The party's over....it's time to call it a day.... (darn it)

All good things must come to an end, yes?

I am home now.  I was more than 24 hours trying to get home.  Jet lag?  Not sure, but I have been waking up for the last three nights in a row at precisely 3:04 a.m.--even if I have barely gone to bed at 1:30 a.m. It is odd.  

I am missing seeing my breath every day all day long in the crisp, cold air.  Arizona is having a very late warm autumn season with temps still up in the 80 degrees F (26-27 degrees C).  I have hung my jackets up in my closet and packed away my thermal shirts.

But there were a couple of items I hadn't yet written about and I wanted to finish the entire story.  Here it is...written on the plane as I traveled across the Atlantic.
*****************  

I'm on the plane coming home now 

3 hours and we are still on the airport tarmac.

Believe it or not, that was not such an easy thing to accomplish--coming home.  The plane taxied out to the runway on time, only to find a malfunctioning something or other and we had to head back to the terminal.  After an hour or so and a mechanic coming on board to fix the problem, we were ready to taxi out on the runway again.

But no, the same item malfunctioned again and we returned to the terminal for a second repair.  Now it's two hours past the time we were supposed to leave and we are sitting and chatting and drinking water while we wait.  Finally, the pilot assured us that after extensive testing and independent firing of the engines that the plane was safe to continue on its journey.  It was almost three hours late leaving Switzerland.

I fancy that the lovely country just didn't want to release me to return to America.  Maybe it's a good omen and it might mean something positive.

But we are now airborne and heading across the Atlantic.  Still, there are events that I didn't mention prior to now.  I think it's time.

Basel and I have been friends for two years prior to my visit

One of the biggest festivals in all of Switzerland occurs every spring in Basel.  It is linked to Easter.  Several weeks before Easter, there is Fasnacht.  It is a version of carnival, but with the Swiss putting their precision and flair on it, you can imagine how unique it is.

I'll describe it briefly.  Thousands of residents and tourists gather on the town square in the freezing weather of the first Monday after Ash Wednesday at 4 a.m. Four rings of the city clock announce the beginning of the carnival that will last three days and end at 4 a.m. on Thursday. There are three days of dancing, singing, drinking and dressing up like a clown, marching in parades (special one for just the children to march in) and/or playing the drum, flute or brass instrument.   Also, knowing German allows you to understand the many skits and songs that will be performed making fun of certain people or events that featured in the past year. Confetti plays a big role.

For the past two years I have been watching Fasnacht via webcams within Basel every night in its entirety. Easter is in the spring, Fasnacht is in the spring. Tax season is in the spring.  While I have been working at the office all those late nights, I had a portion of my computer screen showing the locations of Basel.  It served to fuel my love of this special city. I wanted to live in Basel for my holiday, but could not find housing.  An hour across Switzerland in Zurich was where I ended up, but my heart was always in Basel.

Imagine how it felt the first time I rode a tram past all the streets I had been watching for two years.  I must admit that my feelings overwhelmed me and a tear or two dropped. It was unbelievable to finally be on the streets, standing right where I had watched amazing events unfold for two years.

This is the square containing the main government building for the canton of Basel Stadt. (Basel City.  There are actually two cantons named Basel.  Basel Land is the surrounding outlying areas around Basel Stadt.)  America has the White House.  Basel has the Rothaus (Red House).  The actual bricks are red.  This building is not painted that gorgeous color.

Notice the length of the tram.  You can see it has three sections.  Check out the accordion sections between the cars.  Inside the tram when it is crowded, people are standing in the aisle, even in the accordion parts.  One night on the way to the play where I volunteered to do the makeup, I was standing in the accordion section.  I had a big surprise in store.

When the long tram turns a corner, there is a metal section on the floor that is a circle shape.  It rotates along with the turn so the bus can maneuver.  What that means to the unsuspecting tram rider is that you are standing there minding your own business and all of the sudden your feet are heading off in the direction of a circle.  Surprised the heck out of me when it happened to me.  After the initial startled feeling, I began to enjoy the experience.

