Good-bye, Switzerland...

This will be the last blog before we head home. We have had an unbelievable time. I think we all knew the trip wouled be great - but I think it exceeded all of our expectations - I am taking liberty in speaking for everyone, but I think that is OK! I also think we would all agree that Le Locle was the highlight. I just never knew the town would be so charming and the new family would be so inviting. Beyond that, I'm sure between all 10 of us everything we have done would be included in someone's list of highlights!

Yesterday we arrived in Lucerne. It was kind of chilly and drizzly when we got here. Not long after we arrived it started to rain pretty hard. The B & B is wonderful and the staff is very nice and friendly. Probably the nicest we have had. This B & B was the Grandma's house of the woman who now owns it. When they were going to sell the house she took it over and turned it into a B & B. Her mother works here too. And, when she appologized for the weather we said we were used to bad weather she asked where we were from and when we told her Montana she said her sister had been an exchange student in Bozeman. Decided to have an indoor picnic with cheese and salami we had bought in Maienfeld. The little store was closed for the 2 hour lunch they get here - so our B&B hostess sold us a loaf of good bread she had made for the next days breakfast. It was a nice time!

We decided to go down to the old town and check out the old covered bridges. By the time we got down there it was a major downpour. We toughed it out for a couple hours but we got pretty wet and chilly. Of course, we took the opportunity to enjoy some coffee and hot chocolate. Had a wonderful nights sleep once we got back. Jackie and I were wondering this morning what we could do to our bedrooms at home to make them seem as luxurious and relaxing as they have here. I think much of it would require remodeling....and getting rid of junk....which I seem to have a hard time doing!

Today the weather was almost perfect...a little chilly at times, but certainly nothing to complain about. Like Aunt Tym said - we would be unlikely to have this many days of good weather at home, so we certainly have been lucky. The Thiel's and Aunt Judi just spent the day looking around the city - saw the Cathedral, the lion, and some of the medieval wall. The Hugulets and Aunt Tym had more planned...they were also going to go up to the mountain - hope the weather was good for them.

We are just taking a couple hours to relax and try to finish up some packing then we are all meeting up for dinner. We had a hard time finding somewhere that we could get raclette and or fondue - the restaurants all say "in summer??? in winter it would be no problem." Seems a little odd as we didn't run into that issue in Zurich. We just wanted someplace we could all eat some traditional Swiss food together before we head back home.

So, this is the end of a once in a lifetime trip - seeing the country we came from with Moms, Aunts, Sisters, and Cousins. I know I will never get an opportunity like this again - unless of course I am the Aunt.....so - I may get another chance, I guess!

We've added a few new pics ...

See you all soon.

Oh yeah - new pictures added - not many, but a few to show you our last few days....and Erin - you will have to wait to see the vending machine pictures!