After 9 weeks on the road, and after 8 weeks of hearing, "How long till the Bruces get here?" our greatly anticipated friends have finally arrived.
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Molly was the first to spot them from 7 floors up and about 100 meters away across a busy city street. It's a good thing she saw them because they were headed in the wrong direction. The sighting was quickly followed by obnoxious and excited yelling on our part. I suspect some locals were cursing us.

​First stop....gelato!

We're now in the Trastevere neighbourhood, which is a fun and lively place. It's perfect for strolling and dining. 
We walked through the city to the Tiber River and were distracted by hundreds of thousands of birds flying in bizarre patterns over the river. Rodney got pooped on twice, they got me once, and both George and Alex managed to touch rails or ledges that were covered in yucky droppings! Thank goodness I still had a Wet Wipe from a recent flight. 
Bruschetta, salad, pizza, panna cotta and beer were on tonights menu.
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Just after the above photo was taken, my phone/camera told me it was full. I can't believe it won't hold more than 8000 photos! Tonight's job is photo editing or no photos of the Colosseum tomorrow.

Today was an interesting day.
We caught the bus to meet a Swiss-born cousin who has lived in Rome for over 50 years. Margherita is a first cousin to my father, Werner, and Hedy (mentioned in previous blog posts). I wasn't really sure what to expect given I'd never met my cousin before, but based on my affection for the rest of the cousins, I thought we'd enjoy a coffee together. To my delight we enjoyed much more that a coffee. 
Margherita is an interesting lady! She shared some fascinating family stories and gave us an excellent tour of parts of Rome we would have missed on our own. Great detail was offered on the city, it's politics and local churches. We absorbed as much as we could. The kids requested no more church visits at the end of the 7th or 8th one, but we did see some beautiful art and architecture.
One of the reasons that it was nice to meet today, was because we have had a painting my Margherita's husband hanging in our home for about 10 years. Unfortunately, Franco couldn't join us today to share the story about it himself.
One of the highlights today was lunch. We went to a restaurant that Margherita has been going to for years, and I can see why. I enjoyed a fresh antipasto plate while sitting in a quiet square looking at a beautiful church. It felt like an authentic Roman outing.
Thank you for a great day, Margherita.

My mom has always liked the Vatican, so we thought it would be nice to send the good Catholic girl a postcard from Vatican City. I had to laugh at the postage stamp; it seems even Korea (Corea) finds us here. The "Blue House" is the presidential home in Seoul.

George was experiencing some tummy trouble yesterday and this morning (he's recovered now), Molly argued a valid case for a day of rest (she thinks she'd make a good lawyer), and Barry was rather exhausted. I, on the other hand, felt the need to explore, so I left my lovely family behind and headed to the Vatican Museum. I'm so glad I did...'leave them behind', that is. It was rather busy and shoulder-to-shoulder in there, and I'm certain the kids would have been groaning in the first half hour, maybe Barry too. My four hour tour was best enjoyed alone without having to justify my slow pace or look for the kids being swept away with the crowds.

The Vatican Museum is truly spectacular. The art from centuries past as well as more contemporary pieces is endless. In fact, there is too much to really enjoy in half a day. There's so many sculptures and paintings demanding one's attention that I don't think anyone notices the elaborate marble floors, the stunning wood shutters, or tiny figures carved in dark corners. My senses were overloaded, and so were most peoples, I'm sure, because by the end of the visit, people were walking past Salvador Dali's and Matisse's work like it was nothing special at all. . Funny how we become so jaded when we really just want a cup of coffee and a place to sit.

Barry, George and Molly met me outside the Vatican at 4:30, and we headed out for dinner and a walk about the city. The rain drizzled on us a few times, but we managed to stay dry. You don't really need to visit museums in Rome, the city itself is a living museum... 

Breakfast in Switzerland, lunch in Germany, snacks in France and dinner in Italy....life could be worse. 

We departed Switzerland with a lovely farewell to my Dad and Werner and Lydia and headed north-west towards the Basel airport. Thought the airport has a Swiss name, it's technically of the border in France and just beside Germany. As such, we decided it would be nice to pop over the Rhine River for lunch. 

As you can tell by Molly's expression, there was nothing so impressively different on the other side of the river. Other than taking the Euro instead of the Franc at the restaurant, there was little to highlight we were in a different country. We had the chat that borders were a human design and some what arbitrary; the lines on the maps do not necessarily define people or culture. We experienced the opposite effect when we drove over the Gotthard pass in Switzerland and left the Mediterranean climate and Italian culture and entered the Germanic part of Switzerland that had a very different culture and even a different language. Borders, whether made-made or geographical, are funny things.

I love this view from the airplane heading over the Alps. 

We've settled into our apartment in Italy. It has lots of space and good internet...everyone is happy. The kids want to FaceTime friends, but the time change is making it tricky.

We strolled through St. Peter's square in Vatican City, but didn't go in because the weather was too nice. Later.

We opted for an after-dinner walk to show the kids the magic of Rome in the evening, but it was hard to convince them of it when both the Spanish Steps and the Trevi fountain were blocked for renovations! Bummer.

I'll try not to bore the non-family members who read this site, but I thought it would be nice to share some photos I took of Werner and Lydia's photo album.
This is my Bächli family tree ...known as the Beachli's in Canada.

One of the main reasons we came to Switzerland on the this trip was to try to reconnect with our family - past and present. Over the years Bächlis have travelled back and forth between Switzerland and Canada, and it is my hope that my family and I can continue this tradition well into the future.

