I LOVE HOLIDAYS...

It seems almost like a life time ago that we started planning this holiday and here we are looking back….Like all our overseas trips this holiday was planned around a marathon so with 2 weeks to race day, the day of our flight I was up early. Not to pack but to run a 15km race! In near perfect conditions (cool, not freezing and no wind) I lined up with the 1000 or so runners for the Eerste River 15 km. I know how my training has gone and the logbook never lies….I was looking to run 52.00mins. 5km 17:09, nice I was now on my own and catching people, turned at 7,5km (out and back course),10km 34:35 Caught 2 guys, good someone to help me hold it together…..finish 51.59!!! Yes, yes, yes. 3^rd 40+ was a bonus 35^th overall. Didn’t stay for prize giving, had to get home to pack.

Mom and Dad picked us up at 16h30 and we were in the air by 19h00. 2 hours to Joburg then onto Doha and arriving in Zurich at 14h10. That was a long day and it was far from over. We took the train into town and walked the 3 blocks to our hotel.

The sun was out and the day was young….so we changed and hit the town, the Old Town . Zurich was awash with people catching the afternoon sun around the lake. Dawn was keen to swim but that wasn’t going to happen today. She settled for coconut ice-cream instead!!

When we left Cape Town the sun was setting at 5 and it was getting dark at 6. Here in Zurich the sun was out and after eating (too much I might add) it was still light, in fact at 21h30 as we got back to our room it was still light.

A holiday with the Middelkoops is often like an episode of the ‘Amazing Race’. We were up early, trains to catch and people to meet, Lausanne here we come…okay so our train pulled up and off we hopped. First port of call the Tourist Office, we need a map to help us find Janny’s office to pick up the key to our next accommodation (thank you Janny for letting us use your apartment, it was fantastic). Then it was time to find and catch the no 7 bus and then find his home and head back to town. We aren’t very good at sitting still while the sun is shining. Still travelling on our flexi pass we headed for the lake, Ouchy and the Olympic Museum, that was enough for 1 day.

I'm I winning?

YES

Tuesday started like any other day, we went for a run, not wanting to get lost we set off together and headed for Lake Geneva . We took a round about way via the train station to look at bikes to hire. We found our way to the lake through the local university and past the track….I let Dawn run on, it was after all Tuesday and Tuesday is track day! I don’t know when last I ran on a proper track….1000m first 1 3:19m, long rest 1000m 2nd 3:15m, another long rest 1000m 3rd 3:13m, can’t go any faster and I still need to get back for breakfast. With the sun out again and the day running away from us, we left the bike for the next day and saw the sights in town before heading to the lake for a swim. We only had time for a short run on Wednesday morning before hiring our bikes and setting off around the lake to Montreux and the Chateau de Chillon.

Cycling through the vineyards

Amazing Chateau

Well worth a visit if you are in the area. Good thing it was flat and wind free as the ride was about 70kms. Thursday morning we returned our bikes, packed and left Janny’s for a hotel in town. That evening was the IAAF Diamond League Athletics. High lights 100m men 9.78s, 5000m men 12.59m and the lady’s long jump (don’t know how well they jumped but watched them fly).

Men's 5000m (tiny people on the back straight)

Friday was our last full day in Lausanne, so we took a ferry across Lake Geneva to France and a little town called Evian (you might know their famous bottled water) where it was market day.

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