Gorgeous summer in Vallée de Joux

[Callie Shevlin]

So these past 6 or so weeks (yikes, time has flown and I have no idea where it went), I have been busy with work, work, work and of course been hiking.  In addition, I have been running 2-3 days a week before aforementioned work and swimming 3 days a week after work.

If you look closely here, that is ME on the slide in the middle of the lake... Today we had a relaxing day of brunch and laying by the lake and I decided I absolutely must swim (the water was probably around 14 degrees (C) and I swam in my undies).  But the slide was SO much fun!

A few weeks ago; although it feels like it just happened; my mentor and friend Phil came to visit me in Switzerland.  So I worked on cramming in a whole slew of stuff and we didn't get to it all, which is ok, because it was a good time for all.

We first visited the Horlogical Museum in Chaux-de-Fonds, where I went last summer before my interview and it has added so much.  We saw the Automaton Exhibition, spread over 3 museums, but we made it to 2.  This is a Chatelaine Watch, all hand painted enamel on the pieces and a key and fob thing. Super into chatelaines and etui now and am working on some modern ones.

This is a picture of the insides of The Writer Automaton as it is being cleaned.  After seeing this I really do understand how they work and think it's really much simpler than I suspected.  However, there is a singing bird in a double barrel gun automaton in the Patek-Philippe Museum in Geneva and Phil and I watched the CAD automated illustration of how that worked and I am baffled, it was so small and so intricate!

This is the exhibition, Jaquet-Droz family was a main creator of Automatons and this exhibit was fascinating.

On top of Dent de Vaulion (the tooth of Vaulion) the cows were grazing and they were super friendly so Phil got to pet sweet swiss cows before we had the traditional dish of fondue.  

Here is Phil as a Vallée de Joux post card, seriously, Dent de Vaulion is where most of the valley images are taken from for the postcards.  How fortuitous...

If you look closely, there is a second rainbow (arc de ciel) just above the bright one, this is what happened the day Phil left, it was a huge storm that blew in from no where but the colors were even more vibrant today!

I have been spending my lunch breaks cooking desserts for myself and others, and getting delicious berries from the farmer's market on Thursday (where I just leave a bit early for lunch to catch the market) and have been making jam to store away until winter when I will miss fruit and summer berries.

S'more cake in the "before" photo... I have introduced real s'mores to several people here and in the UK, it just seems so common that I find it hard to believe people haven't had it. Oh American things!

The "after" photo, enough said.

A little of the jam I have been making slowly, some has already gone out to the world.  There is rhubarb, strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb, strawberry-basil, currant, black currant, some strange grape jam, and soon, cherry.  

Back in late March, I got to visit a new friend (and guillocheur as well), David (on the right) and Phil (not in this photo) and also got to meet the most amazing man, a 4th generation case maker in England, Martin Matthews (center).  This is in his workshop, which is small and tidy and really fascinating.  Martin is very open with his knowledge and very helpful with all the questions I tossed at him moments after our first meeting.

Martin asked for a photo with myself and Phil (right) since we are the next generation of guillocheurs, it was an honor to even meet Martin, much less be immortalized with him! 

I have also been participating in the cook all sorts of desserts and this photo is of a tasting of said desserts while "crafting" some papier mache.  Why did it seem so much easier when we were younger???

On my runs, I scope out the good flowers to pick and often walk around with scissors after work to the places that I run to get said flowers.  As you can see, they are very short lived in my house.  I can thank Elvis, Patsy and June for this phenomena of flowers ALL over the house.

Once a year in L'Abbaye, there is a huge brocante (in the US it is called a group yard sale and in the UK it is a car boot sale) so I went to see what sort of Swiss goodies I could find and these tin boxes just jumped into my hands as well as the old maps.  Oh Switzerland, you are so good for me.

And inside the wooden box marked compas...

A bunch of compasses and drawing stuffs (and nibs, my FAV), I won the brocante lottery (or I bought well)

I leave you with a parting shot of what I hope to one day live in.  This is Manoir Haute Roches and is located on the hill in Le Pont (the north bit of the lake).  It was owned (well built and owned) by the owner of Le Matin paper (still in circulation now) in the 1900's early.  It has had quite a history and was abandoned for the last 20 years and before that was used as a refuge for political people seeking asylum (google it for more information).  But I figure the Swiss are reasonable people and I will offer to take care of it as it is ALMOST in a really bad state, and wouldn't they really rather have some money for it and have it cared for than nothing at all??? It is gorgeous and the inside is really something else as well.  

Nothing else really new in my life, just sports of running and swimming and hiking about when I have a few minutes of free time.  Of course I fantasize about owning a house a lot lately, must be that adult part kicking in right?  

Ciao Ciao

[Susan Ellenton]

Fabulous building! Thanks for the vicarious hiking, eating, making and appreciation of good work. I always enjoy your posts.