Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 24 Comments

Swiss Sunday

About 10 years ago I remember talking to a super polite Japanese Guy in who was sat next to us in Geneva Airport. Someone who had seen years and years of life. He told the story about how he had attended an international conference here in Geneva during the sixties. At that stage he hated travel, hated being away from Japan. That all changed on that trip to Switzerland. He fell in love with another country. Since then he had travelled for a holiday here, every single year without fail. He said he would keep coming until his body failed.

I knew why he said that. I understood immediately his sentiments. I still do. I wish I was there right now.

Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 26 Comments

Swiss Sunday

It’s just turned Sunday here in the UK. I’m sat nursing a bruised foot, shin and fingers. That’s what happens when you walk into a metal road sign, drop a heavy box on your foot and then try to fix a large hole in the fence with a Thor like hammer. Try is the optimal word. As the light failed the fence was still is still with hole. Lots of bruises with so little end products.

OH PANTS.

So I need calming. Time to look at family holiday photos. Only one place will do tonight. Switzerland. Yes definitely time to walk in the Alps and forget about the bruises.

Switzerland work your magic.

Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 27 Comments

Swiss Sunday

It’s Sunday so it must be time for a trip down memory lane. To very different times . To family holidays to Switzerland. As I look at the photos the memories flood back. But also a feeling of hope. The photos are a reminder of the world that can be so easily found out there.

It still can be a wonderful world.

Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 29 Comments

Swiss Sunday

It’s a few minutes past midnight here in England. A muppet dad is fighting to put on duvet covers. In this case, a ‘George from Peppa Pig’ cover. The duvet cover is winning….. What makes it worse is that it’s for my bed. Hawklad wouldn’t dream of sleeping under that these teenage days. But it’s still a good cover so, waste not want not. Plus as it’s just me under that duvet, who will ever know.

So can you keep a secret……

Anyway I have given up the cover battle for a few moments and I’m thinking 2015.

I wouldn’t have got away with that themed cover back in 2015. Not a chance. Back in 2015 it was also our last holiday we had as a family of three. Seven days in beautiful Switzerland.

The next time we go back to The Alps things will be very different and not just what’s allowable in terms of bed furnishings. I had hoped that 2022 might have been return year but maybe things are still against a trip this year but you ever know. But wow, I wish I was there right now. I wish I was back in Switzerland.

Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 44 Comments

Planning pt 2

Planning can get you to places. Get you to places at the right times. Sometimes planning can get you to places when the weather is nice.

Planning can get you out of the daily routine. Walking on an island in the North Sea is a much needed break from the usual daily routine. That’s good for Hawklad, for Me.

Planning is going to be the key going forward.

To push the boundaries out just a little bit further.

Hawklad wants to see a bit more. Experience a bit more. But his anxieties are spiking again. It’s going to be a challenge. More planning is required.

So can we plan a quiet day trip to another country next.

Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 57 Comments

Planning pt 1

A carefully planned day trip. A trip 140 miles north up the coast. To deepest Northumberland. To the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. A stunning tidal island set in the North Sea. To reach it you need to cross a one mile causeway which disappears when the tide comes in. Saint Aidan founded a Monastery here in 635AD. Even today you can see why.

So much planning was needed. Time the arrival as the tide was just revealing the causeway. Stay just long enough before the crowds arrived.

Unbelievably the plan worked. Hawklad got his day out with few crowds. That is definitely the blueprint for trying to expand his world on HIS TERMS.

Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 29 Comments

Swiss Sunday

Another walk down memory lane. Special places like Switzerland help create everlasting memories. So on this Easter weekend let’s go back ten years. Back to an Easter weekend in 2012. A wonderful family weekend in Switzerland. Time to remember and smile.

A hotel gift
Traditional singing on the lake boat
Another hotel gift
Hotel room view
Just had to play on this
Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 43 Comments

Swiss Sunday

Just one day. Just one day almost 10 years to the day. A family holiday back in 2012. Was it really 10 years. So much has happened over that decade. The family is so much smaller now. But one thing hasn’t changed. Switzerland. A picture perfect dream land. A relatively small land offering boundless adventures.

So yes, one day in Switzerland, all the photos just from one day.

Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 53 Comments

Swiss Sunday

It’s early Sunday morning here in Yorkshire. I am currently enduring the annual torture of a very very very long night as Hawklad is sat watching Wrestlemania. Don’t you just love a good international time difference. It is due to finish here at 5am…… I can’t remember seeing that wrestling related task in the parenting contract. My tired mind has wandered from what is on TV to real adventures. Time for a bit of wonderful Switzerland.

I don’t know why but I remembered an old, long forgotten Swiss holiday memory. The night before I had over indulged in fondue and Swiss chocolate. Really over indulged. It would have been very impolite not to have. So I got up early the next morning and went for a lakeside run to burn off some calories. The further I went on the run the more people I ran past. Very very very polite people. Every single one of them said hello and asked how I was.

Gruezi. Wie geht es dir an diesem schonen Morgen

Every single one of them hearing my very wooden Swiss German reply immediately switched to almost perfect English. A run that would normally take 30 minutes, lasted well over an hour. Finally back outside the hotel, I was sat on the lake edge when another runner stopped to say hello.

Gruzei

Then we talked some more. I mentioned just how polite the Swiss were compared to the English and the runner told me that running was often hard because you did have to stop so many times to exchange pleasantries. The runner said that one day he tried something different. He went for what was intended to be an uninterrupted long swim in the lake. I said that was a really cool idea and with a smile the runner said ‘it didn’t work’. Apparently several early morning fishermen had rowed over to him while he was swimming to say hello to him and and ask how is swim was going.

I do love Switzerland . Can’t wait to get back for a visit. I would move there in a heartbeat.

All the photos today are from that lakeside running route. Wish I could run that right now.

Posted on by bereavedandbeingasingleparent · 45 Comments

It’s back

Yes it’s back. Just when we thought it was shorts weather for the next six months, oh no, it’s back into THREE jumper weather.

Definitely not enough for even the most rubbish snow angel ever but just enough to send all exposed skin a funny shade of blue.

Alberts back as well…

Can’t believe that the only Albatross in the northern hemisphere has decided during this truly tropical spell to return to the Yorkshire coast. Albert definitely needs to fire his holiday adviser. Last year he stayed 30 miles away from our house, for his summer holidays. It was actually mostly very nice and almost warm. Maybe that’s why he stayed for nearly two months. Sadly this years vacation finds temperatures north of zero. He must be tempted to head somewhere warmer.

If he hangs around this time then we will try to catch up with him. Last year was an awesome meet-up.

With any luck we can visit him when the Easter School Break starts next Friday. Easter is a bit of a challenge these days. Hawklad likes to get out, likes to visit places. But he needs these place quiet or even better, EMPTY. That doesn’t often happen over the two and a bit week break. Most places tend to be mobbed. This forces us into the early strategy. Get there as soon as a place opens and then stay until it starts to fill up. It’s not a guarantee of success. Last year we had several visits to RSPB Bempton to try to catch an albatross sighting. Problem is that such an extremely rare epic bird brings people, lots of people. We had a number of trips were although we had set off from home just after 7am, when we arrived a busy car park was way too much for Hawklad. So we started setting off much earlier. 4.30am early….. The prize was for an hour or so we did get the cliffs almost to ourselves and as soon as the crowds started to arrive, we left. Back home before 9am. It might be tiring but even if you don’t get to see Albert it’s so worth it.

Isolation has drawbacks but every so often it doesn’t half deliver. We just wouldn’t be stood on a cliff as the sun comes up.