Barbara's travels continue 2018

As the second camp started, I took off to St Gallen to stay with very long-term friends, Hampi and Ruth,  I have to admit I was in need of a slightly easier programme, but we did start two days swimming in the lovely outside pool at Teufen, only minutes away. I will definitely get back to aqua jogging when home. We then did a very gentle walk through the very attractive, though touristy town of Appenzell. I must have been there before, but don't remember just how beautifully decorated the houses and shops were. Tour buses  are back and the little main street full of tourists once more. The colours are so vibrant and yet the colours don't appear to clash. The oranges and reds were fantastic under the blue skies.  It was great to catch up for a fantastic brunch with Brigitte, Ruth's neighbour, who once visited me in NZ, and to have a big family reunion and dinner with Ruth's children in the evening, and a meeting with the recent additions to the family. What a great even

Strangely enough, since living in the wine barrel, I have somewhat ignored local walks, but with only a few hours free before the new team for camp 2 arrived, I did an old favourite walk above the golf course, from Zuoz to Le Punt. It is a great walk, partly in forest but also woth extensive views over the magnificent golf course, one of very few courses over 1700 metres above sea level in Europe.  It was so good to see some old friends returning to camp 2. I really didn't know many teachers in camp 1. I realise that this will probably be the last time I see them face to face for some years, but I might try to get us all together online before the camps next year. I learned from the first camp that I should not be around on the first day, so had lots of plans for the Sunday. First, a dream came true as I enjoyed a fantastic breakfast buffet at Restaurant Hauser in St Moritz. It is super pricey, but as a special treat, well worth it. The beautifully presented food, the very personal

I have only been to Chiavenna once before and the visit ended abruptly after Bethan took one lick of a sorbet and had an allergic reaction because it surprisingly contained egg. We only saw the hospital after that, so I was determined to comeback and see it in slightly more detail! It was certainly worth it, despite the extreme heat, anout 38 degrees, with little breeze. I think I am coping better and if you go out later in the day, it is reasonanly comfortable - as I write this, the sweat is trickling down my back, but I am trying to ignore it! My hotel is great. The room is a wonderful cool haven with a phenomenal view! The highlight for me was definitely the walk along the River Mera. It is fabulous and also sometimes unthinkable that buildings were built adjacent to the river and sometimes in the rocks. They are still standing, centuries later. They are incredible and so picturesque. I started writing this between courses in one of the restaurants overlooking the river. I couldn&#

I have almost always had a day visit to Soglio, but have never enjoyed an evening in this very special village, which is perched on a small plateau above the Bergell Valley. My itinerary planning only allowed for one night there, and of course, I might have had a night of storms or rain. As it was, it was an absolutely perfect 24 hours, with virtually no wind, warm but not excessive temperatures and clear skies. So lucky! The entire trip to Soglio from Zuoz is really memorable. First the blue or turquoise water of Lakes St Moritz, Silvaplana and Sils, and then the seemingly never- ending hairpin bends down into the valley. Once in the valley, you are treated to the prettiest little village, once again with the narrowest streets imagineable for the bus to manoevre through, virtually touching the beautifully decorated houses as it swings round the corners. At Promotogno, at the bottom  of the hill leading to Soglio, it's time to change to a smaller bus, to negotiate the even tighter