EARLY MORNING CONSTITUTIONAL ! ! !

As promised in a previous post, some photo's showing the walk I try to do a couple of times a week from our home. It's so beautiful and one day I'd love you to come with me - I INVITE YOU (as my German girlfriends would say!).

I did this walk last Tuesday.

Walking out the front door

Start of the walk up the hill


View from the top

Cherries!! (no, I didn't pick any)

Walnuts

Beef ! ! !

Horse ! ! !

Lovely cool green foliage to walk through coming down the hill

Across the bridge (busy Route 317 underneath)

Street behind our place

The back of our house (house in middle of picture)

Couldn't resist taking a picture of the canal (our garage on right front)

Back home! Takes about 40 minutes so not bad!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DARLING JOCELYN

Today is Jocelyn's Birthday and I'm not there to spoil her.


I do hope you've had a wonderful day Jocelyn (even though you had to go to work) and that you had a great dinner with the family.


Another year has passed and I am sure you have learned many things about life, yourself, other people, work and leisure. May the year ahead be a very happy one for you and may the dreams you have become a reality.





Thank you for being so special and such a wonderful and thoughtful daughter.


I love you very much.

Your Mum xo xo xo xo



(sorry about the photo - I don't have any up to date ones - that's terrible isn't it?)

WEDDING OF STEWART & KATJA

On Thursday we had the absolute privilege of attending the Civil Ceremony Service for our Aussie friend Stewart and our Swiss friend Katja. In Europe you officially get married in your local government office where all the paperwork is done. Then you can have another service, in a Church or whatever you choose.

Stewart had asked Roger to be a witness at the wedding. It was the most beautiful afternoon/evening and we enjoyed the intimacy of being part of the family for this time. Very, very special for us both. We began with an Apero at around 2pm where friends gathered to enjoy a drink and finger food together. Then the service was held just down the road. The 8 of us then drove to Gempen to enjoy champagne and nibbles together. We then drove back down the mountain to enjoy a very yummy meal together. We eventually arrived home at 11.30pm.

Here are a few photo's for you to enjoy.

Katja's father and best friend Eta

The groom and best man

Wedding certificate being handed over

Yep......."Just Married"!!

The happy wedding party high up the mountain in Gempen

(we had hiked up here a couple of week's ago)

Pictures from hike last Monday

This was our walk from Dornach to Gempen and back to Dornach. I'd forgotten Roger had taken some photo's. Just the most beautiful countryside and so very green. This is in Baselland, so a 7 minute ride on the train from Basel. We have friends living in this area so visit regularly. The bus ride from the train station to Hochwald is so beautiful, but on very windy roads. Then there is a rather steep walk uphill to Fritz and Ilona's.

Karen (leaving to go back to the US) and Roger

Sue, Deborah and Julie (and mystery bike rider!!)

Gaynor and Terry (maybe I'm smiling

because I actually made it!)

Roger beside the Weisse on our way home from our bike ride today

SUNDAY 31 MAY

Another sunny day today, though a little cool as we walked to the train this morning to go to Church. There was a slight wind blowing (like yesterday), but once on the train we were fine.

"Our boys" came to lunch today. Reuben and Joshua were unable to come because of prior commitments but they were 'replaced' by Marcus, Stefan and Daniel! Peter and Matthias were the regulars.

I made a Banoffee Pie yesterday and then made He Te Min for lunch. A great hit. Roger thought about inviting Daniel yesterday so whizzed off an email to him. We met Daniel at Centrepoint and he has been in Basel 10 months. It was great to welcome him to our little home and he blended well with our German boys. Daniel is from New York City. His mother is Swiss but she never spoke anything but English to them in the home. Daniel is trying to learn German and to get a job in Basel.

So, the dishes have just been done and it is time for me to put my feet up and relax for a couple of hours before I go to bed. It is 8.00pm and feels like 4.00pm. It is so light outside and the sun is shining brightly.

