Maine....

Through my lens.....

Our little getaway was just what we needed.  
Warm weather. Great company. Delectable Morsels. Comfy B&B. Speaking in English. Beautiful Scenery.

Don't forget to enter my Oak Hill Designs Necklace giveaway.

Behind the wheel

Since moving into the city I haven't been driving...

 In fact, I've only driven 2 times in 1 1/2 months and ridden in a car 2 times.  

Today, however I am going to take an over night trip to Maine with some friends. 

I love little road trips, so 5 1/2 hours in the car sounds like so much fun.

Have a great couple days...

Interstate I 80

1912 miles...31 hours....

That is a lot of "us" time in the truck. Don't tell my husband... I enjoy every minute.

Along the way:
~ Twinkling Christmas lights  provide hours of entertainment
~ Take time to thank the employees at gas stations with clean bathrooms
~ Eating in instead of driving through is a great way to meet locals
~ Black ice is so scary!
~ Stopping at every Cabela's and Bass Pro...is not my favorite, but provides great people watching and puts my husband in a good mood
~ Nebraska has a lot of cows! Moo

Moving... "kinda"

Let me tell you.... there is nothing fun about moving.

I'll back up. We are getting ready to spend our last fall season in the mountains of Idaho for my husbands last year of school/research. While the thought of Idaho makes me very happy I am not great with change, even though I am constantly in a state of change.

Moving out of our apartment (that would sit empty for almost 5 months) will save us a lot of money, but there's another thing called sanity that I didn't put into the equation. We have also decided to sell most of our furniture with the idea of starting over in our next home. Where is that next home? Your guess is as good as mine, but this time next year I'll be there. I know....that doesn't make sense...but it does and I'm confident (crossing my fingers) of this.

The big "but" in this situation is that we will be returning here for a final semester next January. (Clearing my throat.) I know, I just said we are moving out, selling our stuff and packing the rest.

Yes, we are packing some stuff for Idaho. We are packing some stuff until we move to our next location. And, we are packing some stuff for when we move back here next January. Well, if you made it through that you might be shaking your head in confusion. When we move back for 4 months next January we are hoping to rent a room or a furnished apartment another thing I am (crossing my fingers about) confident in. (Wink..then a sigh.)

I hope you are ready to take this little adventure with me.

In the mean time, I am going to enjoy summer in Quebec City, play in my garden, share quality time with friends and try not to let all of this make me crazy.

Waving...

Last week at this time, I was waving good-bye to my sister, brother-in-law and my two nieces. Although, my heart was filled with sadness, I knew it would be a shame to waste that time sulking knowing every moment of the last 5 days was spent in the presence of my amazing family. Our tired feet and full bellies went to bed each night after a day of memories that are sure to last.

My sister and her husband...on the day of their 20th anniversary!
(They are still smiling....)

My nieces entering the walls of the "Old City" in Quebec.

~~~~~~~~~~

Today, I wave good-bye to my readers for a mysterious 5 days away with my husband for my 4oth birthday gift. Hints from him: we are driving and I need cute as well as functional clothing/footwear.

Talk to you soon...

On the road....to the place I live.
We should be there later today.

What are you doing today?

Just as you would imagine Switzerland to be...

Cold rain slapped on the windows. Heavy eyes shutter all around me. The quiet morning train indicated a great weekend....leaving everyone around me ill rested. Last night my body thought it would transition back to North America, but today was all cheese and chocolate. I wasn't about to let my lack of sleep stand in my way.

All aboard the "Chocolate Train".

The scenery changed as did the weather.

Thankfully, the train went back down and out of the snow.

Maison du Gruyere is a working dairy.
This well informed tour was fascinating....and a bit smelly.
As they say, the smellier the cheese the better it tastes.

Gruyere Cheese
330 million kg of milk are processed into 27,500 ton of Gruyere cheese
in approximately 200 cheese dairies.
400 tons of Gruyere d'aplage is produced in 56 dairies situated
in the high mountain pastures.

Area of production: The cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchatel,

Jura and some communes in the canton of Berne.
2/3 of the production is consumed in Switzerland with the
remaining 1/3 exported to the European Union and North America.

Chateau de GruyeresResting within the hills in this picturesque medieval town
is this historical castle.

Elegant~Aristocratic~Voyage

Constructed in the 13th century and home to a
succession of Gruyeres Counts.
Then bought by the Bovy and Balland Families.

Artists such as Corot and Menn found inspiration in the
surrounding natural beauty. With two left thumbs I even
considered taking up painting here...

In 1938 the Canton of Fribourg purchased the castle and
founded the present museum.

Lunch.... fresh bread, Gruyeres cheese and Swiss wine.

Chocolate will have to wait until the next post....
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed Gruyeres, Switzerland.

Bern...

Is your city ranked 10th for the best quality of life?
Unless you live in Bern, Switzerland the answer is no.
That's a pretty amazing title...which has me wondering who is #1.The Zytglogge, (below) in one of the languages spoken in Bern...
Bernese German, meaning "Time Bell".

This is UNESCO World Culture Heritage site is a
huge tourist attraction due to it's 800 years of existence.
Yes, 800 years! (Below)

Countless water fountains with stories as beautiful
as the works of art are scattered throughout the city.

As luck would have it....we were in Bern on a gray rainy
day. Thankfully, this old city also has Europe's longest
covered promenade.

Mama Bear, Papa Bear and two adorable cubs.....
They didn't seem to mind the pouring rain. In fact, it looks like
Papa Bear was as comfy as they come.

Nothing prepares you for the sight of a 15th Century Gothic cathedral.
The Münster of Bern is breathtaking. Years of detail...every step taken.

The Last Judgment is represented here in the main portal...where
the wicked are separated from the righteous.

The righteous are clothed and dressed in white while the wicked
on the left are naked...Justice stands in the middle.

Home to Albert Einstein while writing the Annus Mirabilis papers.
These published articles on space, time and matter have
a direct impact on the foundation of modern physics today.

Show off... hee hee

Bern is the capital of Switzerland.
Click here to read about their government.

The city of Bern or Berne (German: Bern, pronounced [ˈbɛɐn]; French: Berne [bɛʁn]; Italian: Berna [ˈbɛrna]; Romansh: Berna [ˈbɛrnə]; Bernese German: Bärn [b̥æːrn])

What's next....Chocolate and Cheese!