This morning, Heidi and Urs are handing me over to Yvonne and Juerg who are driving down to go and see another cousin in Marly, near Fribourg.
Cousin Sonja and her son Thomas are very pleased to see me again, as am I to see them. The biggest surprise for me is that Sonja's brother, cousin Fritz and his wife Ruth are also present. I had not heard from them for so long that I didn't dare ask if they were even still alive, but here they are.
Together with Sonja's friend Assia from Israel, we are all having a very jolly time feasting, not on cheese platter, but on raclette.
Unfortunately, disaster strikes while we are sitting outside afterwards. Yvonne, who is allergic to wasp stings, gets stung on the neck and ends up in hospital for a few hours.
She comes back all fixed and detoxed but very sleepy. We leave Marly just as heaven opens up and drive in teeming rain down towards lake Geneva. The weather fines up as we start heading up the Rhone Valley.
By the time we arrive at their chalet in Birgish, it is quite dark and we have to drag ourselves and everything else up the hill because the garage is at the bottom of the hill. Luckily, Yvonne is recovered enough to not only make her own way up but to carry the lion share of gear up.
It's not long before we all drop into our beds.
Monday, July 16th, 2018
Oh happy day! The sun is out and we are all feeling well. We have a leisurely breakfast on the terrace. The view is fantastic.
Later, we drive to a village called Blatten, not very far away. We leave the car and get on a gondola to Belalp. Some people would probably find it a bit hair raising.
Arriving at the top, we start walking along a very easy walking track. We meet all sorts of other walkers and some of them have four legs. O dear Switzerland, if only Australia would take a leaf out of your book.
Nothing wrong with pooch smelling the flowers, is there?!
Our goal is in sight in the distance
As we approach the hotel, we are greeted by a goat
A very inquisitive goat with a bell
There is a whole herd of goats with bells at the back of the Hotel Belalp
This is the other end of the Aletschgletscher, the glacier I painted from the Jungfraujoch.
All the tables on the terrace of the Hotel Belalp are decorated with a pot of Edelweiss.
We eat lunch here.
From this terrace, we can see the Matterhorn in the distance.
On the way back to the gondola, I really enjoy the sights and the flowers along the way.
A few weeks ago, the hillsides would have been red with Alpenrosen (rhododendron family) blossoms.
And here are a couple of photos of the descent with the gondola. It is a bit hair raising.
Despite the short walk, we are all quite tired when we arrive back home. It is still warm enough to have our dinner outdoors.
Another happy day.
Tuesday, July 17th, 2018
Good morning sunshine. I sit outside early catching up on my diary. Can't work on the blog as there is no internet connection up here.
Yvonne is up early making tarts for tonight.
My lovely hosts are planning another special day for me, this time together with friends. We drive to Lax and then Ernen where we leave the car to continue on in just one car.
At Steinmatte, the beginning of the Twingi Trail, we park and start walking. Again, it is all nice and flat and easy walking. There are some sculptures along the way - actually, quite a few, but not all of them tickle my fancy.
Some plants manage to grow on the rocks.
This is actually right over the top of our heads.
Despite the hot days, this little patch of snow can't manage to melt.
Pity I can't post photos with sound. The rings produce quite a lovely tinkling sound.
It's like a mini glacier.
A little dam at the top of the valley.
"I no longer count calories. I trust that they are all present and correct."
Patterson's curse?
Pincushion
A ray of sunshine - made with sparkling beads.
The best looking tyre I've ever seen.
After this walk, we drive on to a little village called Muehlebach because they want to .show me the famous suspension bridge
But first things first, we have to have some sumptuous ice creams at the cafe Haengebrigga which belongs to the successful Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer.
The good people make a few stops for me to take photos of the picturesque chalets.
Sitting outside after dinner tonight, I can watch the changing sunlight on the mountains. A sight one cannot tire of.
Goodnight.
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