Serious Update!

Oh boy. So I have plenty to catch up on. I haven't written in close to a month, not to mention, that month included a week of vacation! So here goes...

So by the middle and end of September, I think I really started to get into the swing of things. I have now been here over 3 months, so I guess it was about time! But things are going well with the kids and I was able to settle into my new French class, my church small group and a new basketball team. The weather is all nice and cold, which was actually a welcome change for me. I enjoy the heat, but not so much getting all sweaty carrying the boys around! So it's nice that it is cooler and all windy. It is also really foggy here now, which makes the lake look endless and mysterious. It's a pretty cool effect. There really hasn't been too much rain recently, so that's nice as well. We'll see if I am still enjoying the cold in a couple more weeks...

I was able to spend a weekend with my friend and fellow au pair, Jessalyn, up in Germany at the end of September. She lives in Bremen (in the northern part of Germany) and it was an absolute blast. It was the first person from home that I had seen, and we just had the best time. We talked and laughed constantly (in English!!!). I arrived bright and early on Saturday morning and was greeted at the station with a sign that said "Wilkommen Lindsay". Jessalyn and I explored the city, which is beautiful and historic. We had PLENTY of good food to eat (chocolate, sausages, fries... all that good healthy stuff) and took a tour of the Beck's Brewery Factory up in Bremen. That was quite an interesting and educational experience... We wandered around downtown and did some shopping and then Jessalyn cut my hair and we attempted to go to a Latin dance club downtown. Turns out, it wasn't really a place to dance, but rather a place to drink and listen to Latin music. So we headed back home for good girl talk time instead. I had to head out fairly early on Sunday, so we simply had time to eat a good German breakfast and load up on Milka chocolate (my favorite German kind that I have been unable to find in Switzerland) before I took off. I took the train home (about 8 hours) and got back to work the next morning. It was a short but fantastic weekend. It was unbelievably wonderful to get to spend time with a friend from home!

The next weekend was the wine festival here in Neuchatel. It was a bit crazy for my liking, but again, a rather interesting experience :) I was forewarned, but was still surprised at how crazy it was. The streets were PACKED with people (apparently they come from all over Switzerland and France to enjoy the weekend's festivities) and it's basically just an excuse for everyone to drink as much as they please. I stayed downtown to watch the parade and be amazed by the millions and millions of pieces of confetti they spread all over the streets. But I headed back for a good night sleep when most people were just getting started...

It was a great week of work and time with the family, and then I headed off for a week of vacation! It took a good amount of time and effort (on my end, as well as my mother's) to figure out what to do during the week, but it turned out to be amazing. I purchased a Eurail pass in September, thinking I could use it for Germany and for my week of vacation. What I didn't realize before buying it was that there are a limited number of seats for people with passes on each train, and it costs a LOT to make a reservation (which most trains now require). So I was limited on places that I could actually go. I ended up using the pass to go to Paris for the weekend, and then just flew to Madrid, as I could not find a train to get me there... Paris was aboslutely spectacular. I met up with my friend Halley, who is an au pair in a town about an hour away. She and I did tons and tons of stuff on Saturday. We started off at the Eiffel Tower and made our way through a good bit of the city. We saw the Louvre, the Champs Elysees, many museums and bridges, as well as the cathedral of Sacre Coeur. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the Monmarte area, which is a little ways outside of the city, but has a very quaint Parisian feel. We ate great food in front of Sacre Coeur and then wandered around and had coffee and sweets. That evening, we went back to the Eiffel Tower to meet up with a friend of Halley's and have a fabulous meal. It was so neat to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night. I absolutely love that city! Halley had to leave on Sunday morning, so I got up bright and early to see her off and then spent a good 5 hours exploring myself before I caught the train back to Geneva. I made the mistake of lugging around my roll-on suitcase the entire morning. Not such a great idea with all the cobblestone streets... I had blisters covering my hands and severely damaged the wheels. But it was still amazing. Paris was so quiet on Sunday morning. I hardly saw anyone besides all of the rowers in the Seine River. I saw Notre Dame, some more of the Eiffel Tower, some various bridges, and spent some good time just sitting on park benches and taking everything in. After a couple of metro mistakes, I finally made my way to the train station and headed back to Switzerland.

I had to fly out of Geneva to get to Madrid, so I stayed with a family friend in town. She (Maddy) met my parents a while back in Switzerland, and they have talked so fondly of her ever since. So I was so pleased to meet her and be able to stay with her for the night. She cooked a fantastic meal and was oh so hospitable. I was able to relax for the night before heading off the next morning.

