Can't believe I haven't posted for 2 months....

I am in the U.S., visiting my elderly mother.  She is just a 'hoot'!  Here is a picture of her going to a Christmas party in Velvet Dress, heels, and red Christmas socks.  Only 'she' could get away with such an outfit!!  She is so.o.o.o.o tiny.  She weighs 88 lbs or 40 kgs.

Aquamarine Gem Stone

Peter bought me a set of beautiful aquamarine jewelry when we were in India.  I just loved it!!  About 5 years ago when we were going overseas, Peter told me to NOT take any valuable jewelry, and to hide it in our house.  I hid my aquamarine stones extremely well.  I couldn't find it upon my return, even though I turned the house upside down looking.  Then we moved from Ballina to Sydney, and as I packed, I kept looking for the jewelry without success.   I had taken a whole heap of shoes, clothing, and purses to St. Vincent de Paul before we left...  and I had a sickening feeling I left the jewelry in a pocket or a shoe, etc. and gave it away.

I even listened to my Mother who told me I should pray to St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things.

Recently on my meditation course, I meditated on 'letting go' of the pain regarding the jewelry I had lost.

This morning... 5 years later, in the Hunter Valley, I pulled out a hair clip from a plastic bag....  and out fell a little jewelry case....   and there it was, my aquamarine earings, ring, and pendant.  I thank whomever, or whatever, for giving it back to me!

Eye Surgery

I had laser surgery on my right eye 3 days ago.  Amazing stuff.  No pain and bandages came off 24 hours after op.  I can now see better in that eye without my glasses...  but I need my glasses for my other eye.  And things are a bit blurry in close proximity.  All should be well within the week as my right eye adjusts to it's new lens.  Then in 4 weeks time...  I get my left eye done.  They are correcting what is called 'angular closure glaucoma'...  something you can get as you get older.

Anyway...  for the moment, all is well.

Back home in Australia

We are back in the Hunter Valley.  Only been back one week and today we are off to Canowindra to do some ballooning!!

Switzerland was wonderful.  We took many long Alpine walks.

We also spent a week in France on a boat with some N.Z. friends a week before we left Switzerland.  I am quite sure we will have another boat in France in the years to come.  It is just that we have some other travels to take care of before we settle down again.

On the way back from Switzerland, I visited with my 95 year old Mum!  Gosh she is fantastic.  Great humour, laughs alot, enjoys company, etc.  I can only home I live to her age with her faculties!

Peter, meanwhile, was visiting the World Hot-Air Balloon Championships, and then went on to visit with David Levin and other balloonists in Colorado.  He had a wonderful time.

I will try to keep my blog more 'up to date'.

World Hot Air Balloon Championships

Well, we can't stay away from ballooning too long.  Here we are in Battle Creek, Michigan in the U.S. at the World Championships.  Peter is loving it!  We are seeing many old friends.  Ruth Wilson is here from Australia...  and also Matthew Scaife is coming in 4th, which is wonderful.  Matthew is the son of the man who purchased Balloon Aloft from us, and Matt is running our company in Australia.  We are very pleased with his success.

But ballooning has changed with the advent of computers and GPS's, and I am not so sure Peter or I would like to compete anymore.  It is a different world than the one we used to fly in!!!

Another month has gone by......

I can't believe it is more than a month since my last blog.  We have done many exciting things in Switzerland, including a 'Bisse' walk around the side of a mountain with sheer drops that took my breath away!  We have also been to France and spent 4 days with New Zealand friends on their boat on a canal in France and absolutely loved it!

Eduardo and Roberta, our Brazilian Friends

Having good friends makes everything so much fun!  I met Eduardo and Roberta at my Intensive French classes in Toulouse.  They were there for the 30 month course...  I was there for only 5 weeks!  Needless to say, they both now speak beautiful French while I am still struggling with conversation.

Anyway, they came to Anzere for 2 days (far too short a time) but we did some fantastic walks and picnics in the short time they were here.  Standing on top of a mountain is an awesome experience, and as the highest 'mountain' near their home is 300 mtrs, you can imagine how blown away they were to be walking in the alps.  It is such a joy to be able to give and to share a new experience with friends who are on the same wave length as you.

(Also, it was Roberta who told me about Vipassona Meditation and we were on that course together.)

Besançon

We drove to France and visited a good friend, Miriam.  She and her husband were 'given to us' as passengers in a balloon during a balloon meet 4 years ago in Dole.  We all became good friends and have kept in touch.  Her husband unfortunatley died of cancer last year, so we wanted to see her again and spend some time with her.  Needless to say, we had a wonderful time.  I do love being in France!

