Further pics from a day in the Swiss Countryside..

A wagon ride in the Swiss countryside..

This was such a lovely day

riding through a village....
clippity clop.

Surely the loveliest thing to do.

Fertiliser for Peter's garden.
Maybe we should return to horse power!

Through leafy woods

and the greenest of fields.
Autumn apples ripening in the sunshine.

"High on a hill sang a lonely goatherd..."
These farms are small with cow herds of twenty or so.
This is not big scale farming and there is something so magic about it.
Every inch of this place seems fussed over and cared for.
Neat as a pin.

this was Heidi country for sure.
I'm sure I saw Grandfather's house high up there!
Later in Canada, son Steve found Shirley Temple's Heidi movie on his computer
and Josie and I watched it with much joy.
I also found a good translation of the book 'Heidi' in one of Victoria's fine secondhand bookshops
to bring home for Victoria-Sofia, so entranced with this place was I.

Josie and I have discussions about farming.  She is a  pragmatist who believes in progress.  OK, so I know about subsidies but I am a dreamer who wants little farms where the cows have names and cheese is made from fresh milk and the grass is sweet and full of herbs and nature's fertilisers... 

Peter's wife had a lovely lunch set out for us here.

Peace and orderliness and

simple beauty.

A perfect day in Switzerland.
Ahhh...such memories to keep forever.

Thoughts for a lake..

Lucerne..

The sad Lion of Lucerne is a poignant sight,


a sad segue with the Palace of Versaille.

This is a memorial to the Swiss Guards who lost their lives
attempting to guard King Louis XVI, King of France.

Beautiful Lucerne.
The twin Steeples of the catherdal

and a convent on a hill.

The clouds lift on Mt Pilatus.

Blessings from Jesus and a nude sunbather.

The deep waters of Lake Lucerne.

Mountains..

Up above Lake Lucerne in Switzerland,
travelling on the steepest cog railway in the world
up to the summit of Mt Pilatus.
Fresh mountain air and
green mountain meadows.

How magic to hear the cow bells ring.

An amazing ride up and up, through rock tunnels and over narrow bridges.

I am enchanted by the wild flowers,
especially the little blue gentians
and wild scabiosa..

so special are these mountains.

A doodle in Paris...

Paris for me
is a beautiful city
of wide tree-lined streets,
cafes, art and good food.

Delicious onion soup with a crusty top of cheese,

and memorable melt in the mouth macaroons are
among my memories.
The coffee...was so so.

The Eiffel Tower
at night
all sparkle and shimmer
in this city of love.

We were on our way to Rome
and our first glimpse of things Roman was a French ruler who
obviously fancied himself an ancient hero of the Roman kind.
No Roman haircut for this King however!

We were visiting Versaille
and the sun shone bright and glorious..
apt at the palace of he who named himself
The Sun King.

This was the first of many palaces and castles and big houses
we were to see during our six weeks of travel.
Versaille the most opulent of all.