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.

Back in Berne

We made a last-minute decision to get out of Zurich and spend the weekend in Berne! The beutiful botanic garden was a very pleasant way to while away the day, especially as the weather was better than we thought it would be.

And we're in

Very generous moving-in gift from the builders, and more importantly, the keys!

Out and about

I thought I had posted this here, but I think I only posted it somewhere else. Giant inflatable Lindt bunny in the local shopping centre.

The big news is that we have booked the movers and cleaners. We will be moving on June 23, and - drum roll - moving into our new place instead of temporary accommodation. Very grateful to the managers of the current place for letting us extend yet again, which means we'll still be here during my exams. I was dreading having to move out to somewhere as yet undefined before and after them.

We've been enjoying walking down by the river when the weather is in any way good - strange that we didn't do it every day, but that's what leaving a place does, it makes you appreciate it. You can just about make out a heron in the two pics below - by the bank in the first one and stood on the rock poised to strike in the second. I keep forgetting that the camera doesn't see things as up close as I do.

Queen London. Britain is still cool, it seems.

Ad for Swiss caramels, featuring a buff man with a calf chewing his pocket. Not sure how I'm supposed to respond. The slogan translates as "hard or soft?" which doesn't help. Himself's office has the soft ones and he assures me they're the dairy version of crack cocaine.

We headed out by the river again today, picking up some fresh eggs on the way. No duck eggs this time, unfortunately. But we did see two sunbathing lizards, as well as a finch singing its tiny heart out.

When we were nearly back, we noticed the "Imbiss offen" sign on a little patch of unused land that is currently hosting some crates doubling as little allotment gardens. Himself decided we should support the locals so we went in and bought some overpriced Coke Zero and apple juice with fizzy water, but worth it to sit in the sun and enjoy the view.