Burgundy: Dijon, Bouilland and Alesia

Breast cancer awareness - Dijon style.

Beautiful girls, in a beautiful place on a beautiful day.

Dijon's mideveal streets.

Kate O, Holly, Anna and Kate W in Dijon.

A sample of Dijon's architecture.

Touching the owl with the left hand has been a good luck charm for centuries - we all had a go.

We love the tiled roofs in Burgundy.

Back at Domain Rapet Pere et Fils.

6 meter statue of Vercingetorix on the plateau at Alesia.

Napoleon III comissioned the statue. Things didn't work out too well for Vercingetorix.

Bob, Robert and Max at the visitor's center.

A recreation of the seige works Rome put in place to besiege Alesia - over 18kms long.

This gives an indication of one of the reasons why the Gauls lost - tough getting over that wall.

Last fall we spent a wonderfull weekend in Burgundy. We were smitten. As with most wine producing regions, Burgundy's landscape is beautiful and the wine and food spectacular. Last year we stayed in the small village of Bouilland and visited Beaune, tasted some wine in Pernand- Vergelelesses and visited with lovely people in the village's restaurants and hotel. We knew we had to go back.

This year we were joined by fellow food and wine lovers, Bob Ohlweiler, Holly Williamson and family. We arrived at the hotel, Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin in Bouilland and dined in luxury. The food at the hotel is great. We enjoyed both white and red Burgundy, which both Holly and Bob loved. So we knew we were in for a good weekend.

Saturday was a beautiful day. We headed to Dijon to enjoy the sites of that famous city. Since the weather was so nice, we opted to follow the Le Parcours de la Chouette - a self-guided walking tour. It was exactly the right thing to do. The city was alive with people out and about shopping and enjoying the cafes. The Palais de Ducs was beautiful.

We headed back to Pernand-Vergelesees to taste wine at Domaine Rapet Pere et Fils. Follwing a brief rest at the hotel where we enjoyed local cheese and white wine, Bob and Steve headed to Domaine Maurice Chapuis. It turns out the winemaker was an exchange student in Waterville, ME. The auberge in Bouilland was a perfect place for dinner - just as good as we remembered from last year.

Bob and Holly have two boys who know their history. So Bob and the boys were happy to join Steve for a trip over to Alesia to learn more about Julius Ceaser's famous victory over the Gauls at Alesia. Steve has known about this battle since he was a boy when he and his father played a strategic war game of the battle. We didn't know what to expect and were amazed at the investment the community has put into remembering the battle and Vercingetorix, the last Gaul to unite the tribes against Rome. Really glad we made the trip.

Very relaxed, very full and very contented, we all headed back to Geneva. How wonderful it is to live so close to this lovely place.

Murren, Switzerland September 2012

Happy hikers.

Swiss cows that make Swiss Cheese.

 A nice bench to rest during our hike to Gimmelwald.

Evening in Murren.

Trummelbach Falls - this is inside the mountain.

A stop on our hike. By the way, did I mention that the weather was perfect.

Eiger glacier.

Attention to detail - every detail.

As the sun sets in Murren.

Murren - impossibly Swiss.

Swiss Miss. This is where we ate breakfast at our hotel - not kidding!!

We've been told over and over again how beautiful the Bernese Alps are and that they are a must see. After being apart much of the summer and now fully engaged back into the school year, we thought a weekend get-away with just the family was in order. We were in the mood for some quiet family time and some hiking in the Alps together. Friends Holly and Bob suggested the Swiss village of Murren and off we went.

Before reaching Murren, we stopped at Trummelbach falls, a collection of 10 different waterfalls tucked inside a mountain. The water is from the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau glaciers and carries 20,000 liters of water fer second. It is a one-of-a-kind visit.

Murren is a car-free, traditional Walser mountain village nestled in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland. Though only 450 year-round residents, the picturesque town is equipped with over 2,000 hotel beds to accomodate visitors. The alititude is at 5,413 feet, so in that respect it does take your breath away. Looking at the valley and the Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch mountains takes the rest of your breath away. We've seen some beautiful sights during our stay in Europe, but thes views from Murren will always be some of the most memorable.

