Partying with the Swiss!

Yesterday was devoted to partying. To be honest, I`m not entirely sure why the Swiss are in such a wild mood at the moment but, whatever the reason, they are celebrating it with enthusiasm.

We started in Chur, which is the oldest town in Switzerland. It`s only about 40 minutes drive from here. When you live on an Island, as I do, it`s a complete novelty to get in a car and be in a new country in a few minutes. I have to stop myself from squealing like a little girl when we enter Switzerland because... well, if you can imagine, in NZ you have to get on a plane for at least 3 hours to get anywhere foreign and it`s a major event. Here we just drive across the Rhine and at the halfway point there is a little sign saying `Schweiz`, and there you are in Switzerland. It just never gets old....
In the evening we headed to Buchs where the Swiss really showed that they could put away the lager at a rate that could almost rival the Aussies. Good Times!

I`m having issues with moving the pics around to put them in order, so please excuse the time-warp photo placement.

The Niece rides the train in Buchs (again and again.. trains are very `wow`). Nb: Pink Teddy travels along for moral support.

Guys with really big ones in Chur.. Alpine horns that is....

The sausage stall in Chur

The Niece and her new bestie. They do not speak a common language but this does not stop the chatter.

A very colourful house in Chur.

The Crepe stall in Chur.

Chur
A common sight in Chur. We discovered a terrible thing when we unpacked the car.... the stroller was still in the garage! We did not have the reins either. Safety was not really an issue, but fit little toddlers are damn hard to keep up with if there is no restraining device.
Jaz has issues with her first beer. Just kidding mum. She was drinking Rivella, but that`s a big cup for a small girl. Not a drop spilled though.
In Buchs there was a competition where two kids (or keen, fit adults) raced each other to build and climb a tower of these crates up to a height of about 4-5 metres. It looked like the sort of activity that would be very demanding on core strength and stability. This girl almost made it to the top twice before losing her balance. The climber is completely unsupported, she is reaching out for her next crate.
My sister in Chur

I like this thing that the Swiss do, even on modern houses, although it seems less common on very new ones. If a window is plain and flush to the wall, they just paint on window-sills and any other window surround. Sometimes it`s fancy, sometimes just nothing special.
One of the oldest houses in Chur. I am not sure of the date but it is pre-1500. The wooden part is the old bit. Other parts of the house are newer.
The Churer Fest! They set up a blow-up fake stone city gate.
Every town needs one.
This is a shop in Chur. For those English speakers who are as amused as I was, let me de-confuse you... schmuck means jewellery and uhren means clock. I know.. it`s still funny *snort*, I really should get some maturity.