A fun family weekend

This weekend my parents come over for a visit, and we had a great time. Luckily the good weather continued as it was sunny and warm, making it much easier to find things to do!

On the Sunday we decided to have lunch in one of my favourite restaurants in Vidy (see "Restaurant les Berges de Vidy"), and I enjoyed their delicious filets de perches for the umpteenth time. My mum opted for the "salad de soleil", which turned out to be a salad with sunglasses sitting on top! How random!

After lunch we had a stroll along the lake in Vidy, taking in a pit stop at the playground for some fun before both Lydia and I had a go at climbing a tree. From my point of view it was an incredibly uncomfortable branch to sit on, but I stayed up long enough for a photo or two.

We continued our stroll and we all decided to paddle our feet in the water to cool down. Lydia took this one step further and began walking out into the lake until her trousers were soaked! She probably would have carried on even further if we let her, but as we didn't have a change of clothes that would not have been such a good idea.

All in all, a very nice weekend spent with my parents.

Birthday Treat

This year I turned 31. That officially puts me firmly in the brackets of a thirty-something. Earlier this month I filled in a survey online and noticed that my age bracket was listed as "30-50". That, my friends, is middle age.

I'm not quite at the point of having a mid-life crisis, running out and buying a motorbike and then taking off on a Europe-wide drive to nowhere in particular. I am, however starting to take stock of what I have in my life, and just how lucky I am to have it.

First of all, I'm married to an amazing woman in Christelle. She has stood by me and supported me for the last eight years. She has pushed me to be the best I can be, and helped me grow from a shy, ambitionless boy into the man I am today. I know I am not yet the finished article; I still have plenty of growing up to do, but I feel confident knowing that Christelle will be there to share the journey with me.

Then there's Lydia. Words cannot describe how lucky I am to have a daughter like her, so cheeky and so funny and yet so intelligent. She has never been an easy child, and - as I have said many times before - there were countless moments of frustration and exasperation on both her side and ours as she grew from a helpless baby to a near-independent toddler. I swear, if she could change her own nappies she would have moved out by now. Yet every second I have spent with Lydia is another cherished memory, and I would not have them for the world.

I have an amazing extended family with my own family in England and that of Christelle's here in Switzerland, and I know I can count on them all in times of need. My parents have always supported me in everything I have done, and I cannot begin to imagine how I might have turned out if they had not instilled me with such a strong sense of right and wrong, respect and manners. I am lucky to have them in my life, and even though several hundred miles now separate us I feel closer to them than ever before. And as for Chris' family, they could not have done more for me since I moved here, making me feel welcome and showing me their country and their culture.

To make things even better, I have a nice apartment, a car I like and a job I love. What else could a 31-year old man ask for? Well, maybe a little win on the lottery couldn't hurt, but aside from that I really feel like a man who has everything.

So what do you get for the man who has it all on his birthday?

Lydia knew how to answer that question, as she made me a present with her own fair hands (see photo).

She painted a canvas herself and stuck down shapes over the top, creating a colourful piece of art work. This was a lovely present that she was so happy to give me, and it really made my day.

Although she had a little help from Christelle's parents, they included photos with the present to prove it was really Lydia who made it (the little photo hanging under the canvas in the photo). Next step for me is to find the perfect place to hang this in our apartment...

My happy birthday was further enhanced by a lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, the Restaurant des Berges in Vidy. I love this place because they serve delicious filets de perches with fries and tartare sauce, and they are right on the edge of Lac Léman in Vidy allowing for a gentle post-feast stroll by the lake. To top all this off, it was brilliant weather with hot sun and blue skies.

I had a wonderful birthday this year, and couldn't be happier with where I am in my life. The mid-life crisis will have to wait until another year.

Lac de Moron (almost)

This weekend our usual mixture of scenery, picnic and good friends was on the cards, and we decided to go somewhere different that we hadn't been before. For this reason, we ended up heading to the Lac de Moron, which straddles the Switzerland-France border in Neuchatel.

We headed for the Lac des Brenets, where we had planned to take a ferry ride towards Le Saut du Doubs. We eventually made it - having lost our friends Sandrine and Brian who we were trying to follow, leading to a fair bit of guess work and the use of a temperamental Google maps - and parked our car. I couldn't help thinking that things would be so much easier if I hadn't lost my TomTom...

Anyway, we bought our tickets and patiently waited our for the ferry to show up. When it did - exactly on time - we climbed on board and Lydia seemed absolutely thrilled. She loved looking out the window and saying "woooow" at pretty much everything! She also went out on deck to enjoy the view, playing with her friend Matys the whole time.

