More Travel Shots

This morning, I received lots of news from Montana.  Lately, the news from my home state has brought more lumps in the throat than joy.  Some of my long-time friends and acquaintances have had the misfortune to lose spouses just in the past couple weeks.  Unfortunately, beginning in December 2011, the past couple months have seen more people of my generation depart from this life than has formerly been the case.  I want this to STOP!  Given the time of our lives, the pace will likely accentuate over the coming months and years, but not yet, please! To add to the general gloom, one of my dearest aunts, who was like a second mother to me, particularly during my very trying adolescent years, has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

So, along with the very bad and the sad news, it was refreshing also to receive news of my visitors' safe return to the US after their time in Italy, which they also enjoyed.  Because Friend K kindly sent some shots of our outing to Gruyeres and Montreux, I am taking the liberty to post some of them here as well.

First, here's a snap of the signs along the highway as we turned up towards Fribourg canton to visit Gruyeres,

followed by a typical "tourist-y" shot outside the cheese museum.

Next, there's a glimpse of me with Friend T, posing in front of the small chapel in the center of Gruyeres,

followed by Friends T & K perched on the ledge of the small walkway around the castle.  I'm not sure how I managed to catch the streak of light.  My photoshop "skills" aren't up to "disappearing" it.

Here's the entrance to the H. R. Giger Museum, unfortunately closed during this "off" season period.  It's quite a surreal place, just as one would expect from the Oscar-winning designer of Special Effects for the film Alien.

This is the Montreux lakefront we spent time sauntering along,

and Friend K takes her turn with Freddie Mercury!

Nice memories!  Good friends!