Adventure Awaits...

Well, I seem to be getting a little behind on my blog posting! I would love to tell you that I will make this short and sweet but that would simply be impossible! So, I will break it up into 2 posts; the first one will cover the end of my stay in Hoffstetten (from August 2nd to August 16th) and the second I will post early next week covering my past month spent in Goldingen!

My time in Hoffstetten was too short! My second week with the Trauffer family was more low key, we spent time at home, had a birthday party for Sylvan, socialized with the neighbours, went swimming in the Brienz lake, and moved boxes up two stories to Irene’s playgroup room so she could start getting ready for school! It was nice to have a low key week before embarking on the IFYE hiking trip.

The IFYE hiking trip was quite the challenge! But, it was great to spend some time with the other IFYE’s again and meet the late coming Irish IFYE. I wrote an article about it for the IFYE news:

This past weekend, August 15th and 16th, was the IFYE Hiking weekend. The 9 international delegates that are still in Switzerland (Canada, Estonia, Taiwan x3, South Korea, Costa Rica x2, and Ireland) met with 5 past IFYE’s to embark on a hiking adventure. The adventure got off to a rough start when half the crew had a little train mishap and ended up on the wrong half of the splitting train. But as per usual everything happens for a reason because one of the IFYE’s traveling on their own made the same mistake and they all ended up together! Luckily the group of IFYE’s at the starting point included a past IFYE who knew where they were going. So, once they figured out where everyone was the first group started on their way with the second group to follow when they arrived. We started our hiking trip at Zwischenfluh-Post at about 1000 meters elevation. The first day of the hike was all uphill; up winding roads, through pastures, and into the woods. This made for beautiful scenery but also some difficulties as some of the delegates had never really been hiking before. But, with a lot of encouragement and teamwork both groups met up at the lake Seebergsee at 1831 meters elevation. After a little break and some swimming we were off again! From the lake we climbed a steep 100 meters to get over the peak then it was all downhill to the hut at Obergestele (elevation 1803 meters) from there.

This is not the route that we followed
but it highlights our destinations!

You would think this would have been the easy part of the journey, but some of us (Canada) kept falling into holes! Once we arrived at the hut we quickly worked together to get dinner on the go with only a few minor setbacks, we had no running water for some reason and the fire for the stove was being difficult (apparently it just needed a little luck of the Irish). After dinner we had a great night getting to know new people, reconnecting with each other, talking about our experiences thus far, playing Wolverine, and finally a heated debate about the Swiss Agriculture system compared to the European Union. The second day of our trip had a bit of a slow start as we were a little sore and still tired. But, once we were up we made quick work of breakfast, clean up, and getting repacked. From the hut we hiked up to about 2000 meters elevation, almost to the peak, where we had a magnificent view of the landscape (we were actually above the clouds!). This part of the hike took us along some pretty interesting paths; along the edge of a cliff and over loose rock! But, it was well worth the view. Unfortunately, the weather decided not to agree with us today and we ended up a little wet, but we kept on going and just enjoyed that fact that it wasn’t blistering hot like the day before. After the peak of the mountain it was all downhill to Oberwil i.S train station at 836 meters elevation. This leisurely walk down was apparently a little too leisurely as we ended up hitching a ride down the last of the hill once we got to the road because we were cutting it a little close for time! Overall this was a very exhausting weekend but it was made great by the good company. I cannot say that I will ever forget that time in Switzerland that I hiked the Niederhore Mountain. Thank you IFYE Swiss for making this weekend possible!

The worst part about the weekend was that I had biked to the train station so after surviving that intense hiking weekend I had to bike home which is all uphill! But I made it, barely. After that I took a day of well deserved healing/rest and did nothing because boy was I sore!

