When it got dark, Switzerland erupted in fireworks. We watched them from the garden for a while but then a storm came, forcing us to retreat indoors. We found the best view from the third floor of Dani’s house where we watched the fireworks until well past midnight.
Simeon online
Awesome dinner
The girls online
Fireworks
Mitch needs a better camera and a steadier hand
Third floor spectators watching the fireworks outside.
Adinah ventures out onto the balcony in the rain to watch the fireworks.
Michel and Barbara came in from Pfungen to spend the holiday with Gabor and Dani’s family. We met up in Zurich where the three siblings and their father had a pow-wow while the rest of us headed to Dani’s house.
At Herrliberg, most of the family went swimming.
Eitana can immerse herself anywhere and anytime in a book.
Gab on her way to the lake
Michel and Babs checking the latest Motocross results online.
Eitana and I went to the playground but later joined everyone at the lake. On our walk down to the lake Eitana caught a blue-belly lizard.
She let it go free at the lake.
This time we brought two boats along with paddles. The kids had a dragon boat battle, the rules and objective of which were never made clear to me.
Eventually we headed back to Dani’s house where Julian cooked a great banquet of amazing vegetables, pasta, and lasagna.
Today is the Swiss national holiday celebrating the formation of the Swiss federation in 1291. There are always lots of fireworks, Swiss flags, loud celebrations, alcohol, and good times with friends. The weather during the day was sunny and warm so we went back to the lake with two rubber dingy boat and oars in which we had “dragon ship battles” the rules of engagement and objectives of which I never understood.
Eitana and I went for a walk in Herrliberg because she did not want to go in the lake. She showed me the Kindergarten class that she attended and we played in the playground next to a church close by. The church has a functional sun dial that tells the correct time (during part of the year).
Swiss bill board for a health diet “defend your body.”
This is an older picture from my phone.
This is from one of the Zoos we visited earlier in the week.
Functional sun dial.
We finally had decent weather so we hit the lake Zurich beach. We took a little rubber boat that was a big hit with kids of all ages.
Pino and Livio have flippers to swim faster.
The water is cold (Lake Zurich is 200 m deep).
The kids swam out to the diving platform.
. . . and jumped in
We neglected to bring paddles for the rubber boat so they hand paddled.