Vipassana

June 27th to July 8th

I travelled to Hereford, England to do a 10 day mediation course.  It rained every day with gray threatening clouds 99% of the time it was not actually raining.  I didn't mind the rain but it certainly made me appreciate the blue sky and sunshine of Australia!

The meditation course was difficult yet immensely satisfying. It is called Vipassana and really was quite non-denominational...  not really religious in any sense of the word.  It was Buddha's technique for teaching people how to meditate deeply.  I didn't mind the silence, the 10 days of not talking, nor not being able to have any communication with fellow meditators.  The vegetarian food was excellently good!!

I did find meditating 10 hours a day a little daunting and did get bored and wondered what I was doing there a few times!!  But this all passed and I found that during the x3 hours a day of deeper meditation, I could sit for an hour at a time without moving so much as a finger!  Did have problems with trying to silence my chattering mind!

It is not a good experience for everyone however.  Three people left the course in the first few days...  and I found out that a close friend tried it a few years ago in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains (a Vipassona Centre is located there) and left within 36 hours.  She couldn't stand it.  But she does have personal issues.  You really have to be able to 'go within and look at what is there'.

But in all, it was worth the experience and I would recommend it to anyone who wished to delve into themselves a little bit.  I think my overall ability to be calm inside and not react to things has improved, and the 'dealing with emotional baggage' side of it was excellent.

I will probably go back to a Vipassana Centre in the years to come for another injection of peace and calm.

Jody and John Hammond visit Anzere

John and Jody Hammond are long time friends and work colleagues from our Balloon Aloft days.  They are visiting us in Anzere.  We have had a fabulous week, if not frantic!  We have been out Alpine walking, sight-seeing, Glacier Expressing, climbing mountains, etc.  + eating and drinking well every day for the past week.  And to put things into perspective, even though we have been eating and drinking, I have lost over 2 lbs, i.e. 1 kg. due to all the wonderful exercise we have been having.  Weather has been wonderful, Alps are magnificent, and cheese, bickies, and wine on the balcony in the evening has been a joy.

Tomorrow, our guests leave and I am off to Gloucester, England on a 10 day meditation retreat.  Peter will have to fend for himself, alone, in Anzere until I return.

Beautiful Alpine Walks

We all went for a 2 ½ hour Alpine walk today.  ‘All’, being our guests, Asbjorn and Janet Damhus and their child Shanti .  At 7,000 feet, it is usually an easy walk around a lake, but this time it was challenging!  The official summer season doesn’t open until next week so the alpine path hadn’t been cleared from winter snow, snow slides, trees, boulders, etc.  We had to cross ice and snow slides no less than 6 times.  It was difficult holding our footing on the ice.  Shanti slipped down one of the ice flows and we all held our breath as we watched her slide on her backside down the hill.  She got to the bottom, picked herself up, walked around the base of the slide and climbed up the other side, all smiles, saying ‘That was fun!’ 

We had a wonderful picnic in an Alpine meadow…  all in all, a fantastic day and we all felt we had accomplished something.

Asbjorn, Janet and Shanti.  Notice Shanti's backside...  where she slid down the ice flow!


By the way, Asbjorn used to work for us in Australia as a balloon pilot.  He is now teaching physics and mathematics at an international shool in Wales (located in a Hirst Castle).

Shanti

We had visitors in Switzerland.  Asbjorn and Janet Damhus and their 8 year old daughter, Shanti.  Peter and I were entranced by this child.  Well mannered, polite, intelligent, fearless and above all, full of joy and love.  She speaks English, Danish, Spanish and Welsh.  (Father is Danish, mother born in England but worked in Spain, and they live in Wales.)  The parents' attitude is the they were blessed with the care of this ‘child of the world’, and it was their duty to give her the best all- around education they could before they ‘give her back to the world’.  They are succeeding!  They practice Sahaja Yoga and the child is about to go off to an international accredited school that practices Sahaja Yoga in Italy (where she will learn her 5^th language).

So now I am reading all about Sahaja Yoga.

27th Annual Yodeling Championships

Had a wonderful day in the village of Haiffaisen, Canton of Friborg, which is about a 2 hour drive from our apartment.  We attended the Festival of the 27^th District Yodeling Championships.  And also in rounds of competition were Alp Horns and ‘Lancers’..  those that have routines to music with flags on poles.

