Happy New Year!

Hello again,

If you've been wondering what I've been up to: lots and lots and lots of work! Shifting the contents of thirteen banana boxes, books mostly, into the bookcases, reorganising my library along the way, for example. Working on a fascinating translation project for a client who knows he always comes knocking five minutes AFTER everything has to be delivered, for example.

But it's not all been work: once the books were on their shelves and the renovated flat tidied up, I launched into a serious spate of entertaining. I won't tell you how many empty bottles had to be carried down the stairs and across the street to the recycling bin...

And I enjoyed a lovely "spring-time" walk last Saturday on a beautiful hill not far from Berne, to a popular country inn near Oberbalm (see panorama above). We saw lots of shrubbery with little, bright-red berries, a rose pushing out a new shoot, primroses in full bloom, the tips of iris leaves standing ten inches above ground, one almost-ripe strawberry, several fully opened dandelion flowers in a meadow, patches of snow, ... (a few more photos in the next post).

I also enjoyed an almost summery early afternoon hour last Sunday -- December 31st -- sitting out on my balcony in just a wollen jumper and sweatpants, sipping coffee and reading a book. It was balmy, to say the least!

Needless to say, it poured on us just around midnight on New Year's Eve, but it didn't dampen the spirited crowd cheering the New Year in to the sound of the great bells of Berne Cathedral.

Happy New Year to all -- may 2007 bring you Peace, Love, Prosperity, Good Health -- everything you may wish and hope for, only the best!