Good Enough.

Sunset in the old town, Bern. Who wouldn't enjoy this?

Fine, not good enough. How about drinks in a glowing underground bar?

Watch Out.

Well, the Swiss do seem to have different worries from the rest of us.

At Last.

There's a very nice street-corner accordion player about a block from our house, and now with the nice weather our open windows allow for bits and pieces of accordion music to float in.

On alternating days, or every three, the accordion guy takes the day off and is replaced by a street-side violin player. I'm not privy to the details of their playing schedule, but they seem to have worked it out. The violin guy's also quite good, and has a different repertoire.

All very pleasant, but after about two weeks we've heard just about all the songs that either one knows to play.

So it was with great excitement that I came home the other day to find Accordion Man sitting on the bench with Violin Man, both smiling and playing together.

You Don't Say.

If you'd have asked me the capital of Switzerland a month earlier, I'd have quickly answered Geneva, no wait, Zurich. I don't know, but one of those.

Wrong wrong wrong. It turns out the capital is a charming little German town called Bern. Here's the seat of government at night.

And a view out over the city from upon one of the surrounding hillsides. Bern sits in the bend of a river (just like Baghdad, except it's nothing like Baghdad) and the old part of the city is a gorgeous maze of narrow winding streets.

Pretzels and Beer for everyone!

Fierce.

In that show where Tyra Banks is always calling things and people and clothing and pictures "Fierce," I assume she means this face right here.

We lost our dear cat Kevin recently, and this guy reminded me of the way he would happily sit for hours just staring out the window at the birds and people and leaves and whatever else went on in his cat brain. I think Kevin would have really enjoyed sitting by Lake Geneva, watching the world go by.

Icy Conditions.

Of course, it was February and we were in Switzerland. So there was still a bit of winter around.

Not everyone got the memo about the park being closed due to ice. Oh well, I'm sure this won't end badly. (?)

Not the Desert.

You'll find no arguments here, it's a charmed life that I live. A quick weekend jaunt to Switzerland to catch up with a good friend from the desert.

On the way to Bern, a day in Geneva. The sun came out, the ice sparkled and we enjoyed a beautiful day wandering about.

Perched.

The Roman aqueduct in Segovia is just as incredible in winter time as in summer.

This guy was just trying to stay warm on his perch while a group from the nearby artillery school was out for PT.

Influenced.

One of the things that I really like about the castles these Catholic monarchs built is the strong Moorish (read Arab Muslim) influence. Here is the painted wooden ceiling in one of the many rooms.

Also, I like that this guy is wearing a snowy hat.

On the Parapet.

Well, not everyone who guards a castle gets to wear shiny metal suits.

El Invierno.

We don't get snow too often, but when we we do it's gorgeous. Here is the castle at Segovia in a light downfall.

On most days, the view across the old city to the cathedral is a bit more clear. Although, maybe not anymore beautiful.

The Same.

Lavender watering system to match the lavender plants in the park.

Rooftop.

Roof detail from somewhere in the old city of Cuenca.

Hanging Out.

The famous hanging houses of Cuenca, Spain.

After walking around the old city for a bit, we had a fancy lunch in the window of one of the hanging houses and were able to look out over the river valley.

Painting the Town.

Just some beautiful art on the side of some apartment buildings.

It reminded me of the playing cards from a German board game we like called Dixit.