Brett Illig
In search of the good, the true, and the beautiful. Here are some moments along the way.
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Rounding Second Base
(Photo: The Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic: Good Friday, 2017) This post is a bit long, disjointed, maybe a lot of rambling, and yes, it might not make much sense, but in light of the week (Holy Week) and my last post, “Finding Freedom,” I was compelled to write it. I have recently found myself thinking of a few short stories that my pastor in the States would bring up, time and time again, hoping that it would sink in. Incredibly, life usually indicates whether you can receive the intended message when it is given to you. In other words, you can’t rush the meaning if you aren’t ready to…
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A New Hang Out
A few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon our family decided to take a train to the city of Thun so we could jump on a boat to visit a castle that sits on Lake Thun. It is a place that we have seen many times but never gone. Well, we finally did. And then I had to go back!! For those who have come for a visit or have experienced the Swiss transportation system on your own you know that the efficiency and quality make traveling around this beautiful country very easy. We have become very accustomed to the accessibility of all forms of transportation that taking a trip…
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Finding Freedom
I recently read an article that suggested that those over the age of 70 feel more content and are happier now more than at any other point in their lives. Some of the reasons proposed were more free time to do what they enjoyed such as hobbies and spending time with family and friends. Other reasons suggested worrying less and not caring what other people think anymore. What freedom. Freedom to do what you want, and whom to do it with, yet more importantly experiencing an interior freedom as well. I am a few years from 70, well 30 to be exact in September, but I long for the interior…
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Year Two
And just like that, the second year has come and gone. It is hard to believe that we have been calling Switzerland our home now for two years. This year was a wonderful year of travel (5 different countries), many great family visits, and tremendous growth and experiences for our two boys. Although there is much that is the same from our first year (here is a link to that list), namely, the beauty of the country, the balanced pace of life, and especially making sure that we have 2 CHF on us at all times for the WC, things have definitely changed a bit during our second year. Things…
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Domodossola, Italy
On a whim, I decided to take a 7:35 am train from Bern, Switzerland to Domodossola, Italy. The one and half hour train ride is a beautiful ride down through the Bernese Alps. Although it was cloudy and a bit foggy on the Switzerland side of the Alps, as soon as we crossed through the tunnel and came out into Italy the sun was shining. Domodossola is a quaint little town in northern Italy that has a beautiful old section to it. Once arriving at the station it is a quick 5-10 minute walk up the main street before you reach the side-street that brings you over to the old…
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A Quick Day Trip to Luzern, Switzerland
With one sick child at home over the weekend, and the other not wanting to leave the house because the only thing that he wanted to do was to ride his bike, I decided to take a quick day trip to Luzern, Switzerland. After missing the 8 am bus to our village, I began the journey on foot down the hill to catch the train. One of the great aspects of living in Switzerland is not only its proximity to other neighboring European countries but the size of the country itself. Living relatively in the middle of the country in Bern, it allows you to virtually go to many different…
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Solothurn, Switzerland
What a beautiful little city Solothurn turned out to be. Located in the northern part of Switzerland situated on the Aare River, the town of Solothurn is the capital of the canton of Solothurn and sits at the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains. I have been meaning to take the short 25 minute train ride to Solothurn ever since we moved here. (Solothurn is just north of the closest IKEA which we visited frequently during those early days.) I walked the streets of its old town and had a great lunch at one of its many small cafe’s. The architecture and the way the town was laid out was…
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Tissot Peak Walk, Glacier 3000
I have never been much of a thrill seeker but I must say that I am completely drawn to the many mountain adventures and excursions in Switzerland. Maybe I trust the “Swiss Made” persona, or maybe I am getting older and I am gradually letting go of fears and inhibitions. Either way, the Tissot Peak Walk was something I wanted to do for months. I took the one and half hour drive to Les Diablerets, Switzerland which is a mountain village in the heart of the Vaud Alps. It just so happened that on this beautiful clear early morning I was met with not only a stunning sunrise but a…
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Man vs. Nature
There is something innate about the human person that when we find ourselves face to face with nature we believe we can conquer it. We believe we can win. Maybe it is ego. Maybe it is just human nature or more a “guy” thing. Or maybe it is the result of the first fall. Never the less, time and time again when we confront nature in its purest form we soon realize that we can never conquer that which is unmovable. Unconquerable. That which is undefeated. This is where I have found grace time and time again. And it is also why I continue to confront it. The humility that…
