"hoher kasten"

joel, my mom and the three younger kids went up to the "hoher kaste". this peak is part of the "alpstein" the mountains of the district of appenzell a very special spot in switzerland. it's very rural, mountainous and a little paradise for hikers. with our guests from abroad we try to visit the highest peak in that range, the saentis, which is so spectacular and a treat each time we are high up there and look down into our lovely lands.
on top of the hoher kasten is a new restaurant, it's a turning restaurant.... so the party sat down for lunch and while enjoying the meal, the sight changes and within the hour the whole panorama has been enjoyed. this of course was a great experience, besides doing all kinds of artistic and creative things with the straw the kids all got with their drink!

a little bit of walking around had to be done. so the exploration of the mountain herb garden was fun to see and especially interesting for my mom. joel and amos really liked the birds, lot's of alpine cough's.

on my part, i stayed home, as the my parents car just fit 5 people...
though first i was a bit sad, i quickly settled in a garden lounge chair and within a few minutes was deeply immersed into a book. it has been a long time, since this happened to me, and i absolutely loved it. didn't remember it that reading for hours can be relaxing and fun.