Switzerland (June 18 - June 26)

We had a fantastic week in Switzerland all made possible thanks to Emma and Raffi’s generous hospitality. We had our own attic for the week in their lovely apartment located on the shore of Lake Zugersee, in Zug.
Vicki joined us from London for the weekend which, despite the Wintery conditions, made for great times and a good catch up for us three girls that are not often in the same country together! We all joined Raffi on a volleyball trip to the French part of Switzerland, Lausanne. Lausanne (home to the Olympic Committee) was indeed very French, identifiable not only by the change in language but also in the food and buildings. We ate fresh food from the markets and explored the magnificent old town located in the hills above the lake shore.

Back home in Zug we were treated to a buffet-brunch cruise on Lake Zugersee which gave us a different perspective of the area. It was nice to be snuggled inside munching on delicious Swiss cuisine when it was cold and misty outside. There was more wonderful Swiss food later that day, with a home cooked five course dinner at Raffi’s family home. We were very spoilt indeed!
For the remainder of the week as the weather returned to normal Summer goodness we enjoyed exploring the Zug area, including a 50km cycle around the edge of Zugersee. This was a real highlight for us both as we rode through small farm villages and were able to observe the differences between farming in Switzerland and farming at home. The sound of ‘clanging’ bells worn by the cattle greeted us as we cruised (helmet free!) through farm lanes with hay fields either side. Like everything here the farms are just so pretty and the cattle (which are housed during the Winter months) look like they could be on show with their shiny clean coats and friendly nature.

We also took a day trip with Emma to Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. Emma and I had visited Bern together four years ago so it was nice to return to this amazing city and to also see the two new baby bears! Bern’s mascot is the bear and is therefore home to a family of bears which live in a large enclosure in the city.

Bern has the feel of a relaxed town as opposed to the bustle of a capital city. With a large and superior old town extending to a sweeping river and forest, Bern proved yet again to be a great place to visit. We ended the day with a BBQ in the lovely Summer sun with our local friend Dave.

This week has been a great opportunity to spend quality time with Emma and to see her life here in Zug. We are extremely impressed and proud of her, as after one year of living in Switzerland she has completely embraced the Swiss culture and become fluent in German! It has provided Cam and I with more confidence to push ourselves outside our comfort zone in our journey ahead. Bring on Munich.

Danke Emma and Raffi!!