Travelog for: GiGi Giraffe

Greetings!!!

Hello from Trinidad & Tobago!

My name is GiGi Giraffe

I am relaxing at home right now and awaiting new hosts!

I am so excited to visit the world and take many many photos so that I can share my journeys with everyone else!!!

Yayyyy!!!  I'm on my way to Switzerland to have adventures with Jasper!!! 

I'm so excited to be on my very first trip!

I know my mommy is excited too!
I can't wait to show her all the fun things I will do!

See you in Switzerland!

Hi mum,
Yesterday I arrived in Switzerland. The Postman rang twice but no one answered. He put me in my envelope at the door. A short time later I heard the door open.





My envelope was packed and transported.





I was jolted and shaken









and finally the envelope was opened.





Many curious faces looking at me.







We introduced ourselves and I was warmly welcomed.















So many new friends. I think I'll have lots of fun here.
See you soon mum,
GiGi

Hi mum,

Today we celebrated Shakespeare's birthday. Its 89th Birthday. Can you imagine that?
At Wikipedia we read, the turtles have lived on the earth before the dinosaurs evolved.
Shakespeare has held up well.
We congratulated him and sang a song.







He got a cake and a fishing rod.



While we waited for the cake,



he practiced fishing.



Greetings from GiGi, who hopes the rainy season is almost over.

Hello mummy,
Jasper and I are a bit sad because we could not show you pictures from the outside until now. Since I arrived it rains most of the time. Jasper read in the newspaper: 20% fewer hours of sunlight in the first half year.
A short time with sun - a really short time - I use for photos from the window.





So you can see where I live now first.
Once I tried the swing on the balcony





and when it got too cold I snuggled with Runa, Japer's cat.





She has such a beautiful coat.





Nice weather for the weekend is announced. Keep your fingers crossed.
I miss you - and the sun
GiGi

Hi mom,
Today we said goodbye to Hase. She travels home to visit her mom.
Therefore, we had a big party yesterday.



Sweets as much as we wanted.















We could bathe in it and had so much fun.















There was a lot of laughter and stories and adventures were told.

But today we had heavy heart. As Hase grabbed her things a few tears flowed.



We all wished her a safe journey.





Bye mom
GiGi

Hello mummy,
weekend was the northeastern Swiss Yodel Festival in the neighboring town. It was a great event with 4000 participants and about 45,000 visitors. I'm not sure, do you know yodel? It is somewhat difficult to explain, it is something like the Tarzan yell for the mountains. But before I offend anyone here, look better in Wikipedia.
I attended the parade on Sunday. 60 teams or choirs participated with festive floats.










I saw many women, men and children in beautiful traditional costumes.



Some distributed specialties from their home, others threw sweets into the audience. We had a lot to do with the pickup.















flag Wavers





musicians



herding dogs



old craft: Carriage maker.
These carriages are used to transport the hay off of steep slopes.



very old tractors



Musicians on horses



alphorns



This is the yodel choir of the old Swissair. Swissair there is no more, the yodel choir already.



This nice gentlemen distributed coffee with brandy. I was not allowed to drink.



And that is something very special. It is called "Schelle Schöttle" (bells shaking)
In Eastern Switzerland for the alp procession only the three leading cows wear huge bells made of welded sheet metal. The bells are valuable and on the way up, the herdsmen remove them from the cows in order to protect them. They are carried by the men on yokes over their shoulders.
This tradition, documented first in 1838, may have led to the so-called bell-shaking, a musical practice which was observed first in the middle of the 19th century. The Appenzellers shake the bells for fun, much in the way that other play cards. But often the bells are moved forwards and backwards to accompany the improvised polyphonic yodel vocalising.







Here you see me at the bus station on our way home.



This is our prey.



I had a wonderful day and learned a lot about Swiss traditions.

Bye mum
GiGi

Hello mummy,
I wish you all the best for your birthday. I've picked you a Edelweiss.



(Not in the outdoors - never - this is strictly prohibited.) Jasper has Edelweiss on the balcony. I'll dry it and press it and bring you home.
I send you a thousand kisses and hugs.
Love you mummy
GiGi

Hi mom,
Today we had some work to do. We - TV's - got new furniture. A new couch and a new chair.
These new furniture we had to drag to the third floor.





Very sweaty.
But they are very comfortable.







Fortunately, Jasper also bought a deck chair.



On it I could relax after work.



Tomorrow we travel to Lake Constance.
But that's another story.
See you mom
your GiGi Giraffe

Hi mom,
Today we made a trip to Konstanz.







Konstanz, English: Constance) is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants
Konstanz is situated on Lake Constance (the Bodensee in German).



The Rhine river, which starts in the Swiss Alps, passes through Lake Constance



and leaves it, considerably larger, by flowing under a bridge



connecting the two parts of the city. North of the river lies the larger part of the city with residential areas, industrial estates, and the University of Konstanz; while south of the river is the old town which houses the administrative centre and shopping facilities in addition to the Hochschule or the University of Applied Sciences. Car ferries provide access across Lake Constance to Meersburg, and the Katamaran provides a shuttle service for pedestrians to Friedrichshafen. To the south, the old town borders onto the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen.
This is the Munster





We saw beautiful old houses.