The trip lasted for about 15-20 very pleasant minutes, and once we reached the end of the lake (where the water continued as a small river) we disembarked for a little walk in the woods. There were plenty of great views of the Saut du Doubs river from here, including overlooking a waterfall. The only downside was that some of the paths are really not made with pushchairs in mind, so be prepared to flex your biceps to control the buggy on the way down!

We didn't make it as far as the Lac de Moron before decided to have lunch, so we settled for a picnic in a clearing in the woods.

After lunch, with full bellies and tiring kids, we decided to head back towards the ferry, meaning the Lac de Moron would have to wait for another day. Before we got as far as the lake we had an ice cream to cool down, given that it was a very hot day. Having made our way back down it was clear that Lydia's decision to not have a nap was taking its toll as she became rather grumpy for the boat ride back, before then falling asleep in the car on the way home.

Our return drive was another adventure, given that we ended up taking an unplanned detour through France, which was made all the more stressful for me as I didn't have my passport with me. Eventually we got home, tired but happy after a pleasant day out.

I would recommend this for those who like nature as it is a very nice area, although I cannot comment on the Lac de Moron as we didn't actually get there in the end. The Saut du Doubs is a picturesque river though, and the little trip on the ferry was very enjoyable.

Lac de Champex

I love spending time next to a scenic lake, strolling along the water's edge whilst admiring the scenery, dipping my toes in the cool water on a hot summer's day and enjoying a nice picnic. Living on the edge of Switzerland's largest lake, Lac Léman, it's only natural that we often go there in the summer, heading to one of the lakeside towns such as Vidy, Vevey, Morges and Montreux.

This weekend, we decided to try somewhere different for a change, and went with friends to the Lac de Champex in Valais. Champex is a small village, but as with seemingly any lake in Switzerland, it has beautiful scenery.

It took about an hour and a half to get there from Bussigny, so it's not too long a drive for little kids to endure (although an hour and a half of listening to nursery rhymes and childrens' songs is pretty much the limit for parents). Parking was fairly straightforward, although not right next to the lake and it seemed to be in some sort of quarry...

As with all good lakes, there is a walking trail that goes all the way round. The Lac de Champex is not particularly big, so the entire trail is only a little over 1.5km, making it a great walk for young children that won't tire them out too much. For our little Lydia this was just about right. I think it was good that our friends' 3 year old boy was there as the two of them love running around together, seemingly spurring the other on to copy what they are doing. If Lydia was alone with us there she probably wouldn't have walked as much, instead preferring to be carried or sit in the pushchair.

In addition to the calm, clear waters of the lake, there are plenty of flowers and greenery for the nature fans, with a backdrop of mountainous hillside across the lake from whichever viewpoint you have.

We made it about half way round the lake when we came across a playground, so naturally the kids were happy.

The playground was right on the bank of the lake so we decided to have our picnic there, laying down our blankets and getting the food out. It turned out to be a great decision as we were able to enjoy our picnic in peace while the kids - having had their own fill of food - enjoyed the climbing frames and slides. The playground was fairly close to some public toilets, so if there had also been a little café/buvette nearby it would have been nearly perfect!

As we were picnicing right on the bank of the lake, we were even able to have a little apéro before we ate, dipping our feet in the refreshing water. Lydia enjoyed throwing some leftover bread to the ducks, who came almost close enough to touch. Admittedly they didn't get much bread, as Lydia decided to eat it instead of sharing it with our feathered friends, but it was still a nice little back-to-nature moment.

After lunch, and the end of playtime, we continued the walk around the lake. We stopped at a little restaurant for a refreshing drink and some ice cream, before casually making our way back to the car and heading home.

One thing I should note is that, like with all activities involving water, you have to keep an eye on the little 'uns. The path is right next to the water and although it is shallow on one side (allowing for paddling, as shown in the photo) the other side has a much deeper edge, so keep an eye on the kids when walking near the lake.

Lydia seemed to enjoy her day out as well. She is now a little over 26 months old, and I think she is getting to the age where she is starting to take more of an interest in the wider world around her. Ok, so she isn't marvelling at the glorious scenery or proclaiming how pretty nature is, but she is at least happy to see different coloured flowers and express her joy at seeing ducks and fish.

I'm hoping to get her interested in nature as I think that will come in handy for future walks in the forest in autumn and winter, when you can't really go outside to enjoy the weather.

All in all, it was a very pleasant day out.

I want to ride my bicycle

Taking Freddie Mercury's advice from Queen's "Bicycle Ride", this weekend we decided to go for a bike ride with some friends. We don't own our own bikes so instead had to rent them, and Christelle had found a little place in Villeneuve that could offer us just that.

Villeneuve is a nice place to cycle as it is flat and therefore not too challenging for those of us lacking fitness, and when cycling with friends it is always an opportunity for an apéro!

