couldn't stay away

After my time in the Alps just a few weeks ago, I just had to return. Thanks to my professor for taking a week to spend time with his family at home in Greece, I got the week "off". By "off" I still had stacks of reading, 2 papers, and a 40 minute presentation to prepare. But hey, no class! Off to Switzerland it was...

Caught a nice 3:45 bus to get to the airport just in time for my flight. Landed in Geneva and caught a train to head up the hills to Chateau d'Oex.

lake Geneva

some street art in Montreux

It was so great to be back with the Zeller family!! Even if I spent my first couple days writing my papers and going on the occasional walk in the mountains. 

We even went to a Halloween party in a nearby town. So well done. 

little pony parade

chalet built circa 1732

hip hip hooray!

everyone is winterizing 

2 special boys from Oxford are coming to join us tomorrow. We're all crossing our fingers they actually make it here. 

an irish weekend

After a social with the Oxford polo team, I awoke bright and early to catch a bus at 4. To the airport we go! Off to spend the weekend in Northern Ireland with some dear old friends. 

Arrived in Belfast to so much rain. Spent my day walking around and drying off in coffee shops.   

here we are with city hall

 Finally met up with Keely to head home and curl up to a fire. So wonderful to see these lovely ladies! Quite out of context not to be in the states though. 

Got to go for a little walk out the front door. Fields of sheep and cows. The sea. It's beautiful! 

  

Spent the weekend hiking, site seeing, eating, drinking, laughing, and catching up with friends.

here we are at some cliffs

so cute! 

we crawled out to the edge of that cliff

Giant's Causeway

call me captain

sunday funday

Take advantage of a nice day here, right? So how bout a long walk to have a Sunday roast along the water? That's just what Stuart, John, and I did this fine Sunday. 

We came across a big green field filled with hundreds of cows and ponies! Children, dogs, gardens. So great!

We were almost like real adults and ate real grown up food. Such a nice change from our Keble dining hall grub!

bath time

Today was spent on a field trip! Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon. 

jane austen festival in Bath

check out our new headsets/phones

ze baths 

fun w the GoPro

From Bath we went to Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon to see Hamlet. It was pretty average to say the least...

some child's play in Stratford-upon-Avon

alp day

Today we had a BBQ up at the alp. Coolest place ever! Some day, I will (take my word) bring a group of friends to spend some time at a place like that. For this weekend, the Zeller's invited a large group of friends, children, and dogs for a day of fun at the alp.  Yard games, food and wine galore, different languages, and happy laughs filled the day til sunset. 

more cowbell

cayuties

perfection

Swiss bowling

so many laughs

homemade puppet  show

I'm in love!

swiss land

My days in Switzerland have been filled with great walks, a wonderful family, too much cheese and wine, and friendly cows. I love it!! I feel like I'm in a fairytale! While everyone else is at work/in school, I take long walks straight from the door. Hours later I find my way back home with jello legs. 

as the cows do

miles of trails just out the back door

up up and away

of the many cow kisses

flies EVERYWHERE

 The cows here are most loving! 

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tired of cow pictures yet?