Although our house mountain, The Weissenstein, still has a coating of snow on the “bib” in front (yes, that’s what we locals call it), the snow has not long gone in the lowlands, replaced by rain, but today the sun is shining. What you see on top of the mountain is a restaurant, and I believe they also have a few rooms to stay overnight. If you want to get to the top there is a road, which is perhaps narrow, like most mountain roads, but very well kept. We have driven it a few times when the kids were still kids. The east comfortable way is with the gondolas, which I have not yet tried.

There was always a chair lift, made many years ago. You would take your place and sit on the wooden seat and be transported to the top.

You can see one of the old chair lifts at the back on the right in this photo, now kept as a souvenir in a local restaurant. Even one of my neighbours has one in here back garden. I see them now and again. It seems that everyone wanted one when the old chairlift was dismantled.

The problem with the chair lift was that it was getting old. Spare parts were needed for repairs, and they no longer existed and many had to be made especially. The time had come for either a new chair lift or something completely different. It was a major crisis in our area. A modern new gondola, with separate covered in boxes to transport the tourists to the top. Others found it was a shame that the quaint old chair lifts would be scrapped. Various groups were built fighting for their preferences, but the gondola won. For at least a year there was only the road to get to the top. The old supports for the chair lift were removed and new constructions were made for the gondola. The new system has now been operating for a couple of years, and I hear no more regrets. Everyone seems to be happy.

One day I will travel to the top of the Weissenstein again in the new gondola. We have been planning for at least a year, but never got round to it. When I do, I will take my camera and there will be photos. Perhaps we might go this year, but we said that last year.

And now the week-end adventure begins again. The shopping list has been captured on a cloud on my iPhone and that of Mr. Swiss. Food plans have been made, and so we are ready to go. The sun is shining, temperatures are rising, and this afternoon I can break out again and make the surroundings unsafe with my camera.

Yesterday evening was one of those evenings where I was stuck in front of the TV screen. I actually wanted to read on my Kindle, the 6th book on the Peter Grant Rivers of London Series, The Hanging Tree. In the meanwhile I have also discovered in Facebook a closed group “Lord Grant’s Irregulars”, where followers of the books, like me, can discuss very aspects. Of course I joined. The TV in England are also planning a Rivers of London Series, and the big discussion at the moment is who will play who. I am not so up to date in young english actors, but it is interesting to follow various discussions.

So yesterday I had to be satisfied with two episodes of East Enders, as there will be none until next Tuesday, and they wanted to make up for lost time. Of course, I watched them, but I really wanted to do other things. I also managed the shopping list on my iPhone in between. I sometimes have more stress than when I was a working woman.

To lessen my daily stress, I will now depart to other options, like having an appartment clean-up, a shower and a safari to the local supermarket. But wait a minute before I go, Mr. Swiss called my attention to a mist that has suddenly appeared outside in the garden, yes they’re here,  so I just had to take a photo, it does not happen every day. See you around 🙂