October 25th is George's birthday, and today he became a teenager. We feel very blessed to have this young man in our lives, and we hope he has enjoyed celebrating his birthday in Switzerland. Though celebrating was a little different this year, he was still surrounded by gifts, treats, cake and family. I think he did miss having a usual party with friends.
Lydia and Werner made a special effort to make George feel special. Lydia, a trained pastry chef, treated us all to a delicious cake. Cousins Alic and Lynne joined in for the party and spent the afternoon trampolining with our kids.
​Thanks to the Bachlis for a special day and for making us quite at home in Switzerland.

As we prepare to depart from Switzerland today, we are also preparing to depart from my Dad. After one month of travelling together, I am reminded how fortunate I am to have a father who has been so good to me for 42 years. 
Dad, we cannot thank you enough for taking the time to be with us on this journey. I was George's age when I came here for the first time with you and my grandfather. I'm certain our children will cherish the time here, the same way I cherished my memories of a great trip. 
Thank you also for your extreme generosity. You have outdone yourself! Have a safe trip home this week.

So goodbye to the land of chocolate, and hello to gelato again!

Molly insisted that we take Barry back to the Verzasca Valley to see the rocks in the river. The weather was much cooler and, at 2:30, the sun had already passed through the narrow valley. I'm not sure I'd be happy living in a place that gets so little sunlight each day. After a picnic lunch we continued to the end of the road up the valley. The small communities along the way have an ancient feeling. The new and old stone houses are beautiful and unique to these Swiss mountain valleys. It took us an hour to drive up the valley, but 100 years ago, the mountain dwellers would have had to take days to work their way down to the city of Locarno. I'm sure some never made it in their lifetime. What isolation.

Today we finished some art, carvings and laundry. Grandpa took George to a nearby city to go to the Maserati, Aston Martin and Lamborghini dealerships and Molly to the mall for hair accessories. You can imagine how the siblings enjoyed each other's excursion.
Barry and I caught up on paperwork and planning before heading to town to get a few things for George's upcoming birthday. We cooked his requested schnitzel dinner tonight because we move to a hostel near the farm in Jona tomorrow, so it'll be hard to cook a birthday dinner there.
Another relaxing day. I think Barry is starting to unwind.If I unwind anymore, I may stop....what a problem to have!

After an easy journey Barry has arrived in Switzerland. We're enjoying a cold drink and some catching up.

This week marks the end of eight weeks of travel on our 6 month adventure. It's been a beautiful journey so far, and I am writing this today, because tomorrow marks a new start. We expect Barry to land in Basel shortly and make the 220km drive south to the rustico where we have been enjoying a peaceful time. 

Throughout this trip some of the things I thought would bother me don't. Such as lack of clothing variety, so few shoes to choose from, and constantly moving from place to place. I brought too much clothing and have left things along the way, and the constant excitement of moving hasn't fatigued me as I had expected. What I wouldn't have guessed would be top of my list on wants while travelling is good internet service. I didn't realize how dependent I'd become on this communication tool, and living without it for even a day seems exceptionally inconvenient. I always feel like I might miss something. Paying about $10 per day is Switzerland to have a data plan on my phone that can create a hotspot for us is just what it costs to have the opportunity to stay in touch with friends and Canadian news. I was up at 4am watching election results come in. Just like after a nightmare, It was impossible to get back to sleep!

I have learned a lot about my kids on this trip. For one, they are exceptionally resilient. We've only had one total meltdown, and if we were at home living a regular life, I guarantee we would have had more than that. They have been strong and courageous. They have been good and patient. They have explored and learned, and they have grown. I feel very blessed to have them on the is journey. I know they miss people and things from home, but they truly seem to be doing well. When I told them we'd been on the road for two months, George said, "We just started" and Molly commented  that there was no way we were 1/3 done. I think that's good!

I have also enjoyed the month with my father in many ways I didn't expect. I'll admit I had reservations about so much time with someone I usually see a few days per month. Though we've always had a good relationship, and travelled to Switzerland twice before together, I wasn't sure if we'd get under each other's skin. Much to my delight, we've had a fantastic time touring and building memories together. He is very patient with Molly's slow moving mornings, George's constant chatter, and my stubborn ways. He has been exceptionally generous and a fantastic driver on these crazy mountain roads. This time will always be cherished, and we will miss him when we part on Monday.

Home is just a feeling. I think that is why we asked Lydia and Werner if we could use their rustico for the week when we realized we didn't want to stay at the previously booked accommodation. Home can be a long way from "home" if it's a place you can feel comfortable and at rest, and of course, have those you love with you. It's also a place where things are in order, the cupboards have salt and tea in them, there's momentos on the walls, and and a sense of pride in a building, I know Barry hasn't been here, but other than that, this rustico has been a perfect place to transition from our first two months of travel and family time into our next 4 months of continued adventure.  Our time here has restored me, which was needed physically after much busyness and emotionally after sad news of my cousin's sudden death. Our days of rock collecting, making paint, painting, stone carving and little walks have been great. We're even caught up on the laundry. (Clean laundry is another greatly appreciated thing on this journey).

That's all I really want to ramble on about today. Below are few photos from the past couple of days.

After a good sleep-in, followed by some much needed school work, we headed up the valley road near the rustico towards to Lucomagno pass. Dad likes to visit a river bed up in the mountains to admire and collect stones. Sometimes he carves while he's here in Switzerland, which is evident when visiting his cousins' gardens, and sometimes he takes a small piece back to Canada to carve there. Today we selected a few pieces to build something here for the rustico garden. It was a gorgeous day. We scoured the riverbed for hours and had a nice picnic lunch.