Smiles 321:365

Fun and games in and around Zürich. Thank you to Zoëand András for having us and to Lils and Hellraiser for the giggles and hugs. 

You'd think this was dusk across a lake. It's actually taken from above the clouds, mountains peeking through! Beautiful and this photo really doesn't so it justice.

Smiles 281:365

After today, I needed a mountain! So I went and found one and it worked - it made me smile!

So I found another...

and another, this time with a lake too.

And then I had to stop because, although I was still smiling, it made me cry. 

Life's like that sometimes.

Smiles 209:365

A day of smiles in pictures!

Smiles 208:365

21 years on, almost to the exact day. The dungarees were paler blue and patterned, and the hair longer; John had more hair and Converse trainers but here was are in Obergesteln where it all started. And as we drove through the Goms Valley, the memories flowed:

• the men from Oberwald (g-dong)
• a mountain walk that was more challenging than was originally expected
• the bench by the church (still there!)
• a football tournament that a very competitive man called John (not my John) lost to everyone's amusement
• cycling to Munster along the airfield
• giving pigs indigestion with the remains of our curry
• ice cream in Ulrichen
• the 'sprawling metropolis' of Brig 
• sliding down an ice flow in Fiesch

And the trip over the Grimselpass too - although there were no breakdowns this time, we weren't in a coach and it wasn't as scary this time!

I did feel like I was in Les Revenants though as we passed the reservoir...

and then John saw a child that looked just like Victor scooting past in Zermatt. I'm watching out for zombies although I can just see lots of Japanese tourists at the moment and they're less scary!

So we're in Zermatt now and it's lovely. Some beautiful old buildings, the mountains around us are stunning, and it was nice to feel a bit chilly this evening (and get slightly damp as the rain bounced off the edge of the restaurant canopy!)

Up a mountain tomorrow - must pack the Rescue Remedy in case of cable cars!

Smiles 194:365

Beautiful Amden. 

Last time I visited it was covered in snow and I learned to ski. Today it was bathed in sunshine and farmers were mowing all over the slopes. So many smiles today with special friends. Thank you Zoë, Andras, Lilian and Helena. Going to miss you all so much, especially my little girlies.

Fun on the trampoline.

Wallensee - beautiful lake but quite cold at first dip!

John trying to sop me splashing him!

 Floating in the sunshine in the shadow of the mountains. 

Collecting stones

Smiles 174:365

I feel the need to burst into "All things bright and beautiful" quite often when I'm up a mountain/in a valley/looking down on a lake etc. In fact, I want to burst out singing all sorts of songs. Never 'The hills are alive with the sound of music' though. 

And I daren't sing loudly as the boys will disown me. And that would never do.

Back to Say cheese in other languages today -
In Kannada - ನಗಿ (nagu)

Smiles 173:365

We went to Flums and rode the Floomzer! Jude and I kept each other 'safe' although Jude wasn't so sure we were safe when I decided to go full pelt around the bends!

We survived though (I was more worried about the chairlift than the Floomzer!)

Then we climbed back up the mountain to enjoy the view again. 

Although it has to be said that the boys were somewhat distracted by beetles... which made me laugh!

 Great day out even if the sun wasn't shining very strongly!

Smiles 36:365

I was working today so an early start, made better by the view of snowy mountains across the lake on my journey. I was the wrong side to take a photo but I remedied that on the way home.

And at break time I spied the biggest snowball ever, over 4 feet tall, being scaled, slid off and generally enjoyed by the kids. Health and safety is not disregarded but less uptight here!

Things that made me smile today
I warned a child that, if they continued talking in a test, I'd move them to sit next to the guillotine. They looked stricken until I explained that I meant the paper cutter. It's easy to forget that most of the kids aren't English and my everyday language can be quite baffling. 'Poorly' is another one that I've had to explain as in someone being poorly.
Making up silly sing and dances with the boys always makes me grin. And them too as long as its not on public!
A passage in the book I'm reading - a work of fiction I must add - in which the narrator suggests that 'A German, on average, produces twice as much faeces as a Frenchman' Interesting! :0S He then starts on the language...
The most gorgeous video of a tiny baby having a bath that I saw posted on FB. (can't find the link though!)

Smile in other languages
In Polish - Uśmiech