raindrops keep falling on my head

Rainy days bum me out

     Funny, in a way.  It's raining in Rochelle, and it's raining here.
     It is a cold rain.  At least there is no wind.  Tomorrow it is supposed to be sunny again and around 70.
     When I look out Julia's apartment, I can see five towns around the eastern end of the lake.  When a storm is coming, yellow flashing lights are turned on along the lakeside to warn boaters.  So if it starts to rain, I always check for the yellow lights.  Tonight....no lights, so that means just a regular rain.
     We went to France today.
     It's not as big a deal as it sounds.  France is across the lake.  There are a couple of large grocery stores there and Julia sometimes drives there for staples.
     We have to go through a border crossing and the Swiss guards ask if you have wine or meat.  You can bring back 15 bottles of wine, but only 2 kilos of meat per person.  Julia took us because we are three, and she got about 6 pounds of meat for her tiny freezer.
     I love to go to a wine cave just houses from Julia.  They are open for sales from 10 to 12 on Saturday.  I forgot to go Saturday.  We leave Thursday.
     As I was on my damp morning walk, I passed by and saw the lady who, along with her husband, owns the winery.  I said to her in my best possible French, Good morning.  I would like to buy some bottles of wine.  She said to follow her.
     So we went into the cave and I put my order in and told her I did not speak French.  She said in French, that I had done very well so far.
     She also told me she spoke English....which I knew, because I have talked to her before.  But she preferred I speak French to practice.
     I ordered 5 bottles of wine, and she gave me a sixth bottle. Her husband, who speaks only French, came in, we said hello, and he gave me some Chablis grapes to munch on while his wife answered the phone.
     All in all, it was a pretty cool experience.
     Anyway...time for some pictures.
     Actually, time is running short for us this trip.  Already sense the sadness.

The last time I saw little Stanzi, she was one!  Dan and I met her in 2011!

George is from California, Monica is from Switzerland.....both great people and Stanzi's parents!

Nothing like a little Big Boy. or as the French say, Big Boy

Towns are really old here. I imagine there was a lane down this town 200 years ago.  As cars became more popular, roads were needed.  But the old villages often  don't have a lot of room.  So there are small  sidewalks and narrow passages everywhere in Europe.