Lingering winter

Thought Spring was here or around the corner but we've been basted with a cold windy front. It's too bad as our friends Ted, Michelle and their family are here visiting and getting deprived of sunshine and views. Yesterday was a mix of snow and rain.Today rain is threatening but at least we've seen some blue skies and were able to show off some of the Swiss alps.

We drove out to Chillon castle today and I rode the bike back to get in a few miles. As luck would have it the 20 mph wind was going the wrong way so it was a tough journey home. I did see quite the bike along the way and had to stop and get a quick shot!

Dedi Party

Had a nice surprise party for Dedi. Here are some shots from the day!

Ticino weekend

It's been hard to get out of the daily routine of work work work but we finally decided to take a bit of a break. We packed up for a weekend trip and headed out to beautiful Ticino, the largest Italian speaking Canton in Switzerland. Just in case the weather might be nice, Dave packed up his BF.

One problem with the car commute is Dog hair. A bit of work on the car using a hammer, scissors, pliers, and a screw driver, I managed to remove the ski-sleeve and convert the trunk into a quasi hatch back...They actually were quite comfy back there...denning instinct friendly..hope the SPCA doesn't think otherwise...










It was a long but beautiful drive down. Took a wrong turn somewhere in Italy and ended up taking a tour around Lake Maggiore but all in all it was nice to have us all together without too many distractions. Piece of cake says Dedi! We hiked around the town and visited an incredible church (Santa Maria del Sasso) up on the hills. The dogs sure enjoyed the hike up!

We found a nice hotel in town (Rist. de la Posta) with incredible food and a room with a view. We arrived ahead of tourist season so we lucked out with great rates and friendly service.

Check out Lake Lugano view from our window.
We had a great dinner at the hotel. Here are the girls describing good italian pasta...



On Sunday, we headed to a miniature Swiss park. Certainly designed for children but we had a blast.



Here's me getting the camera ready for a nice family shot.



Cozy...


We took the fast route home which included a 17km long tunnel followed shortly by another 9.5 km one. Pretty impressive.

Now we're back home...it's a bit cold and very rainy...wish we had stayed longer in Ticino!

Spring's around the corner

The days are getting longer, flower shoots are coming up, and its starting to feel like Spring. Today started with some nice rain showers but soon the sun came out and things warmed up.

Haven't had a good ride in while so I did the Mollendruz loop that's quickly becoming one of my favorites. All back road riding, very little traffic, and some nice climbs and scenic views. It was a much needed break! Last week I was swamped with work and was recovering from a marathon trip the week before to New York, California and Florida! It's nice to be home.

Not much else new. Last night we rented a movie from a vending machine (pretty weird) and watched Premonition. The girls and I enjoyed it...though I quickly realized I had already seen it (or most of it) on a plane...

By the way, the peak in the background is Mont Blanc. It's situated between Italy and France and is the highest mountain in Western Europe..not often clear enough to see this well...