When we got there and eventually found the hire shop, we were greated by the owner who was probably in her 60s, and she - after some considerable effort - got our bikes ready. They weren't particularly cheap (30.- CHF per bike for the day), and to say they were a bit tatty would be something of an understatement; they were almost antiques. We also rented a child seat for Lydia that turned out to be very uncomfortable for the poor little mite, leading to us adding a blanket for her to sit on.

We had just got across the road when we noticed that the tire on the back of my bike - which was a woman's bike, not through choice but simply because the child seat was unmovably fastened to it and no other seats were available - was decidedly flat, and in need of a good pumping. I went back to the shop and a mere half an hour later, the lady had managed to put a bit of air in the tire, having faffed around looking for first a pump and then an adapter for the valve.

I rejoined the others feeling slightly more road-worthy, and we all heading off on a ride through first the woods and then the open fields of the Grangettes natural reserve. It was a nice little outing, and fortunately was mainly flat, meaning we didn't have to kill ourselves going up and down the hills that Switzerland is so famous for.

That's actually why we chose Villeneuve as our destination, so some forethought went into this one.

We had brought a picnic with us for lunch, and after some searching we found a little clearing on the edge of the lake and settled down to eat. Although the food was good, the mood was somewhat spoilt by the infestation of mosquitoes living in this particular area. Eventually, having had our fill of the picnic food accompanied by a nice glass of rosé, we headed back to the rental shop and turned in our bikes, then went to a nearby café for an ice cream to help us cool down.

This was Lydia's first time riding on a bike, and I'm not sure she was overly impressed. Initially she was happy and kept telling me to go faster, but after a while she became quickly bored and began crying and saying she was tired.

I'm not sure if we will go cycling again this year, but it's definitely something that we would look to do again in the future as it was a nice day out. Perhaps when Lydia is a bit older and is able to ride on her own bike she might enjoy it a bit more.

Here Comes the Sun!

Here comes the sun (doo-do-do-do),
Here comes the sun and I said,
It's alright.
 -- "Here comes the sun", The Beatles

That's a song that just seems to make you feel so summery. Something else that makes you feel summery is, of course, the sun.

A lunch break well spent

We hadn't seen much of our beloved giant ball of gas in May, as the usual spring sunshine was replaced by rain, clouds, and cold temperatures.

However it now looks like summer is finally here, with Switzerland spending the last few days basked in glorious sunshine with temperatures in the mid-twenties. What a relief to finally be able to leave the house without wearing a coat!

I'm lucky that I work fairly close to the lake, so today I popped down to Vidy to have a little picnic in the sun. It was a great way to spend a lunch break, although it did get a little warm wearing a shirt and trousers.

Whilst sat relaxing during my break I began to think of all the things we can do now that summer is here (hopefully to stay for the next couple of months). We can all look forward to picnicing and barbecuing as often as possible, as well as strolling down by the lake, swimming, and so many other outdoor activities.

It also means it will be much easier to think of things to do with Lydia - there's only so many cakes a little girl can bake (see Little Chef) before she starts to go stir crazy from being stuck inside.

Here comes the sun - about time too!

Father's Day surprise

I had no idea that Sunday 2nd June was Father's Day here in Switerland. In England, it's mid-June and that timing always sticks in my head.

So when Lydia came to say hello to me on Sunday morning, I was surprised to see her carrying a present for me (see picture below).

She made it herself, along with some small amount of help from her maman, using green and white paint as well as posing in the photos themselves.

It was a very nice surprise, accompanied by a big hug from my cheeky little princess, and made it a very happy father's day.

Little Chef

I don't mean the motorway service station that peddles distinctly average food to weary travellers.

The Little Chef, in this instance, is Lydia.

She has got into the habit of "helping" us when we are busy preparing meals in the kitchen, the point where she will say, "attend Daddy, je vais t'aider" (wait Daddy, I'm going to help you), then head off to her room to get her stool to stand on.

Of course, at her age the amount of help she can offer is debatable, and would more accurately be referred to as hindrance. Still, it's a nice gesture on her part to want to help us out.

As it was particularly rainy this weekend, I had a little think about what inside activities we could do, and I decided to get Lydia to make a chocolate cake (which actually came out more like biscuits or brownies).

I put an apron on and when Lydia saw this she immediately rushed off to her room and came back with her own apron (a play accessory we got from IKEA). Once she was properly dressed, we got to work on the cake.

I weighed out the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, milk and softened butter and put them in separate bowls, then got Lydia to tip each one into a big mixing bowl. She was very attentive and was careful to tip the bowls so that nothing fell on the floor.

Once this was in place, we mixed it all up using wooden spoons, although a fair amount of it was eaten before we managed to put it into the cake tray! It tasted delicious, and the fact that there were no eggs meant we didn't have to worry about Lydia eating raw cake mix. She loved it!

