Regina and Michael came for a visit

We got a little behind on the blog due to US trip and Jim feeling under the weather but we are back.  In August we
had our 2nd visitors to Switzerland. Most of you know Regina and Michael are my sister and brother in law.  We met them in Zermatt as they completed an 8 day hike around Monte Rosa. We spent the next week together on various adventures and as we review all the images, you see how diverse the terrain of Switzerland really is. 

 View of the glacier on the way up to Ice Palace above Zermatt

There is an ice cave at the top of the very highest lift . It was frigid, blue inside and kind of creepy but cool. 


An ice cave in August...perfect

 I had forgotten Reg was there in shorts...

There is a bench area in the ice cave with wooly seat covers..no one was hanging out there except us. 

 On the lift coming back down into Zermatt




The next day we took the Gornergrat train which is between the Klein Matterhorn and Rothorn mountains. It also offered great glacier views and a view of Monte Rosa, the tallest peak in Switzerland. 

This little chapel was located at the top of the look out

  Riffelsee Lake from the top of the Gornergrat

  This big fella was sunning himself at the top, waiting to rescue some fool. The owner said he carries spirits  in the keg for the patients.

You guys didn't know Reg has a summer gig...

Well, enough cold stuff..we are in Leukerbad for a hike and hot spring soak. But first , we need a little gateau and espresso. 

There is an annual festival in Vevey,The Leman Tradition, where the owners of vintage wooden sail boats spend a week hanging out on Lake Geneva around Vevey and La Tour de Peitz. We were lucky enough to secure a ride on a beautiful sail boat for a cruise after I got off work one night. 

 Just another Tuesday night in Vevey

 This is our neighboring town, La Tour de Peitz

 Hey, I can see my office from here! 

The world headquarters of Nestle for Lake Geneva

Vevey looks really nice from the water with the beautiful vineyards overlooking it. 

  Ship board entertainment even

 

The next day was Swiss National Day, a holiday like 4th of July. It was a great day so back to the water we went. This time in a pedal boat.

  We pedaled right up to the boat we sailed in the night before to get a good shot

Swiss National Day celebrated along the waterfront in Vevey with food, arts and crafts and live music. 

We bumped into my friend from work, Pascale. Her husband, Ben is a paleontologist, collecting and selling all kinds of fossils and crystals. He had a display at the street fair on the waterfront. 

Pascale is an exuberant French Swiss and Ben is a Berber from Morocco.  They treated us to the most delicious and beautifully served Moroccan tea that they poured over fresh mint leaves. 

 This disgusting little fossil is a trilobites. Extinct and quite a collectable in some circles I guess.  

 Some trilobites are over 250 million years old

  

Sticking with our water themed week, we took a dinner cruise from Lausanne to enjoy the fireworks and views.

 Jim took the following pictures of all the cute little places the boat stops. 

  St Saphorin

 The weather rapidly changed while on the cruise. We ended up in a violent lightning storm during the fireworks . It was just breathtaking and dramatic. 

 Yvoire, France across the lake

The end of the fireworks show.

I failed to take a picture of Michael and Regina in the train pulling away at the end of their trip. I was so sad. We had a great time together.