My feet are falling off......

Hello all.... I am here up in the Alps, and it doesn't get any better than this, I can tell you. Beautiful. Stunning. So quiet. Food for the soul.

Monday was a hectic day. Up at 3.15, to leave the house at 4, fly out at 7am, and oh, the excitement, because the babes had never flown before, and then we went in a double-decker train, and then another little red train, which goes onto cogs for the steep climb up the mountain!!!!!! It was all new, and so much fun, and even though they were very tired, the journey was good. And the adults were all very excited too, might I add. Very.

Looking out of the plane window, this is what we saw as we came in to land in Zurich. Just look at the Alps at the top, then the band of cloud, then the land at the bottom. I was really pleased it came out, because there was ice on the window, and many many scratches.

This is the centre of the village. I took Simon to organise his skis and a lesson with an expert, to show him the mountain. Sky so blue, and mountains just so wonderful. There will be many superlatives in this post. No excuses. I just love this place, as those of you who have been around a while will remember!
Yesterday I woke at 3am and couldn't get back to sleep, so I went down to the lounge and read for a while in the hotel, had coffee, and then decided to go for a walk at 6am. It was pitch dark, but I reckoned that if I walked to the forest, it would be light enough to go through by the time I got there, and indeed it was. Not a soul about, of course, because Swiss people do not go for walks through forests at 6.30am. Sensible people. But I love this walk, and I know it well, and as it got lighter, it was just perfect, and the sun started catching the edges of the mountain with beams of sparkling light, and I am so glad I didn't miss this.
This is the view from my sister's front door. Not bad, is it??
And so the 10 of us went up the mountain. We have learnt to go on the first perfect day. In the mountains, you never know what the weather will do. It does not get more perfect than this, and there was not a breath of wind either. Marge had to go up to the top to check out some things in the shops she manages, so she came with us.

David on top of the world. That is the very top of the mountain behind him, and he did go right to the top.
Jean and me. Big smiles. Happy people.
David and the babes in the snow. This is really the first proper snow they had ever been in.
You can go inside the glacier, and so David and I went to walk around. Lots of magical lighting.

Coming down one of the cable car stages, Pete, Marge and David looking out over the valley from the docking station for the cable cars. The first 2 stages up the mountain are in gondolas of 6 people, then a rectangular cable car which takes many people, and then the final stage is the world's first rotating cable car, the Rotair.
One of the valleys.
Jean, Jackie and the babes in the snow.

And this is the rising moon last night. I told you it was magical, didn't I??

We all gather here at Marge's home in the early evening, and have supper together, and we do some things alone and some together during the day. Everyone has different ideas, and it works well. Today, I walked alone along the valley, and then to the place where the babes and Jackie and Somin and Jean were tobogganing. Mum bought 3 toboggans, for general use. Then I took Jean up to the forest to show her where I walk, while Peter and Glynis went to Luzern for the day.

And tomorrow?? Who knows what I will do. But it will be lovely. Beautiful. Perfect. Stunning.

And now I am going to recline on the couch with my book and rest the aching feet. I wonder if they do foot transplants......