The last week felt a bit like being on holiday. My parents were visiting us and since we are not sure where we’ll end up at the end of the summer, we tried to make the best of it. Which wasn’t as easy as it sounds because the weather can’t decide these days whether it should be winter or spring so it is a wild mixture of rain, wind, fog, snow and yet not cold enough for the snow to last. One day we were enjoying the sunshine and only wearing a fleece jacket, the next day we were back to snow suits and gloves.

In order to escape the common winter fog on one day, we went to the Bachtel, the highest mountain in the Zurich region, and found a winter wonderland. We didn’t make it to the top though, because the little one couldn’t walk that long and it was time for the hobbit’s lunch (and a kind person informed us that the restaurant at the top was closed), but it was a nice change in scenery anyway.

Two days later, my parents and I went to Einsiedeln which is probably the most important place of pilgrimage in Switzerland. Sizewise, the monastery is impressive – such large compound including stables and gardens. Ironically, the original monastery was built with the intention to have a place away from the civilisation in order to concentrate on prayers and contemplation. The main church is impressive too, but for my taste much too baroque. I would have loved to concentrate on some of the details, yet it was hard to actually find a single detail in this overflowing decoration. But I enjoyed spending a few hours with my parents without thinking about changing diapers and feeding babies all the time. Although…have you ever noticed that even if you go somewhere without children you end up thinking stuff like “Oh, this playground would have been perfect for the little one?…Oh, the little one would have been so happy to see all these horses!….Oh, this museum would have been nice for the little one…” Talking about museums: if you ever make it to Einsiedeln, it looks like the village has a nice little gingerbread-museum as well which I wanted to visit, but unfortunately it only opens at 1:30pm.

And in the next post, you’ll get some impressions of our spring day last weekend!