Zurich City

One of Europe's many terraces

Zurich City

After much discussion, we have decided to go to Zurich city today. There were still a few things we needed to get and hadn't yet found elsewhere. Zurich is a beautiful city. Gary needed to buy another pair of hiking shoes as the podiatrist recommends having at least 2 pair of shoes and interchange them every other day. I wouldn't mind this too much but it took Gary a bit of time to decide to follow other people's advise. We were also looking to replace my old Spanish watch as it was not telling me the correct time any longer. I have settled for a Swiss watch with a metal band. It has been difficult to buy watches lately as my skin reacts to most bands. So far so good with this one. Well we have also been on the lookout for a solar charging unit for my IPod and found one here in Switzerland in an Apple store. Well what is shopping in Europe without sitting down in one of the many terraces for lunch and afternoon tea in our case. We enjoyed a burger with chips and salad, but boy what is it expensive here. Unfortunately for Dora the day finished with a parking fine. On our return to Mannedorf we did some shopping and decided to watch the sunset at the lake with a couple of beers. Today was our first day in Europe with wonderful weather. Gary has suggested to return to Europe for a 12 month stay. I reckon that would be an awesome experience as I can imagine myself spending the winter months on the ski slopes somewhere and enjoying a white Christmas again.

Walk in the woods

Swiss Bomb Squad



Beautiful lake near Mannedorf



Glorious mountains in a layer of snow

Arrived Zurich airport at approximately 0730. We quickly made our way to baggage claim and to the exit to meet up with Dora. Dora had a bit of trouble finding us and I suggested to Gary that we order  a cuppa and ask for the phonebook. Gary would keep an eye out for Dora. Soon after Gary arrived with Dora in tow and we all had a drink before grabbing our bags. Now this is where our next problem started. Gary could not find his pack anywhere. Had it been taken or did he leave it behind somewhere? We decided to trace back his steps and soon bumped into a policeman going through a pack. It did not take long for Gary to realize that it was his backpack. On closer inspection there were quite a few police hanging around. On reading their identification they turned out to be the bomb squad. Gary had a bit of explaining to do and was let of the hook with a dire warning. Gary and I have been quite jet lagged and decided to rest rather than explore. After about 5 hours sleep we were ready to explore the area around Mannendorf, where Dora lives. We soon realized that Switzerland is a quaint place, with beautiful homes and pristine lakes and glorious mountains, just waiting for us.

Qaint homes

Learning the ropes

On the 28Th June, Gary and I are joining the family in Glasshouse Mountains, to celebrate Arjanne's and my birthday over dinner at the Caloundra RSL. Diego and Annemieke and their children are moving to Bolton, England on the 14Th July as well. This will give their children the opportunity to experience life in Europe and gives them plenty of time to explore all that Europe has on offer. This will be the only chance of spending some time with the entire family and we made them a promise to take the family abseiling before the Damiani's departure. There was quite a turnout, 18 people in total. The next day we will take the family abseiling and in preparation, Gary takes them through the ropes in the backyard. We pack food, gear and family into 3 cars and make our way to Mt Ngun Ngun. Mt Ngun Ngun has two drops suitable for abseiling. A 10 metre drop for beginners and a 60 metres drop for the ones looking for a thrill. Everyone went down and did extremely well on the 10 metres drop and we decided it was time to let them have a look at the 60 metres drop. Not everyone is game to go down this drop as the initial step off can be quite frightening. After setting up, Gary was first to go and the rest followed, including 10 year old Marcus. Everyone was extremely brave and had the time of their lives. We pack up and say goodbye to everyone before we head back for home.