The last sunrises …

February 16, 2016fitfor15in15 7 Comments

Our old home put on a magical show for us before we left. It felt like every sunrise was a winner. It felt like every day was clear and bright. I’m sure it was nature’s way of saying remember this view! remember this place! in the best way possible.

Taking in the whole view from the left …

… into the middle … (I’ll miss the white house making this scene “pop”)

… and to the right … crisp and clean

We certainly had a grand view of the Swiss Alps.

Gold! The view from the bedroom window (with the eave of the roof on the left)

Foggy but inviting

Layers

Ahhhh, those lovely last few days …

Sunrise with stars still shining

Winner, winner!

On the walk down the hill to collect the keys for the new apartment

We’ve moved into the village of Wohlen bei Bern from the outskirts. Leo went to work before our appointment to collect the new house keys, then straight to the apartment, but I stayed home and walked the walk for old time’s sake. It felt fitting to say goodbye to that walk in that way. As much as I loved it (most of the time!), I’m glad, overall, that we’re down in the thick of the “action” now. And the church bells aren’t as bad as I thought they would be, clanging every 15 minutes, all through the night!

Here is the view from our new bedroom window …

We can live with this!

Yahoo! We still can see the Alps! I think seeing those mountains is more important to me than the size of the apartment or having a garden or how nice the floors are or whatever! It’s my way of waking up happy.

The view from the bed looking south east

Closer …

With the windows open

I’m making the most of that view during winter, because I think come summertime we will only glimpse the mountains when all the leaves on those trees are back.

Photos of the apartment will be in the next post, promise.

Wishing you a wonderful day.

November 5: Highlights aplenty

November 5, 2015fitfor15in15 Leave a comment

A short post tonight. Snapped the photo below this morning, before going down the path by the stream to the bus. No fog again!

Layer, upon layer, upon layer

A nice way to start the day. Then it all came ‘crashing down’ so to speak. I’d forgotten the joys of work computers’ crashing, losing what you’d been focusing on in the process. Summoned all my strength not to swear! Then it got better again. Spent lunchtime lapping up some unexpected sunshine with my former German teacher Claudia – amazing how fast an hour goes when we had the luxury of no limits before – and the afternoon was so busy it whizzed by. Now I’ve got that end of week feeling, and look forward to going into the dojo tomorrow for the first time in weeks.

Cleaning up my corkboard from yesterday was quite fun. It looks better but perhaps a bit too neat. There are holes to fill, so maybe I’ll rough it up a bit with some new additions. One thing that didn’t make the cut is a postcard from Berlin. Who would like a German postcard with a Swiss stamp? Let me know and I’ll send an attempted witty ditty.

A bit too neat, but better than having everything hang off it. Can you see anything you like or recognise?

I didn’t meditate or exercise this morning at home, but I did attempt to meditate on the bus. If that advertising poster clanging on a glass pane hadn’t distracted me the whole ride, it would have been a lovely experience. 😉

Speaking of a lovely experience … Cruise update! My sister and mum have gone through the Suez Canal, which Judy said is a definite highlight.

What will be your highlight today or tomorrow?

Wishing you a wonderful day.

July 22: Glory-ious Days

July 22, 2015fitfor15in15 3 Comments

This afternoon, I raced home from work on Bruce in order to miss a big thunderstorm – didn’t take any photos of it approaching, but snapped a few shots after it had passed.

Sunset on the Alps, taken from the front yard

The brown, brown grass of home

It’s raining again now, 10.30pm, and boy do we need it. (That cool breeze will also make sleep easier tonight!)

Yesterday afternoon, after I wrote the post about what I’ve packed for our holiday, I met Claudia at the Marzili (public pool area) and finally snapped a few decent shots of the Aare – what bedlam it is on a hot day! This was Tuesday afternoon around 2pm (admittedly it is summer holidays).

The steady stream of people walking back to the camping place to jump into the river again

One of several places at the Marzili where you get out of the water. The rubber boats have to go down further to a dock area

Have a paddle or a swim

People put their clothes etc in waterproof bags, which also provide some buoyancy as you float or swim along

I’d like to buy a waterproof phone case so I can make a little film of the journey. Won’t be swimming for a while though, as all this rain will make the water murky and dangerous.

And last but not least in this photo-fest, proof that Dr Bronner’s liquid soap is not good as a shampoo for me. I’m getting my haircut tomorrow, and I think I’ll just let her wash out the weeks of … ??? whatever it is – soap scum? – and start again in Sicily, maybe with a bar of Savon de Marseille?

My friend SJ likes the home-made shampoo soap bars she can buy in her town. Do you use a soap bar for your hair too? Any suggestions? Because there’s got to be something better than this below! Maybe I should try the Ariana-method, from Paris-to-Go, and just use water combined with a good scalp massage?

My greasy-feeling but clean head of hair

Wishing you a wonderful day.

May 12: Swiss Camino Day 3

May 12, 2015May 12, 2015fitfor15in15 4 Comments

Another long day with a very steep and arduous hill at the end but the view from the top is worth it!

It was pretty warm today, even I can admit that. I had sweat droplets coming down my face which hasn’t happened for a very long time! We left the accommodation in Tobel at 8.45am (we’re creatures of habit it seems) after a big breakfast talking to the owners and another couple who are walking one more day with their dog.

First came some fields with fresh hay bales, then some flat parts, then some hilly parts, then lunch in Fisherlingen, then some really beautiful forested parts and then finally some open parts which were very, very steep. Leo asked me was it just him or was I suffering on the incline too? I was suffering. We arrived in Hörnli just after 4pm and decided after 28km that was enough for one day. It was time to stop and enjoy that view.

Hope you enjoy the photos. I’ll write descriptions when I’m home.

Wishing you a wonderful day.