Bridges

When we visited Valle Verzasca we came also in Lavertezzo, a little village halfway the valley. Just outside Lavertezzo is the Ponte dei Salti, which is often referred to as the Roman bridge. It only dates back to the 17th century, but it's a beautiful double-arched stone bridge.

It was the perfect place to have our picnic. And if you like to you can also go swimming or diving in the emerald green  (a gorgeous colour) water of the Verzasca river.  We only saw one boy who actually did jump.

One of the other days we went by boat to the other side of the Lago Maggiore, to the quaint little town of Cannobio. We took a boat like this....

And passed Maccagno... (were we went a few times to swim, and stay on the beach)...

Cannobio, a typical little town at the coast of the Lago Maggiore...

And we went up in the mountains again...

And down...

And we arrived at this cosy little beach, ofcourse without our swimming suits..

And this is the Roman bridge we were looking for, a real ancient one...

I so enjoy looking back and thinking again about our vacation in Italy. It such a beautiful environment, it felt so good being there. The mountains, the plants, the flowers, the villages. And when we were in Italy it wasn't such a good weather in Holland,  since we're back it's rather nice.  It feels as if we have such a long summer!! I really enjoy it.

Valle Verzasca

In Italy we spend a day in Valle Verzasca, well, actually we spend that day in Switzerland. It's a beautiful glen known for the enormous rocks and little characteristic villages with houses build of slate. When we went in the mountains we first saw a 220 m. high weir. (which was used in the James Bond movie Goldeneye, it really is huge!) One can go to Bungee Jump, eldest son was considering it. Frightning.

Standing up there one is so little.

And the lake behind the weir..

People live in these houses..

We saw the village Corippo, the littlest village of Switzerland. It wasn't till 1883 that one could reach this village by a road. There used to live about 300 people, who's main income came out of weaving linen. As often people left the village, not being able to earn a living . On the moment there are living 20 people.

And those enormous rocks and the power of the water were quite impressing.....

And so are my kids......

We loved walking around here, it was a pleasent temperature, and the surrounding was amazing.

A  rainy day well spend, we loved it...

Carboothsale and Middelburg

Yesterday we had a rather tiring day, we were taking part in a carboothsale in Apeldoorn. It's organised by the WHOE, a foundation which organises transports from things like hospital beds, things for schools, and all kind of other things for eastern Europe.
We were present at 7 o"clock, but that was rather late. Luckily we got a spot.
We were lucky with the beautiful weather, sunyy most time of the day. And lots of visitors. I forgot my camera, but here are some photo's of last weekend.

It looked like this. I had restricted myself to look only for coloured little candle lights, and found only red ones, from which I do have enough. It was rather crowded, nice.

And now, the last part of last monday in Zeeland. After the beach we went to Middelburg. youngest had got his shoes totally wet on the beach, so he was walking on some kind of slippers, which weren't quite comfortable. So he didn't want to climb the church tower, a pity.

And I do love hollyhocks.

And little streets...

And bikes......

And colourful houses......

And old walls......

This is the Isabellagang...

And a really beautiful town hall......

There is ofcourse a lot to tell about Middelburg, but we do have websites.

It was lovely to spend 2 days with youngest, to walk around in those lovely towns, and the sea......

Zeeland, day 2, the beach

Next morning we ate a delicous breakfast, and of we went to the beach. It was still very quiet, it was not such a warm weather.

It was a lovely walk to the beach through the dunes.

Beautiful skies, and ofcourse, the sea.

You can see we were rather lonely.

Besides some jellyfish, which I really hate while swimming.

I was collecting shells and looking for other nice things.

After some time we left and went to Middelburg, I try to post some photo's tomorrow, I have a problem with it on the moment.
Have a nice weekend!

Zeeland, day 1

Last weekend youngest and me went to Zeeland. My youngest dearly wished to have visited all the 12 provinces of Holland before he was becomuing 16, and this one was left. I still had a voucher for a night in a Fletcher hotel, so I booked sunday night in Burgh Haamstede, op Schouwen Duiveland. And of we went.
First we went to Vlissingen, because it has an harbour. When my boy drives with me in the car, he talks a lot first, than he puts on his music, and he falls asleep. Doesn't matter what time it is.

In Vlissingen it was koopzondag (than many shops are open) and we walked around and went to the harbour.

I think this ship is going to Antwerp. We saw so many very big ships.

Not a clue what this ship was doing, it just went out the harbour and back in.

Almost ancient harbours walls, in the holes used to stand canons.

The old mill and the new ones. I don't like the sight of new mills, but ofcourse I do know we will need it more and more.

It was nice to sit there, the wind was blowing, the sea was smelling like it's supposed to.

Near the harbour.

Love those little houses, and surely love hollyhocks. Now is the time for them.

So inviting.

And than we left for our hotel. We tried to drive on the little roads, and we had beautiful vieuws.

It was rather impressing to drive on the Veersegat dam and the Oosterscheldedam, which were build in the early sixties to protect Zeeland against the water, after the Watersnoodramp van 1953.

This was the vieuw from our hotel.

And after dinner it went to rain, so we went rather early to our beds, and talked a lot. It feels good to take some time with one of my children.