There is a second party sponsored by Basel in the fall

Herbstmesse is the fall celebration of the harvest--a harvest festival, if you will.  It is huge.  It goes for three weeks in the city.  There are carnival rides of all kinds.  Flashing lights, screams of excitement and a gorgeous skyline proclaiming the festival to all the world.  Hundreds of booths line the streets and plazas.  Each booth has unique and interesting items to sell.  Much of it homemade and excellent quality, I might add.  I easily found too much to purchase.  Too much.

 
A signature giant ferris wheel turns all day and night (until closing time) in the plaza right by a major cathedral.  It is lighted and beautiful as it stands high about the flowing waters of the Rhein.  Talk about romantic!  Yes, I rode it, but I was in a car with a cute couple.  She plays the cello for the symphony and we had a lovely conversation.  She made herself ride the "big wheel" each year to challenge her fear of heights.  I have met some of the most interesting folks.

There are treats and yummy things to eat, you can bet.  Raclette is hugely popular.  Grill roasted brats are also a main staple.  One specialty that Helen introduced me to was some fabulous curry pockets--a little deep fried popover type thing filled with potatoes and veggies.  YUM.  For the sweet treats, chocolate.  Duh.  But there are a couple of chocolate specialties.  One is chocolate covered bananas.  Not frozen, just dipped.  Absolutely delicious!  There were chocolate fruit kebabs that had bananas, strawberries, and pineapple chunks.
 
I saw tons of people eating this one item.  It was very curious to me.  It was oblong in shape, chocolate covered, and the insides were a mix of marshmallow cream and vanilla cream.  It literally melted in your mouth.  It was lighter than air too.  Amazing. (Who needs Hostess when you make something like this?)

Thousands  attended this festival every day--even on the rainy days.  They just carried umbrellas.  I went several days, and yes, one was even a rainy day.

I bought some hand made sheep to add to my little Christmas nativity scene.  I can't wait to put them out.  One is even a black sheep.  Hey, all types need to be represented, don't you think?
Everyone kept telling me I had to go to this miniature museum in Basel

Literally, it is a museum of miniatures and...wait for it....teddy bears.  Yes it is the teddy bear museum.  It actually has an official name, the Spielzeug Welten Museum, but everyone calls it the teddy bear museum.  There are five floors to this museum.  Two are completely dedicated to teddy bears.  Large ones, medium ones, small ones, tiny ones. New ones, old ones, vintage ones, first-ever ones.  The lady who invented the teddy bear was Swiss and there was a display dedicated to her.


Margarete Steiff was a healthy and active child until she was approximately two years old, when she contracted polio and it left one side of her body immobile.  She never let that stop her.  She had a lifetime breaking every barrier placed in front of her.  When she came up with the idea to have a teddy bear with arms and legs that were able to bend, everyone said it would never last.  We all know how that turned out.

The displays were fascinating, to say the least.  Every theme imaginable was portrayed. Driving bears, medical bears, wedding bears, school student bears. There was even a bear amusement park with rides that actually ran.  Bumper car bears!

 

Notice finger for size reference.

Two other floors of the museum were dedicated to miniature recreations of everything you can imagine.  I loved the one which showed a typical vintage Swiss village.  Tiny sheep, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, goats, cows, and the villagers were living a regular day in the life.  Fun and charming at the same time.

Check out the size of this one miniature miniature.  Notice the size of my pointer finger in the front.  Crazy!

If you go to Basel, make time to see this museum.  It is sweet fun.

Another museum in the area was having a special Degas exhibit.  I rode the tram all the way to the outside edge of the city and saw it.  It was inspiring.  He did love to paint ballerinas and dancing girls.

I found a hugely exciting sporting event to go to by accident

From my Meine Schweiz stickers, I knew there was a sporting event that I really wanted to go to, but sadly, I found that they all took place during June and July, before I got to CH. It was the one Swiss sport I hadn't seen and didn't look like I was going to.

Then, one day, in the last two weeks of my visit, I was randomly searching for information about a parade and up popped this window announcing the 150th anniversary of the annual Schutzenfest contest (shooting contest) which takes place on the Wednesday before Nov. 11 (or Nov. 7 this year).  ALL the major shooting clubs of CH would be there and the best shooters would be competing.  It was taking place only one day away.  (What timing! Just in time before my departure for home.)

And the most exciting part of it....it was taking place in the very meadow where Switzerland began.  The very meadow where the three men gripped wrists and pledged to protect and support each other--the Rutli Meadow.

