Switzerland - 2004- 2006

Europe living and weddings

With a bump from the beach

Summer is finally here, tonite is a glorious summer evening to sit by the lake, looking into the distance at the snow capped peak of the highest mountain in Europe (Mt. Blanc), watching wake-boarders do their tricks, sailing boats gliding by, while eating ice cream and trying not to swallow the insects! Hmmmm

A few weekends ago, we went to England. I escaped working a Friday and instead, played in the sun with Alicia and her dad (Paul) on the beach in Eastbourne. We had a great time up London town, with a scrummy curry (only 11£! Bloody marvelous!) I took David (and Mum + Guy) to my favorite museum - the natural history museum to marvel at the dinosaurs and scare children... yah!

From mid-January to mid-February we had a holiday down in New Zealand. As always, this was a blast! We got there in time to get over the jet lag, eat pies, shop for some new clothes to replaced David's missing luggage and be in a mood to party at Andrea and Dave's wedding. She looked absolutely beautiful and he shaped up pretty darn smart for a man of Kent.

The day after the wedding we went to a music festival called the "Big Day Out" with Ro, Tania and crew… fabulous to catch up with the happening scene in Auckland. My cousin Julie was also over for the wedding and a holiday, so we joined forces with the wedding party and headed north for a spot of camping. First it was snorkeling at the Goat Island marine reserve followed by swimming, body surfing and eating well at Mangawhai. It was quite a special camp site for other reasons too!!?!!! Then it was up to the Bay of Islands for a spot of fishing and bbq-ing. We caught quite a haul with Dave getting a massive and extremely ugly John Dory. After a night of constant downpours, our paths separated and David and I headed of for Hokianga harbour, the Kauri forest and a spot of golf.

We zoomed down to Hamilton to stay with Kathy, George, Seoras, Ruby and Bump (who has since come to this world in the form of a beautiful baby girl). Many cups of tea and a catch up bbq at Kris and Rich (and Ruby + Isla)'s house. Funny to be wizzing around my old student town again. We visited the "Kiwi house" so David can finally say he's seen one - the bird not the fruit, silly!

Off the tourist route, we headed to Taranaki and catch up with the relatives. New Plymouth is a pretty cool town these days! Stayed with cousin Shona and soaked up the good sun. Visited Kim and Steve at their backpackers along the coast highway, swam in the beach of my childhood, Waitarere and made it home to mum and Guy's place in Lower Hutt to eat good tucker. Had a big get together bbq catching up with heaps of cool friends and enjoying mussels on the Barbie!

David headed back to Geneva early, so Jillian stayed behind and played the madness that is the rugby sevens tournament in Wellington. Dressed as a pink cowgirl along with the old university crew of drinking nutters, we proceeded to party solid for 2 days of lunacy! A brilliant bash!!! On the way home to Switzerland, I stopped off in Hong Kong and caught up with Billy, Monica and new sweet baby Lilly McQueen. HK is grand! Some serious shopping, fascinating selections of foods, photogenic buildings and definitely in the top 5 best ever seafood restaurants of all time! Bliss! I bought myself a new EOS 350D digital SLR camera - yah!!!

Back in Geneva everything settled back into the routine of work, snow, mountains, speaking French (amazing how a trip down-under can make you speakreallyfast and lose all knowledge of another language!)… hmmm. We went to Malaga, Spain, to say hello to the beach and eat tapas. I also started going to maternity aqua-gym - that's right if you didn't know, I'm pregnant!! Cool ah! I am currently in my 5th month, feeling fat but happy as the little monkey inside me has begun to kick! David has been a star and we are both incredibly excited about the prospect of a family! We haven't found out if it's a pink or blue baby and I haven't been too sick (touch wood!)

Being pregnant has slowed me down (no snowboarding, biking or drinking), but I am still out playing (when not stealing siestas!). World cup football madness has hit home - last w/e we went to see some top class football live here in Geneva : Brazil (ranked numero uno in the world) vs. New Zealand (ranked 118th!!). It was a great game, carnival atmosphere and we only lost 4-0! Music festival season has started, last nite we went to Caribana festival on the lake, and we have Paleo and the Montreux Jazz festival to come yet.

Later this month, we are off for our final holiday (without having to pack prams and toys) to the Greek island of Crete to chill out for a week in the sun. We also have 2 weddings in France to go to and an opportunity to holiday around France in August. Both cousin Julie and my sister Diana are coming over for a visit with a difference (me waddling instead of salsa-ing) and then I will be stopping work and popping! I'm due 16 October 06.

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With season greetings from the snow

I am recovering nicely from my hip operation, walking can aggravate the hip area (the Himalayas may have to wait for me) but biking is fine! We went to Verbier for the New Years celebration and I went snowboarding so it can't all be bad! The snow has been falling in Geneva making everything twice as pretty and biking near impossible.

