Snapshots of May #1

As I am still sorting the house, putting everything back and dealing with year end school events - I will offer various snapshots of our May with visitors and travels. I do have a bone to pick with some American travelers too. Since I didn't get the chance to tell it to their face, I will do so via next Blog post.

So I've gone out to pick up Kendra from school and Rachel from the train station with R & B (female half of the family visiting) on their first day in from the States. We had a lovely day and then the sky started to turn. Pic's are courtesy of Bart. It was 4:30 in the afternoon and at this time of year, it isn't dark until 9:30pm.

Mid-Westerners, What would you be doing if the sky looked like this?: And this:

And this:

I can't say I've ever seen such a Black cloud - tinged with green. Lights on the Lake were flashing - storekeepers were pulling everything inside - if we were still in Iowa, the black box would have been calling out a storm warning and I'd be down in the basement. With the storm room door open and ready just in case. It was not pretty.

We picked Rachel up at the train station and were almost home before the hail hit. But not quite - 2nd hail storm in 2 days for me. The lightning was flashing and I told the girls there was "NO WAY" they were taking a metal funicular lift that runs on metal railroad ties up to the house. They would have to run up the 6 flights of stairs in the wind/rain/lightning (after we waited for the hail to pass) and "don't touch those metal hand rails."

I wonder why my girls kind of freak out during lightning storms?

The girls were fine - R & I? Took a while to recover from our run up 6 flights of stairs.

But earlier in Rapperswil, the day looked like this: We also visited the Kloster in Einsiedeln, a Benedictine Monastery whose original Chapel dates back to approx. 800 AD. The Benedictine choir there sounds so beautiful - the place has wonderful acoustics. You aren't allowed any pictures inside so - nothing to share of this beautiful church.

But they have a great sense of humor:" When the High C is sung, the glass breaks"

Outside in front of the Kloster. It's located in the smallest little town but is a huge draw because of the significance of this Monastery to the Benedictines and Catholic history.

The road to Einsiedeln (and skiing!!!!!!) viewed from Schindeleggi:

The Lake that night, after the storm:

Took a day drive to Lake Constance/Bodensee which is bordered by Switzerland, Germany and Austria. We went to Lindau - German side - and our young guests were thrilled that day to drive in 4 different countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Leichtenstein. A little amazed that there are no border stops either nowadays - other than customs coming back into Switzerland.

I just accidentally deleted the pic I was going to show. Oh well - Blogger doesn't have a 'back' button for such mistakes and I can do it later.

But a big Zeppelin floated past as we were at the Bodensee - so quiet, you don't know it's there until it's right on top of you. The museum is not far from Lindau - maybe we'll go sometime.

And the castle on the hill in Leichtenstein:

We went to Paris with our friends - I think I already shared the crooked, Eiffel Tower pic with you all. I couldn't resist taking these to share:

Practical day clothes for children, oui? Or these:

How many ways can one make the ankle or knee scream at you?

Had a good time and I still haven't looked through all the pictures!