On Tuesday I was still feeling the pain from my recovering muscles but we figured it would be good to get moving again, plus I only had a few more days in Brienz before moving to my next host! So we went for a walk at the Axalp. This is a beautiful spot. There was a storm here a few years ago that left a lot of broken trees. So, being in the area highly populated with wood carvers, some of the local wood carvers decided to take some time off work and turn the broken stumps into works of art. This quickly because a tradition. Every spring local wood carvers take a week off work and they go and carve in the forest! This has made for a beautiful unique nature trail. And, to top off the already scenic walk there is a lake at the end of it! And cows, there are always cows when you go walking in the mountains. But there weren’t just your normal beef or dairy cows, there were water buffalo and highland cows too! At the base of the Axalp there is a waterfall, Giessbach falls, and hotel, so we stopped off there for a little “cool down” walk. This summer has been very dry in Switzerland, Irene stated that she had never seen the lake at Axalp to low or the falls so small! To top off my Tuesday I went to a wood carving workshop where I got to carve and paint my own little cow! Here I met a family from Germany who have been vacationing in Brienz for almost 20 years! Then I biked into Brienz to enjoy an evening of traditional Swiss folk music. This included a Yodelling group, an accordion group, and a guy playing the Alphorn while another one did traditional flag throwing.  

On Wednesday I finally got around to actually seeing the little town of Brienz. Brienz is famous for its wood carving and a little romantic street that was once named the most beautiful street in Europe! This evening we decided that I should stop in Luzern on my way to my next host in Goldingen, but we quickly realized that this would only give me a few hours in Luzern. So, we decided I would leave half a day early and spend Friday night in Luzern so I could spend a day and a half exploring! This was a great idea, but it meant I had one less night to get my stuff in order before leaving!

Thursday I got up early and went off to explore Schynige Platte on my own while everyone else was at school/work. We planned my adventure so I could have lunch on the mountain then take the steam boat home from Interlaken! The mountain itself isn’t the the best one that I have been on, but it has a magnificent view of the Jungefrau and its surrounding mountains. Taking the steam boat across the Brienz river was pretty cool. I met a couple from Florida who were just here for 4 days to see this amazing hotel in some remote location which is where she got engaged at with her first husband. The lake of Brienz and the lake Thun are possible the most beautiful lakes that I have ever seen; they are a magnificent Turquoise colour!

To continue the tradition that I seem to have started, I made my host family pancakes and maple syrup for supper. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all, we finished 2 batches! The best part about making pancakes for my host families is that it is not only introducing them to maple syrup but the recipe is a family favourite from my late Grandma Steven!

Thursday night and Friday morning I once again packed my bags to head off on my next big adventure! After lunch with the Trauffer family for the last time we said our good-byes and I headed off to Goldingen, with a layover in Luzern.

My weekend in Luzern was awesome; unfortunately a little rainy but I didn’t let that stop me! I walked through the old town of Luzern, made friends at my hostel, discovered live music at an Irish pub, went on a city tour, attended the Museum of transportation, checked out the Panoramic Museum and saw the famous Lion Monument. The old town is your typical “old town” with pretty cobble stone streets and old houses, the old town wall and towers where the guards kept watch. Luzern is famous for their old chapel walking bridge that is filled with beautiful paintings, the water tower that is attached to it, and the dying Lion Monument that is carved into the natural rock as a memorial for the mercenary soldiers lost during the French Revolution. My favourite thing about Luzern was actually my time spent in the Irish pub; I met 3 Canadians and made friends with many Irishmen! This was probably the most at home I have felt because almost everyone was speaking English! During my time at the pub I even got to watch a rugby game; this was intense and dangerous because Ireland was playing and the pub was filled with Irishmen yelling at the TV!
After a great weekend I once again collected my things and boarded a train to my next destination where I would again cross my fingers and hope that they would easily recognize me!
Stay tuned as my next blog post will be up shortly!

Welcome To Hoffstetten

 I have been with my second host family for 1 week now and I have been very busy! I am currently living in Hoffstetten and I seem to be in the middle of many mountains; from the front of the house I see mountains almost every direction I look! And as I sit outside writing this I can here someone practicing the Alphorn in the distance, feeling jealous yet? My current family is Markus and Irene Trauffer-Greub and their two boys Remo (12) and Silvan (10). Markus is a plumber and Irene works at the Ballenberg Open Air Museum. When I arrived here they had just gotten home from camping holidays and were getting ready to send to boys off for the week and get back to work. Last week Silvan was at a farm on the Alp and Remo was at his Grandparents. The boys will be home with us next week then they start school already the following week!

The past week has been busy; we went up the Brienz Rothorn to drop Silvan off at the Alp, we went to the Rosenlaui Gorge, spent a day at the Ballenberg Open Air Museum, I went to Thun for a day, and we celebrated Switzerland’s birthday!

