments 'mate, I can see why girls like this, its expressive for them init?!'.
....and then, when he cops a photo of himself....'mate I look good don't I?!'

Date Nights

So my folks have been around a bit holidaying it up while the flat above is still waiting to be exchanged (I'm actually quite sad we have to make money, id love to have a flat available above us for when ever people come.....still have the top flat but that will rent), Anyway with them around its meant me and Anthony can get out a lot more in the evenings...and what do we default to - the cinema, followed by walking home along the river - the romantic part, where I imagine I'm in Dawson's creek.
Well we saw Toy Storey.....and I have to admit I absolutely bawled my eyes out at the end!
Now I know there are a few extra hormones floating around since having a baby but I surprised myself! With full on tears rolling down my face through the 3D geek glass' I lean back in the chair, looking sideways towards Anthony with the empty hope that it might be having the same effect on him........It wasn't of course. Then as always the movie ends and I have to disguise how much I was crying but he clocked on quite quick, and well that was it....I haven't heard the last of it! He keeps offering me tissues, and coming over to cuddle me, offering mock sympathy saying 'arrr are you OK? is this advert to sad for you? do you wanna talk about it?!
Wandering why it had such a strong pull on me I asked him 'didn't you ever have any toys that you loved?'.
His reply: 'I 'ad my football didn't I?!'. Question answered.

As it turns out I'm not the only one who cries in Toy storey, it turns out others do too, in fact one critic wrote of its emotional effect 'it makes Bambi look manipulative'. Apparently its because its something that each of us can relate to.

So on that note id like to pay tribute to my ever dear PUFFALUMP MOUSE, Amy.



She's lost somewhere in America.....Somewhere in a lost and found at an airport, maybe at the bottom of a pile sits Amy, my blue and white Puffalump. Do you remember Puffalumps? From the 80's? they where the nylon teddies that got banned because they caught fire so easy, I guess because in the 80's everyone had open or gas fires.
I had to have Puffalumps because of my asthma, and Id had her for a loooonnnnng time, then when I was 14 (I should have been more embarrassed at that age then to take a teddy on holiday with me), I took it to America and she never returned. I love you Amy Puffalump!

My sister Christine had this orange one....I think he's in our attic somewhere......

A couple of Christmas's ago, my sister Jo Ann got me a box of Puffalumps off eBay....

At first I thought 'She's found, She's found'...but it was not so....................................

Very thoughtful of her, but it never took away the sting of loss I have felt all those years!

Can you still see the hurt in my face?!

We also saw Inception another night, it didn't live up to its hype (like avatar and all the other over hyped movies!), It just didn't have enough substance for me, and there are a few issues I have with the questionable storey line...too many holes. Anyway, that may well be a controversial opinion but so be it.
What was funny though was coming home to my mum and dad, flat out asleep on the couch, my dad awakes from his stupor, wobbling his head around, eyes half open like that drunk Father Jack character from 'Father Ted' and says as he come to:
'Ive just spent the last two hours trying to get out of a room in occupied France, the Germans where in the corridor and there was a hole in the plaster of the ceiling, and i couldn't get out, they where coming for me ya know!'
(that's some serious stressful dreaming)
I replied: 'funny i just seen a film about that (meaning dreams of course)'
Dad: 'oh have you, Oooh I'll have to go and see that, I didn't know it was about the war!'

BIG SHOUT OUT TO CHRISTINE

this is my sister Christine, many of you know her well. Well on Monday she embarked on her mission to Madagascar, via a training centre in America where she will learn french. This was a huge thing for Christine, She had tons of doubts, these where mainly due to this man,

Mr Micheal Laborero! Aka the love of her life!

OK...so maybe this photo doesn't do him justice....how about this.....

there, Christine will like that!

The storey goes (for those who don't know), is that she was supposed to board the plane to go on the 5th of July. But she bottled it at the last minute and decided to stay with Mike.....However afterwards felt gutted and regretted not going to Madagascar. Burdened with the possibility that she may have passed up the opportunity of a life time she then did all she could to get to go again. Well she was blessed, and a month after her original flight date she got to go.

I have to say, I was pretty proud of her, she has persevered with this decision forever it seems,
I have to admit I got quite fed up of her version of the Zuton's song 'you will, you wont, you do, you don't, you say you will, but you know you wont', 'do I go on a mission?' fiasco! She has had every piece of contradicting advice, was tossed to and fro by every ones differing opinions and then had her own heart to contend with which was pulling her in two different directions. I'm really glad she could finally figure out what she wanted, even if it took loosing it first. I think we've all been guilty of that at some point in our life, and I think it is one of life's greatest lessons...in fact I owe my own marriage to that lesson. She was so happy when she had a second chance, so secure in knowing what she wanted. She has shown me super determination and courage in persevering and overcoming her fears.

BRAVO CHRISTINE!

Although ill miss her, She's going to have the time of her life. I cant wait to see how these next 18 months serving others will shape and change her, I cant wait to hear of her experiences. Having served a mission for our church my self I know the experience is priceless.

I also have to admire the perfect decorum of Mike, ever patient and supportive of her despite his desires to have her stay with him. He was stuck in limbo pretty much the whole time she was deliberating over it, and to be honest, I think its him I feel for most. I didn't go the airport but my parents told me it was quite the emotional affair, like somethin off a movie, bless him! We all love mike so we're gunna keep him close to the family while she's away! heha....
So tune in in 18 months to find out what happens on her return!!!

Ooooh I love a bit of real life soap style drama!

And since the family all got together to see her off...once again my dads main prerogative in life (to get a decent family photo), was attempted....and failed again! hehaha





And after she left, in keeping with tradition, we descended upon her room like vultures!
(She had a good wardrobe), Oh and thanks Christine for leaving me your Camera, Mac, and ambitiously SIZE 10 SKINNY JEANS??????

P.S Thanks Krista for introducing me to Mosaics....I'm still totally backwards when it comes to technology! But now I have a mac (swit swoo) I hope to better myself!

Deary me...This summer is rolling by soooooooooooooooo fast!! And the diary is fully booked til September?! ...Got to get a few catch up blogs in before I go away starting with:

A WEE TRIP TO BONNY SCOTLAND
OCH AYE

Took an opportunity to go up to Scotland since I haven't been back in a while, my brother wanted to go too, so I picked him up at a pit stop in Liverpool and we took a wee road trip....however
NOTE TO SELF, never attempt a long road trip with baby and without husband again!!!!
It exhausted me being both the sole carer for William ( An uncle is no substitute for dad!), and sole driver (due to Jon not being insured on my car..seriously, why cant we do it like America and get insured for any car??? darn money robbin insurance companies!)

Anyway I really enjoyed catching up with friends up there, William was as good and happy as ever, and on the way home we took a scenic route to see the real Scotland...and then took a wrong turn so took even more of a scenic route! But although it took much longer, that drive was well worth it. We drove up and down the windy bendy roads, along rivers and streams, past waterfalls and Lochs, through Valleys and sheep(in the road), and have a window screen of splattered insects to show for it, all amongst the back drop of the sun setting behind the mountains...yer I love scotland.