The snow has arrived

In the last few weeks we have been watching the snow creep down the mountains towards the valley. Well it finally got just cold enough for us to keep some snow on the ground down here, in the valley! It is great to use the mountains as your temperature guide, knowing where it is and isn't below zero by how far down the snow comes on the mountains. After the snow fall yesterday, the sun peaked out through the clouds a bit this morning and it was SO gorgeous! The first two pictures aren't great because of the buildings around us blocking some if the mountains. The third picture is from a hike on Sunday where we go above the clouds into the sunshine!

Hiking near Bellinzona Switzerland

Bellinzona is in the Italian part of Switzerland and a little less than 1.5 hours away from where we live in Stans. Two weeks ago John had Friday off for All Saints Day and we wanted to go on a hike a little farther away from home.  This was an excellent destination.

Across the valley on the hill is one of the castles

We did a 3 hour hike, going up 1400 m, covering about 8 km and then brought a gondola back down into the town, and then had to walk 2 km back to the car.

Our guideposts that are on all of our hikes

The landscape seemed to be quite a bit different, at least we thought so, to the mountains by us. We were in the trees the whole time and the path was more dirt than rock, which my feet were happy about :)

lunch time

little cutie

The town of Bellinzona has three large and fairly famous castles in the town or right on the hillside by the town plus a river that runs through it. And obviously the mountains. All of these things make it a very lovely town.

coffee time at the top

We are hoping to return to this location in the winter (which has started now I guess) to snowshoe as there is a 90 min loop up on the mountain that you reach with the gondola!

little cutie again

 I am excited to cross country ski and snowshoe.... just have to find people to watch Hannah :) as the winter sports isn't quite as toddler friendly as the summer hiking!

taking the gondola down, bear was nervous

Farmhouses on the ride down

Swiss City Halbmarathon

Almost two weekends ago I completed my 4th race here in Switzerland, the Luzern Swiss City HalbMarathon.  Unfortunately it rained for the first half, but the race itself was a perfectly run event (exactly what you would expect from the Swiss!).  It is getting easier to show up for a race and try to figure out all the details/rules/what is happening when you hear no English and usually no High German either, only Swiss German which still mostly sounds like gibberish to me :)

Storm clouds rollling out, sun coming in.

I met one of John's co workers at the train station who had done the race about 6 times so he helped me navigate the crowds. With your registration you get a free round trip train ride, then a round trip ship pass to transport you to the start area/back to the trains instead of walking an extra 2 or so miles each way.

The mountain in the background on the right is Mt. Pilatus

Just past halfway in the village of Horw

The other thing that I still have not gotten used to is every race I have done here has a Damen and Herren Garderoben area.  This is usually in two different schools and is a big gym or something with access to showers and then a place to put your bag while you run. I have never changed clothes before and after a race in the states but everyone here changes right before the race and then right after the race they shower and change back into the clothes they arrived in. It is such a great idea! I think it works because stealing is not really an issue here so everyone leaves their stuff, not locked in lockers, and they trust it will be there when they return. Unfortunately I am still used to showing up in my running clothes and then just being sweaty and such after that I didn't have warm dry clothes for after the race :(

Warming up with so coffee, Hannah choose milk :) with our friend Trini

John, Hannah, and our friend Trini (who was supposed to run but is injured) rode their bikes into town to cheer me on! It was fun to have them there even if they got a bit wet from the rain as well.

Proud of my mommy!

 We all enjoyed the sunshine that came out after the race and the warm coffee afterwards!

If you are wanting to do a half marathon abroad I would definitely recommend this one, the marathon is just two loops of the marathon so I don't think that is quite as appealing.