Maldives

We decided to take a once in a lifetime trip to finish our time abroad. It is so far from America that the travel would make it prohbitive. It was fabulous with all the scuba diving Elliott and Sterling could ever want! The Maldives is a group of atolls, reef islands, and the water is entirely clear. The light blue indicates that it is not very deep and so you are looking through it to the white sandy bottom. this picture was taken out the airplane window.
Here are our dive instructors, Sandy and Pedro.

Club Faru at night and at dusk.

This was the one stormy day we had. Still beautiful.
Island man.

The wild life was amazing. This is a sting ray. He came by the beach every day. About 18 inches long in the body but we said hello from the shore.

Also making the rounds every day were some brown tipped sharks. Also about 18 inches long in the body. Also said hello from the shore.

Dark brown and red crabs with eery yellow eyes.

Sterling after a deep dive. He did 11 in 13 days and loved every one of them. He is PADI Advanced Open Water Certified. Our island from the dive boat...

and from the shore.

Sterling took these two photos with an underwater camera. We also saw a 3 meter moray eel, octopus and fish of every shape and color imaginable. It was incredible.

Golf with a view

Elliott and Sterling played golf at the most amazing venue called le Signal du Bougy. This is the view going up.

Le Mont Blanc is in the background. It was an incredibly clear and perfect day.
Elliott and Sterling and le Mont Blanc.

Spectators are allowed so I came along to take these photos.

The sign points us to TEE #5. It was all gorgeous.

Again with Le Mont Blanc.

Great shot - the photo and the putt!

On the way back down.

Entering Nyon with a spectacular view again of the big white mountain.

All together again for a spectacular family visit!!!!!

Spring was excellent, at the top and bottom of the mountains!

Truly outstanding in his field!

The weather was clear and crisp.

Hiking in Les Avants, the place to be when the wildflowers and narcissus bloom.

The Lac de Joux

Our unbirthday cake, to celebrate all the birthdays we havemissed being together.

Vienna

We began our time in Vienna by paying homage to Beethoven. Along side were Shubert, Strauss and a monument to Mozart who is lost in time, his grave having been moved.

The Schönbrunn Palace, home to the Hapsburg dynasty since Maximilian II, until the palace passed to the ownership of the Republic of Austria at the end of the monarchy in 1918. It was magnificent and historic inside, but we like their grounds the best. The gardens and maze were beautiful.

The Gloriette was originally a banquet hall built for Fanz Josef I and is currently a cafe where we had a lovely lunch on the terrace. It was built in 1775, was destroyed in the second world war, and restored in 1947, and again in 1995.

It sits atop the hill at the far end of the gardens and makes for a spectacular focal point as well as destination.

The view of the palace from Gloriette.

Well, the grounds were almost our favorite. We attended a strudel making class and because Sterling correctly answered the chef's question, he was appointed assistant.

The question was," how to transfer the strudel from the cloth to the pan?" Two women had a go but got it wrong and Sterling then correctly answered that it would be best to use the cloth it was already on. Chef was impressed and a bit surprised that Sterling got it right! He credits his insight from years of playing Legos and having to clean them up!

Got to coat the pastry with butter and received a certificate. Who enjoyed it more, Sterling or parents?

Elliott enjoyed spending Easter morning at mass with the Vienna Boys' Choir! The choir was on the balcony above us and the voices were truly angelic.

Easter eggs in Austria are beautifully decorated real, empty eggshells. The are expensive and abundant, and come with spangles, hand paintings of every kind, animals, music, pottery designs, flowers, and maps, carved and with ribbons.

We spent Easter afternoon in Stadtpark, relaxing.

More beautiful gardens, music and wine in the sunshine.