Run baby run!

It is fairly obvious that running has become an activity I love and half-marathons provide great opportunities to visit another place and to run with friends!

This previous weekend I completed half-marathon number 5, this time in the London borough of Hackney with Tiina (and more than 12 000 other people!). We started off bright and early on Sunday morning, leaving Tiina's place by 7:00am for a 09:00am race. It was a well organized event with a great atmosphere and we had a good run. It was by far the hottest half-marathon I have done, so that made it a little more challenging than normal. But overall I was happy with my performance (2h03) and it was super great to see Tiina and do another run together (we did Geneva in May 2013 together). After the race we met up with some of Tiina's friends who kindly hosted us for pimms and pizza - which was a very welcome post-race treat!

With the race only being on Sunday, we had Friday night and Saturday to do some fun things together :) on Friday night we went to a salsa party in this big club that had 4 different sections for kizomba, bachata, Cuban salsa and Puerto Rican salsa. There was a great atmosphere and a lot of really good dancers, and although it has been a few months since I last danced, it was a lot of fun. After a long sleep, we boarded a bus and enjoyed the views of London as we made our way to the British museum (it is a good thing we had each others company because our journey took much longer than it should have - London is a crazy city when it comes to traffic and pedestrian congestion). We decided to delay entering the museum and instead did a bit of shopping and had some very yummy tea and cake. We then visited the American and African section in the British Museum before heading to watch a movie at Leicester square. We watched Belle - which turned out to be a very moving and well done movie. It is set in the late 1700's in England and is about the life a mixed-race illegitimate child who is raised by the family of the Lord Chief Justice of England. He makes a ruling on the Zong massacre (when slaves were thrown overboard from a slave ship and the owner filed with his insurance company for the losses) that in some ways is seen as a contributing factor to the abolition of slavery in the British Colonies.  After some Italian food for dinner (yeah for carbo loading!) we climbed into bed two very happy and contented girls!

 

On Monday, back in Lausanne, my bootcamp instructor convinced me to join in the "Course Olympique" - a fun 5km run, which is for free, organized by the International Olympic Committee. She told me that it would be a recovery run - and she was right! I'm really glad I did it actually, it was another fun and energized event (and who doesn't like running along the lake!) and I really do think it helped with the recovery!

Summer Loving

These long days, which are usually sunny, give plenty of opportunities to do all sorts of wonderful things! Some previous highlights include:

Peddle boats on the lake
Long early morning runs in the forest or down by the lake
Bootcamp classes that are not in the dark
Champagne breakfasts at 7:15am on the terrace in celebration of friendship and birthdays
BBQs down by the lake
Long lazy summer dinners outside
Brunch under the trees
Sunny ice-cream breaks and picnic lunches at work
Fun social events at work - football and pétanque tournaments

Cheers!

Playing Pétanque

One spot where we have bootcamp - these pyramids are great for training!

BBQ by the lake!

Fun things coming up will include:
Swimming in the lake
Swimming training in the outdoor pools
Many more outside dining events
Some music festivals
(And of course some work!)

English Wedding

My dear friend Hayley married her man Dan and I was so pleased to  be at their celebration! I left Switzerland on Friday night to travel to England and we spent Friday night at Nikki's family who generously hosted us. On Saturday morning we started bright and early with our trip to Battle (the town where the reception was and where we slept on Saturday night). After leaving early to avoid the traffic, we had some time to spare so we stopped to do some shopping :) I ended up buying a dress which I decided to wear the wedding later that day. The ceremony was in a beautiful church in the town of Brede, and although the rain kept coming and going, nothing could take away from the joy and beauty of the moment! Hayley was a gorgeous bride, and her creative eye was evidenced by all the beautiful details during the ceremony and reception. We made our way to the Battle Abbey for the reception - such a stately and grand location for a wonderful celebration. We spent the afternoon eating delicious snacks and taking pictures, before enjoying the "wedding breakfast" (the traditional name given to the dinner in the UK). We feasted on a delicious butternut soup, roast duck, and the most amazing minty chocolate mousse in between listening to heartfelt speeches. There were a good number of us from Switzerland (about one fifth of the wedding guests) and some of the Swiss crew imported some Swiss wedding traditions to add to the reception! I didn't know this, but apparently it is quite common at Swiss weddings to play games or do sketches during the reception, and so two different activities were added to the reception which definitely added to the enjoyment and fun of the evening. Dancing and more eating followed, and I climbed into bed one happy girl! On Sunday morning, we joined Nikki's family for a traditional Sunday roast (so delicious) before making our way back to Lausanne.

It was truly special to witness the union of Dan & Hayley, two exceptional people who I know will have a rich and happy life together!

Under the African Sun

One of my oldest and dearest friends Lisa got married at the end of May, and I was so grateful to attend her gorgeous wedding in South Africa. They decided to get married at Tau Game Lodge, in the Madike Game Reserve, about a 4.5hour drive from Johannesburg, close to Botswana. Some of the guests decided to travel early on the Friday morning to make the most of the weekend at the lodge, so we arrived on Friday to a delicious lunch set out on the deck of the lodge overlooking the waterhole. Lunch was followed by afternoon tea and a game drive complete with sun downers and snacks. In the evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner outside with blankets and fires to keep us warm. After breakfast on Saturday morning there was an option to go on another game drive, but I chose instead to enjoy the sun on the deck of the lodge overlooking the waterhole, chatting with friends. After yet another delicious meal (eating great food together was definitely a theme of this weekend!) all the guests got ready for the wedding. We were all taken for a 20 minute drive on the landrovers through the bush to the location of the ceremony, a clearing in the reserve. It is still in the middle of the bush, so there are wild animals around, and potentially they could come and visit us, so the rangers were on guard. Chairs covered in white were set up under a tree - so simple yet gorgeous. We waited for the bride with anticipation, grateful that we had brought our umbrellas from the room as it was roasting hot. Lisa arrived looking exceptionally gorgeous and radiant, and the ceremony that followed was so touching  - so personal and a testament to their faithfulness in the Lord for waiting for Him to bring them together. Drinks and snacks followed before we returned to the resort for the most wonderful reception. This time the location was the elegantly decorated outdoor boma, complete with fires again to keep us warm (it was "winter" after all, with the evening a little chilly). Dinner was amazing - a real South African feast that I so enjoyed! The reception that followed was an edifying celebration that honored Lisa and Ralph and their families. Their story is inspiring and encouraging, and I was so grateful to be a part of their celebrations. Before driving home on Sunday, we enjoyed yet another delicious meal and game drive. Being away for the weekend meant there was so much time with friends, both old and new, and this was a time that I will treasure.

Sweet family time

Time at home with my family is such a gift to me, and although this trip was short, it was packed full of special times and I came back to Switzerland with a full heart. I prioritized being with my family and so enjoyed all the time we shared together - many delicious meals, time with each sibling and their spouse, discussions with my parents, my nephew Josh's 2nd birthday party, laughter and games with Josh, cuddles and smiles with darling niece Jessica, heart to heart chats and runs with my sisters and some time in between for some rest for me! This time round, I was struck by how wonderful it is that I am proud of my family - each one of them is living a courageous and godly life, with passion and character. I am so grateful that they are my family, but also that my siblings are my friends. I have said this before, but I will say it again - growing up and my time abroad has made me realize again just how grateful I am to be part of my family. For sure we have had our struggles, but that has never changed the love we have for each other and the bonds we share. I can't wait for the next time we see each other - wherever that may be!