Paragliding!

Rhodri had arranged with Robair Paragliding for us to both go for a tandem ride on this afternoon (weather dependent). We raced from the klettersteig back to the hotel and then took the funicular back down the hill to the car and then drove to Mollis where we found this place. We got straight into a van with 3 other guys and a girl drove us up a very steep and narrow road to a nondescript part of the mountain and we got out and walked into the sloping field.

The sloping field - our launch site

Rhodri and his guide getting ready to launch

Me and Gabor (my guide) getting ready to launch

Launching was allegedly the trickiest part and it took us a few tries to get it right, but then we lifted off and it was amazing!

Me and Gabor high in the sky

I wish I knew at the time that Gabor was a two time world champion acrobatic paraglider, but I wasn't to learn that until after we safely landed. I was pretty scared up there but it was exhilarating! On the way down, we did a bunch of tight twirls in the air and then gently touched down. I was pretty happy to be back on terra firma.

Gabor, me, Rhodri and Jon-Peter

Rhodri had an interesting time up in the sky too - his seat didn't get into place very well so he was hanging by the straps for quite a few minutes while Jon-Peter tried to kick his harness better into place. But after he adjusted into place I think it went a bit better. Anyway, it was an amazing afternoon with fantastic visibility and really great guides. Highly recommend these guys!

After paragliding, we headed back towards Linthal so we could get back up the funicular to Braunwald, but we were too late for the set dinner so we ventured to the end of the road and had dinner at Hotel Todi. This turned out to be a really weird place which is the base for the largest construction project in Switzerland - a hydroelectric power plant in the upper part of the valley. We were really scruffy looking after our long day of klettersteigen and paragliding, but they let us eat in their fancy restaurant anyway! We love Switzerland!

Klettersteigen

Today was a massive day because we did the Eggstock klettersteigen (aka via ferrata) in the morning and then later on in the afternoon we went paragliding!

Eggstock looming in the cloud as we approached

Rhodri in shadow on the approach

There were a lot of people also planning to do the klettersteigen. Of course, it was the last Saturday of August with a fair weather forecast in the Swiss Alps, so its not too surprising! Both Rhodri and I felt rather intimidated on the approach to see all these other people in their climbing helmets and backpacks, thinking that they are probably better climbers than either of us.

Queuing up for the start of the climb

Rhodri on a ladder section waaay up high

Rhodri and the lower section of the route

We also saw a few different pairs of elderly people out there on the rock! There were a couple of guys who looked to be in their 70's and then later on we saw a man and woman who both looked to be in their 70's as well. We thought it was just so cool to see people of all descriptions and abilities out there spending the day climbing around in the mountains.

A really wobbly suspension bridge

Rhodri near the top of the climb

Self-take near the top of the climb

So the whole thing took about 4 hours and it wasn't too scary or difficult at all. It was actually really fun to be able to climb and feel so secure with the harness and cable system along with the generous supply of hand and foot holds that were installed on the rock. It might have been better if there was clear visibility but it was actually really cool to have cloud and mist blowing around, and for the mountains to suddenly appear in a flash of sunlight for a few seconds. We didn't do the final (3rd) section of the klettersteig because we needed to get down the hill so we could fit in the paragliding we had arranged!

Braunwald Day 1

This morning we had breakfast and checked out at a leisurely hour so that we would get to our hotel in Braunwald with enough time to be able to leave again and do some climbing on the via ferrata that we are supposed to do tomorrow. We had a heck of a time driving out of Zurich, but this time it was Rhodri behind the wheel rather than me. Finally we got out of the city and onto the open road!

Heading for the mountains of Glarus canton

 It was a stunning day - so, so beautiful with big mountains and green grass and tidy farms. We decided that the Swiss would never let us live in this country - we are not tidy enough.

Unknown mountains with beautiful clouds

We followed the directions to get to the Braunwaldbahn station. Braunwald is a village up on the side of the mountain so you can't actually drive there and you have to take a funicular-train-thingy from Linthal to get up there instead. Rhodri and I were like two excited kids getting into this funicular-train-thing to go up the steep mountain to Braunwald!

On the funicular to Braunwald from Linthal

 Once we arrived, there was a horse and cart from our hotel waiting to transport us further up the mountain.

Braunwald with our horses & cart in the foreground and Eggstock in the background

On the way to Hotel Todiblick in the cart

 We checked into this lovely hotel, Hotel Todiblick, and then made our way to the chairlift to take us up to Gumen. It is so amazing how accessible the mountains are here in Switzerland!