My flight fromm Geneva to Madrid was a nice, quick, easy one. I made it from the doors of the airport to my gate in 6 minutes! It was a really wonderful experience, because I had been worried about making it there in time for my flight, but God worked wonders and opened up traffic and airport security to get me on that plane. So that was a great way to kick off the trip. I flew to Madrid and was greeted by some friends of my Mom's that I had actually never met before. Steve and Leila are the couple that I stayed with, and they have 2 great kids, David and Vanessa. Leila was the ambassador from Hondurus in Spain for 4 years, so they know their way around Madrid. They were so welcoming and generous and gave me so many ideas about things to do while I was there. I enjoyed plenty of delicious Spanish food as well as some Latin food from their company (CasaLatina). Monday night, they took me on a drive through downtown, which really is incredibly lively at all hours. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent exploring the city of Madrid. I saw just about everything, as I took a guided tour bus both days. I was also able to spend lots of time in the parks and restaurants eating and relaxing. Wednesday night, I went with Steve and Leila to the Taiwanese ambassador's reception. That was so much fun and such a great experience. I spent most of the day on Thursday in Toledo, which is only about 30 minutes south of Madrid. It is very histric and unique, and I enjoyed it very much. It would have been great to have a travel buddy for that day in particular, but it was still good fun. I spent all day Friday in the Prado Museum, which is incredible. I'm not a real artsy person, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning history and techniques from my guided tour there. On Friday night, I went to a medieaval festival in a small Spanish town with a group of young people from Steve and Leila's church. It was a great time for talking and laughing, and felt a little like being back home with a big group of friends. I had to leave bright and early on Saturday morning, but it was the most wonderful and relaxing vacation. I stayed with some of the most hospitable and welcoming friends and got to experience 2 really great cities.

I was happy to be home and get back to taking care of the boys, but I have plenty more traveling in the near future! I am off to Lugano in 2 weeks, then going to Liechtenstein/Austria for a weekend, and then down to Florence/Cinque Terre. I am so very excited! Oh, and Molly, I will indeed be going to Lake Como when I go down to Lugano in a couple of weeks! Thanks for the suggestion, and I am so excited! And for all of these trips, I will have 1 or 2 girls with me, so it will be even more enjoyable.

Well, that's it for now... I need some good rest to rid myself of this cold. But I will try to be better at updating more often after all of my vacations!

Not too much news to report, but I thought I'd give a quick little update on life here this past week... So I started my new French class last Wednesday, and I am quite excited about it. I changed classes 3 times, so I am glad to be able to now settle in and get to know the other people in the class and my new teacher. It is a preparation course for a proficiency test that I will take next summer, so it is fairly difficult and I have plenty of homework (just as I was getting used to not having any!). But it is great. There are only 5 other girls/women in the class, so we already know each other pretty well. I also went to a new basketball "practice" on Monday that was great. I say "practice" because there is no coach and it is just a group of people who get together to play once a week. But it was great. It was a little easier on my body than the more intense practices I went to before with the other team. I will try yet another practice next week and then figure out which team I will be playing with for the remainder of the year. It is rather convenient that most of the basketball words (like "shoot", "defense", "lay up", etc...) are the same in French! That makes it a whole lot easier.

So the weather has finally turned cold! I have to say that I was glad to wake up on Saturday morning and find that it was pouring. Kind of odd, I know.... But I enjoy being able to wear jackets and scarves and not have to worry about getting hot and sweaty all the time. It is really windy and cold in the mornings, and warms up just a bit in the afternoon. Perfect! It is especially good for biking and going to the park with the boys. And I just finished knitting my first beret the other day, so I will be sporting that quite often to keep my head nice and warm. It was a wee bit difficult and is rather large for my head, but I am happy to be done with it just the same.

This afternoon, I went with my friend Halley to a magnificent little chocolate factory nearby. I took the train and met up with her, and then we drove through the Swiss countryside and saw lots and lots of cows wearing bells and eating grass. What a typical Swiss experience... She surprised me with the destination (and I just LOVE surprises) and then we wound up in this cute little village that is the home to one of the most amazing chocolate producers ever! It is called Camille Bloch, and is just superb. They sell chocolate at the factory for significantly reduced prices, so that was an added bonus. So needless to say, I am well equipped with chocolate... for the time being.

This weekend marks the beginning of some serious travel. I purchased a Eurail pass for the next couple months, so I am kicking things off with a trip up to Bremen, Germany to visit my friend and fellow au pair. I am real excited about that! I will take a night train up on Friday and then come home Sunday afternoon. I have several other weekend excursions planned with some other au pair girls here, and then a week of vacation in October. So much to see!

Well, I must be getting some rest. I have a full day of work tomorrow and a big weekend of travel ahead of me!

The Last Several Weeks

Wow! I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted a new update! It has been quite a wonderful month, so there is plenty to say...

