Dwight Peck's personal website

Summer 2003

in the hot and overworked world of Peck



Towards the end of a Republican winter (Peck in T-shirt, left), when aging hikers were still bouncing a bit painfully about in the mountains, working hard in Valencia, and snowshoeing with friends all over the Jura shop floor, Mr D. Peck began to notice that matters were hotting up sooner than normal.
(View the Winter 2002-3 pageant here.)

A prescience borne out by the Swiss Meteo, which recorded the hottest average May EVER, the hottest average June, the hottest average July, and -- maddeningly -- the hottest average August, peaking at 107°F (41.5°C), Switzerland's all-time record, and that was IN THE ALPS! (many thanks for that you SUV owners).

But we muddled through. Here is a brief record of the summer 2003 highlights in Peckville and the Valley of Peck.

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

Mr Peck began Summer 2003 a bit early by sauntering off in April to visit Kristin in the USA in her disused church in Brookline (Boston), Mass., dropping down to verify that the art museums in New York City were still in working order, and darting across to ascertain whether 3rd daughter Marlowe and her mom were still eating pizzas in the accustomed fashion near Philadelphia.

Marlowe T. Peck's visit to Switzerland, June 2003

In June 2003, Ms Marlowe Tyson Peck, newly graduated from high school in the USA, revisited the country of her birth and early years and played computer games (above) and visited castles, abbeys, and small historic cities in Switzerland, and then went to Canada to go shopping for a new apartment for herself and her friend Dmitri before starting Carleton University in the fall semester.

Marlowe's visit to Switzerland, June 2003

Introductory and synoptic

Castles in Switzerland: La Sarraz

Abbeys in Switzerland: Romainmôtier

Small historic cities in Switzerland: Fribourg

Kristin's visit to Switzerland, June-July 2003

In mid-June Kristin crossed the Pond from Boston for a month in the old country, with lots of local sightseeing, long-weekend journeys to Austria, Italy, and nearby venues in the Confederation of Helvetica, and a considerable number of cheese specialties in the local restaurants.

Introductory and synoptic

Estavayer, Avenches, Payerne

Champex-le-lac and Cabane d'Orny

Yvoire, France

Vienna and thereabouts

Val d'Aosta & Gran Paradiso, Italy

The Trient Glacier, mid-July

Kristin and the glacier

Lisa's birthday and the Swiss National Day, 1 August 2003, in the mountains of Valais.

Trient Glacier, August 2003

Cabane de Rambert, September 2003

Caves of Naye, September 2003

Alison's visit, September-October 2003

Alison and the Old Dad on Mont Tendre, part of an action-packed week and a half.

Visit to Devon and Cornwall, October 2003

Kristin and Dwight visit friends and trot along the rainswept coasts of Devon and Cornwall.

Devon and Cornwall, October 2003

Four days near Oxford

Let's stop off at Wells

North Devon near Exmoor

Lynmouth and Selworthy

Golden Park and Hartland Quay

Boscastle and Tintagle in King-Arthur-land

Welcombe to Morwenstow

And with that -- summer's officially over -- Let Winter 2003-2004 begin. First of all, with snow. Yes? Good idea. Lots of snow to get the winter off to a splendid start. Are you ready, snow? Snow? Where are you, snow?

We'll have to come back to this later.


Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 22 November 2003, revised 31 January 2008, 14 May 2013.


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