Photo of the Week - Elephant on the Roof

On Sunday Alessio and I went to Berne for the afternoon, the main reason was to visit the Natural History Museum. It took a while to find but when I saw the elephant on the roof I guessed this was the right place, we spent around one hour looking at all the exhibits. There is an exhibition about Barry the legendary St. Bernard Dog, he was one of the most famous Saint Bernards that ever lived.

Locarno Postcards

Goodness where did February go, it has passed so quickly and quietly and I am looking forward to March, then April and my trip to Japan.

Backing up a bit to the Christmas period where I spent 3 days in the Ticino with my friend Natalie.  I have visited Locarno a good few times but never at Christmas so it was nice to see how this place looks like at Christmas.

The day started off rather grey and cloudy but by late afternoon the sky was beginning to clear and we could see the mountain Cardada which overlooks Locarno. The Lake Maggiore looked lovely and the sky had a tinge of pink to it which added to the overall loveliness.

We had a few apero drinks in the Bar Cantina which was closing its doors for the last time and a bit of Locarno history was ending. For me it was the first and last time, but for everyone else it was a chance to meet up and say goodbye. Everything was for sale and it looked like lots had been bought already, we returned later that evening and the place was heaving.

A Trip to Mt Titlis

Back in September while my parents were visiting we went for a day to visit the Titlis mountain situated in Engelberg. We took the cable car up to the top which is 3,238m above sea level and we had a glorious day and had amazing views. At the top we walked along the highest suspension bridge in Europe which was a little scary too. Then we stopped for lunch and made our way down to Trübsee which is 1,796m above sea level, we then walked around the lake.

The walk around the lake does not take too long we stopped on the way for some refreshments, Alessio enjoyed running around and playing. It is a lovely walk and if it is a nice day lots of great views. Once back we took the cable car back down to Engelberg.

In Central Switzerland Mt Titlis is the highest glacier excursion destination so therefore it is very busy all the time. The only down side is it is very expensive especially without any kind of discount.

Mountain Views in Ticino

Beautiful Lake Maggiore

Viewing Platform

in the distance the Brissago Islands

During Christmas and New Year I spent 3 days in the Italian part of Switzerland called the Ticino with my friend Natalie. On our final day we decided to go up the Cardada mountain as it was a beautiful day and we would have lovely views.

First you take the funicular to Orselina at 395m above sea level, then about 5 mins walk you take the cable car up to Cardada at 1,340m above sea level. This cable car designed by the architect Mario Bottas which gives wonderful views.

Once up we wondered to the viewing platform the "Passarelle" which is a landscaped bridge and were awarded with a 180 degree breathtaking sights of Lake Maggiore, the Maggia valley, the Centovalli and the Brissago Islands.

There is still further to go upwards if you want to and we did so we walked to the chair lift that would take us to Cimetta at 1,670m above sea level. We climbed up to the highest point which gives a 360 degree view of  Lake Maggiore and you see how it winds its way into Italy. You can also see the highest point in Switzerland the Monte Rosa Massif.

It was a perfect end to our weekend away!

Photo of the Week - Tanker!

Istanbul must be one of the busiest ports/harbours in world as we saw lots of boat, ships, ferries, tankers, cruise boats, private boats and many more. This one we saw as we were on a cruise going up the Bosporus and it looked so huge. This photo does not do it justice, as to someone not used to seeing huge shipping vessels it was very impressive sight.

A Walk Around Zurich

It is now 3 weeks since the renovations started in my kitchen and to be honest it is really getting to get on my nerves. So on Mondays which is the day I do not work I usually take off to avoid the dust and noise of the workmen!

I drove around a bit and finally ended up parking along the lake, from there I decided to walk into Zurich and explore some parts of the city. The area up from the Niederdorf street has some lovely small streets to explore and buildings to see. Then I came to Neumarkt which is a great area with lots of cool shops, made my way to Central. By this stage I was quite tired, so I made a break and stepped into a bookstore.

I then had to make my way back to the car park to be in time for Alessio coming home from school. So I will be happy when everything is finished at the end of this week.