Hi everyone.  We have been traveling nonstop since our Christmas Vacation began on December 16th.  Living out of a suitcase, coupled with limited wifi connections have made it difficult to update the blog regularly.

So hear is our first update from Swiss Family Wayling.  We had been planning to return to Switzerland since we left 10 years ago.  We agreed that the Christmas season would be the best time to reintroduce the kids to their home of 5 years.   We left Paris on Friday (Dec. 16th), slept in Langres, France; then arrived in Seuzach, Switzerland on Saturday.  Our rental was supposed to be a mid-sized car, and luckily all they had left was a 318i BMW.

Our friends, the Sennhausers, in Seuzach hosted us for 2 nights.  It was so nice to reunite with them.  They really spoiled us with traditional Swiss Raclette, and toured us around Winterthur and Zurich.  Zurich Bahnhof, the Christmas Markets, candle dipping and Gluhwein all helped get us into the spirit of the season.

Since arriving we were able to reconnect with the kid’s friends (Jacqueline and Peter), Brianna’s Tagesmutter, Marlene (her husband Eric, and daughter Anina), Greg’s Tagesmutter, Renate  (her daughters Angela and Rebekka), a former student, Celine Heri (just finished her Masters degree), and former neighbours in Seuzach, Judy and Bruno.

Some of the important things we’ve managed to see/experience with the kids:

• Our two apartments and house we lived in over the 5 years
• Winterthur and Zurich city centres (Christmas markets, traditional candle making)
• Winterthur Thermal pool and Spa
• Konstanz, Germany (Thermal pools, Sealife Centre)
• Luzern and Mount Pilatus by cable car (2130 metres)
• The Rheinfalls and Laufen Castle (lit up at night)
• Berne (Einstein’s home, Gothic old city and Bear Pit)
• The town of Gruyere (and factory of the famous cheese)
• Lausanne and Geneva drive throughs

The weather has been chilly (zero degrees and foggy), and so we’ve been touring while drinking hot drinks, or jumping on and off trams to stay warm.  The thermal pools are amazing here…we have no photos of them, but check out this link to see the thermal pools right on the edge of Boden lake in Germany.

Greg and Bri at doors of Castle Laufen

Castle Laufen entrance

Making traditional beeswax candles

Greg’s Tagesmutter, Renate

Kybourg bridge (picnic area from 12 years ago)

Brianna’s Tagesmutter, Marlene

Zurich Christmas Market with Peter & Jacqui

Walking to Morsburg Castle

Gratstrasse 4 (kids house in CH)

We looked ahead and the weather is going to be 10 degrees celsius for us in Saou, France (just south of Crest).

We’ll send another update soon.