Christmas was a mellow affair this year. Christmas eve was spent with David's mum, Claude (stepdad) and timbi the dog, all eating a sublime meal. In Swiss tradition, we lit real candles on the Christmas tree - this wouldn't go down well in the Southern hemisphere with it being summer time, but it was really pretty! On the 25th, David and I did not leave the apartment - just fine food, champagne, pressies and games.. yah! David gave me a narly snowboard and David's stepdad gave us a car (green, 4 wheels, Peugeot)! The orange VW van has sadly, finally died 9 David got lotsa little things including a star theatre that projects star constellations on to the ceiling, plus some funky clothes and a massage voucher. The w/e before, I went to Eastbourne to hang out with the most beautiful niece in the world, Alicia and her parents, Paul and Teresa - more food, shopping, walking along the beach and speaking in English! Alicia is just reaching the terrible twos which should prove amusing for the neighbors!

We went to Munich in August to play with my sister Diana and Jon. We had a picnic in the beer garden drinking one litre steins of beers and eating delicious German delights. Enjoyed just hanging out and sleeping in a circular bed! We also made it to Berlin, a first for us both, where we did touristy things, Checkpoint Charlie, Reichstag for lunch (a good way to miss the queues and get free access to the views) and the wandered about like ninjas in the new holocaust memorial. We also caught up with Silvie and Gav from London clubbing and Irish drinking days!

David and I took some time off and went for a trip down to Southern Italy, driving the orange VW van and camping in some marvelous locations. We visited Pisa and were taken back in time meandering around Pompeii. The food was just superb and the small medieval non-tourist villages just grand to amble around.

I went on a girls w/e to Budapest with Kath, Caroline and Karen. We got a special price in a 5***** hotel and painted the town red (with a few splotches of purple to add to the mural). Lots had changed in the 8 years since my last visit, so much more expensive now and it has become a stag w/e venue, luckily the baths were still incredible and a fun w/e was had by all.

In 1.5 weeks we head to New Zealand for a month!! I am so excited and can't wait to get there to catch up with friends and family and eat kiwi kia moana (seafood), pies and other god-zone tucker! We are going to Andrea Grant and Dave's wedding on a beach in Auckland, followed by the Big Day Out music festival (including White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, Iggy Pop and others). Then we are up to the bay of Islands for some fishing, diving and loosing the white European pale look. Then it's to Hamilton to catch up with University mates and their offspring, then Taranaki to see relatives and the mountain, after that, it's Wellington for the Rugby Sevens and hanging out with Mum, Guy and mates down there. David leaves before me, whilst I am stopping over in Hong Kong for some serious gadget shopping. Bring it on!!!!

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With crutches from Suisse

It has been quite a while since I last wrote….and characteristically lotsa things have been happening. Last winter season I took up snowboarding which was a lot more free radicals inside me pleasing, I did manage to end up in a neck brace after my first day, after an incident with a nasty front edge and a fence (stopping a cliff) but I am now addicted and look forward to next season of narly dude activity!

In January, David and I spent a long w/e in Rome. It was David's first time and we acted like Romans and ate lotsa pizza, pasta and gelato, fought imaginary lions in the Roman colosseum, marveled at the immense size of the palatine and asked for a cup of tea with the bygone papa.

During my contract break, I spent 2 weeks living with a family in Paris studying French! It was trés amusement! I teamed up with my room-mate, Freddie and other students to explored and make adventures throughout Paris. Classes were in the morning, so afternoons and w/es were spent discovering museums, galleries, cemeteries, shops, palaces, cafes and clubs! I had to speak French all the time!!! David joined me for the final w/e and we had a romantic exploration down the sewers. Yummy!

I am still luving living in Switzerland and all the surprises it has in store. We spent easter in Leukerbad - imagine -10 different swimming pools with loads of different jets, temperatures and bubbles, surrounded by snow capped mountains = a very relaxing and self indulgent time with massages, walks, cheese and mellow moments.

We also went to London last month for a decent curry and Andrea Grant's hen's nite - entertaining evening of salsa and dodgy dares. We caught up with loadsa friends and family and ate too much.

At the moment I am off work, I have just had an operation on my hip and am house bound for a month! This is because of a tear in my labrum (tissue above femur (leg bone)) that has been causing me pain and inflammation for the last 3 years and was going arthritic. I'm on crutches for 6 weeks and can only put 5kg of weight on my right foot so it is a lot of lying about for me. It is not too bad; they cut away 40% of my labrum tissue and reshaped the head of the bone too. Now I have 5 wee holes in my hip and lotsa nice drugs!

Meanwhile, I have finished my 10th book and am catching up on DVDs and sleep. Everyday, I must make my compulsory walk/exercise (this constitutes of walking down to the lake (200m), getting an ice cream on route (to be carried in my cleverly devised ice cream carrier (a tonic bottle upside down attached to my crutch) and sit in the sun by the lake, catching Vitamin D, feeding ducks, listening to my iPod and reading... oh the hard life!!

