Sometimes everything just goes right. 

For months, we’d been planning for my parents to come over and spend Christmas with us in our place in Switzerland.  I booked their flights on Lufthansa, connecting in Frankfurt and then onto Basel.

About three weeks before they were supposed to fly, I got a phone call from Lufthansa telling me their initial flight had been cancelled and that they’d been reaccomodated on a flight via Munich.  What a saving grace that ended up being.  Flights across Europe were cancelled due to the heavy snowfalls, and Frankfurt airport ground to a standstill, but Munich was open and operating as per normal.  My parents managed to arrive in Basel about 15 minutes behind schedule, but otherwise without incident.

We brought them back to the house and a week of gluttony began!  On the 23^rd, the snow arrived and it continued snowing until Christmas day, about 8” in total and the first white Christmas in Basel for many, many years.  It was the perfect setting for a traditional Swiss Christmas dinner – roast goose, spaetzle, and red cabbage.

The next morning, the sun came out and it was a spectacular day for walking, so that’s what we did, before heading off for two days in Germany to visit old family friends.

And then it was time to send them home again, this time via Frankfurt.  While the airports in the north of Europe were all buried in snow, Frankfurt was open again as the snow had melted off.  They got back home right on schedule. 

I should have such luck every time I fly!

Our first fondue in Switzerland! (Well, the first one we did at home. We’ve had a few in restaurants…)

Day five of the vacation, and time for me to head back home. Owing to the unexplained disappearance of our gardien, we found ourselves with no one to look after the cats while we were away. Rather than the more orthodox approach of asking a neighbour to look after them (all the neighbours seemed to be away on vacation as well), I flew my father in for the week from Paris.

For him, it was a chance to explore a city he hadn’t visited in nearly twenty years. I cut my trip to the south of France a few days short and came back to spend some time with him.

The only downside? My cats seem to hate him.

Jim finds his road

 

Relaxing in the Jardin du Luxembourg

 

On the Seine

 

Look at me!

 

Posing by the fountain. Seconds after discovering that the wind was blowing and getting drenched with the spray from the fountain. Oh, how the other tourists laughed and pointed!!

 

Holding the Eiffel tower. Look, I am a tourist!

 

Cat-sitting

 

Striking the casual, pointing stance in the Marais.

 

Aude & Jim

 

Jim & Matt in front of the Centre Pompidou. The ugliest building in Paris, according to my father.

 

Jim in front of Paris Plage

 

Matt & Jim in front of Paris Plage

 

Matt & Aude in front of Paris Plage

 

My first real update in more than a month. Needless to say, August has been very, very busy. I am spending most of my time right now travelling between my client’s various sites around Europe, and August has meant trips to Ireland, England, Switzerland, France, and Spain. Deadlines are looming and people are becoming more and more stressed.

Early in August, I did at least get the chance to take a week off. Aude and I spent a week with Aude’s parents and brother in the south of France. It was my first real vacation since we went on our honeymoon nearly a year ago, and even the few days of sun were a welcomed break.

A nice swimming pool and view over the houses

Aude takes her first dip in the pool

Relaxing by the pool

More views over the swimming pool. I could get used to this view every morning.

Flowers

More flowers

Aude in front of the pool

Matt begins to relax by the pool

Aude’s parents are beginning to plan their trip to the US

Preparing dinner

Beginning to relax

Ah – it is because she has a cocktail in her hands!

In the kitchen