A Sunny Sunday Stroll

Couldn't help going out for a walk to capture some of that lovely sunshine around the temple grounds and woods. Hope it is shining in your neck of the woods, too!

Our First "Authentic" Swiss Fondue

We were invited to dinner the other night and were treated to Fondue! Delicious! We loved how eating it requires everyone to circle close around the table...within easy reach of the pot of cheese....and creates the perfect slow paced way to chat and nibble the night away. Our friends showed us how to make it, shared the recipe, gave us tips on the best kind of cheese to use. We are  bringing this yummy meal home with us!!

As an added bonus, our hosts live in a converted barn that is absolutely amazing! What a great evening!

Winter Blue Sky and Sunshine

It was great to join kids on bikes, seniors walking their dogs, moms pushing strollers for a wonderful walk in the winter sunshine yesterday afternoon!!! The sun is a rare treat and makes picture taking perfect and colorful! The temple spire is in the distance beyond the pointy pine trees.

 

Mammoth Wood Pile

Remember that big wind storm we told you about? The result of the clean-up project was this 12-foot tall pile of cut trees and this is only from the section of the woods that borders the temple property. Wow!

Did you know...

...that Albert Einstein lived in Bern, Switzerland from 1903 to 1905 and developed his Theory of Relativity here? There is a bronze statue of him at the Bear Park in Bern. If we rub shoulders with him perhaps some of his smarts will rub off on us!
Here are a few of his quotes that are worth pondering:

 "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

 

Blowin' in the Wind

The new year blew in with a BANG here in Switzerland!  On January 3rd, trains derailed, semi-trucks overturned and sadly one skier was killed when a tree fell on him.

Right out our window we can see the damage the 105 mph winds caused as they ripped a wide path through the woods behind the temple. Not surprising, the clean-up crews are out already and cutting and piling the wood into meticulous stacks. Gratefully, none of the many trees on the temple grounds were harmed. 

Happy New Year 2018!!

Today we explored some new parts of Old Town Bern. Once again we discovered hidden treasures in this amazing UNESCO World Heritage site. 

We walked the beautiful promenade of the Bundeshaus Parliament Building (Switzerland's Capitol Building) with its park, fountains, statues, and outdoor elevator that transports riders down the slope to the Aare River below.  Because it was a clear day we also had an excellent view of the alpine mountains in the distance called the "Top of Europe".
The building behind Frank and the ice skating rink is the National Bank of Switzerland spelled out in all three of the official languages of Switzerland...German, French and Italian. Our first day of 2018 came gift wrapped in clear blue sky and golden sunshine!!!