So last time I posted was after getting home from Zermatt where I had a fabulous vacation. Since then, I have settled into the working routine and life here in Neuchatel. Things are great here! My time with the boys is really fun and keeps me plenty active. We go to one of a hundred playgrounds or to the lake when it's nice outside (which is has been everyday for the past several weeks). When it's rainy, we can go to the cute little children's library or to one of several indoor playgrounds. So there is plenty to do here in town. We do lots of reading and playing with playdough. I have definitely learned the French names for literally ALL animals, because we play with plastic ones all the time!

My French is improving, but it's still rather tiring. I started a class a couple of weeks ago that had only au pairs in it, but it wasn't a very good fit for me. So I will start my new French class next week. Hopefully that will help things progress even more quickly. But I find it easier to get by at the store/library/bank all the time, so that's an encouragement!

Over the past couple weeks, I have been talking a lot with other au pairs around the area. I have met 2 really great Christian girls nearby and getting together with them is so wonderful. I finally have coffee and travel buddies! I met up with one (Halley) in the town of Bienne, and we spent the day roaming around by the lake and around the music festival. We also went to a BBQ and had a fun movie night. I met up with the other girl (Heidi) in Bern and had a great time chatting and walking around the beautiful downtown. There are some really gorgeous old towns nearby!

I am beginning to work on travel plans for the next year, so that is quite exciting. My list of places to visit gets longer and longer every single day. But it's so neat to meet people from all over Europe and hear about all the different cultures. I have talked with girls from Finland, Sweden, Greece, Italy, Germany and Slovakia so far, so I have had some really interesting conversations!

Aside from visiting other Swiss villages and meeting new people, I have also started playing basketball with a team here in Neuchatel. The first practice was a bit of a shock to my body. I didn't realize that nearly 6 months had passed since I played, so it was a little harder than I thought it would be! But the girls on the team are extremely nice and welcoming, and helpful when I don't understand the drills. My body can only handle about 2 or 3 practices a week, so that keeps me occupied on several weeknights. I also have a fantastic English speaking small group every other week that I always look forward to. I am contemplating participating in the church's choir that practices every week and will give performances in the Spring. But we'll see about that.... Though my weeknights and weekends seem to stay plenty busy, I am still able to spend plenty of time reading and relaxing. I started knitting my first baby cardigan and am working on making lots and lots of hats for the winter. So that's another great hobby that I seem to have plenty of time for!

Well, life here in Neuchatel is pretty great! I am enjoying the food, the scenery, the family and having plenty of time to explore and relax by myself. I will try to post pictures of all my recent activity, but the blog was acting up last time, so we'll see if it works...

Here We Go...

Oh boy. This is going to be quite a long blog, I assure you. I haven't written in a couple of weeks, and they were perhaps two of the most important weeks since I've been here. I'll be as brief as possible, but there's just a lot to tell...


Okay. So I spent all of last week in Zermatt. Zermatt is the city that sits at the base of the Matterhorn, and has view of the mountain seen on most Swiss postcards. It was absolutely incredible. I left on Saturday afternoon and took the train for a little over 3 hours. It was a great trip, because we passed through lots of little villages, and there were plenty of green rolling hills to be seen. I also stopped in Bern to switch trains and caught a little glimpse of downtown, which is rather cute. So I am very much looking forward to a day trip there one weekend or something. After 3 train rides, I was greeted in Zermatt by the family, who had already been there for a week while I was finishing my French class. We walked to the apartment where we were staying (as there are no cars allowed in the city, and we were only a couple of minutes away), and got all settled in. We stayed in a great location, because it was right downtown and not far from the trails and lifts. That evening, we went to the Migros (a Swiss grocery store), where I sampled some cheese, and used one of the 3 German phrases that I know to tell the man thank you (or rather, "danke"...). We were in German territory, so I figured it would be a good time to test it out. I think I'll stick to French though...

The next day morning (Sunday), we took the train up to the Gornegrat, which is one of the higher peaks that offers a stunning view of the Matterhorn. It was a beautiful train ride, so I was taking pictures and videos pretty much the entire time! We got to the top, and I could not put the camera away, because there were so many gorgeous views. It was a perfectly cloudless day. We hiked down a little ways, and had a picnic by one of the lakes. Again, I took tons of pictures of the Matterhorn's reflection in the water. Stunning! We took the train back down the hill, and headed to the apartment for a wonderful little sieste. The boys napped (as did I for a while), and then I headed out to do a little exploring. I walked around downtown and wandered through all of the little shops. It was very cute, and rather Swiss.

