Heatwave and finally a bike ride

We are going through a record heatwave here in Switzerland (and all over Europe)--it's been over 90 for the past 3-4 days and will be for the next 3-4 days.  The hard part about it is that no one has A/C here.  Even the majority of stores don't have A/C so it's hard to find relief.  The kids have been living with just shorts on and no shirts and everyone has been a bit cranky and it's made for lousy sleeping. I tried to go buy a couple fans yesterday but all stores I went to were sold out.  Today is Sunday and on Sundays everything in Switzerland is closed (even grocery stores) b/c it's the day of the week that you're supposed to just spend time with your family.  So that means we will be spending time without a fan until the stores get new shipments on Monday.  Melinda and I have been doing our best to be patient and calm with the kids (she's better at it than me) but it's been tough!

I have been craving a good, hard bike ride ever since we arrived b/c it's like cycling heaven here--beautiful roads through vineyards and up and over mountains.  My bike finally arrived earlier this week, so yesterday was my first chance to get in a good ride.  Heatwave aside, I set out in the afternoon and rode the through the beautiful vineyards of Lavaux.  Lavaux is a spread of about 830 hectares of vineyards between Lausanne and Montreax dating back to the 11th century.  Since 2007 they've been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thus protected.  They are beautiful terraced vineyards along the north side of Lake Geneva with winding roads and tons of little wine "caves" (cellars) where you can sample the wine.  You can spend the day walking, driving, cycling, or even taking a wine train through them and they are only a few miles from our apartment.

It was extremely hot, but such a great ride.  I can't wait to get back out there.  Here are a few shots from the ride.  -Kevin