Dog-sitting

There was a good fifteen centimetre's snow on the ground by the time we got up, and it was sill snowing. The local snowplough had already passed once and did so again while we prepared breakfast. This was reassuring as we had a steep hill to descend to reach the main road. After breakfast, we had an hours cleaning up and tidying to do, then paid the bill and took our leave. Th descent was not difficult, and snow turned into sleet by the time we reached the plain below.

After lunch in a restaurant in part of an imposing fin de siècle building next to Yverdon station, I said farewell to my good friends Valdo and Ann-Lise, and took the 13h57 to Geneva, where Claudine met me at the airport station. This was my fourth holiday trip on one of the new Swiss 'pendolino' type high speed trains, and a most pleasurable experience in every way. Claudine and her husband Keith live only five minutes ride away from the airport. This is often my last port of call before returning to the UK. I'm here now for four nights, and have time to catch up on more old friends around Geneva.

Claudine is off to the States in the morning. Keith returns from the States Monday afternoon. I stay here alone, save for their two dogs, eight months old, only half grown, already each is the size of a grown labrador. This will be my first experience of dog handling, and Claudine is giving me a crash course before she leaves.