Monday was another gorgeous and cloudless day, and we went on another little downhill hike. We took the gondola up the mountain, and walked back down. It was more of a woodsy hike, with some views of the mountains through the trees. We stopped at this cute little park on the mountain where the boys played. I cannot believe how many parks there are here in Switzerland! It's wonderful! We got back down, and I saw this little wool shop in town. While the boys were napping, I wandered my way back to it and got lots of pretty yarn. I am excited to make lots and lots of hats while I am here, and I've got quite a stash of yarn to get me started!


The next day (Tuesday) was my 18th Birthday! I thought it would be really tough without family and friends to celebrate with, but it turned out to be a fantastic birthday. Of course, it was sad to be away from everyone, but I had a great time nonetheless. We took the train up to another cute playground up on the mountain. Once again, there were beautiful views of the mountain, and plenty of trees and wild flowers to be found. We came back down and had a wonderful lunch, good rest, a quick chat with my parents and headed out to another playground. We met up with some friends of Cedric and Marie's who also have 2 little boys. There was some serious energy at that park! But it was a rather scenic area and a nice warm evening. My birthday dinner was absolutely spectacular! We ate at an Italian restaurant downtown that was cozy and very cute. I had the most delicious pizza that was cooked in the fire. It had cheese, tomatoes, more cheese, arugula, prosciutto, and oh yeah... more cheese. You could say it was a little bit better than Dominoes or Pizza Hut... After we ate, Cedric and Marie brought out several gifts for me and made me guess what was in them. I am a horrible guesser, and even worse at it in French. It took me quite a long time, but after several hints, I was able to decipher what they were. When I finally finished that, I turned around to see a scrumptious cake coming towards us, and the family started singing Happy Birthday to me in French. It was wonderful! The cake was chocolate with ice cream inside, and a marshmellow layer on the outside. Fantastic! I went home to open up the gifts and cards from my parents. I got a little teary, but held it together pretty well....


So the next day brought a hike UP the hill. It was certainly more physically demanding than the other days, since I had to push a stroller some of the way, but it was a much needed workout. We made our way up a trail through a little Alpine village and to a lake. It was pretty hot and muggy for a ways, so I was sweating like crazy the entire time. But it was a good hike, and we had a picnic once we were done. While we were on vacation, I spent a little bit of time alone with the boys so they could adjust to staying with me, since I started taking care of them on my own this week. It was a little tough for them at first, but it was a good adjustment period. Thursday was another gorgeous hike. We hiked through the forest, and it reminded me a lot of hiking back home. It was really green and woodsy. But of course, I would be caught off guard every time we rounded a corner to see the gorgeous Matterhorn through the trees.

Friday mid-day, we headed back home. The family had driven up to Zermatt (although they had to park in another little village because there are no cars allowed in the city of Zermatt...), so I rode back with them. It was a beautiful car ride, and we rode on this rather bizarre train thing that carried cars through a tunnel as a kind of shortcut. It was wacky, but another unique experience! It felt nice to come back to Neuchatel, even though Zermatt was unbelievabley gorgeous. I settled back into my room and got plenty of reset over the weekend.

Church on Sunday was fabulous! For the first time, I think I actually understood a good bit of the message, and we sang several songs that I recognized that had been translated into French. It is becoming increasingly easier to understand French, although it is still very difficult for me to speak it. But I start new French classes next week, so hopefully things will get better from there... I have also been watching the Olympics here, and the coverage is in French, so that's good practice and lots of fun.

So this week was my first week of work. I stuck with Marie all day Monday to figure out the boys' routine, and had them all to myself all day Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Simeon cried a bit everyday when Marie left, but other than that, the boys were wonderful! We went to the park, the children's library, and walked around a lot downtown and by the lake. So far, so good!

On Tuesday night, I went to a small group for English speakers that I found through a lady at my church. It was absolutely wonderful! And I somehow got myself into a choir group in the church that will do a couple of performances in May. I'm not sure how I let that happen... But I'm sure it will be fun and another good way to meet people.

Well, a great and eventful past couple of weeks! I am settling in more and more as time goes on, and hoping the French will start coming a little more easily...

HOT and Relaxing Week

Well, it was an extremely hot week here in Neuchatel. I welcomed the heat for the first couple days, but it just kept getter hotter and hotter as the week went on! So, I am sunburned and a bit drained. But it was still a really great week. It was my last week of French class, so I had plenty of homework and studying to keep me busy.

Monday was one of the most relaxing days I have ever had in my life! After class, I wandered down to the lake and spent several hours sitting in the sun, reading, listening to podcasts, and listening to music. I had nothing at all to do, so it was good time to just sit. I spent hours down by the water. After that, I made my way to the grocery store to do some shopping. I picked up lots and lots of good bread, pasta, and fruit to get me through the week (since I was at the house alone for 6 days). I also purchased quite an assortment of delicious Swiss chocolates! In the evening, I met up with one of my friends for some ice cream and a walk around downtown. So, it ended up being a fabulous day.