My first day in Hoffstetten we went up the Brienz Rothorn in a steam train to drop Silvan off at an Alp. As usual the walk to the top (from where the train drops you off) was exhausting but well worth the effort. From the top we walked down the little winding path through pastures with cows grazing to where Silvan would be staying for the week. This Alp farm milks about 18 cows and all together they have about 30 cows. They spends 5 weeks at their highest location on the Alp and 3 weeks before and after that they spend at a lower location on the Alp, the rest of the year they spend on the home farm in the town. When the cows are on the Alp they use the milk to make Alpine cheese. The Alp farm consists of 4 different buildings built into the mountain, the house, the barn and kitchen, the hen house, and the cheese cellar. These buildings are really neat because they are very different than the rest of the buildings that I have seen here, and they are generally built into the side of the mountain rather than being fully above the ground. From the farm we took the train down the rest of the mountain. When we got back to town we had milkshakes with Remo then sent him off on the train to his grandparents.

  

On Tuesday afternoon Irene and I went to the Rosenlaui Gorge. This could arguably be more beautiful than Niagara Falls. To get there we drove up and up and up winding roads through beautiful scenery until we reached a little waterfall (it's not that little, maybe a little big waterfall could be a better description…). Here we started our walk. At the waterfall we entered the rock and began a winding ascent through the Gorge that the water had carved out of the rock. The path is about half way between the rushing water below and the daylight above. Eventually we came to steep stairs that lead to the top of the waterfall where the Gorge begins. On the walk through the woods back to the car there is a field where people have started building rock figures, the area is full of rock figures! So, I left my mark, in the form of a rock figure, in Switzerland.

Wednesday I went to the Ballenberg Open Air Museum. The Museum is an open field where they have relocated buildings to from all over Switzerland to preserve the history of Switzerland. So, I got to see all the different styles of building from all different regions of Switzerland all in one day! Plus, inside the houses they have different exhibits showing different things about the history of Switzerland; from how they lived and farmed, to the hairdresser and barber, to how they made charcoal, chalk, cheese and power, to the production of lumber and silk, as well as the traditional outfits, costumes, and music. My favourite exhibits in the museum were the traditional outfits and music, the hairdresser and barber, and the house from the southern Italian part of Switzerland.

Thursday I went to Thun and Interlaken. Thun is a beautiful city on the lake, there I went to 2 castles and the cathedral as well as a stroll along the lake and some of the shops in the old town. Interlaken has turned into a crazy tourist spot; the number of tourists is unreal. Which is funny because they aren’t on a lake or anywhere magnificent; I think it is so popular because it is right in the middle of the 2 lakes so you can easily get to either location. During my stop in Interlaken I decided to check out the Casino since I have never been to a Casino; I am not really sure why people like casino’s, maybe I will have to try going to one in Las Vegas or Niagara to see the thrill of it?

Saturday, August 1st was Switzerland’s birthday. For this we went to a brunch at a local farmers. The brunch was actually held in his new barn. The barn is only one year old and his cows are currently up on the Alp so they were about to clean up the barn to host about 250 people for brunch. Irene and Mark were helping serve brunch so I hung out with the boys and made friends. For brunch we had roesti (potatoes), eggs, a bacon roast, bread, cheese, yogurt, birchermuesli, fruit, and dessert. After the brunch the kids had a lot of fun playing with loud fireworks then we had supper with the neighbours. At night time we went into Brienz to watch the fireworks. The fireworks are set off on a ship on the lake! From the lake you can see fireworks all over the place! It was a bit of a rainy night but apparently on a clear night you see everyone on the mountain having a fire and setting off fireworks.

Lately I have been thinking about the things I miss most about home so I figured I would start a list. At the top of my list is chores on Sunday night with dad and my uncle, my comfy pull over sweater, and hugs. Next is ice caps, bacon, and the my dog. I am sure that reading this list you are thinking I don’t have my priorities straight, but with the internet today it is easy to stay in touch with my friends and family as well as getting updates on how people are doing. So, I don’t miss people as much because I can always give them a call. I still miss some of my typical summer events but there is always next year for those. Chores on Sunday’s can’t be replaced, they are the perfect combination of my love of family and animals. I didn’t bring my pull over sweater with me because I figured it wasn’t very practical for traveling, and that is true. But, when I am cold and tired nothing of more comfortable than my pull over sweater! Except for hugs… People here don’t hug like we do. Mmmhhm ice caps and Timmies, can anything really top a Timmies run? And bacon! From what I have seen people tend to have a piece of bacon meat but not crisp thin bacon like we have, and I haven’t seen any Canadian back bacon. And Misty, unfortunately I don’t get to talk to her like I do with my mom. But, Switzerland is pretty amazing so I think I can survive another 3.5 months with out this.