On the chairlift en route to Gumen

The light was spectacular on the tidy little farms set on the mountainside

We got to Gumen and rented some equipment so that we could do some practicing on the mini-via ferrata that was set up behind the hut. The reason we chose to come to Braunwald in the first place was so we could do this fixed-rope climb (aka via ferrata) on the mountain called Eggstock. We spent a couple of hours on this "child" climb, which really scared the cr** out of each of us in one section. We were thinking, oiy, if this is the child's version, then what will tomorrow be like?!!

Me on the practice climb

Rhodri on the practice climb

We got through it and came back down the hill to Gumen so we could catch the chairlift back down in time for dinner at our lovely hotel.

Gumen hut visible with the Todi valley in the background, peaks covered in clouds

The hotel offers set dinner menus which we heartily signed up for, and it was such a delicious meal.

Zurich part deux

After meeting Rhodri at the station, we headed out so he could see some of Zurich before the sun set. We walked through the old part of Zurich and found the perfect place to sit outside and have an aperitif before finding a place for dinner.

Rhodri in front of the outdoor bar next to the Opera house on the lakefront where we had aperitifs

Really cool paddle boats with slides built into them!

Then we found a really great little restaurant which was packed but they fit us onto the end of a table that already had 6 people sitting there. Our waiter was Spanish and we had the most gorgeous bottle of wine - Beronia Rioja - to go with our meal. It was a great evening.

Zurich solo adventure

I had such an adventure today!

Approaching the Freitag flagship store in Zurich

I got up at 4am and drove myself to Gatwick, flew to Zurich and rented a car. My first mission was to find the Freitag flagship store. My mission didn't go so well but I got there in the end! Basically, I got directions from the car rental guy and it sounded really easy.. and I'm sure it would have been significantly easier if I hadn't missed the first turnoff I needed to take. So then I was on the freeway, not able to stop or pull over, roads splitting into either "Bern" or "Winterthur" and I was like..ACK!

I had plugged in the GPS unit when I was at the airport but "Janice" (the lady inside the unit) couldn't figure out where in the world I was for about 20 minutes and then suddenly said "In 200 yards, turn left onto [something indecipherable]". I wonder where she thought I was trying to go, because I certainly hadn't told her.  Anyway, I reminded myself that I had all day to find this place and it was only 11 am at that point. Eventually I took a random exit and was in some weird industrial area so pulled over and called the other Freitag store to ask directions to the flagship store. I put in the address for a road that was near the store and was able to drive somewhere in the vicinity although I hadn't spotted it yet. By this time I just needed to get out of the rental car and walk around in the fresh air for a bit. Fortunately I found a choice place to park for free and verified that I had done the little card display thing properly by asking a nearby traffic warden who was in the process of giving a ticket to someone else's car.  So I walked with my dodgey map and went past a really nice looking park with people doing yoga, big fun play structures, sand pits with shade umbrellas over them (such a good idea!), and then I came around the corner and there it was!

The shop itself is within the first four containers which are stacked vertically, and then there is an observation deck on the very top. I wanted to visit the factory also, but it was a distance away and by the time I actually got to this place I was a bit rattled from my driving experience and so decided to give it a miss and attempt to find the hotel instead.

View from the observation deck of Freitag looking towards downtown Zurich

Janice helped me find the Hotel Continental and I cannot tell you how relieved I was to pull into the hotel parking garage and shut off the engine! It was really stressful driving around Zurich - pedestrian crossings everywhere (and they fully expect cars to stop for them so don't even look), tram lines sharing the streets with trams going both directions, cyclists all over the place, road construction. Poor Janice had to do a lot of recalculating for me! Anyway, got there in the end. Checked in, made myself a cup of tea and opened up the maps to have a good look at the city layout. Then I set out on foot for a few hours while I waited for Rhodri to show up. I walked along the river south towards the lake and found some steps going down to the river. I took off my shoes and put them in the cool, clear, gorgeous water and it was such a treat!

Toes and swan

 I meandered through the back alleys and made my way back to the lake, treated myself to an ice cream and sat to enjoy the afternoon scene.