We popped it in the oven for about 45 minutes, then waited for it to cool down before tasting the finished product. It was nice, but I think I preferred eating the mixture before it was cooked!

At least all this means I have definitely found a rainy day activity that Lydia enjoys.

Instilling Britishness

It's not easy being the sole English/British element of Lydia's daily life as she grows up in Switzerland. All day she is surrounded by French: my wife and her family and friends; the crèche she attends twice a week; the TV and most of her books, and of course everyone else she meets or interacts with in the outside world. Well, it's what you would expect really, given that we live in a French-speaking area of Switzerland.

So, the enormous task of instilling the British spirit into my daughter, from the traditional stiff-upper-lip and politeness to discussing the weather and standing patiently in queues, is all down to me. I am responsible for making sure Lydia knows her heritage, and that at least some of my own upbringing rubs off on her. I think my parents did a pretty good job in raising me, so if I can be at least half as good a parent to Lydia then I will be happy.

But how can you make sure the British influence is present in such a francophonic environment?

Well, it isn't easy. During the week I only see Lydia in the evenings after work, usually for around of 2 hours before she goes to bed. I try to spend the whole time engaged in conversation, asking her questions and prompting her responses in English.

I'm trying to teach her the difference between French and English, to help her understand why I don't use the same words as my wife, and to explain that her Daddy comes from a different country entirely. I think she has started to grasp the fact that England is not in Switzerland, and she knows that she has to get on an airplane when we want to go to see her Nanny and Grandad. When I ask her where Nanny and Grandad live, she says "England", so at least that's a start.

I have just recently started to try a new technique, working on the British identity. For her 2nd birthday a couple of weeks ago, Lydia was given a chalkboard by my parents, and we have spent a fair bit of time drawing different objects, kind of a guessing game for her to play. Whilst doing this the other day I doodled a castle, and then drew the Union Jack flag (bottom-left in the photo).

Lydia asked me, "C'est quoi?" (what's that?), and I replied that it was called the "Union Jack", and that it is the flag of the United Kingdom, where her Nanny and Grandad live. She seemed to grasp this idea quite well, as when we looked at the photo on my phone a couple of days later she said, "ça, c'est Nanny and Grandad". Step 1 complete.

We are already working hard on the politeness side of things, making sure Lydia says "please" and "thank you" when she wants something. This is part of normal growing up, but I can count it as part of her semi-British upbringing.

As she grows up I will start bringing in mini history lessons, discussing the rich tapestry of British history. When she is a little bit older I also plan to take her to some of the museums in London, as the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum are fascinating places to spend the day. OK so this isn't entirely focused on Britain, but everything is written in English so at least she will get to practise that.

One thing is for sure, I will do whatever I can to make sure Lydia knows she is part-English, and that she understands where her Daddy comes from.

Laugh of the Week

We were stood in the checkout queue at our local supermarket, our groceries edging forward on the conveyor as the till lady began scanning our items. My wife walked to the end of the till to start bagging up, while I waited in the queue with Lydia in my arms; not necessarily by choice but more out of necessity, as Lydia would never wait patiently in line without either grabbing at whatever she can reach or wandering off in search of adventure.

Lydia has, for some time now, shown a willingness to be polite to those around her, and regularly says a cheery "Bonjour!" to strangers walking by. This is not a social faux-pas in Switzerland, where politeness has long been part of the Swiss way of life, nor is it a worrying lack of awareness of "stranger-danger" in a world where this seems to be such a prevalent theme. Instead, it is simply Lydia's way of interacting with others as she continues her voyage of discovery in life.

So, as we inched our way forwards at the checkout and said "Bonjour" to the till lady, I fully expected Lydia to give the same greeting, given that children of her age are so inclined to copy those around them. What I did not expect, however, was that "bonjour" was not the only word she would say...

She followed her cheery greeting with the very English question, "How are you today?". Both Chris and I looked at each other and at Lydia in surprise, as we had never heard her ask this to anyone before that moment. The till lady, not being an English-speaker, simply replied "bonjour" and went back to scanning our groceries.

We laughed, Lydia laughed, and then carried on with our day. We are so used to hearing direct repetition of words and phrases that we say often, but I honestly don't remember asking the same question to Lydia. I will often ask, after returning home from work, questions along the lines of "how are you?" or "how was your day?", but it seems that in this case Lydia has managed to repeat my question and combine it with a reference to today.

To me, this is a clear sign that Lydia is really beginning to understand language a little better; she is almost constantly talking these days, and although she still has her own language - I call it "Lydian" - most of what she says is now composed of real words. Unfortunately for my English family, the majority of the real words are French, and I would estimate that only about 25% of what she says involves English words.

That's perhaps one of the reasons why we were so surprised to hear this little, unprompted English phrase coming out of the mouth of our little monkey, and why we found it so funny.