up to 16 November

Hi! Ken writing the blog this time around (it'll be short n sweet ;-)

The weekdays all feel the same... work is good but it's the weekends that make it worthwhile. A couple of weeks ago we visited Susan & Thomas's home in the countryside near Sissach (Sissach is a few kms south of Basel). I haven't been there since Sept '05 and enjoyed the quiet, calm environment -- well, quiet except for the noise of their 4 kids living life at full tilt. We enjoyed many special wines and played some games. The time on the train going and returning was spent grading exams.

Last weekend, was really really quiet but the weather was lovely on Saturday so we had a pleasant walk along the promenade (see photos). Sunday was grey and threatening rain so we chose to visit the Collection de l'Art Brut in Lausanne. It's a superb museum displaying artworks created by societies dispossessed: insane, obsessed, self-removed, or mentally retarded. Incredibly, it is difficult not to relate with many of the works -- or at least marvel at the power of persistent effort. The artists' were compelled to create whether they wanted to or not and results, in my opinion, in true art.

This weekend was full! Saturday afternoon, we took the funicular from Vevey to Mont Pelerin and then wandered our way down the mountain to the village of Chardonne ... why go to Chardonne? well, a wine festival of course! I had invited the MBA students to join us and 5 did. You pay 10Francs for a festival wine glass and go from "cave" to "cave" to taste each winemaker's best wines for sale. We had a very enjoyable afternoon tasting many many wines (sometimes the same wine twice - hic!). The view was incredible, as was the hospitality. We arrived at our last cave to have our last taste of wine and came upon a cauldron over a fire pit that was full of bubbling homemade soup. A perfect finish.
Today we joined Olivier (HIM's sports & leisure director) and 8 students on a train ride to Les Avants, then a funicular to Sonloupe. From there we wandered 3 hours back down to Montreux. Even though downhill, it proved to be a great workout. The photos give you a sense of how the weather and clouds changed as we descended.
A bientot, Ken

Oct '08

The MBA program that Ken manages here started in September. Professors from Michigan visit in 2 week blocks to teach the courses. While they are here, we try to invite them for a home-cooked meal at least once. This is fun for Wonda since she loves to cook, and fun and interesting for both of us to get to know these people outside of the work environment.

18 Oct – Milan with Lisa: Professor Lisa wanted to do something special during her weekend here. We all decided to go to Milan for the day. Ken and I had done this trip at the end of August but were keen to go again. We still weren’t able to visit DaVinci’s “Last Supper” (need to buy 3+ months in advance). But we did go to an art museum (Pinacoteca di Brera) that was very interesting. We spent most of the day walking and revisited some of the sites that we’d been to on a very hot day in August. We put off lunch until almost 2PM and then went for pizza – we got 2 very simple real Italian pizzas to share. They were huge and it took us at least 1.5 hours to eat… but we couldn’t bear to leave any behind. It was sooo good. Then we really needed to keep walking! We bought chocolate for the train ride home – but supper was out of the question.

20 Oct – I started my job teaching English to the students who will start their hospitality program in a couple of months. The curriculum for hospitality management school includes ‘food & beverage’ and that includes learning about wine. So… (lucky me) I am teaching “Communication Skills” and “Introduction to Wine.” I am really enjoying it. I have 25 students and I try to make the learning fun for them.

It takes me 45 minutes to get to the campus. It’s in a community called Leysin way up on the mountain (1420m above sea level). Last week we had a beautiful day with 15C and sunny. But… they were calling for snow the next day in Leysin. I took my camera and got photos of the vineyards – all golden down the mountainside, with the turning leaves on the trees in forests further up. I’m glad I took those photos because, the next morning, those same slopes were dusted white. It looked amazing! There was about 8 inches of snow on the trees and rooftops at 1400m. a winter wonderland. Two days later it was all gone. I enjoy my travel time to work on the train. I either listen to music and look at the scenery or I sometimes read in preparation for the day. I work with a good bunch of folks.  

More blogging soon, Wonda

September '08

Sept. Update (posted in Nov!!! it's ken's fault)

We had a great September, although it went by very quickly.