The yodeling was fantastic.  It seems that yodeling in the mountains was a way to communicate with the next village, and also was a way of telling the history of the village through songs.  Yodeling Clubs from around the SW corner of Switzerland all had a group in the competition, around 168 clubs in all.  The competition was held in 4 different areas, and in rounds.  We sat in a church and listened to one of the rounds.

A Yodel is somewhere between singing and ‘making’ a noise, by vibrating sound bouncing up and down between the top of your mouth and the start of your chest.  All songs started with a chorus and then broke into a yodel, then chorus, then yodel, etc.  Some groups sort of mimicked the ‘yodel’ by singing it…  but when a group or a person really ‘yodeled’, my God you knew it.  It is a very different sound.  One club was represented by one man who ‘yodeled’ his way through a song and brought the house down…  a most unusual noise vibrating between high and low.  When he hit the high notes…  you knew if he was standing in the mountains, it would reverberate all over the place.  Peter and I thought he must have been castrated…  otherwise how could he do those incredibly higher notes.  But he was wonderful and had a standing ovaction.  He had the ‘true’ yodel and we had a great education as to what yodeling was all about!

Alpine Walks

Peter and I took a 2 hour alpine walk yesterday.  It was good weather and we enjoyed our picnic in the open air with a fantastic vista.  We vowed we will do more of this!  And even better...  we both slept for 6 hours without waking up!  There is a message here somewhere...  something to do with 'exercise'.

Back into Switzerland

We made it..   me in the car (with a slight scrape on the side), Peter on the motor scooter..  970 kms across France into Switzerland.  Peter enjoyed the ride except for the rainy bits which were intermittent.

Now our little apartment is FULL of boat personal stuff..  and I have to get everything put away somewhere before Saturday.  At that time, our apartment is rented out for a week and PV and I are going to stay in a small studio apartment owned by Peter and Anne Pigott.

Having our apartment rented out to strangers while we are here is a pain in the ass, however, on the up side, it does make one get rid of unnecessary belongings!

Meanwhile..  Peter accidentally dropped his Iphone in the toilet while he had the 'torch app' on and it fried itself.  Remarkably, the Australian sim card still works.  So the sim is in my Australian phone and I am using our Swiss phone!  We will go into Sion today and probably buy a new Iphone.  Peter's Iphone needed updating anyway as it was about 6 or 7 years old.

Below is a picture of me on an Alpine walk behind our apartment and very much up the mountain.

Avignon

We left Mazemet on Wednesday morning in the rain.  We travelled for 1 hour before the drizzle started to lift and we could see patches of blue sky.  Peter's new rain gear kept him dry.

On the way to Avignon, we stopped at Aigue Mort (dead water), which is at the mouth of the Rhone Delta in the Camargue.  Aigue Mort is a walled town and was set up for the departure of the crusades, over the sea.  Today, they are known for their 'Camargue Salt', which they harvest from the sea.

Then we visited St. Marie du Mer...  a village on the ocean that has been taken over by gypsies.  There were gypsy caravans, vans, motorhomes, etc., everywhere.  The town was so packed with gypsies, tourists, fun fair, festival stalls, tourists, cows, horses, etc...  we could hardly drive through.  We certainly couldn't park the car anywhere...  so we just kept on going.  But it was very colourful!

We got to Avignon, another walled town, at 6:00 pm and stayed with Monique Lavigne, our French friend.  Weather has now turned hot!

We stayed with Monique for three nights, visiting amazing cities during the day.  Les Bau (perched on a rock face), Roussillon (purported to be one of the prettiest villages in France..  and it was) and we drove through the 'Alpettes'...  small mountains, I guess.  We also had a fantastic picnic on the grounds of the Sanitorium that Van Gogh once checked himself into when he went a little crazy.

Peter is traveling on the Motor Scooter

We were staying on a friend's boat, Syracuse.  Our plan is to drive across France slowly...  me in the car with our personal things, PV on the 125cc motor scooter.  On our intended departure day, Peter wanted to leave immediately in the rain!  I tried to persuade him no, but he was 'ready to go', so we set off at about 11:00 in the morning.  I didn't like it at all.  Our car is packed so full, I can only see out of the side mirrors..  so keeping an eye on Peter as he was following me, was difficult.  We stayed on back roads, so I was following the GPS, going slower than normal (with cars close on my tail), trying to keep Peter in view and driving in the rain.  None of it was any fun!

