Thursday, May 1, was a holiday and Steve and I took advantage of the day off to explore. The above picture is one which we saw as we were driving to Fribourg. It is looking across the lake to the Vallee with the Alps in the background. I decided that during our car rides we could review some of our French phrases and thus get a little extra study in. It was while I was going over a verb conjugation with Steve that I realized where the term "mayday" in reference to a call for help originated. If I were to ask someone for help in French it would be M' aider, or the phonetic equivalent of "mayday". I'm sure most people already knew this but it was a "discovery" for Steve and I. We also discovered this weekend why so many people take to the streets to stroll and eat when the weather gets warm. None of the buildings are air-conditioned and it gets really H O T inside. Especially when you live on the fifth floor. It only has to be 74 degrees outside to generate temperatures that feel like 90 inside one's apartment. Opening the windows seems like the answer until the rooms begin to fill with mosquitoes and tobacco smoke from everyone who is eating outside right under your window. We've noticed that everyone just opens their windows wide and doesn't worry about bugs. There are no screens here anywhere--even in new construction. This is just one of our challenges to figure out. "The price of living in Europe" as Steve puts it.
Fribourg is an ancient walled city with a lot of architectural character and natural beauty. This shows some of the old city wall.
The clock tower of the Fribourg city hall. There is a statue of a "bell ringer" in the bell tower. You'll want to click on the photo to enlarge it.
Fribourg is built on several levels with a canyon which the river has carved separating some of the areas of the city.
The river which runs through Fribourg.
After we went to Fribourg, we drove to Sion. There are two castles in Sion--an old one and an older one. The above picture is of the Chateau Tourbillon the older one from the path which ascends to it. Steve and I didn't go all the way to the top, which you can see in the right hand corner of the picture. We are waiting for some of our energetic grandchildren to help us get to the top.
A view of the Chateau Valere from the ancient ruins. This was a fairly steep climb.
In the late afternoon Steve and I just sat on some of the rocks of the ruins and enjoyed the wonderful air and beautiful views. There really is no picture that can do justice to the beauty of the area. We are using every opportunity to check out the various sites--architectural, historical and natural beauty so we will be able to serve as your tour guides when you come to see us.
Thursday, May 1, was a holiday and Steve and I took advantage of the day off to explore. The above picture is one which we saw as we were driving to Fribourg. It is looking across the lake to the Vallee with the Alps in the background. I decided that during our car rides we could review some of our French phrases and thus get a little extra study in. It was while I was going over a verb conjugation with Steve that I realized where the term "mayday" in reference to a call for help originated. If I were to ask someone for help in French it would be M' aider, or the phonetic equivalent of "mayday". I'm sure most people already knew this but it was a "discovery" for Steve and I. We also discovered this weekend why so many people take to the streets to stroll and eat when the weather gets warm. None of the buildings are air-conditioned and it gets really H O T inside. Especially when you live on the fifth floor. It only has to be 74 degrees outside to generate temperatures that feel like 90 inside one's apartment. Opening the windows seems like the answer until the rooms begin to fill with mosquitoes and tobacco smoke from everyone who is eating outside right under your window. We've noticed that everyone just opens their windows wide and doesn't worry about bugs. There are no screens here anywhere--even in new construction. This is just one of our challenges to figure out. "The price of living in Europe" as Steve puts it.
Fribourg is an ancient walled city with a lot of architectural character and natural beauty. This shows some of the old city wall.
The clock tower of the Fribourg city hall. There is a statue of a "bell ringer" in the bell tower. You'll want to click on the photo to enlarge it.
Fribourg is built on several levels with a canyon which the river has carved separating some of the areas of the city.
The river which runs through Fribourg.
After we went to Fribourg, we drove to Sion. There are two castles in Sion--an old one and an older one. The above picture is of the Chateau Tourbillon the older one from the path which ascends to it. Steve and I didn't go all the way to the top, which you can see in the right hand corner of the picture. We are waiting for some of our energetic grandchildren to help us get to the top.
A view of the Chateau Valere from the ancient ruins. This was a fairly steep climb.
In the late afternoon Steve and I just sat on some of the rocks of the ruins and enjoyed the wonderful air and beautiful views. There really is no picture that can do justice to the beauty of the area. We are using every opportunity to check out the various sites--architectural, historical and natural beauty so we will be able to serve as your tour guides when you come to see us.
3 comments:
Thanks for the update. We are starting to pack our house up. We got home from New Zealand about six days ago. We hope to be moving by June 1st. Love, Cecile
Absolutely breathtaking!
It is such a storybook place. And you are living in it!
Post a Comment