One Month In!

 Well, as of today I have been in Switzerland for almost 5 weeks (and away from home for 6 weeks)! Wow! My time with the Rothenbuhler family has ended and I am now with my second host family the Trauffer-Greub family in Hofstetten.

A lot has happened in the past 5 weeks: I arrived in Switzerland, figured out the train to get to Bern, met my coordinator (Christian), spent a day in Bern, met the other incoming IFYE’s and some of the IFYE Swiss organization and learned about them and their country/where they have traveled. I have been up the Titlis mountain and to a glass factory. I have experience a high school graduation and I have been to a tractor pull/party. I have experience life on a pig farm including shipping pigs, cleaning pens and moving pigs as well as how to cut/collect hay and make small hay bales on a steep hill. I have been to a town festival in Landiswil, a cottage on the lake in Estavayer-le-lac (which is in the French part of Switzerland), floated down the Aare river in a "gummy" boat with 2013 Swiss delegate Christa! I have been to a workshop where Alphorns are made (by hand! and I got to play an Alphorn!), to the Kambly cookie factory store, and to the Doctor. I have been up the Stockhorn mountain, to IKEA and to the Emmental Show Dairy (where they make the “Swiss Cheese” with the holes in it!). I have been to Bern, twice, which included a city tour and a trip up the famous Zytglogge clock tower. Plus, I have been to various local stores and town when we go shopping or to visit someone.

I have tried Raclette, Revella, Fondue, Ostrich sausage, lamb, many different kinds of cheese, Zopf bread, Spaetzle pasta, gelato, bircher muesli, and juice made from cheese water.

The View from the top of the Stockhorn

Both Mountains have a spectacular view! I went up Titlis on the IFYE Incoming weekend, we took the cable car ⅔ of the way up then walked part way down and rode on scooters the rest of the way! I went to the top of the Stockhorn with Franzi and Fritz on Sunday July 19th. We took the cable car to the very top then walked half way down. I never knew it was so difficult to walk down a mountain! But, it is all just gravel/rock/dirt paths and it can be very steep! Walking down the mountain there is times that you are literally just walking through a cattle pasture!

View from Estavayer

From Saturday, July 11 - Tuesday, July 14 I was in Estavayer-le-lac at Franzi’s parents house. It was beautiful! It is on Lac de Neuchatel which is the largest lake in Switzerland (there are bigger lakes but they are partially in other countries). Estavayer is a very small town, so small that it really isn`t even a town but because of its medieval heritage it is called a medieval town. During my stay here I spent a lot of time on the lake; swimming, tanning, and stand up paddle boarding; but I also spent time touring the city and getting to know Franzi`s parents. Franzi`s mom was a ski instructor and speaks some english and her dad was a teacher and doesn't really speak english. The funny coincidence is that her dad was who I ended up socializing with the most; this made for some fun times as I tried to guess what her was trying to explain to me or show me. But, we made out ok. He taught me a few Swiss games, asked me how I slept, made sure I had enough to eat and made sure I saw interesting things and had time to take pictures when we were by the lake and out on the boat.

The Castle in Estavayer

On Wednesday, July 15th I had an amazing day out with Christa (2013 Swiss delegate) and her friend Martina. We took a "gummy" goat down the Aare River. We started in Thun and floated to Munsingen (where Martina lives) the river has a very strong current and a few places it has some small rapids so you end up a little wet! There were so many people doing the same thing as us! I was told that it is even crazier on the weekend! To end our wonderful day out Christa treated me to a lovely dinner at a little grill restaurant with a beautiful view!

 One of the coolest things so far would have to be finding out how Alphorns are made and getting to play one. On Saturday, July 19th Franzi and I met up with 2 other delegates and their families (Sophia from South Korea and Eliisa from Estonia) to find out how Alphorns are made! The wood that the Alphorn is made of is very specific, from the type of wood to where it is grown and when it is cut! At the end of our lesson we all got to try playing the Alphorn then the Alphorn maker played a song on the Alphorn for us!

