the rest of my Swiss Trip...sorry

I love you ALL! But this takes a lot of effort to post-date/write my Swiss entries, so I am going to just copy and paste my photos from there and some comments.

FYI: we spent 3 days in Ticcino, or "SWISS-TALY!" We also climbed stuff (spelling is hard in French), went to a marmot (those are WOOD CHUCKS [there are 14 species of them]) preserve, went to a spa at Bex, met his parents (I'm a hit!) and his friends (team bornet is on BOARD with the Kate Plan), spent a day in Geneva, and went to Evian for Bastille Day.


I took this picture in the car on the way up. This is Sonogna, where Elettra used to live and where her family’s cabin is

This is where we stayed. Outside there were wild strawberries, lizards, and one viper, which scared Philippe out of his Swiss socks

These things were on the highway about every 50 yards in Ticcino. They didn’t seem to have a purpose except to make the Italians feel better about driving without the fear of death.

They were also on the mountains

This is me on the cable car across the River Maggiore…slightly terrifying. Like the shades? I seriously needed them.

This is me writing letters at an outdoor café in Geneva. It was so nice, and we had coffee and a nutella (yum!) crepe…wowzers! Quelle breakfast!

We went swimming in this very river…

PRETTY RIVERS!!!!

Here are some views from our hikes (I can’t spell no French no ways)

Some of those white things are sheep, which were hearded by these REALLY awesome black dogs. Seriously amazing

Pretty flowers

Cimetta just above timber line (those other mountains, the ones that don’t make sense and look pretty but disorganized…ITALY!)

WOOOO! KATE WINS!

Me licking the sign at the Bex Salt Mines…it was NOT as salty as advertised

This was the city hall of Bellinzona next to where we ate a late dinner of “I give you what we have in kitchen…NO MENU HERE!”

I got the Bastille Day Mini Golf Invitational Skillz

Me at the riverside in Ticcino, after a day of KILLER hiking

Philippe LOVES being on the mountains…seriously he’s like at his best up there.

This is Locarno, Ticcino, SWITZERLAND…figure that out.

This Marmot (in America they’re called “woodchucks”) is posing

BEBEH MARMOT!!!!!! Insert “awwwwww” here

This is called a “stupa” and is put at high altitudes by Buddhists…pretty

Kate's Time in Switzerland: Day 2

Day 2

We slept in and didn't really do much of anything but wander around his university and see his office, meet his bosses, and go to the park just down the hill from the university.


It's a lot prettier than this in real life

And that night we went out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary where we had salad and fois gras with fresh strawberries and lavender vinegarette...AS A STARTER! Good evening! Very French.

Kate's Time in Switzerland: Day 1

My first full day in Switzerland we went to the Montreaux Jazz Festival, which is a BEEG deal, and Philippe's Big Band was playing there...which was also a BEEG deal! He played solos on a ballad called "Butter" and "Mambo" from West Side Story.

That's him without flash on my camera...sorry it's so fuzzy.


This is his band, the Big Band of the Conservatory of Lausanne

The director you can see in this picture hunched over, thought Philippe and I were worthy of going to the VIP section. There we sat for about an hour drinking beer, talking (me trying in French). The director thought my attempts at French were adorable, or "Chou" meaning "cute." I talked mostly to Philippe's friend, Jean-Eve, who is really nice but quiet, and the soloists weren't talking to him as much (NO ENGLISH! NO ENGLISH!), and I'm nice. Everyone had fun, and it was WILD being in the VIP section at the MONTREAUX JAZZ FESTIVAL! Very cool, even though I was pretty jet lagged.

Hey Loyal Fans!

Hey everyone!

It would seem that I, K8 (get it? Kate...K8) am on the tubal-interwebs! Here I will keep you all up to date with the latest pictures and stories and general insanity that I am sure will ensue once I reach THE CONTINENT!!!