We were thrilled to have our friends from Canada visit. They were touring Italy and made time for a couple days with us along their way. Our time was too short, but we made we most of it. We caught up with each other over a leisurely dinner that lasted for hours. We talked ‘til our friends were exhausted and made plans for the next day. We went for a walk/hike in the old town, through some vineyards, on a hiking trail, and eventually made our way to Ken’s office and the lake-side boardwalk. We shared photos and stories and plunged into a pot of fondue in the evening. All too soon we had to say goodbye as they continued on their tour to France. It was great fun to have shared that time.

In mid Sept., we went to this event “Route Gourmande”- meaning ‘gourmet route’. It was a wine tasting and typical swiss meal, only it took place in the vineyards, and you walked your way from one course to another. 5 courses, 5 kilometres and about 4 hours! First they gave us a glass and we chose the wine we wanted to sample and tasted some homemade pastry. Then we walked along with our glass and there was a traditional appetizer of ‘cold cuts’ meat served with dill pickles and homemade bread. Ken ate the meat off my plate while we sat by a fountain next to a cluster of houses and barns. A group of musicians were on a break, but we could hear an accordion and guitar as we topped up our glasses and headed off through the vineyards ‘til we came upon another cluster of houses. We tasted another wine and got a bowl of beet soup. This time there were a group playing the ‘alpenhorns’ ( you know-from the “Ricola” commercial). We wound our way up the side of the mountain ‘til we came into a little village. Here we were served a chicken stew in puff pastry, and more wine. We sat on an old stone wall to admire the spectacular view out over the vineyards and Montreux while we ate. Then it was on the trail again. Next stop was wine only… I guess they thought we might need to re-fill by then. We didn’t stay long there, although it seemed to be a very popular spot. Next was the cheese course. They could have been more generous with the quantity, but it was good. So was the assortment of homemade breads they served with it. We continued on our way and came to the dessert course and some sweeter wines. After that, there was an area set up to sell all the local wines that were on offer, so you could take some favourites home with you. They also had a big tent set up with long tables, and it appeared that plenty of people were buying a bottle to share with each other at the end of the tour. There was a table full of homemade breads too, and we picked up a loaf. It was a really pleasant afternoon of walking, eating, and sipping on wine! We enjoyed it a lot, and when we saw just how close we were to Montreux, we decided to walk home. A lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

September has brought cooler temperatures and the need for a jacket. Ken and I remind ourselves that we really need to adjust to these cooler temps! After three years of 30degrees every day … we have some adjusting to do. We don’t want to just stay inside ‘til it gets warm again, we want to stay active and be outside too.

So to be active and get warm, we have joined a local gym. This place is above the shopping centre, and has just been re-opened with all new equipment. The best thing is that in the changing rooms there is a sauna and a steam room. That means we can ‘warm up our bones’ in the winter. I find that deep heat stays with me a long time. There is a tanning bed (which I won’t use) and a solarium too, so I can sit and relax under the heat and light from the sun if it gets dark and dreary- which I think it will. We’re next to the lake, and backed by the mountains, so I am expecting fog, clouds and rain as the seasons change and the temp. of the water and the air differs so much. I hear that it can be mild and sunny throughout the winter, so we’ll see.

On Saturday, the 27^th, we went to Zurich (in northern Switzerland) for the day. We walked around the city and had a very expensive coffee and hot chocolate! We came across a market of ‘second hand everything’. Some things were antique, some things just curious – like licence plates from B.C. and Alberta, and some things just “stupid expensive”. It seemed that people expected to re-cooperate the cost of their original investment. There were a lot of designer name clothes, but too price-y for used goods! It was an eye opening experience.

Wandering through the old cobblestone streets of the city and having a picnic at the side of a grand old church in a city square was pleasant too, and the day passed by quickly.

The following day, we went to this festival in a little village near Lausanne (the nearest large city to us - 30 mins. by train). This festival seemed more geared to kids, so we left there and went to Lausanne and had pizza by the lake in a little Italian restaurant. Then we just took the train to a village on the way home and we walked through the vineyards on the road to home. The weather was gorgeous and we walked for over 3 hours before finally taking the train the rest of the way home. We are reminded once again of how beautiful it is here.So you see, we are trying to get out and see the area and get some fresh air and exercise at the same time.

Let’s see what October has in store! ‘Til next time…