Travelog for: Shakespeare

Hello mum,
we are all pretty frustrated. After last week, it looked a bit like spring, winter reigns again. Jasper will be crazy, slowly but surely. Yesterday we tried to bring some spring mood in the house.







Jasper bought everything that looked like Easter and warm weather, and we built and decorated it into a indoor garden.





I tried my best, but climbing trees is not my thing.

I think we succeeded.





Now we all look forward to Easter, no matter what the weather is. We can not change anyway.
Love you mum
Shakespeare

Hi mum,
Today we helped Jasper at the Easter preparations. Bake a cake was my job. We let the kitchen machine knead the dough.





While we waited for the dough to rise,



we have prepared the filling.





To grate the apple was hard work.









Jasper has rolled out the dough and we have spread the filling on it.







Then we rolled and rolled and rolled.



Jasper put the cake in a baking pan and put it in the oven.





About an hour later he looked like this.



Finally, we have iced the cake.





It smells wonderful. Tomorrow we will try it.
Bye mum, see you.
Shakespeare

Happy Easter mum!
although it looks more like Christmas.



Due to bad weather (snow again) we must search the Easter Bunny in the apartment. We searched long and found plenty. Everywhere chocolate bunnies, eggs and other sweets were hidden.











We needed our shopping cart to transport everything.















Later, we had a delicious breakfast.









I wish you a nice day,
your Shakespeare

Hello mum,
we can take pictures again. Right after Easter, the cat had thrown the camera from the table. She was broken. Not that you had missed something. The weather was as usual - bad. Jasper had bought us a small bench so that we can enjoy the sun on the balcony. What sun? We now sit in the dining room under the Easter tree.



He gets small leaves. Feels like spring.



Today we say goodbye to Lille. She will travel to Germany. We cuddled the little sheep and wished her a good trip - and better weather.







For the weekend, the weather forecast is good. Jasper has promised us, we use it for a trip. We'll see.
Bye mum
Shakespeare

Hello,
Today a new TV arrived. Jasper brought a heavy package and we were very excited to see what or who is in it.



The first thing was a postcard,



then came sweets



and then a bunch of money.



The last climbed out a small panda bear.



We greeted her warmly and introduced ourselves.





Her name is Lilo and she is from Germany.
We will definitely have lots of fun together.
Bye mum,
Shakespeare

Hi mum,
Today we visited with Jasper a fair for holidays and leisure time. First we took the bus



and then the train to St. Gallen.







We visited a booth with basket weavers.





  We could not take many photos because so many people were there. Outside, we saw horses dancing and playing soccer.



It was a beautiful day but so many people.



Back home I had to recover. I snuggled a bit with Runa.



Her purr was very reassuring.



miss you mum,
Shakespeare

Hi Mummy,
Yesterday the weather was wonderful. Therefore Jasper decided we take a trip. After a short drive we arrived at the Walter Zoo in Gossau. It's not a big zoo but you can feed many animals and be close with them. First, I met a raccoon. He grabbed me.



At first I was so scared, that's why you do not see much of me. But I liked his paws, so I asked host dad to hold me very near to the raccoon.



Ok, many fingers in the picture but it was so funny when he touched me. Then I could feed the llamas.









They do not spit on me. I met an ostrich



and an alligator



and then I saw turtles.





Alligator snapping turtles can weigh up to 90 kg.



Outside, I saw giant tortoises with spring fever.







It was her first day in the fresh air.





Suddenly, a zookeeper came with a wheelbarrow. Inside sat another turtle.



We chatted a bit.



Mummy, I had a happy day, I met a real turtle.
your Shakespeare

Hi mum,
Two days ago I was sitting on the balcony in the sun.





We had 23 degrees and enjoyed the spring to the fullest.











When I woke up this morning and looked out the window, everything was white,



I could not believe it. Overnight it had snowed again, 10 cm.



It's so cold. Never ends this winter?
Kind regards from a frustrated Shakespeare

Love mum, tomorrow I'll go into holidays to France.





It's just a short break but we will visit the Alsace.



Fine wines, delicious food and hopefully nice weather. The suitcase is packed,





it can go off.
I'll call you when I get back.
See you soon
your Shakespeare

Hello mum,
We are back from wonderful short holiday. With Jasper and her daughter we explored the "Route de Vin" (wine route) in Alsace. A paradise for wine lovers, gourmet and storks. We started with best weather









and looked gorgeous little wine villages. In Ribeauvillé we made the first break and tried Riesling d'alsace.











Excellent. We saw a stork's nest on an old tower.



On a tour of the city we discovered many beautiful old houses,









shops





and fun artwork.





And vineyards, where you look.



Then we drove to our hotel in Rosheim. This small wine village near Strasbourg has four gates.



One of them is called Zittglöckle (time bell) because it has a clock.





The old well had originally three buckets to fetch water upward.





This was our hotel.



Jasper forgot to take a picture but we took a little postcard on which it is seen. This was the view from our balcony in the garden with the magnificent weeping willow.





That was our first day. We were curious what would bring the other day.
Shakespeare

Hi, all at home,
the second day of our holiday we spent in Strasburg. All were pretty tired when Jasper woke us up,



but the nice weather lured us outside. Arrived in Strasburg we walked to the cathedral along the Ill River.