Life on a pig farm has been very interesting; I have learned how to clean the pig pens, ship pigs, move pigs and how they do hay. One day I helped to transfer 8 pens of little piglets from the nursery to the bigger pens. This included Franzi and I going into the nursery pens and catching the piglets and lifting them into a little feed cart so they could be transferred to the bigger pens. This was very funny because I really haven't worked with pigs before! They all squeal and run frantically away, and when you finally catch them and pick them up they squirm and fret until you put them down. But, once they are in the cart they all sit their calm while they get moved to the other barn. This was really funny, I definitely wasn't very much help in the beginning and I am sure that my mom and my Grandma and Grandpa Reibeling would have been laugh at me if the could've seen me trying to catch pigs! Doing hay up the steep hill was very interesting too. The hay is raked into rows going up and down the hill then it is collected using a special truck/cart, it goes straight up the hill then straight down the hill then is is full and it gets taken to the barn to be unloaded. The hay is is unloaded loose onto a wagon, from there it goes up an auger and into the mow.

The view from the Zytglogge Clock Tower, Bern

I have had a great first 4 weeks in Switzerland and it is hard to believe that the first third of my exchange is over!

Fritz, Myself, and Franzi

To the Rothenbuhler family: you have been so great to me and I appreciate everything that you have done for me and shown me! It was so great getting to know you and your family! Thank you for taking me in and making me a part of your family! I look forward to keeping in touch and seeing some of you in Canada one day!

View from the Stockhorn

Next up: I am with the Trauffer-Greub family for the next 3 week where I have 2 little brothers! I will be spending August first with them which is Switzerland`s birthday and the weekend after that I go on an IFYE Hiking trip!

Salue! (Greetings from Switzerland!)

To finish off my time in Scotland Aunt Patsy and I spent the day in Blairgowrie. We walked along the River Ericht, had lunch at her favourite place downtown, and wandered some of the charity shops. Along the river there is a spot called Cargill's Leap, it was a narrow gorge in the river where kids used to "leap" across the river. This resulted in some youth falling to their demise when they didn't make the leap to the other side. Now, it is no longer a narrow gorge as the city took the liberty of blasting it so that kids could no longer attempt to leap across the river.

After a busy week in Scotland it was time to say goodbye and head to the Edinburgh Airport to catch my flight to Switzerland! My flight was over all uneventful. First, I flew from Edinburgh to Copenhagen where I had a 2 hour layover then off to Zurich. By the evening I had safely arrived in Zurich and had to catch the train to Bern where I would meet my coordinator Christian. When I arrived in Bern and got off the train I went up to the streets but could not find the spot where I was to meet Christian, that was a little stressful! But, a kind gentleman helped me out and directed me back into the train station to the lower level where I was meant to be. Here I wandered nervously hoping to be claimed. Luckily Christian picked me out easily and we were off!

We aren't capable
of taking nice pictures :S

Christian and his wife Isabelle live next to his parents farm that he works on and intends to take over in a few years. On the farm they have about 30 dairy cows as well as potatoes, cherries, apples, and pears that they sell at their small roadside stand. Isabelle works in an Elementary School as a Psychomotor Therapist. What she does sounds similar to one of my clinic classes in school so that was pretty cool. 

On Thursday Chris put me on a train to Bern to meet his sister Stephanie (who I had never met) to show me around the city. Again I found myself crossing my fingers that I would again be claimed at the train station! After an anxious 15 minutes of waiting she found me and we were off to explore the city. We saw the parliament buildings, the famous clock tower (Zytglogge), ate gelato, wandered downtown, and had a drink at an outdoor tiki bar that was on the roof of the train station! Did you know that Bern was named after the first animal the founder met on the hunt there, a bear, so locals actually pronounce it Bearn opposed to Burn like us? They also normally have bears at BearPark, but I did not get to see them because the park is under construction. 

