Swiss Cheese

We're back! My kids are back from going to Idaho/Utah with their paternal grandparents. They had SO much fun. Somehow the grandparents survived and are even letting us come back to their house next weekend. ;-) My kids had so much fun playing with multiple cousins and reacquainting themselves with relatives they don't get to see very often. I'm really glad that they were able to go this year.

 Josh and I are back from Switzerland. Switzerland was both amazing and challenging. 
First, the few cons.
 *Josh was sick! He had a bad sinus cold and basically survived only because he stayed doped up 24/7. I think he still had a great time.
*I was sick! I didn't even realize it until I got home. I just knew all week that I did NOT feel good. I was tired and my tummy was sensitive all week. It felt like I never got over my jet-lag. Upon further reflection, I think I took my turn with the bug that was ailing my little kids the week before. Josh seemed to have a milder version of it a few days before we went on vacation. I think I took my turn while we were in Switzerland. 

But other than feeling somewhat yucky, we still managed to enjoy our time. We could not get over how GREEN it was in August. Of course, then it rained, so we didn't wonder about that green-ness anymore. But it was still incredibly beautiful. And clean. Well-tended gardens, garbage-free city streets, idyllic swiss chalets, and crisp mountain air were the standard offerings of Swizterland. And a lot of English speakers, for which we were grateful!

And now, Switzerland in pictures...in reverse order of our actual chronology since I am too lazy to fix them.

Our tiny elevator in the lovely hotel lobby

Hotel from the front

On top of Harder Klum (the mountain in back of our hotel)

The view from atop Harder Klum.  Click to enlarge!

 Interlaken is located between two lakes: Brienze and Thun (toon) which you can see in the above photo.  The water is the most interesting milky green color.

Our hotel from Harder Klum

How we got up Harder Klum - this was just the last 10 seconds of a 5 minute ride on a funiculaire.

Riding down!

Church in Bern

inside

We climbed up the bell tower steps - 320 steps!

Don't look down.

Our favorite house - viewed from the Church tower

Lunch in Bern.  Yummy!

Downtown Bern

A river runs through it

Everyone had these beautiful gardens

And boxes of flowers outside their houses

Church in Gruyeres

downtown Gstaad

gondola ride

village of Murren from the gondola

Lake Thun

At Piz Gloria, atop Mount Schilthorn

Piz Gloria as we start our final of four gondola rides