Mum and Guy came over last w/e to help look after me (from London not New Zealand silly!!!) It was luvly to see and play with them both. This injury isn't stopping me too much (apart from sitting upright at a computer - I am typing this from a reclining lazy boy seat with the display in the TV!)

It is summer festivals time!! Last nite David pushed me around in a wheel chair to watch Lenny Kravitz. As you can imagine, Switzerland is the best place to go to a music festival in a wheel chair, there is special parking, entrances, viewing platforms and people running after you… pretty handy! Last week, in the company of 3 infants, Lola, George , Carl and their parents, David whoosh me in the wheel chair around the lake parade! Quite a sight! Later this week I am off to see/hear Franz Ferdinard, Goldie Lockin Chains, Faithless etc…

I will be returning to work soon (some from home first). I am still working at the World Health Organization doing IT stuff for the HIV/AIDS department… fun and games!

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With festive greetings from the Alps

First of all, happy silly season!  I hope santa has treated everyone well and a jolly time was had by all.  My sister Diana and her man Jon came over for a week of eating, drinking, shopping, slapping farting bunnies, shooting trees in the snow and Christmas joy.  It was a pretty mellow time and much cheese was consumed.

Since I last wrote, I have become a married woman.  The wedding on the 10 July 2004 was the best day of my life (unquote) and I didn't want it to end!  75 people of 18 different nationalities for a relaxed day of happiness, sunflowers, bubbles and joy!  Trying hard not to sound like a smug married, but I rate it!!

The honeymoon in Sicily was very peaceful with plenty of sleeping, swimming and a total of one day of touristy things (oh how times have changed from when I use to spend every moment in a new town running around doing all the sightseeing possible!!)  David, my luvly husband, must have some calming influence here!!

Another highlight for the year was our trip to Australia and New Zealand in October.  It was Davids first trip down under and I had a great pleasure introducing him to the 'God's Own' of the Southern Hemisphere.  We caught up with friends, munched and drunk our full and played touristy things of kiwi-land.  Highlights include helicopter flight over Wellington harbor on a clear day, multitude of hot pools, hanging out at Waihi beach with a gang of friends and their offspring and of course a meat pie a day for David!

Summer in Geneva was a jovial time with plenty of music festivals, sun, visitors to stay, new babies being popped, more weddings and vineyards to visit.  I am still working for the HIV/AIDS department at World Health Organization and enjoying the challenges.

I can't believe how fast this year has gone by, tonight is New Years Eve!!  How did that happen!?  It feels like yesterday was summer and I got married!?!  To celebrate we are heading up the old town of Geneva, where there are free bands and celebrations. Tomorrow we head up the Alps to Verbier for more festivities and a day or two on the snow - skiing or snowboarding.. (yet to decide) and probably some snow-shoed archery..

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With summer from Geneva

I last left you with a sparkly new ring on my index finger in Tunisia last year... Well a lot has happened since then...

We are currently into the 3 weeks count down until the wedding!! It will be on the 10 July 2004 at the Mairie of the village where David grew up, followed by a reception in a vineyard overlooking the lake and the Jura mountain range! We are both extremely excited and super busy organizing all the details… eg. sampling the wines for the party etc…

We are coming to New Zealand (via Sydney!?!) in October this year. I'm majorly looking forward to introducing David to good kiwi tucka, landscape and mates. No doubt, we will have a wedding party over there too.

Apart from that, I have started a new job (got headhunted!!!) and am now working on a massive AIDS/HIV project ("3 by 5") for the World Health Organization doing information systems stuff. Pretty cool.

Christmas was spent in Geneva with good kiwi mates, and New Years was in the snow covered Alps at Verbier - skiing, eating, snow shoeing and shooting trees (David gave me a Bow for christmas (as in Bow and Arrow) and no tree was safe!)

We have made a few trips this year, our usual shopping in Barcelona for the January sales, and many missions to France to ski in the sun. We went to Eastbourne (UK) to say happy birthday to my bro, Paul, say "Hola" to Teresa and meet my very first and dare I say it, most beautiful ever, baby niece, Alicia. She is gorgeous!

We visited Venice for the long Easter w/e. It was a romantic Birthday for me. We had a marvelous time meandering along the canals, soaking up the atmosphere, smelling smells that deserved not to be smelt, and eating and drinking far too much. Also went to Munich last month to play with my sister, Diana, went shopping for her bride maid dress, drunk in beer halls (and remembered it!) and went clubbing (one venue, with 22 clubs, all different in stylishness, elegance music and madness!)

I'm off to London this w/e to catch up with my Mum and family there, and surprisingly, eat an English curry! Lotsa music festivals are coming up, we have tickets for Bowie, Muse, The Darkness!?, Lou Reed, Massive Attack… and much much more…. Roll on summer and swimming in the lake after work!

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Contact: me@jillianreichenbach.com