Well Rounded Holiday

At A&L's B&B we aim to offer a well rounded holiday.  So this weekend, we tried to give our guests a well rounded trip with a little something of everything.  On Friday night I held a dinner party, where I tried to add a little sophistication (see below).  On Saturday, we went to Luzern for a little hiking and sight seeing.  It was such a beautiful day and although I think we looked fairly ridiculous when we passed proper hikers on the mountain (them in proper hiking gear us in heels, well not Jack), it was a very nice climb.  Sunday, I thought we needed to get back to basics and went and enjoyed Basel's street fair.  And to complete the full Swiss experience a fondue for dinner last night (think there must have been too much wine in that fondue based on how I am feeling today). They have sadly gone now, but had a great with them, and will miss them :(

William adding some 'sophistication'

My Castle

Okay, so I do not have a castle yet, but I am aspiring to have one one day.  Since coming here I have fallen in love with them and do not really understand why more people do not live in them.  They are big, beautiful, you can live with several families, usually stunning locations and if you wanted to be authentic you could even have a moat.  And how great would a moat be, no more door to door sales people, religious fanatics (no problem with people having one btw but not on a Saturday morning at my door), in laws, well basically you could prevent any unwanted visitors.  Anyways, I took Shelagh and Jack (my current visitors from Bruton) to a castle in the Black Forrest in Germany last night.  It was beautiful, especially with the stunning fall colours.  I could imagine where I would put all my furniture and how I would decorate (once all the walls were reinstalled). 
However, walking around it was pointed out to me that castles are extremely cold.  This caused a sleepless night, as I do not do cold, hate cold, always feel cold.  By this morning I realised that this was actually not a problem.  As really when I have enough money to have a castle I am guessing I could afford the heating and if I had to build my own castle it would most certainly be somewhere that I would not heating (may be better idea, and if by the sea I could have easy access to a shark for my moat).

Looks like Lola is ready for Halloween...

A New Low - a Question About Wee

I know my blog is not very intellectual and most of the times can be silly and irrelevant. Sadly, I think this one maybe a low point for me but oh well...  So have just returned from a conference in Barcelona for teaching Math studies, very interesting, learnt a lot blah blah.   But the question it left us all with (well the ladies anyways), what is meant to be the average time for a wee? 
It was the talk of the conference with the ladies. This was a lovely hotel, funky rooms, good food, seems like a place that would take time to do their research.  So this is why the question arises.  You see the cubicles in the rest rooms had timers on the lights, that went off after 30 seconds.  Now loads of us had to keep switching on the light, so are we slow?  Do people in warmer climates wee in less time?  Or did the designer of the hotel just think he was being funny by making us all wee in the dark?

Now this is Culture

Barcelona vs Sevila - even though a nil nil draw, it was so fantastic, with even a fight (on the pitch, and of course almost off the pitch with the fans)! And the Spanish fans, how fun are they, so full of passion (I tried to get video when they got really upset but they did not look like they would like that). I think that this is possibly the best cultural experience anyone could have in Barcelona and I highly recommend it. A tip though, stuff your beer in your trousers, or put vodka in your water bottles, the stadium is dry!
:)

Getting excited :)

So did I buy the beer before or after I learnt it was non-alcoholic?

Fans were amazing

Think Picture Speaks for itself

(Although it does speak for itself, I cannot help but say something as I talk too much.  Saw this sign in the train station, had to take photo, Asa jumped at the chance to be in it as well ;) imagine we are teaching the future)

My 'Cultural' Experience!

In order to have a successful trip to another country with other people, I think it is key to discuss what everyone wants to get out of the trip.  I make it fairly clear to people I go away with that my idea of experiencing a different culture, is not through seeing the sights the books say I should or visiting every museum in a city (or any for that matter).  I love exploring the local restaurants, drinking the drink, meeting the locals and exploring the country side.  I would never go away with someone who wants to do all the things they 'should do'. 
However, I am away in Barcelona with friends from school and decided I should give it a go.  I went with them to the Miro museum, I walked around, looked at the paintings, awed and uwed when appropriate.  I even got the picture to prove it (even though we were breaking the law, hence my smile).
So was I a convert, what do you think ;) ???? 

Trying a bit of 'culture'



Now, this is experiencing Barcelona ;)



Boarding Queues

Okay, first a warning this is a mini rant, but it has always bothered me and maybe someone out there could explain to me why people do this. So every time I travel, I watch hundreds of people queue to board their plane. Even though boarding has not been called yet, even though they all have assigned seats, even though they have checked in and bags are on the plane. They stand with their kids for an hour waiting and waiting.. Today I sat and drank my diet coke, ate my blueberry muffin, read the paper and watched these people huff and puff in a massive queue and bloody boarding had not even been called yet. Once boarding had been called, my coke drank, muffin ate, suduko done (well almost), queue done, I got up, showed my boarding card and walked straight on the plane, sat down and relaxed for take off.
So for those of you queue plane people, maybe you could explain why? Or maybe I have just helped you and you did not realise you could relax and watch all else queue while you drink your dc and eat your muffin.

A Tribute to Mothers

For those who have read previous posts you will know I spent the last week with one of my best friends and her baby girl (for those who did not read prior posts you know now). We had a lovely holiday and besides being a wonderful time with a brilliant friend it was also a learning experience...
To be a mother is not easy. Now I know this sounds fairly obvious and I never thought it was a walk in the park but I just did not appreciate it fully. Do not get me wrong, Ainsley is a brilliant baby and very very well behaved, Amy adores her and they are a very happy mother and daughter. But oh my god, it is hard work, constantly looking after and caring for a person unable to tell you why they are crying, not eating, not sleeping etc. I was exhausted just watching Amy. And I do not remember being a baby but I do remember being a teenager, so I know this job gets no easier.
So to all mothers out there, you are amazing and deserve more than one mothering Sunday (mothers day) a year, you should be told everyday what an amazing job you are doing. To all people with mothers give them a call and tell them how wonderful they are!