Tuesday was another restful day. After an extremely difficult morning of French class, I came home and napped for another 5 hours. It was great, but I needed to get outside, so I went to get some coffee with some friends and walked around downtown again.

After spending all of Tuesday indoors, I got my fair share of sunshine on Wednesday. We took our final French test from 8-9, and I spent the rest of the day at the wonderful pool here. It rained a bit in the morning, but it cleared up quickly and ended up being really really hot. The pool is incredible! There are slides and diving boards, and you can swim in either the lake or one of several pools. I made it off one of the smaller diving boards, but there is one that is 10 meters above the pool! Perhaps I will master it by the end of the summer.... doubt it though. So, a day full of sunshine left me bright red, but it was well worth it.

Thursday was another HOT day, but a good one nonetheless. We had a final French class in the morning, and then a potluck dinner and closing ceremony/talent show at night. After class, I went to the store to gather my materials to make an apple crisp. It was no easy task. I didn't know where to find anything, and didn't know exactly whether I was getting he right stuff. But it all turned out just fine. I came home and cut up apples like mad, and then made the crumble to go on the top. Since I have no measuring devices here, there was a lot of guessing involved in the cooking. And of course, the oven temperature is different, so I ended up just estimating a temperature and hoped all would work out! Well, it turned out just fine. It wasn't a real complicated dessert, but I thought it tasted pretty good! The talent show was an absolute blast. I somehow got myself involved in a skit that our class did. I was a bit nervous, but it was tons of fun. We did a quick and witty version of Cinderella, with only 6 of us sitting behind a big sheet and popping our heads up when it was our line. It was so hilarious! I was one of the evil stepsisters, along with this guy from Germany who wore make-up and a wig. We were cracking up behind the curtain almost the entire time. It was lots and lots of fun! And the potluck afterwards was a great opportunity for me to do lots of talking in French. So it turned out to be a wonderful evening. Unfortunately, I had to bid farewell to everyone from my class. It was sad, but I am hoping to stay in touch with friends that I made... maybe I'll even go catch up with my friend from Greece later on this year!

So, today is Friday, the 1st of August. It is the Swiss National Holiday, and one of the most celebrated holidays over here. I was supposed to go to a celebratory breakfast, but I woke up this morning to the most intense rain, thunder and lightening that I have ever seen/heard! I couldn't even make my way down to the bus stop because there was too much water everywhere. So, I ended up spending the morning just packing and cleaning. I took a little walk around downtown when the weather cleared up this afternoon, but all of the shops are closed, so there wasn't much to do. I spend the afternoon relaxing, and the fireworks down by the lake should be getting started soon, so I will go watch those.

Well, I take off tomorrow to meet up with the family in the Zermatt (where the Matterhorn is). I am looking forward to that very much! I have heard it is an absolutely beautiful area. So, I won't be posting an update until at least next weekend, but I am sure there will be lots to tell!

A Beautiful Week!

Well, it was an absolutely beautiful week here in Neuchatel! It was nice and warm (although not too hot), and I was able to do a lot of fun things. On Wednesday, I went on a couple of wonderful bike rides. In the morning, I went with the family, and then I went with one of the girls from my French class to ride later on in the afternoon. We took a boat from downtown Neuchatel to another town just about an hour away by boat. It was a beautiful clear morning, and the view of the town is great from out on the lake. So, we got off the boat and biked back to Neuchatel. We stopped at a couple of great little parks on the way back. I am amazed at how many parks there are here, and how nice they are! It was weird, because we rode along the edge of the canton of Neuchatel, so we were just feet away from the German part of Switzerland. People in the Neuchatel part speak French, and their neighbors right across the water speak German. But it was a very nice ride. It was beautiful, and not too challenging! In the afternoon, I rode downtown along the lake. This ride was also very easy, and we rode right along the water, so it was lovely. We stopped for ice cream in the middle of the ride, so of course that was fantastic. I went with the family that evening for a picnic in one of the parks by the lake, and enjoyed lots and lots of yummy bread and cheeses.

I was a little worn out on Thursday from all of my biking, but it was still a very nice day. After a couple of little French tests in the morning, I had a picnic with some girls from Ecuador along the lake. We did a lot of talking in French, so that was good. They tend to lapse into Spanish without realizing it, so I got a little confused at times, but it was very fun to spend time with them and hear all about Ecuador. Now I want to go and swim in the Galapygos Islands and hang out in Quito! Maybe next year...