Lake Zurich

 As I was sitting to study the map and enjoy the moment, I realized that there was a swimming icon in the river pretty close to where I was but on the other bank and on the way back up to the train station where I was to meet Rhodri. As I was approaching it, a lady walked in through a door and I was intrigued so I followed. The lovely girl at the reception gave me all the details when I asked "What is the place?" It turns out that it is a ladies-only natural swimming bath with an inner private swimming area and an outer section open to the river. I hadn't brought my swimsuit with me and told her this, and she said, "Oh, you don't need one. Just go in your knickers." So that is just what I did! It was the best 7 Francs I have spent yet! I stripped down, rented a towel, and swam in cool river bliss on this warm afternoon after my day of stressful driving and sticky, sweaty clothes.

The outer swimming area adjacent to the river

View from my towel part 1

View from my towel part 2

View from my towel part 3

 It was so incredibly wonderful to swim in this way, not give a hoot about who saw me nearly nekkid from the shores or the passing boats! And to swim backstroke while looking up at this beautiful architecture was so special. I probably only spent 45 minutes there or something, because soon i had a text from Rhodri saying he was 15 min from the station and so I had to get a move on!

Hotel (A), my walking route (not counting alley wanderings) down to the lake, the Frauenbad ladies swimming club at the 'X', and the route back to the train station.

We had a happy reunion in the train station and then walked to our hotel nearby and started the evening!

Bank Holiday Monday with Nain and Taid

Nain and Taid arrived last night in time for dinner and because today was a holiday, we got to spend it altogether! We had originally planned to go to the Edenbridge show but decided on our way there to change plans and go to Nyman's instead. This turned out to be a good move. It was a beautiful sunny day and everywhere was heaving with people because it was a public holiday. Nyman's was still busy but at least it was free for us (NT members) and we could do what we wanted.

Beryl and Rhodri in the Loggia at Nymans

Taid Trefor and Rhiannon

Playing a family round of croquet

I love this photo

It was a fabulous day out and then we were happy to come home and BBQ for dinner. Tomorrow Rhodri is leaving for some trade show in Germany and then on Thursday I am going to meet him in Switzerland for 5 days! So exciting! And it is all possible because Nain and Taid have agreed to come down and look after the troops for this week. Thank you so much!

Beach day in Bexhill

Today our neighbors Peter and Jane invited us to join them at their rented beach hut in Bexhill-on-Sea. It was lovely weather forecast so I used up a vacation day to go to the beach. We had never been to Bexhill-on-Sea, nor had we ever experienced the use of a beach hut so it was all very exciting.

The beach chair location with open hut behind

View from beach chair location out to the seashore

Toby and Tryfan with bubble gum flavored ice creams

We were 4 families altogether: Peter & Jane & kids, Liz DF & kids, Peter & Jane's friends from London & kids, and us. The beach was "shingly" - meaning small rocks rather than sand - but the tide was retreating over the course of the afternoon, and then it was sandy and silty further out.

The scene

 Most of us went swimming and I was surprised at how warm the water was! Santa Barbara waters never get this warm. It was shallow for a long, long way out and the surf was tiny so it felt very safe and friendly.

The kids dug a tar pit (fortunately not real tar - just sticky silt)

The kids had a blast all playing together in the water and then digging a tar bath to get super sticky muddy in!

Tryfan very proud of himself

Rhiannon, Max, Mark and Toby in the mud pit

We decided to all go back to our neighborhood to have dinner at La Casa. We took over half the restaurant with our party of 8 adults and 9 kids - fortunately sat at 2 separate tables!

Kids table with Ollie, Katie, Rhiannon, Sophia, Toby, Tryfan, Mark and Max

Sophia, Toby, Tryfan and Mark

Rhiannon and Toby were rapt watching the chef make pizza

 We went through a few bottles of prosecco and had a grand time chatting.

Liz and Peter looking very jolly

It was one of the best days we've had all summer -- so spontaneous and fun and social! Big up to P&J for inviting us along.

Jumping around

This morning Rhodri was out on his bike for an extra long ride, so the kids and I decided to go to Blackberry Farm. All they really wanted was just to do some jumping on a trampoline and so we went here where it turns out there is no age limit for using the equipment!

The sky looked threatening but it never did rain on us. Our favorite part was jumping on the giant rainbow pillow which is surrounded by sand. No age limit on this one, either! We did leave the pillow when tiny kids came on - we didn't want them to get hurt - but when the pillow was mostly empty, we were straight back on it. It's so fun jumping high and popcorning the kids so they go flying!

Rhiannon in green and Tryfan in dark gray on top of the bouncy pillow

Tryfan mid-bounce

We got home in late afternoon so we could talk to Grandma and enjoy the rest of the Sunday.