SIDE NOTE: not everyone will understand what I mean by this, but this experience has definitely convinced me that Bruton turkey basting bingo maynot be the best idea ever ;)

Fantastic Interlaken/Mean Cable Car man

Today Amy, Ainsley, Lola and myself travelled South to Interlaken, the most beautiful place I have been since moving here (possibly ever, except Barbados, Bruton and Acton of course ;) ). We explored the lovely city (there are two beautiful lakes either side and mountains surrounding), then drove up the most treacherous road ever to get to a cable car (was so nervous I was going to drive baby over a cliff, fairly scary, tried not to show it though!). 
When we got to the top, we tried to pay our fare, and the not so nice cable car jobs worth man basically yelled at us, as we only had Euros.  I tried to give him Euros at par (great deal) but he rudely refused.  Luckily, a nice lady instead let me buy some off her.  After this grumpy experience we reached the top, we sat down, ordered two beers, took our sips and then remembered £$%&^£ we had no bloody Francs still!!

 

Bye Bye Le Chateau

After three beautiful days, we are packing up to go back to Switzerland (with a possible wine tasting stop along the way ;) ).  Amy and Ainsley's adventures will continue back in Switzlerland for the next dew days before heading home..

Gourmet lunch prepared by moi!

On a country drive, part of the road collapsed.  Felt very safe
with very full car and baby!

Moring view from my room :)

Sleeping Dogs

The first full day in Burgundy was lovely.  A four hour walk produced the most tired dogs I have ever seen.  On this same walk Patrick, Brian and Ellie discoverd some extremely rare mushrooms that can lead to a very slow painful death if digested (I wanted proof of this, but there were no volunteers).  Instead of this walk, I took Amy into Autun for some shopping at the exact times that all the shops closed for the afternoon (we did manage a nice lunch though).  Later in the evening Patrick took me and Ellie to see a near by castle, but upon arrival to the town we discovered there was no castle (luckily the drive was extremely beautiful).  The night time was full of loads of food and games (girls won!).  Looking forward to today :)

No castle, but lots of lovely French cows

In an earlier post I suggested I maybe becomoing a
grown up.  When looking through the mushroom book to
find the name of the rare mushroom found, I could not help
but take a photo of this one.  Clearly, not a grown up just yet!

Beautiful Burgundy

After a very squashed 4 hour drive we finally arrived at our Chateau (when I say our, I mean the one we rented) in the beautiful Burgundy region.  Today we will go off exploring Autun and then possibly a wine tasting or two ;)

Front door view

Our village church

Just so you know you are not in the village past this sign...

Games night, not sure I want to talk about it too much..

A&L Swiss B&B's First Overseas Guest!

Lola and I are happy to welcome Amy and Ainsley Prueter to our Bed and Breakfast!  Visiting from Ontario, Canada, Amy is one of my best friends from high school and beyond.  We are so excited to have them here and are currently getting ready to go to Burgundy for a three day stay in a Chateau with some other friends from ISB.  Ainsley has been beautiful and so well behaved especially considering her long journey.  So far, I have learnt that looking after a baby is significantly different from looking after Lola, and that maybe it is safer for everyone if I just stick to dogs and be the best Aunty ever!!

It really is MY car!

Clean flat, cooking and now a clean car!!  I had forgotten what colour it actually was, and if you see the inside, people that know my car would never believe it!   What is Switzerland doing to me, am I finally becoming a grown- up?!

The Inquiziters

Last night I went to my first pub quiz at an Irish pub in town.  I was so thrilled to be in a pub again, just loved it.  Our team, the Inquiziters, shockingly did not win but came a disappointed fourth (out of ten).  This loss did not give me a sleepless night, as I am not very competitive (yeah right, slept five minutes, why did I say it was Posh spice who had first baby, when Ellie was confident it was Scary..Why oh why!).  Also, to give you an idea about the prices, check out the special on one bottle of Grolsch, keep in mind it is a special!

So about 6 pounds, a bloody special!

Soda Dream

So those who live in Bruton know that a few years ago I fell in love with the WII fit and went on and on about it.  To the point that I think some of my friends bought one just to shut me up.  I thought I would never feel the same way about another product until now.  I bought a soda stream last week and am in love.  First of all, they do not sell soda water here and that is a disaster for as I drink loads (not plain of course but with wine), also recycling plastic is a nightmare (unlike glass and tins which are easy) so now I can cut down on plastic.  It is the best thing ever and you all must get one!

Normal Water, ready to go

Within seconds, soda water!

Have Finally Totally Lost it!

I am really getting into this...
http://www.missmadonna.weebly.com/
;)

Another Night, Another Headache...

We had the second Basel Ladies Wine Club meeting last night, hosted by Emily, a lovely lady who also teaches at ISB.  She certainly raised the bar creating possibly the best package of tasting notes I have ever seen.  I think all had a lovely time, all the wine seemed to be drank and I have a splitting head ache, so those are good signs.

I am thinking that the Bruton Ladies wine club should come over for a visit, the Alsace is just next door...

Tess, at wine club, on her due date, my kind of girl!

A sign of a good night, empty bottles...