So, Friday held another French scavenger hunt (yeah!) in the mall here. It was pretty tough, but still a lot of fun. We had to talk to A LOT of people, and got some weird looks because the questions were rather bizarre. Oh, and we had to find this tomato paste stuff (I forgot the name...) in the grocery store and taste it. Apparently, it's a traditional Swiss condiment. So, I tasted just the tiniest bit, and it was AWFUL. It is probably the worst food I have tasted in my entire life. And I was stuck with the taste for several hours. Oh, it was terrible. But, of course, I cleared the taste with a wonderful dinner of pasta and salad!

Saturday was a very productive day! The family left in mid-morning to head to Zermatt. They will vacation there for a week, and I will meet up with them next weekend. In the afternoon, I did a lot of organizing in my room, and lots of cleaning. I got some letters written and some mail sent off, and got to do a bit of talking on Skype, which is always fun. It was a productive yet very relaxing day.

Well, today is Sunday, and I certainly did have a day of rest! I went to church this morning, and came home and took a 5 hour nap! I didn't think I was tired, but I had no problem sleeping! It was very refreshing. After that, I pretty much hung out and did a lot of reading and downloaded several podcasts. Not a real exciting day, but a very restful one.

I uploaded a few more pictures today, so I figured I might as well go ahead and write a little about my morning, because it was lot of fun! So, my french class is divided into 2 segments. The first 2 hours are focused on grammar, while the second couple of hours are more focused on speaking, and we do lots of random activities that are lots of fun. So today, our class met downtown at the "Place-Pury", which is like the center of the town. We got into groups of 4, and were given scavenger hunts to complete. I absolutely LOVE scavenger hunts, so I got pretty excited. Of course, we made it into a competition, so it was even more exciting :). We had to go around and ask questions of the vendors and customers at the little farmer's market that was going on. There were questions about the products, the market, and the history of Neuchatel. It was fun to talk to people, and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Well, our group finished first, so we went and turned our paper in. "Apparently" we had an answer wrong, so we went back out and spend another 30 minutes trying to get the right answer. We kept getting the same response over and over again. Well, turns out our professor had misread the answer... so, meanwhile, another group turned in their answers, and were declared the winners, but technically, we all know who won :). So, even though we had to settle for second place, it was still a blast! Our class got done pretty early, so I went and had coffee with my friend here from Greece. I had a cafe au lait, and it was amazing. So, that was my morning. It was lots of fun, but I am exhausted frrom all that stress of the scavenger hunt, so I think I shall go take a nap...

Enjoying the slower pace of life...

Well, I haven't written any posts in the past couple of days, because I really haven't done all that much, and it has been wonderful! I have been able to do A LOT of sleeping, reading, knitting and journaling these past several days, which I enjoy very much. It is nice to be able to walk slowly down the streets and not worry about coordinating my schedule around tons of different activities. So, I am really enjoying this change of pace.

My french class is going well, and I am having a lot of fun in it. We do all kinds of random and fun activities, and so it's a new approach to learning a language that I really like. There is a lot of speaking that takes place during these activities, so that is often a good boost of confidence. It is still kind of overwhelming, and still very exhausting, but I am enjoying working on my french.

The weather has been gorgeous here, so that is very pleasant. It is sunny and warm, but not too hot and humid. I was able to roam around downtown on one of the afternoons last week, so that was relaxing and enjoyable. I couldn't find the stationary that I was looking for downtown, so I just ended up buying some paper and markers. I will just have to be creative and make little notes to send home to people... But I found the paper and markers at this place called Co-Op City. It is a branch of Co-Op, which is one of only a few "grocery stores" here in Switzerland. It is like a department store, and has all kinds of wonderful things for relatively cheap. That includes chocolate and other wonderful Swiss treats, so I will have to avoid going in there too often!

Well, again... nothing extraordinary to report on. But it has been a very pleasant past couple of days. I have lots of time to relax and catch up on sleep, so I am more than happy about that!

The Second Week...

Well, another couple of marvelous days here in Neuchatel, Switzerland! I have been able to do a lot of reading, writing, knitting and eating... so I really can't complain! It's been a wonderful week so far. The weather cleared up, so it has been nice and warm. On Monday, we had a fun french class, and then I went to lunch with a girl in my class who is from Greece. We talked for a long time about Greek culture and her life back at home, so it was very interesting and educational. I now I REALLY want to go to Greece! She showed me a couple of pictures, and it just looks phenomenal. So after class, I was in the travelling mood, so I picked up my "Rick Steve's Guide to Switzerland" book, and read up on all that there is to do here. My list of places to visit in Switzerland has become rather lengthy. And then I did some knitting, some reading, and some journaling. All in all, it was just a very relaxing and enjoyable day.

