Avoir, Switzerland

Our last day in Martigny is sunny and 20 degrees.  It feels like summer.

I am ever so grateful for the opportunity to go on this wonderful trip.  Helene and Loriane have been the most gracious hosts.  We also were entertained royally by Jean-Francois and Sandrine on several occasions.  Everyone was so welcoming and gracious.  All were so happy to see Gloria again, and she is ready to come back again soon.  It was joyous to be with the people here, and even though my lack of French means I spend a lot of time just listening, I always felt included. 

I am looking forward to a few more days in Montreal before arriving home. I am not looking forward to the long travel day tomorrow, but its manageable.  I read all the books I had.  I hope to pick up a English novel in the Geneva airport.  My suitcases are almost packed and ready, and everything will fit.  I didn't buy very much, fortunately. 

This was a time of enjoying people, seeing fantastic places, and learning about my self.  The three novels I read were all very different, but all happened to have a common thread about integrating the ups and downs of our lives and embracing all of what we are. A perfect fit for this experience.

More of Switzerland

Yesterday we spend the day sightseeing around some other parts of Switzerland, taking the local roads and staying off the auto-route. We saw several castles--- each area has it's castle, and some are still actually defense posts. Each area has it's Cathedral also.  We had lunch at Gerard's (Helene's "boyfriend").  He is quite a way up in the mountains.  we have visited some of Helen's other friends who live in the mountains.  One is Liliane who is 82, and has 3 flights of stairs to get into her house, and then a couple more inside the house.  She just retired last year from working in her daughter's boutique-- a really off-beat clothing store called


Today I visited the Martigny museum, which was very interesting.  There is a beautiful sculpture garden with works by Henry Moore, Calder, and lots more. There is also an automobile museum, which I didn't expect to enjoy, but it was pretty extensive and showed many of the first automobiles, both European and American.


Time is winding down here.  Gloria and I leave here on Friday, taking the train to Geneva, and then fly to Montreal for a few days before returning to Vancouver.  It will be good to get home, even though this has been fantastic.