2015 IFYE incoming Delegates

Friday, June 26 Christian and I headed to Lucerne for the IFYE Incoming Weekend. For this weekend we had a house on (or near, I am not sure) Pilatus Mountain, it had an amazing view! At the incoming weekend I met the other IFYE delegates; there was 3 from Tiwan, 1 from South Korea, 1 from Costa Rica, 1 from England, 1 from Norway, and 1 from Estonia. We learned about Switzerland, IFYE, and each other's countries. We also went up Titlis Mountain in Engelburg and did a tour of the only glass factory in Switzerland. On Sunday we had a BBQ where many host families came out to meet us. Here I met my last host family, the Boss family, and my first host family, the Rothenbuhler's.

IFYE stands for International Youth Farm Exchange (www.ifye.ch). It is a volunteer organization that is solely based on exchanges. It is not an organization of clubs like us, the Swiss equivalent to Junior Farmers is Landjugend (www.landjugend.ch) and they are not directly involved in the exchange and you do not have to be a member to go on an IFYE exchange.Not all of the other countries have a Junior Farmers like us either; a lot of the delegates came from 4H clubs. 

A little about my first hosts: the Rothenbuhler's. Frantzi (host mom) and Fritzi (host dad) have been taking in IFYE's for quite some time now. Currently one of their daughters, Linda, is on an IFYE exchange in South Korea and previously their second daughter, Sina, did and IFYE exchange to Costa Rica. Later this year their youngest daughter Jana will be doing a school/work exchange to New Zeland (not through IFYE). They have one more daughter (the oldest), Sabrina has not done an exchange. Sabrina (28) and her husband live in Gruenenmatt with their 2 daughters Ladina (5) and Alicia (2.5). Sabrina speaks English but her husband and children do not. This makes it very interesting because her kids ask me things in Swiss German but I don't understand so they must think I am crazy! But, we manage with some hand signals and pointing. Sina (25) lives in Burgdorf with her son Malik (1.5). Again, Sina speaks English but her son does not. Both Sabrina and Sina work 2-3 days per week so Franzi watches her grandkids a few days a week. Jana (19) speaks english very well. She is actually going to school for english in September when she goes to New Zeland! Jana is living at home and just graduated from her Commercial Apprenticeship program (which is basically the end of our high school). Franzi and Fritz own a 13 hectare farm in Thalgraben Valley (Lützelflüh). They have pigs and cows. They have about 80 sows and they keep the young pigs until they are about 23kgs then they get sold to another barn. The cows that they have do not belong to them; they are another farmers heifers and pregnant heifers, they stay here until just before they are ready to calve then they are sent to the owners dairy barn. On the farm they harvest hay, they bale the hay into small bales somewhat by hand! The hay is brought loose into the mow where they fork it into the baler, from there it is pushed onto a wagon and stacked by hand! Oh! And the house, barn, and mow are all attached! Then there are 2 more small pig barns behind the house/barn. The house to the left is actually 2 appartment and there is one more apartment beside the house, as well as a granny flat in the house! 

Over the past week and a half with the Rothenbuhler's I have observed life on the farm (a pig farm none the less!), I have done some cooking, house/farm work, shipped pigs, played with the kids, went shopping in the local stores, went to the pool and the river (did I mention it has been above 30C most of the time?!), experience the scenery, and went to a tractor pull and party in Zimmerwald (btw the party never ended; I'm thinking Canadian tractor pulls should adopt this!).

This weekend we will be heading to a cottage on the lake where I have been told they have a SUP board! And next week I am hoping to catch up with 2013 Swiss delegate Christa! Stay tuned for upcoming adventures! I will try and post more often so the next posts aren't so long! Tschuess! (That is how they say good-bye, I am trying very hard to say it right but I can't seem to get it yet. It sounds kind of like "shoes" with a soft T.)                                                                                                                                                         

One Week In

So, it's been a week now since I've left and boy have I been busy!

     Mom dropped me off at the air port on Monday, June 15, 2015 and I said Good-Bye to her and Ontario as my adventure began. On the plane I made friends with my seat mate; his name was Ciaran and he lives in Edinburgh! But, he hadn't heard about the Highland Show! Ciaran's parents live somewhere in the North of Scotland; from his cover photo on Facebook it is an amazing view! We talked about traveling and Ciaran would like to travel the islands to the west of Scotland, I told Ciaran that maybe the next time I am here we could go together! Other than that there wasn't anything remarkable about the flight. We had a short layover in Halifax then said Good-bye to Canada as we took off for Glasgow.

