Europe 2002-2003

Living, working and traveling in Europe

With a diamond from Tunisia

David and I went on a super cheap package holiday to Tunisia last week. It was a major change from backpacking with swimming pools, archery and organized entertainment. A great escapism to relax, eat couscous (during Ramadan) and a last chance to work on the sun tan.

We visited El Jem (think massive Roman coliseum), went camel riding in the Sahara (my camel Nancy dribbled and stuck her tongue out more than me!), swam in the Mediterranean, had lunch in Luke Skywalker's house and went for a walk in the Sahara desert...

.... where the romantic gezza David proposed to me!!!! Yah we are now engaged!! I am so happy!!! He even designed the ring himself!!! (Inca gold, hammered by smurfs with a solitaire diamond set in white gold). Not sure of all the wedding details yet, but probably in Switzerland next summer… we will also have a party in kiwi-land.

Other highlights in the recent past:

  • Amsterdam for a w/e last month for a mellow time wandering the streets, watching the marathon and such
  • Paris - also for a w/e shopping and venturing
  • London - curry and catch up with maties from long time, also Ben & Kerry's wedding in a super duper English manor
  • Lotsa visitors in the new pad - Karen & Roland, Craig the oz, Julie for the Lake Parade, Diana for the cheese, mum & Guy for the heat, Leonie for a music festival in roman ruins….
  • Rolling Stones in Zurich, local gigs and clubs

Ski season is coming up…. Some friend went boarding last w/e so I s'pose I had better wax my skis and do my hip exercises and gear up for a season in the snow.

We had a champagne breakfast yesterday with to watch the game. The commentary is in French which makes things even more amusing! Go the All Blacks (that is Rugby World Cup for the un-converted).

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With a snake from Geneva
July2003

I'm still living in Geneva, in between contracts for the World Health Organization (U.N) and still enjoying too much cheese and chocolate!

We recently moved into an amazing apartment with views of the jet d'eau (big water fountain in the lake) and I have become settled enough to buy a sofa!!

Did heapsa skiing in the winter season with a new set of intelligent skis (they change flexibility depending on the snow condition! clever ah!) The snow conditions in the Alps are the best I've ever encountered and I'm looking forward to next season.

Still doing a bit of traveling (why should work, career and silly stuff like that get in the way!?!) Christmas and New Years were spent in Mexico - drinking too much tequila and mescal, swimming in the pacific and exploring Aztec temples.

Been on lotsa European missions - shopping in Barcelona, eating curries in London, romantic strolling in Paris etc….

Even manage to get a trip to Marrakech, Morocco for work!! Hung out in 42 degrees C heat promoting my new website - easy and fun! (oh and the food and the pool and the mad medina shopping…carpet anyone?) Hope you like the little piccie of me and Mr. Serpent.

Also went to Lebanon for a friend wedding - there were 300 people at the wedding with movie cameras rolling all day, food to feed the masses and whiskey being drunk faster than water. An amazing country to explore and people to talk with - so much has been done and undone in the 13 years since the war.

Finally, we just finished a tour du suisse - David has a VW combie van (bright orange) which he has equipped with a cooker, bed, draws.... so we traveled all around the cantons of Switzerland - tres bon!

Free camping in some amazing locations, next to rivers, up in the cloud surrounded by forest, at 2500m passes near snow etc... Suisse is a great country and I am sooooo lucky to have been able to see it on the cheap (and sample vin, stay in astonishing sublime natural hot pools, and eat strange Swiss food that always seems to contains cheese).

Geneva was mad over the G8 protests - I went on the organized peaceful anti-capitalist march - incredible experience - all the shops bordered up, if they were attacked the insurance companies would not pay up…. Looking down from our balcony at the riot police on our street … barmy!

It's festival season in Europe - Tonite I'm off to see Asian Dub Foundation, Alanis Morissette, Skin, Badly Drawn boy, and later Luke Slater, REM at Paleo, saw Radiohead a couple of week ago at Montreux and also off for some more free camping to see Beck, Placebo and Manu Chau… rather lucky I recon…

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With reality from Europe
Oct 2002

Well it has been a long time since an update, but that is probably because I have adapted to normality, got a hairstyle and kinda got a real job!

I am still living in Switzerland with my Swiss man David. I'm jumping about contracts at the World Health Organization doing web pages and promoting health issues in developing countries (single handily of course!!) Think I will be here for a while yet! (mind you the network is currently down and 3000 people are without network… - luv that floppy!)

