A very hot, very lovely day in Sion

On Thursday Pat took the day off work and we rode the train to Sion for the day. Sion has my favorite castles in Switzerland. They are not the most touristed, but in my mind they are the most beautiful, by far. Being mostly in ruins makes them seem so mysterious, they would be the perfect setting for an Enid Blyton novel. Not to mention the breathtaking views!

The trip definitely went much better than it did last year--we had enough water, I wasn't pregnant, we didn't bring a stroller, and we didn't lose an alleegah (more pictures from that trip here, on the left hand side under late June photos). We also ended up doing some unexpected shopping--trains for Pat, souvenirs for Auntie Katie, and a couple of new cheeses from the Valais region for everyone!

Here are a few of the photos I took from the day, I think I'll probably put more up on Flickr.

All of the above pictures were taken inside the beautiful church at Château de Valère.

Auntie Katie, Rowan, and Niamh in front of the chapel at the bottom of Château de Valère. It was unfortunately locked.

Ro and Pat hiking up to Château de Tourbillon.

Group shot at the doorway of Château de Tourbillon, with Château de Valère in the background.

Rowan and Niamh loved all the grasshoppers at Château de Tourbillon

View from Château de Tourbillon

...through the grass at Château de Tourbillon

We stopped at the bottom of Château de Tourbillon for a much needed ice cream break. I bet that ice cream stand does good business! Niamh was, as usual, the messiest.

Poor Niamh was also the most tired! Luckily on the way back home we were in a fairly empty car so she could take a little snooze more comfortably. Or at least as comfortably as possible inside a sweltering train car.