Seventh Day of Christmas

Last Day of 2024

And the sun finally came out, so after getting groceries (our once weekly trip, but everyone and his brother was there, because stores will be closed for two whole days over New Years), we did a bit of a walk in our town in the sunshine. 

“Reh” is that kind of small deer, and a “Tobel” is a valley. 

This is a very famous and expensive restaurant in the center of the town. In the shade.

A wine bar, which might get use tonight when everything opens for the evening and a long night to see the New Years in. 


In the sunshine.


Note the roofline shapes, typical of this area. 




The view across the valleys toward the Säntis, where Maria lives. 






Goodbye 2024

Sixth Day of Christmas

Total Fog Outside

So we enjoy lights inside.

Fifth Day of Christmas

Above the Fog

We started at the edge of that foggy blanket, in the sunshine.

Looking toward the Säntis. The log piles are the products of the days of helicopter work we watched. 


Higher and higher. St. Gallen is under that foggy blanket. At the horizon is the Bodensee/Lake Constance.




To here


Looking toward Rehetobel 

Where we came from, fron off the left side of the picture; a twisty road up


Other towns across the hills


Blessed Sunday.

Fourth Day of Christmas

Foggy, Foggy

Midday

Evening

Third Day of Christmas

By Candlelight 

Not going anywhere. Brew tea. Open business gifts. Sample fancy chocolates. 

Not these. 

Or these, but some like these.

And some business associates gave us this. Very trendy, we hear. And very expensive. We will try it later.

Enjoy your twelve days of Christmas.

Second Day of Christmas

St. Stephan’s Day

Tradition here is target practice at an indoor range. I prepared a meal for afterward. And played with little ones. Then loads to clean up and pack up, and return to our house. 

But here are pictures from our Christmas Day after- church dinner site at Schloss Laufen by the Rhein Falls. 

And by night

Blessed Christmas

In Church!

For the first time ever we had a Christmas Service in a church in Switzerland. With organ. With a pastor. Borrowed, but ours for the time.

Advent 24; Christmas Eve

And laid Him in a Manger

On this day the Christ Child gets added to the Crèche. Trees will be lit this evening. And the cookies come out.

Blessed Christmas Eve

Advent 23

Almost Arrived

And it has even snowed for Christmas!

Advent 22, Fourth Sunday

My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name.

God of Peace, O shine on us;

Guide our path in this life’s night, 

That our will in Thine be done;

Come to us, O Christ the Light.

Advent 21

Lanternliweg

We did a little “Lantern Walk” in our local sort-of-bigger town of Heiden. The description was appealing, but if anyone has been to or would expect something American, he would be disappointed. Those have innumerable colored lights, enough illumination to look like daytime, and nervous energy everywhere. This was actually and literally a lantern walk: the path had jars of battery-powered light strings at intervals along the walking path. Punctuating the way were handmade decorations of angels or Wichtels or trees, mostly unlit or faintly lit. But it was a pleasant walk and many people obviously came to do the stroll.

Heiden

The Start, the most lit part

The Lanterns 

The Path

Decorations along the way, as lit by flashlight in hand.

Angels


Wichtels/gnomes


Reindeer



A “Post Office “ where one could deposit a letter to the Christkind




Better Half’s favorite:

By turning the bike wheel dynamo, the lights in the jars came on.

Close ups of some jars

A Crèche of painted rocks played “Stille Nacht”

Then came the one spot with colored and moving lights.

It was by the covered bridge. 

School children had made decorations.

And at the End a music box played.