 Tuesday, June 16, 2015 I arrived in Glasgow air port to find these two waiting for me! On the right is my Great Auntie Patsy (my Dad's Aunt) and her son Gary. It has been three years since I have been here so the drive home was lots of catching up with family. I arrived home to the rest of the family as well as Gary's dogs! The rest of the day was spent resting and visiting with family.
Below is a family picture, it took about half a dozen shots to get a good one!

In the back is myself and Aunt Patsy, in front of us is her sons (from left to right) Scott, Gary, Grant, and John and the dogs Archie and Lexie.

     On Wednesday the weather was a little questionable but we decided to head to St. Andrew's for the day. In St. Andrews there is a beach, cathedral, university, and castle. As well, there is a golf course that will be hosting The Open in a couple weeks. On the beach in St. Andrew's there is a web cam at a certain point so we called my Dad's cousin Craig in Bristol and told him to go on it so we could give him a wave!
     On Friday morning it was off the the Royal Highland Show! Auntie Patsy dropped me off at the bus station in Halbeath to catch a bus that took me right to the show! I spent the next two days at the show where I saw a little bit of everything! From farm machinery, to shops, craft displays, shoeing competitions, pole climbing, show jumping, pipe bands, logging demonstration, heavy horses, sheep, cows, shearing competitions and of course the young farmers building!
Friday night I met up with past delegate Martina Elgin, from the Republic of Ireland, and her friends who I stayed with for the weekend. On Saturday night I spent some time with Victoria and some of the delegates in the German beer tent then we went off to an Irish pub in the old town of Edinburgh. I think my most interesting discovery of the weekend was a beef cow that looks like a Holstein but is huge! As well, some of the cows here in general seemed bigger than ours. 

 

     Sunday I decided to tour the Edinburgh Castle and the down town shops. The castle is much bigger than it looks and has a very strange layout. Over the years various parts of the castle have been destroyed and rebuilt, resulting in its strange layout. From the castle there is a beautiful view of the city!

     Monday Aunt Patsy and I went to the Wallace Monument. The monument sits atop a hill, which after a busy weekend walking around the show and Edinburgh seemed way too steep. Luckily there is a bus that runs from the parking lot up the the monument, so I only had to climb the 246 steps to the top. Again, the top reveals a wonderful view of the town.

     So, to wrap it all up: I have had a wonderful, crazy busy week in Scotland. It has been great to catch up with family and see new things. My legs hurt from all of the hills and steps! But, I am sure I will survive...if I ever take a break long enough to recover!

     Next up: Aunt Patsy and I are going to Blairgowrie tomorrow to explore the shops, this is also where her and my Grandma Steven grew up! Then on Wednesday I am off to Zurich and the exchange really begins! I cannot wait to see what adventure I will find next!      

Two Weeks Out

Two weeks today I will be boarding a big jet plane to begin my adventure. There is so much left to do I don't even know where to begin! I have to pack, I have to plan, and most importantly I need to enjoy the next two weeks and spend some time with the delegates before I leave!
June 15th, wow that's not very far away! My first stop is Glasgow, Scotland where someone very important to me will be picking me up. That very important person is my Great Aunt Patsy! I am very excited for this as I haven't seen her in 3 years! While I am in Scotland I will be attending the Highland Show in Edinburgh where I will get to visit with many of my delegate friends that have been here over the past 2 years! I am so excited to get together with old friends again as well as to see the Highland Show, past delegates as well as previous exchangees have all raved about how amazing it is!
Next big dates are June 24th and June 26th. On June 24th I will be flying from Edinburgh to Zürich, Switzerland and my exchange begins with orientation in Zürich on June 26th. After that its all up in the air! I've been told that I will have 4-6 host families over the 3 months and I can expect to attend young farmer events, be shown around the area that I'm in, attend other local events as well as help out with work around the farm. I haven't figured out what specifically I want to see in Switzerland but I have some ideas. I look forward to seeing the Alps, the farms, old war sites, museums, and anything and everything else! After that my exchange ends on September 23rd.
After that my plans are pretty open. I want to travel the countries around Switzerland; Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Austria, and Holland working my way back to Glasgow. I'm hoping I also have time to fit in a stop in Whales and Ireland!
So, basically I'm open to suggestions!
Stay tuned for up dates and feel free to make suggestions in where to go and what to pack!