Swiss Miss Update

It is quite something to stand on a mountain hillside overlooking valleys of farms and chapels and only hear the sound of cowbells. On Sunday after church (a small branch) we took a 3.5 hour walk in the Emmantal - a beautiful valley where a lot of the cheese comes from. We stopped at a farmer`s house for a drink (don`t worry, not wine) and he was so amazed someone from LA had come to his farm. Monday I went to the Rhine and had bratwurst in Basel, where I stood at the place where 3 countries meet: France, Germany, and Switzerland. Tuesday, we went to an old Swiss Castle on Lake Geneva (actually called Lake Leman) and also to a salt mine. Very interesting and I bought some salt to take home. Today we went to the Swiss Oberland where all the big mountains are. We saw the Jungrau and took a skyride to another mountain. The town of Grindelwald below us. The air is so refreshing and the landscape so beautiful. I`ve also learned how much the Swiss seem to dislike Bush for invading other countries. Americans are a bit unpopular right now but they are still nice to me. Most days we don`t get home til late and I`m feeling a little overwhelmed with cheese but I guess I balance it out with chocolate. It`s great having a guide to really show me my 2nd homeland. I hope I will be alright in France and Italy when I am without one.