But the good news was that we finally stopped at the town of Mazemet (60 kms north of Carcassone), which used to be a Cathar stronghold.  The tourist bureau was also a Cathar museum, so we visited this and read about the history.  We then found a "chambre d'hote' called The Grand Maison...  wow...  We have a huge room, 12 foot ceiling, fireplace at one end, modern bathroom with huge bath and queen size bed!  And this is attached to a salon with sofas, books, and TV.  We also have free wifi and secure parking in the garden (next to the swimming pool)...  and the cost of €60 ($77) per night includes breakfast!  Really good value for France.

Meanwhile...  we went to a sports store and Peter bought a really good 'impermeable' (rain gear) so we can continue our journey if the rain eases to a drizzle.

But...  we have been here for 3 days and it is still black outside, very cold and windy, and still pouring rain.  It is supposed to clear up by tomorrow morning.  Fingers crossed.

Mazemet - Cathar Country

We left the boat Syracuse, and headed out of town today....  on the slow road to Switzerland.  Mind you, before we left the boat, we washed, swept, polished, cleaned, vaccumed, swabbed decks, etc. so that the owners could be happy that their boat was left in a very tidy condtion, indeed!

We have managed to get all of our personal possessions from Zee Otter, squeezed into our car.  Not one inch of space was left, but the good news is we didn't have to purchase a trailer!   I am driving the car (with a GPS), and Peter is following with the motor scooter.  Today was not an easy day.  It rained 90% of the time.  I was trying to watch the road, read the GPS, and make sure Peter was still in my side mirror all at the same time (Can't see out the rear view mirror.. too much stuff).  I didn't like it one little bit...  and when we finally stopped, Peter was soaked to the skin.  His jacket couldn't stand up to the rain.

But good news...  we stopped at the most wonderful 'chambre d'hote' in the village of Mazemet.  The chambre d'hote is the equivalent to our B&B, and it is called Le Grande Maison (no translation needed)!  Our bedroom has 12 foot ceilings, a fire place, a huge tub and a modern bathroom.  We have decided to stay two nights because rain is falling yet again and forecast for all of tomorrow.

But Mazemet is a 'Cathar' town, and I am really interested in the history of the Cathars.  So tomorrow we will visit some museums, some ancient Cathar strongholds, and most of all...  we will visit a store to buy Peter a really waterproof riding jacket.

Bilbao Guggenheim Museum

Peter and I, and two friends from another boat, drove to Spain 2 days ago.  Yesterday, we went to see the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

Building was thrilling, but it was full of modern art...  and as Marshall Macluen once said, 'Art is anything you can get away with.'  I didn't understand or like the art at all.

Today, we are going to drive back to France via the northern coast of Spain.  Weather is cool and sunny.

Barge is officially owned by Jon and Di Rayner

Well, the new owners took the barge out of dry dock and down the canal. Money is in our bank account. I visited the barge yesterday and I was delighted.  The outside was 'touched up' with paint, and inside...  Di had a square coffee table in the middle of the living room, and she had changed the yellow sofa by using a 'throw rug' and new pillows.  It looked great.  They also already had their own pictures on the walls.  Overall, the ambiance was still warm and friendly and the barge has had a face-lift.

So we now well and truly have said good-bye to Zee Otter.  I have mixed feelings.  I will miss the life-style, but we are now planning new adventures around the world.  We are definitely going back to Brazil next year, as well as Argentina!

Next week we are driving to Boa, Spain to visit the Guggenheim museum.

The immediate problem, however,  is getting all of our stuff out of storage and back to Switzerland.

Money for barge NOT in bank yet!

Due to a series of hiccups, a bank holiday in England on Monday, and a National Holiday in France on Tuesday, the money has not been transferred as yet.  We are sure everything is OK, but now we have moved out of the barge, the new owners are living on her...  and we haven't been paid!  Wouldn't happen if someone was buying a house!  Oh well....  we live and learn.

Sun is shining and we had a beautiful lunch with wine on the back deck of Syracuse.  Then we both promptly went to sleep and had an afternoon nap!  Now I am up and after writing this little blog, I will start going through our things to reduce the 'stuff'.  I have 3 piles...  that which is going back to Australia, that which is going to Switzerland, and that which is going to 'charity'.  We hope to be able to pack our car and not have to purchase a trailer.

Final payment on barge is tomorrow

Well, we are going tomorrow for our final visit to the barge and to collect the last payment.

