Ok, so I have internet at home now, and no excuse to continue to neglect my blog. It's been a busy 3 weeks, so get comfortable.
I got here on April 22nd. It was a long flight, but Mark was able to meet me, get me to the apt. and then take me on a mini-tour to show me how the tram system works, etc. Then he went back to work and I headed to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner! It's a daily trip to the store for fresh bread and veggies. But I can walk pretty much anywhere, and there are so many stores to choose from. It's really a lot of fun, and I will miss the ease of walking everywhere when we get back to the states.
I spend most days exploring Basel while Mark works. I read, paint, and browse all of the little shops. Switzerland uses Francs, while Germany and France use Euros - so I'm still converting everything in my head while I shop. The money is pretty straight forward, but the language is another story! The official language is German, but as we are also on the French border, there is a lot of French as well. Not to mention the local slang. It all combines to equal "Swiss German" - and Rosetta Stone does not make a course for this... So we're learning a few words at a time and getting by just fine. (A lot of people speak English here, and help me when I have questions.)
We've done several trips already. We went to Luzern a couple of weekends ago, and then I went a couple of days ago with the girls.
I got here on April 22nd. It was a long flight, but Mark was able to meet me, get me to the apt. and then take me on a mini-tour to show me how the tram system works, etc. Then he went back to work and I headed to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner! It's a daily trip to the store for fresh bread and veggies. But I can walk pretty much anywhere, and there are so many stores to choose from. It's really a lot of fun, and I will miss the ease of walking everywhere when we get back to the states.
I spend most days exploring Basel while Mark works. I read, paint, and browse all of the little shops. Switzerland uses Francs, while Germany and France use Euros - so I'm still converting everything in my head while I shop. The money is pretty straight forward, but the language is another story! The official language is German, but as we are also on the French border, there is a lot of French as well. Not to mention the local slang. It all combines to equal "Swiss German" - and Rosetta Stone does not make a course for this... So we're learning a few words at a time and getting by just fine. (A lot of people speak English here, and help me when I have questions.)
We've done several trips already. We went to Luzern a couple of weekends ago, and then I went a couple of days ago with the girls.
In Luzern, Mark and I went to the top of Mt. Pilatus on the cable cars:
Here's the view from the top!
You've got to REALLY want to go to chuch to go here. (look very closely at the center of the photo.) 
And here's how we got down part of the mountain!
It's called a sledge. Here's a good explanatory shot. It was a blast!
This is me being pulled back up - backwards. Seemed wierd at first, but made for great views at a slower speed. I was facing the valley/lake (below). 
Dawn, Ashley and I went back on Monday. We hung out and explored the city. We also took a two hour boat tour that took us to Weggis where we had an excellent meal! 
Ok, I think that's enough for now. I'll hit the other trips in separate blogs. See you soon!
You got some amazing shots! I can't believe that isolated church! And I think I need a sledge in my backyard, when I get one...What was Weggies!
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