Tuesday was even warmer, and lots of fun! After class, I did a wee bit of shopping. I got some chocolate, some cookies, and lots of postcards to send out. I also just wandered around town and went into lots of the little shops. I ate lunch at a little patisserie downtown, and had some quiche and a little vanilla pastry that was spectacular. The woman there was so sweet and nice, and it just made my day! So when I came home, Cedric asked if I wanted to go with him and the boys up into the mountains to luge. I didn't fully understand what we were doing (because I didn't realize you could luge without ice...), so I agreed. So, we drove a little ways up to the Vue des Alpes and ended up at this really cool place where you can go luging (I don't know if that's actually a word, but I will use it as one). So, Cedric had one of the boys and I had the other, and we got into these little luge cars and the cable carried us up to the top of the track. When you get to the top, you just push the handle forward to go fast, and pull it back to slow down. It was awesome! It was a little scary at first, but by the second and third time, it was just so much fun! The boys liked going fast, so we were cruisin'. It was a blast! The view was gorgeous, the owner of the place was very friendly, and it was just lots and lots and lots of fun!

So today was a very warm day, and I was able to take full advantage of it! I didn't have class this morning, so I slept in and did a lot more reading and writing. After that, I went with Marie to meet up with Cedric and the boys for lunch. It was delicious and I had another one of those marvelous raspberry tarts. So after that, I went to meet up with my friend from Greece, and we had planned on going biking, but it was just too hot. So, we went swimming in the lake instead. It was awesome! The water is clear and beautiful. It was a little cold at first, but once I got used to it, I didn't want to get out. It was a very pleasant afternoon down by the lake. After that, I came home to eat some spectacular fish (thank you very much Cedric... it was delicious. Especially the little ones from the lake). And now here I am. Sitting in my bed and writing this blog. But I am very tired from all of the excitement of these past couple of days, so I will go ahead and finish this up so I can go to bed.

All in all, I am lovin' it here in Neuchatel. Everything would be perfect if I could just transport my friends and family over, and be fluent in french already... but other than that, I am very very happy as is!

My First Full Week!

Well, all in all, this was a fantastic week in Switzerland! On Thursday, I took a tour of the city with some other girls from my French class, and we got to go the chateau here. It is beautiful, and overlooks the whole city. It was the last sunny day of the week, but it was very nice. We ate yummy little buttery stick things (I have no idea what they are called), after being welcomed by a member of the government of Neuchatel. We did lots of walking around the city and through the little streets, so it was tiring, but lots of fun.

Friday was a bit chilly, and we wound up having thunder and lightening in the evening. It was a rather tiring week, with language classes and whatnot, so I took a nice long nap in the afternoon, and did a good bit of reading. I also started knitting my very first hat... so we'll see how that goes.

Saturday was cold, but very nice. I went with Anna and the family to this little garden/park outside of Neuchatel. It was beautiful, and quite unique. All of the materials used at the park were recyclable, so there were towers made out of rubber, and little streams of glass. But it was really fun. After that, we ate a wonderful lunch. I had my first little French pastry of the year! A raspberry torte that was fantastic! I got a letter from home, as well as a sweet CD (Thanks, Jaye!), so that was exciting. After another relaxing afternoon, we bid farewell to Anna. It was very sad to see her go, because it was so nice to have her around! She provided me with tons of information and advice, and was so very sweet and helpful. After dropping her off at the train station, we all went to the park that is close to the house. We came home to.... another delicious meal :)

Today (Sunday), I went to church in the morning. It was a little scary without Anna there, but I was warmly welcomed by everyone who I met last week. I got another little nap in today, as well as a good bit of reading. The rain continues, but it is still beautiful. It is supposed to clear up for tomorrow, so I hope to do a little bit more exploring around town. After a pleasant afternoon, we enjoyed more good food. I met Simeon and Baptiste's "grandmother" (who is really just a friend of Marie's, but a grandma to the kids), and she brought a hazelnut cake. It was... you guessed it... delicious.

So, that recaps the first week of my year here in Switzerland. It was slightly overwhelming and exhausting to do most everything in French, and a little lonely at times, but all in all it was a wonderful week!

This will be a rather long blog, but it covers my first several days in Switzerland...

I left Portland on July 4th, and flew through Frankfurt before arriving in Geneva. There, I met Cedric Beguin (the father of the family I will be au pair-ing for). With him was Simeon, the older of the two boys I will be watching. He is 4 years old, and his brother Baptiste is 2 1/2. We took the train from Geneva to Neuchatel, which was about an hour. It was such a beautiful train ride! We arrived in Neuchatel on Saturday afternoon, about 24 hours after leaving home. Waiting at the home I will be living in for the next year was Marie (the mother), and Anna (the current au pair). I was able to unpack and get all settled in before eating a wonderful meal.