We are getting organized to go back to Australia on 31 July. On Friday I thought we only had 8 weeks to go. I was very disappointed to learn that it is actually 9 weeks, so I'd better not start the countdown just yet!!

Here we are at Hohe Flum just up the hill from our place. We took Angela up here for a BBQ for one of the May holidays we had. It's just so beautiful and you feel you could be anywhere in the world. (I can walk 'up this hill' a lot easier these days - thank goodness!!). It's cherry season soon and there are many cherry trees around here. The farmers sell them outside their properties so I will be taking the long walk up to buy fresh cherries very soon.

BODY WORKOUT ! ! !

Well, I've certainly put my body through its paces this week. Roger and I went hiking with the Basel hikers last Monday (our usual routine). We knew the hike was going to be challenging but......

We arrived at Dornach station at 9.20am and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. It was going to be a warm 35C so walking was actually not going to be a lot of fun in the heat. We also knew the height difference was about 500+ metres. We were walking from Dornach to Gempen and back to Dornach (a round trip). Well, up, up, up we went. My goodness. But we had good breaks and lots of water. Once we got to the top, we realized it was worth it! The view was spectacular over Baselland. No pictures (sorry). The walk took 3 1/2 hours and we were all pooped at the end of it. We left home just after 8am and arrived back home at 2.20pm. And yes, we were couch potatoes for (almost) the rest of the day. I did have to do some baking in the evening as I wanted to make something special for Fritz Weibels birthday on Tuesday.

Wednesday I decided to head up the hill for my usual walk and did it without any problems. Next time I go I am going to take my camera and take photo's along the way so you can see what a beautiful walk it is and why I don't hesitate going walking!

TODAY (Saturday) we received a phone call from our Aussie friend Lisa who lives in Basel. She wanted Roger to go bike riding with her. Well, I decided to tag along as well. We had a good wind to help us along the way and road from Schopfheim to Weil am Rhein - 20km's. It was a fantastic ride and none of us felt tired at the end of it. Roger and I did catch the train home though, but got off at Schopfheim West and rode the 2km's home! Not bad for a Saturday. I enjoyed it so much I think I might do another one on Monday. We have another holiday coming up, which is Pentecost. Just can't get used to all these holidays around this time in Europe. I thought we could cycle to France, but Lisa said they have the holiday there as well.

So, I'm feeling rather good for my nearly 57 years! Seeing the sunshine sure does make a difference to the way we all feel.

HAPPY SUNNY SUNDAY

We've had a great day. Had to catch the train to Church this morning as our Ghanan friend Johnny has gone back to Ghana for 4 weeks holiday. So, this was an experience in itself. We haven't had to do this for many years!

We had to make sure we caught the 12 noon train back to Schopfheim or we would be hanging around the station for 1 hour. Didn't want that. But this meant we couldn't catch up with some friends we wanted to chat to. Oh well.

Roger invited Stefan to come and have lunch with us. He arrived around 1.30pm and we had lunch together. Roger and Stefan had a great afternoon 'chewing the fat' together! Stefan has his own investment banking business and is also dabbling in other things very successfully. He's such a great guy and we do enjoy spending time with him. He was actually wanting to get our views on German politics, etc. Just up Roger's alley so I was able to excuse myself!

I got the 'speakies' SMS from my sister Irene in Perth, Australia so I lay on the bed and we had a good natter for one half hours!! What a luxury. We sure can talk, but also have a good laugh about ourselves. She is taking off for 12 days in Bali at the end of this week. She sure does need a holiday and Bali is so close to Western Australia. I think it only takes 3 hours to get there, so it is closer than a flight to Melbourne.

The weather is hot at the moment. Fancy 30C in May. Amazing. Of course it is lovely and cool in our home, and with the shutters halfway down, even better.

Have a reasonably busy week coming up, but nothing that I can't handle!!

This photo was taken on our visit to Solothurn. Also a warm day and you could say I was a little 'over dressed!'. A wonderful day with Angela though. We must go back there again sometime.