We are on a friend's boat at the moment...  they are from Tasmania and due to his illness, can't make it over to France this year.  They are putting the barge on the market and it has to be delivered from one port to another, a 3 day trip.  So we are slaving away (chuckle-chuckle) moving the boat down the canal!  How lucky can we get.  We leave our barge and walk onto another boat!

We will stay on this boat (named Syracuse) for another 2 weeks before gathering up all of our belongings from the barge (which are packed in boxes and sitting in another friend's garage in Toulouse) and taking them back to Switzerland.

Future plan is for us to buy a small trailer and I will drive our car and trailer behind Peter on the scooter, through the South of France, and then up to Switzerland.  We figure it will take a week.  We will go on smaller roads and only travel maybe 250 kms per day.  If it rains, we won't travel at all.  We will stay in Chambre d'Hotes along the way, the French equivalent to a B&B.  Doesn't that sound like good fun?!!

Very cold in France

Hi to all.  Sorry I haven't written but boy have we been busy.  We went from Hawaii, to the U.S. to visit my Mother, to Switzerland to pick up our car, to the barge to take it to Toulouse in the South of France.

The new owners, Jon and Diane Rayner, came with us from the port of Buzet to Toulouse, and now the barge is in dry dock at the wishes of the new owner.  A few things need to be done which are now in progress.  Peter and I are currently staying in a friend's apartment in Toulouse as the barge is un-inhabitable while they are working on it.  During the day, we are packing our things in trunks and boxes and suitcases!  We have to hire a trailer to take it all to Switzerland.

Internet is a bit of a problem in France.  Very expensive unless you are on a 12 month contract with a phone company.  Really nice that the apartmeny we are in has free wifi!!

We are well, but a bit sad at leaving the barge.  But one door closes and I am sure, another will open.

Hawaii and Volcanoes

Peter and I just spent 2 weeks in Hawaii.  We have visited the lava fields, an active volcano, and walked through lush forests.

The lava fields were amazing.  They looked like mud, but it was all black rock.  Here, I am standing where the lava nearly crossed the road.  Needless to say...   no one drives this road anymore.  The lava took out a village, but nearby, several houses were left standing...  and the people still live in them.  Imagine having this as your front yard!

We stayed with friends who have a beautiful house in Hilo. So fresh pineapple and papaya was on the menu everyday as well as gigantic avocadoes!

We also spent one afternoon in a mini submarine, looking at the underwater reef...  and another afternoon looking for whales from a sail boat.  We found a female whale with her calf...  all we saw was a giant flipper and a few tail slaps.  But it was fun.

Hawaii

We are on the big island of Hawaii, staying with friends in Hilo.  What a fantastic temperature, day after day.  Hawaii seems to be a very laid back place.

Leaving Sydney, plane aborted our take off on the runway due to a 'flap warning light' and we had to sit on the tarmac for 4 hours before they decided to cancel the flight!  They arranged for us to fly out the next day.  What a bore!

Off to visit the volcanoes.

Time Passes All Too Quickly!!

Peter and I went to Tasmania for 3 weeks to visit our 'tree plantation'.  We stayed in Port Sorell with our French boating friends, Don and Yyonne Letto.  They were such wonderful hosts!!  We sort of dumped our main suitcase with Don and Yvonne, and then visited the tree plantation.  We camped on the property for a week.  Loved it, but I got 'leeched' again.  The property is swarming (if that is the word) with leeches.  This one had a long 'suck' before I found it.  5 Days later I was at the doctor's emergency room!  I had a terrible reaction to the anti-coagulant the leech injected.  After numerous medications, I am on the mend.

Plans are to go to Hawaii for 2weeks in March, then over to Indiana to visit my Mother, and then back to Switzerland to pick up our car and then drive to the barge.

We are supposed to be retired, but we seem to be way too busy!

So much time has passed...

I have been neglecting writing about our travels so here is a thumbsketch...

Arrived back in Australia in Late October.
Visited a friend in Mackay Queensland in early December.
I (Judy) went to the U.S. for almost all of January to settle my 95 year old Mother into assisted living at her request.  I have a really smart mother who has been in independent living all of this time, but who has now recognised there are things she can't do by herself anymore.
Peter stayed in the Hunter Valley and flew balloons for training, fun, and for tethering the 'Flag' balloon on Australia Day which was 'weathered out' due to rain.
We are driving to our 'tree property' in Tasmania tomorrow and won't be back in the Hunter for about 3 weeks. We are taking the Tasman Ferry from Melbourne to Devonport with our car.