We marveled at an old carousel.



Then we saw the cathedral.





It is really impressive.



Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, German: Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg), also known as Strasbourg Minster, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, Alsace, France.
At 142 meters (466 feet), it was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874, When it was surpassed by St. Nikolai's Church, Hamburg. Today it is the sixth-tallest church in the world and the highest still-standing structure Entirely built in the Middle Ages.
The cathedral is visible far across the plains of Alsace and can be seen from as far off as the Vosges Mountains or the Black Forest on the other side of the Rhine. Sandstone from the Vosges used in construction gives the cathedral its characteristic pink hue.

The Place de la Republique, it was not far. Colorful spring flowers



and the War Memorial were there to see.



The Palais du Rhin is also there.



Then we saw the Church of Saint Paul.



We walked on the Ill river to the Pont Couvert (covered bridge)



and also saw there this towers.



One of them is called hangman tower. We could imagine what happened there before.

On our way home we saw this funny house.



It is called "the worm hole"(Schneggeloch)
Arrived at the hotel we were very exhausted.



We slept a little but not too long because it was a full moon and we absolutely had to see.



Bye for today
Shakespeare

Hi mum,
after we had admired the full moon enough, we enjoyed another bottle of wine



and then fell into a deep sleep. The next day was like our heads - cloudy. On the way to our next destination we stopped often and let the wind blow us around the nose.



And again, as far as one could see vineyards.





Then we reached Haut-Königsbourg, a 900-year old fortress.





















A truly impressive building. After a break and delicious food,



we drove to our hotel to Riquewihr.









Unfortunately it started to rain heavily. Jasper had to decide - Camera or umbrella. She opted for the umbrella. So we spent the rest of the day and the journey home into Jasper's bag.



A little wet, tired but happy about the nice days.

Love you mum.
Shakespeare

Hi mum
Last weekend Jasper promised a special trip for Thursday, when the weather is good - really good. So we kept our fingers crossed for the whole week, but the weather forecast was not promising. Host dad decided: We try.
Thursday: Get up 5 clock in the morning, Departure 1 hour later. Much too early for TV's. Therefore, we slept on during the car ride.
As Jasper woke us the next time we were in Interlaken train station. The ticket showed us: We travel to the Jungfraujoch.



To the highest train station in Europe. The first train took us to Grindelwald



at the foot of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, the well-known mountains in the Bernese Oberland. There, we changed the train to Kleine Scheidegg, the starting point for the trekkers climbing the Eiger North Face.



Here you see this notorious mountain wall, which has so many climbers lost their lives.





Next, we boarded the red train to the Jungfraujoch.







This train is required in addition to the normal rails a gear to overcome the steep climbs.



As the train travels most of the time in tunnels, there are several breakpoints on the line with windows. From there you can admire famous places.
Our first stop, and also the last outside of the tunnel, was Eigergletscher.



From the once mighty glacier is not much left.



The next stop was Eigerwand.



The view from the middle of the Eiger North Wall was breathtaking.









The last stop is called Eismeer. Here you can see the glacier crashes between Eiger and Mönch.







Then we reached the highest station in Europe. 3454 meters above sea level. It was too dark to make pictures. We took the elevator to the Sphinx. 117 meters in 26 seconds.



The Sphinx is a research station and an observatory. In 1996, the observation deck was opened. On clear days one has a fantastic view.





This mountain is called Mönch and is 4107 meters (13475ft.) high.





This is the Sphinx.



It was very stormy. Through this wind changed fog, clouds and a clear view in seconds - unbelievable.



Then we took a walk on the Aletsch Glacier.



This glacier is the largest of the Alps in terms of area and almost 23 kilometers long. The ice flows at a speed of 180 meters per year towards the Rhone. On Konkordiaplatz the ice thickness is about 900 meters. We were not allowed to leave the path of the glacier under any circumstances. Right and left there are deep crevasses - life threatening. But the outlook was fantastic. This is the Jungfraujoch.



If you look closely, you see at the top  the Sphinx - quite small they stuck to the rock.
This is a big glacier demolition.



Then we marveled at various exhibitions















and the Ice Palace.















Can you imagine that they need to cool down these halls, which consist only of ice at minus 3 degrees? Because of the body heat of the many tourists.
Then it was time for the return journey. Everyone was tired and fell asleep on the train - we also.



In Kleine Scheidegg we changed train,



took one last look at the Eiger and Jungfraujochbahn and went on to Wengen.



This place is famous because of the Lauberhorn downhill skiing. We were looking for the famous ski run - but without snow?









We have not found. The rest of the way we slept in Jasper's pocket.



We were all very tired - but what an adventure.
think of you, Shakespeare

This is for you mum,



you are the best ever happened to me.
your Shakespeare

Hello mum,
when I woke up this morning, I saw a small hippo sitting on our little bench and have breakfast.



Jasper introduced us. Ismaya is the name of the hippo and he comes from Bali, Indonesia. It rattles with the teeth because it is so cold here. This morning it was 7 degrees.
Then Ismaya showed us his gifts. Wonderful things from his home country.





We hugged and greeted him warmly.





Later we told a lot of our adventures and Ismaya marveled. He is on his first trip.
We will have lots of fun with him when he stops teeth from chattering.
See you soon
Shakespeare