Not all is work (or call me a muppet!!) Have had many a visitor to out tiny palace in Geneva, first my brother Paul and his wife Teresa, then Steve Paxton, then Mum and Guy, my sister Diana and this w/e my cousie Jules is coming to play! Hence I have become quite a proficient tourist guide for the region! Are seriously in need of a flat bigger than 2.5 rooms! More visitors feel free to rock this way!! Come one - come all!

Performing conductor of holiday-makers is strenuous stuff. Been up the French Alps to Chamonix, across the lake to the cute town of Yvoire to eat crepes, visiting the infamous and irregular Reichenbach Falls - where Sherlock Holmes met his match (until brought back for another 30 episodes by fans??!), eating raclette and fondue's in the quaint hill top town of Gruyere (while an Indian Bollywood movie was being shot!! hilarious!!), shopping in sweet town of Anncey, wine and food festivals and driving the VW combie-van on the wrong side of the road!

Isn't it ironic that I end up Switzerland of all places. I mean, this is the cheese capital of the world (and those knowing my eating habits would have to agree!) Not only the Gruyere, Emmental, Camerbert, Boursin, Saint Azur but rumor has it that there is some pretty amazing chocolates and tasty cheap local wines to indulge in too! (oh and a constant supply of decent avocados). So as you can tell life is hard and there is justice in this city rating so high in the world standards of quality of life and all…

Have popped over to England a few time to amuse myself in a language I kinda understand. Caught up with family, friends, decent curries and fish'n'chip's. Have also popped down to Milano to do some shopping, and a few trips over that boarder shopping (groceries, lunch and more interesting boutiques), am currently trying to plan some diving in the red sea for later this month. We will be in Mexico for Christmas and new years (which is gonna be strange to attempt to hablo espano when I have been etudie francaise!!) hmmm - I'm tripe at both!

Ski season will be here soon, and as all the money I earn is tax free, I think I might just have to invest in some new high tech ski gears to hit the slopes in! Gonna try and go almost every week end so I am well excited at the idea of gracefully gliding down a mountain in the sun, rather than stumbling pole-less into a illama in low cloud!! Any one for some ski, play and fondue??

Well that's about it! It is not so exciting living the life of a normalton, but I s'pose it was bound to happen!

May muppets play sweet songs in your sleep!

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With chocolate fish from Switzerland
May 2002

Salut and time for a renewed update of intrepid traveler (who is
not so intrepid but has gone and got a job!! - 12 months employment in 5
years isn't too bad ah'!?)

I last left you in NZ?!? (Memory like a sieve). From there it was more
shopping in Bangkok with Diana then off to ski in the Swiss Alps (amazing
snow - kicks NZ and Japanese ski slopes hands down!!)

I then retreated to Ireland for some more Guinness and Whiskey. A grand
time: Rugby games, maties and some of the best pubs in the world (if only
my memory worked and I could remember them - or was that the alcohol?)

Worked there for 3 weeks before the lure of Switzerland, a tax-free job and a Swiss man took hold. Lotsa parties and heapsa cheese... can't all be
bad!

In between work contracts David and I shacked up in his VW combie Van and
hit the road... endeavoring to drive through France, stopping for cups of tea and ridiculously cheap wine, running of the bulls (French style), visiting hyper-marts where the attendants wear roller skates to get from one end to the other quicker?! (mad French) and free camping to wake up with the sound of the waves breaking.

Next onto Spain, a wee detour to the Costa Brava (my first swim of the year
in the Mediterranean Sea - not surprisingly it was still cold!) then onto
Madrid to the finer delight in the life - tapas, vino and shopping!!

Onwards, to the wee Spanish town of Ubeda - surrounded by olive groves and
even more olive groves, to witness my brother Paul and Teresa join in the
celebration of matrimony. They couldn't stop the big grins all day!!

Do these Spanish know how to feed and water the punters or what!
A extraordinary selection of scrumptious seafood, vinos and cigars out our
ears! A terrific celebration. Also a bit of a unusual event - FIVE Reichenbachs together for the first time in 10 years??

I'm now back to the land chocolate and cheese for relaxation, tennis,
walks, work, stability, clubs and a celebration or two... the big 30 I'm
afraid. I went to London last w/e for a great catch-up with family and
friends and was meant to be in Paris this w/e (but had to work!!) - I look
forward to more adventures thru Europe in the near future (luv those cheap
flights!!)

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Contact: me@jillianreichenbach.com