The casino



- we wanted to play roulette or blackjack, but Jasper said no.

So we admired the view,







and talked with a swan.





Behind us you can see the Steigenberger, a luxury hotel.






On the way to the old town.





This is the Town Hall



The courtyard of the town hall.



An art object



- the inscription on the red table means: unbounded thinking



Exactly what TV's make.

Still a lovely old house called Graf Zeppelin.



Here we are at the harbor.















This is the Imperia



The Imperia is a statue at the entrance of the harbour of Konstanz, Germany, commemorating the Council of Constance that took place there between 1414 and 1418. The concrete statue is 9 metres high, weighs 18 tonnes, and stands on a pedestal that rotates around its axis once every four minutes.
The Imperia shows a woman holding two men on her hands. The two men represent Pope Martin V and Emperor Sigismund. Martin V was elected during the Council while Sigismund was the king who called the council. Both are naked except for the crown and papal tiara, respectively, that they wear as symbols of their power.

Jasper suddenly saw a Zeppelin on the way home. Unfortunately, we were crossing a bridge and could not stop. And unfortunately he is not very good to see.



The little dot next to the flag.
Now I'm tired.
Good night mum
Gigi

Hi mom,
Sunday we took a trip into the history of Switzerland and walked a little on William Tell's footsteps. We visited the Central Switzerland and Lake Lucerne. On our way we saw many beautiful landscapes and of course lakes.





The first lake was the Aegerisee in Canton Zug. From high above we could look at him. We drove along Lake Lucerne to Sisikon and hiked on the "Swiss Path"











(The Swiss Path is the name given to a special national path in central Switzerland opened in 1991. It makes a loop around one arm of Lake Lucerne, starting in Rütli and passing through Bauen, Flüelen, Sisikon





and Morschach, finishing at Brunnen. The total length is around 35 km (22 mi), taking 2 or 3 days to complete.
The route recognises each of the cantons making up Switzerland, with markers announcing each canton along the route. The length of route for each canton is proportional to the population at the time of building, and the order is determined by the order in which the cantons joined the Swiss federation)
to Tell chapel,





the oldest chapel in Switzerland.



It lies on the Tellsplatte, where according to legend, William Tell to have jumped from the boat of the provincial governor Gessler. Already in 1388 a chapel was built. In 1503 as a chapel Holy Hüslin is mentioned. A new or remodeling was 1590th
The present chapel was built in 1879 / in 1880. It is adorned with four frescoes by Basel artist Ernst Stückelberg shows the Rütlischwur the apple shot, the death of Gessler and Tell's Leap..
Here you see Tell's leap.



We drove on to Altdorf, the capital of the canton of Uri.





Altdorf is best known as the place where, according to the legend, William Tell shot the apple from his son's head. This act by tradition happened on the market-place, where in 1895, at the foot of an old tower (with rude frescoes commemorating the feat), there was set up a fine bronze statue of Tell and his son.





In 1899 a theatre was opened close to the town's center for the purpose of performing Schiller's play of Wilhelm Tell.
Here you see me before Tell's Memorial.



Continue along the lake





and through many tunnels





we drove towards Brünnigpass.



The pass is nothing special but on the way one has a view of the Lungerensee.



And that is something special.
Looks like a post card.



Hiking and driving made ​​us very tired. The way home we slept.

Bye mom,
GiGi

Hi mum
Today we were on the river Thur. We wanted to swim and fish. Jasper had much to bear: some beach towels, sun deck, fishing rod, hammock and a parasol and of course us.
Once at the river we looked for a suitable place. We found a small sand bar that had washed up the flood and made ourselves comfortable.







Shakespeare threw his fishing rod but nothing wanted to bite. But the mosquitoes bite, and that us.
We tried to make a fire but everything was still damp from the storm last night.





It took some effort but we managed it.







We all had a fun day.
Love, GiGi

Hi mom,
Today is Sunday and we enjoy the day and the sun on the balcony. Too many people and mosquitoes at the Thur
We lounged around all day.





We drank a lot of water but not only.
For dinner we had something special: prawns and focaccia.





We celebrated Wolley's farewell.



He travels to the French part of Switzerland and met his mother there. He is very happy.
We laughed and talked until late into the night.
Bye mum,
GiGi

Hi mom,
when we woke up this morning, Wolley's bed was empty.
We found a letter from him.



Shakespeare read it to us.





Wolley do not like goodbyes and tears longer, so he has sneaked in the morning.
Goodbye friend, have a safe trip.
Bye mom,
your somewhat wistful
GiGi

Hi mom,
may I introduce you to a new friend.



This little seal is called Sally and belongs Jasper.
She is very nice but terribly curious.





Hugs and kisses
GiGi