We had a wonderful weekend - dining on traditional Swiss cousine (we all love rostis!) and wine from the Valais region. To make sure we had an appetite the family took a hike down to the even smaller village of Grimmelwald. Going down was easier than going up. But we stopped to say hello to the Swiss cows (yes, with bells), goats, rabbits and enourmous cats.

Relaxation and quality family time is what we wanted - Murren delivered. What a wonderful place.

Maria and Steve Celebrate 16 Years

Our anniversary falls the day after Anna's birthday, so we always have lots to celebrate this week in August! This year, we went out for dinner at our favorite and local Crans restaurant: Cafe de L'Union. As always, the food and the service were wonderful. We go enough that we get welcomed like family. We had a lovely evening on the terrace-- the food and company was superb.  A lovely evening for us as a couple.... 

Anna Turns 11!

Yes, our beautiful daughter is 11 years old now and going into the 5th grade. We celebrated on her birthday with a crepe breakfast and presents. Maria took the girls to Aqua Park for the day. Then on the weekend, we celebrated as a family with a trip on Lake Geneva on the paddle boats. The hot summer was just perfect for these events. We love you, Anna and are so glad you have blessed our life! 

Kittens Join Our Family

Meet Minuit

And her brother, Cappacino (also know as Cappy)

We had our eye on two kittens before we left for the US this summer. They are a brother and sister pair- five  months old now. As luck would have it, they were waiting for us when we got back! So meet Minuit (midnight in French and a girl) and Cappuccino ('Cappi' and a boy). They are loads of fun. They enjoy playing with us, and are good company for each other.  

Summer in the USA 2012

The Vittone family - 3 generations.

Grandma Jeager being taught to play the card game trash, by none other than the Queen of Trash - Kate.

Lake fun at the Little House in Northern Wisconsin.

Cousin Hallie Marker and Auntie Jenn came to Beaver Creek.

We took the chair up for lunch of burgers and fries at Spruce Saddle.

Hiking Royal Elk path.

Beaver Lake.

Hiking Down from Beaver Lake.

At Beaver Creek mini-golf with Uncle Eric.

Settling in with cabin mate at Geneva Glen.

Anna and counselor at Geneva Glen.

Anna, Auntie Jenn and Grandma Jean at drop-off. Anna was a Crimson Cross this year.

A visit with Laurie, Jack and Tate. Nice they are so near by for an annual visit. Great to see Tate doing so well.

Happy cabin mates at pick-up. Amanda was with Kate this year.

Grandma picks-up the grandkids.

The next generation at the Marker's house. Pearl and Kevin posing with the kids.

Fun day out in Wisconsin.

Taking it easy in the shade. 

Proud hikers!

Old friends and new at Shadyview Lane!

As always, it is always so wonderful to head back to the good ole USA for a few weeks- actually six weeks for Maria and the girls. Steve's visit overlapped with the family for two weeks (although he did have the problem of a job, so we really only really saw him for one of those weeks.)

Our first week landed us at Grandma and Grandpa Jan/Gordie's home and little house in Northern Wisconsin. It was all lake time with tubing, swimming, and jet skiing. We also got to visit with Great Grandma Jaeger who turned 99 this year!

Colorado occupied our next three weeks, staying mainly in Beaver Creek. The four of us met Aunt Jenn and Uncle Erik there. Grandma Jean and cousin Amanda arrived later in the week. We hiked, biked, introduced the girls to LaCrosse, and just lazed around the village. Cousin Hallie from Denver joined the girls for a few days.

Then it was off to Geneva Glenn Camp for Anna and Kate and two of their cousins for two weeks. By that time, Steve was headed home (via Mexico), and Jean and Maria held down the fort in Beaver Creek. We hiked each day, and spent time with cousin Michelle and her family. Our two weeks was punctuated by a trip to Estes Park since we both have friends in the area. It was then time to picked up some pretty happy and slightly dirty kids by then! They made great friends and memories. We heard all about it on the 18 hour car ride home.

Once back from Colorado, the girls spent five days in Ripon with Grandma Jean and Grandpa Bill. Although Kate ended up with a case of strep throat and the weather was yucky Wisconsin summer hot, they managed some swimming, the movies, a trip to the Green Lake County Fair, Cookie Daze, and keeping up with the Olympics at night.

The girls finished off the summer back in the old neighborhood visiting with friends. It was a great way to cap off the summer!