The next morning (Sunday), I went to church with Anna. It is a french-speaking church, so it was a bit overwhelming, but I was able to meet some very nice people. The day was pretty exhausting, because I had to listen and try to understand a lot of french. It was a bit overwhelming, but things have gotten much better since then. We ate some more delicious food (lots of bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables...), and then did a bit of exploring downtown. I saw the school where I would start my french classes the next morning, and spent some time down by the lake. It is just gorgeous! I was also able to figure out the bus and train system (or so I thought...). I had a nice long nap to catch up on some much needed sleep. We had Raclette for dinner (a typical Swiss meal of melted cheese on top of potatoes). I am not going to lie... much of my day revolves around mealtime here!

Monday morning was quite an eventful one. I got up nice and early to prepare for my first day of french classes. I left the house with plenty of time to spare, and felt confident that I could make it to the school on my own. Wrong. I took the bus from the house to the train station, and got off to take the train, only to find that that particular train will be closed for the month of July. I panicked and started running around. I finally realized that I could take another bus to downtown and then walk a little ways to the school, but I was freaking out about being late. Well, I made it downtown, SPRINTED to the school, and walked through the doors approximately 30 seconds before class started. After all of that excitement, I took a nice easy french test to be placed in the correct class. I was able to calm down and meet some very nice girls that afternoon, so I have a couple of friends to do get coffee with and go swimming with while I am here. My french class went very well, and I have wonderful professors and a really great class full of people from all over the world. Again... more good food on Monday night, and lots of good sleep.

Tuesday was a less eventful day, but wonderful all the same. I went to french class in the morning, and then did a little bit more exploring of downtown Neuchatel. There are so many cute little clothing stores, and lots of chocolate and coffee shops. It is simply adorable. It was a beautiful day, so I sat for a while by the lake and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon. I came home and took a VERY long nap, and caught up on some e-mailing.

Wednesday was one of the most relaxing and pleasant days I have ever had. After a great french class in the morning, I leisurely made my way back to the house for a delicious lunch. I did some reading and listened to some music, and then headed back downtown. I met up with two girls from my french class. Chryssa is a girl from Greece, and Natalie is from a German town in Switzerland. It was a gorgeous day, so we met up down by the lake and walked for a while. We then decided to take the paddleboats out on the lake, which was so much fun. I got some great picutres, and had a really good time. We wandered through the streets of Neuchatel, and came across a cute little ice cream shop. (Although, they don't really have the dairy ice cream here...it's mostly just gelato). I had the most wonderful lemon and raspberry gelatto, and then we continued to walk through the little streets. They are just so quaint and cute! I strolled back on home, and wound up here on the computer, writing this blog. It was a marvelous day!

So, to recap my first week here...

*The city is absolutely stunning, and I cannot stop taking pictures of everything. It is naturally beautiful, and the little shops and cafés are just unbelievably cute!
*It was overwhelming to be surrounded by all this french all of a sudden, but my classes have really helped, and I am feeling much more comfortable about everything.
*It has been such a change of pace from the past several years, but I am really enjoying having the time to read, write, explore, and just sit.
*I have been able to make a couple of friends for the summer, but I miss everyone back at home. If anybody wants to come and visit... there is plenty of extra room here!
*Perhaps most importantly... The food is amazing. It is gourmet, delicious, and (I hope) pretty healthy.

Basically, I love it here. I am happy and getting more and more comfortable with everything each day. I'm sure there are some lonely and difficult days ahead, but I am excited for the year I have in front of me!

The City of Neuchatel

Neuchatel is a French-Swiss town of about 30,000 people. It is in the western part of Switzerland, and pretty close to the border of France. It has a very french feel to it, and it is just absolutely beautiful. Lake Neuchatel is massive, and very clean. It is surrounded by little Swiss towns, as well as forests and mountains. There are lots of beautiful churches, as well as many cute little boutiques. There are tons and tons of cafés! The public transportation is wondeful, so I can get downtown in about 15 minutes. Downtown is right next to the lake, and many streets do not allow cars in them, so you can walk, shop and drink coffee (definitely my kind of place!). There are all kinds of flowers and trees, and the city is very clean. There is a castle not too far from downtown, and you can take the tram up the mountain to get a stunning view of the city. It is just very cute and quaint, yet there is always something fun to do. Many people bike ride through town, or just walk down along the lake. The people are rather friendly. It is just a wonderful place to live!

I have created a blog to keep track of all of my happenings in Europe for this next year. I am here in Switzerland for the next 12 months, learning french and working as an au pair. I am living in the beautiful town of Neuchatel and will hopefully be able to explore many other cities and cultures during my time abroad. There will be lots of pictures and (hopefully) videos soon to come!