Week in review

We headed out on Saturday to a shopping centre at the other end of the industrial area.

It was back-to-school time. Who better to hide your mistakes than Kitty?

Looks... totally not legit. But they did stock a funny-looking German/Swiss German version of Memory.

Swiss national day (1 August) approaches.

Doesn't look much like German, does it?

Patriotic hampers, I assume filled with Swiss goods.

Dawn & Simon came up on Sunday and we headed out to one of our favourite places, Miyuko's. Seen on the way, this sign claims there are no sharks in the river Limmat, but that you should still be careful about swimming. Very understated compared to Bern's giant octopus.

The unassuming outside of Miyuko's.

And our wonderful afternoon tea, served with Earl Grey, Chinese flower tea, and lemon and ginger tea.

Thinking of our friend Colm!

I finally planted my salad leaf seeds on Sunday night.

Went out for dinner with my OU friend Alison on Wednesday. This is our favourite quasi-Thai place's idea of a burger. (Not pictured, three dipping sauces and fried noodles.)

I forced myself to have dessert - black sesame and coconut ice cream!

I couldn't believe it on Thursday morning when I saw that my salad leaf seeds had sprouted! Here's the Osaka purple "mustard" and mizuna.

Swiss chard (has not sprouted yet) and mibuna.

Oriental greens and mild micro leaf mixes.

And mesclun and spicy micro leaf mixes!

Plus my Ikea herbs and chives.

And the large Korean mint is budding! It would be lovely if it got more flowers.

Open the box

I got a box in the post!

Muchas gracias to Austa and Bill for a beautiful exam/move survival pressie!

And in other news, I upgraded.

Not that I've unpacked enough to do anything yet (that table is now full of stuff waiting to be placed somewhere) but the new machine will hopefully be a bit more powerful and able to tackle things like felt. ^_^; By Husqvarna, who are apparently just as well known for chainsaws.

When in Zurich

I went to the Zurich Botanical Gardens with Wendy and John . The weather wasn't the best, but I scored a red shiso plant and three Korean mint plants in their plant sale!

A nice surprise - matcha chocolate collaboration with our favourite tea room, Les Delices de Miyuko! On sale in the Globus department store.

Amazingly, a range of onigiri in Coop.

My red shiso and one of my Korean mint plants. ^_^

And two weeks after we move in, finally our names on the post box.

I don't think that prefix implies what you think it does.

My first try at cream cheese frosting. Apart from melting, it didn't turn out too badly.

Sheep grazing a field around the corner from a friend's house.

Just what every household needs - an automatic log splitter, and on sale!

My new way of finding plants that attract insects - look for the ones serving as landing pads for bees the size of aircraft carries.

I ended up getting this lavender. 

Another indispensable item, gloves for handling cherries.

I'm not sure that's what you want on your advertising either.

My little balcony garden in progress. Red shiso, three Korean mint plants (the smaller two are very strong!), some unknown flowers as a housewarming present from Wendy & John, lavender and a just-planted pot of chives at the end.

My miraculously surviving jade plant, heavily cut back, with my Ikea herbs and some cuttings that may or may not take.

More from Berne

We came across a lovely bakery while walking around Bern. The gingerbreads were fantastic, but slightly expensive. ^_^;

The front of the Swiss parliament buidling

Giant chess in the square in front of the parliament building.

The river Aare runs through Bern. People like jumping into it from low bridges, so I suspect there may not be any giant squid.

Forever catching up

We went for a walk today, to see some of the surrounding area that David's parents had seen before us. The weather forecast - rain after 8:00 pm - was wrong, so we spent a good deal of time sheltering in a barn from the rain.

Migros obviously still thinks Britain is cool.

And naked men and calves sell caramel.

A little lizard sunning itself in the nature reserve in Adliswil.

We stopped off at what looked like an experimental urban gardening area for a cold drink on the way back.

Germany and Switzerland always have these little chocolate bugs around exam time.

Exam prep.

Shop around the corner from the exam venue.

Bread turtles.

I don't think "flavour" is the word you want here.

You wonder when you see this in the loos at the local station.

The classic cars were out in force again for the Albisstrassefest.

Because neither a pizza nor a hamburger and unhealthy enough?

Seriously vintage fire sign in the building I stayed in in London.

Jaffa cakes?

Our classy new neighbourhood, with gnomes in forklifts.

Graffiti on the S-bahn

Kitty is everywhere.

Double rainbow over the fields outside our new place.

Dietlikon welcomes us.