Backtracking to Switzerland

By now you have guessed that I am way behind and trying hard to catch up.  Lack of internet cafes, lack of time and inexperience with weird keyboards are my excuses.....

SWITZERLAND

The short version, we took five trains in a row (with 5-10 minute change overs) and all went well.  We met Sophie (volunteer from Honduras) in Sierre (her home town) and she took us to our lodgings.  A colourful choice of hotel and the closest we have come to a youth hostel.  There is a red velvet lounge room and communal bathrooms (thankfully you can lock the women's one).  The men's shower area doesn't even have a door (so you can see right in there) but it does have a large blue blowup lounge!  There are tables out in the back garden and a terrace and a massive valley as well.

men's shower area

red lounge area

mojito drinking area

Sophie (who doesn't really cook) has consulted the Gluten Free Goddess by internet and created a magnificent gf meal for us.  We help bbq inside her apartment.  She has been terrified about poisoning me! 

Mariana (also volunteer from Honduras) has arrived from London and we settle in with icecream at Sophie's and mojitos at our place.

We have decided to go out for a fab dinner with a wine tasting first.  We obviously don't know a lot about Swiss wines but we had lots of fun and then headed of for Raclette which is melted cheese served with a wooden bucket of potatoes and gherkins and pickled onions.  We had a lot of melted cheese - I neglected to get a photo (sorry Enza).  We laughed the whole night long and made plans to meet at the piano (at our place) for singing therapy the following morning!!

The next day we took a train and a bus up a mountain to Evolene (a skiing and hiking area above where Sophie lives).  We wandered through the town and on to another town where we did a little chanting up above the clouds.   Another day of laughter.

mouse barriers above piers

on the road back down the moutain we saw these strange rock formations

Evolene

chanting in the mist on a moutain side

I loved this day in the mountains.  It was magical and misty and the sheer height of it was wonderful and being above the clouds and watching them float in was all fabulous - a tad cold - but fabulous.

The next day we took the funicular up the hill behind Sophie's home to Montana.  It was very cold there too but the view was great and the blankets warm.

Then it came time to say goodbye.  The girls escorted us to the train station for our next leg to Fontes in the south of France.

goodbye

Of course there are heaps more photos but it is time that I left (as the Delhi power has already caused a meltdown here - I thought that I had lost all of this).

Love to all

Rob