Pfaeffikon, Zuoz, Amden and Raemsen

After a few weeks of trips further afield, it was great to spend some days combining work and pleasure in Switzerland.

With the weather suddenly changing, bringing temperatures up to the thirties, it was time to enjoy one of my all- time favourite lakes, the Pfaeffikersee. How beautiful the fresh green cornfields looked with the occasional bright red poppies stretching up to the sunlight.

And, of course, the lake as lovely and serene as always, clear and cool, surrounded by the wooded Zuerich Oberland hills

I have such happy memories of the many years spent in Pfaeffikon and just love to return year after year.

After this wonderful walk I was quite happy to simply sit and enjoy the fabulous trip to Zuoz. There were some rather unusual sights on the way

as well as fabulous views of the Engadine Valley, still with plenty of snow on the hills, when we came out of the Vereina Tunnel in Susch. I get such an amazing feeling of coming 'home' when I arrive in the Engadine. It is really such a special place, and has actually been my home for over one year if I count up the weeks spent here in the last 13 years!

It was perfect to be able to combine the trip to Zuoz with a fleeting visit to my friend Alexandra and her family in Vilters, near Sargans. I have so enjoyed watching her children growing up over the years, and this time we had time for a quick trip up the hill on the other side of the Walensee, to Amden. I have wanted to go there for years, so it was a super choice despite it being rather low cloud and chilly.

I was surprised at how many houses there are there, many holiday homes I am sure. It is such a pretty place, especially with its fields of buttercups and

daisies. This unmown pocket of colour was just gorgeous.

We took a very pleasant path, zigzagging up through the forest to this magnificent lookout point over the lovely Walensee. What a pity that this year there is no musical there. I have so enjoyed the past two years.

Weesen, the little lakeside town below Amden, is also worth a visit, and certainly on my bucket list for another visit another time. The Churfirsten cliffs looked particularly dramatic with the low, dark clouds.

The next long weekend was spent with my friends Hmpi and Ruth, who I have known since 1975! I have visited them very regularly, when marketing for Polytech and also on holiday, since they moved to the very pretty little village of Raemsen, near Stein Appenzell. It is another 'home' feeling when I sit in their lovely garden, with views over the fields to the mountain, Saentis. It is even more gorgeous at this time of year with the huge pockets of daisies in their lawn. I love this idea and think I must introduce it to my garden next year. The flowers do a great job of attracting bees to the garden.

The walk up the hill to the neighbouring village of Stein is beautiful, though the newly manured fields are rather pungent! You really get the feeling of being ' far from the madding crowd' and yet St Gallen is only 10 minutes away.

At the top of the hill lies the very picturesque centre of Stein, with its very particular architectural style of houses, many well over a century old. You definitely feel that you have  stepped  back in time. It is really lovely, and fantastic to find a place which does not seem to change!.

There is just such a wonderful variety of walks in this area, most affording fabulous views of the hills and mountains nearby. Of course, a weekend without passing Swiss cows is just not possible. Here were some more fortunate creatures without bells, sitting down in preparation for the rain due later in the day!

Now, it's back to work for a couple of days before heading to France to catch up with  another friend I have known even longer, Pam. More on this next blog!