I was so excited.  Nothing could contain my joy.  I had to get out the door and on my way by 6 a.m. but that was no problem at all!

Thousands of shooters were on hand to compete.  From talking to a few of the competitors, I understand that this is the biggest tournament and participation is by invitation only.  That means your club or you as a shooter have earned so many points and qualify to compete.

Hundreds of tables were set up and each one had the flag of the gun club proudly proclaiming their name.  Many of the banners were quite old.  You could tell they were displayed with pride and tradition was strong there.  

What was also strong there was the amount of alcohol being consumed--by the competitors! (Yes, the fans drank too.)  One or two confessed to me that they were glad their shooting turn took place earlier in the day, before too much of the spirits were downed.

One thing I discovered was due to a nice man who saw me standing and trying to talk to some elderly gentlemen who didn't speak any English.  Ernst (or Ernie) works for the Laufen police department taking the photos for all sorts of purposes--whatever is needed.
 

Ernie took me to go get some kaffee (coffee).  Many of the gun clubs had a table set up and were selling a cup of kaffee for a donation--you decide the amount.  There was usually something to eat along with your kaffee, a bite of cheese, bread, smoked sausage, etc.  Let me tell you about the "kaffee."  It was a cup of a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of schnapps.  The smell alone almost knocked you off your feet.

And the routine was to walk from stand to stand and enjoy several cups of kaffee.  I don't know how people were able to remain upright after 2-3 of those.  And my question is, "How do they shoot after that???"

Back to the bangs and bullets

There were shooters of all ages competing.  Champions in their 70s, 80s, 90s, who had obviously competed every year of their life.  Younger competitors 30-40 were joined by those who were brand new--maybe demonstrating skills learned in the compulsory Swiss Army service.  Sharpshooting is highly regarded and many young men aspire to become the best.

 Each shooter gets three rounds.  The first round is one minute to get off three shots.  Then a group of gymnasts jump out of bunkers up on the hillside and go to each target to examine the hits.  They have a flag and they wave it in front of the target for each shot.  Black means a miss, white means a couple of points, but the highest points are awarded by the waving of the Swiss flag.  That means bullseye.

One of the fellows who was explaining it to me said this was a really prestigious tournament and the shooters didn't even get a "sighting" shot.  Meaning, there were no practice rounds. Essentially, the first round becomes your sighting opportunity.  And it counts.

The second round is two minutes long and each shooter has to shoot six shots during that time.  The third round is another one minute and three final shots.
 
It was so exciting to be there.  The scenery in the Rutli Meadow is incomparable to anything anywhere else.  It is breathtakingly beautiful in that meadow.  I just gazed and gazed.  And, of course, since I was so thrilled to be there, I must admit I had that goofy smile on my face where I can't quit smiling.  It was just so thrilling!

Switzerland scores a bulls-eye
 

On this day of thanks in America, my thoughts must include thanks for the opportunity to travel to Europe and land right in the middle of it in a tiny land-locked country, Switzerland. I am thankful for every experience I had there.  Some were triumphant shouts of joy.  Some were frustrating moments of tears falling when I couldn't find a tram stop and had reached the end of my reserves of happy thoughts--standing at the bottom of a very steep walk up a very high hill to the funicular when there were no signs to direct me to the right spot and the rain was pouring while I'm dragging a heavy suitcase.  Ah....that was a moment....I am laughing now at that memory.  

But I learned about me and I learned about life.  And it was beautiful.  Thank You, Life.  Thank You, Switzerland.

Just a few mementos for home.

I am unequivocably in love with this country.  I love the people, the food, the smells, the trains, the buses, the cows, the sheep, the EVERYTHING.  It's a quirkly little country with quirkly little ways.  

There was a contest online sponsored by Newly Swissed (check out the website) to choose three words to describe Switzerland.  I won.  I received a free copy of Swisscellany, the new book by Diccon Bewes.  My entry was:

(red and hiking) Shoe-ing, Moo-ing, Fondue-ing.

Three months seemed like a long time when I was planning the trip.  Now, it has gone by in a blink of an eye.  I have looked out the window of the plane a couple of times as a tear slipped down my cheek.  I am sad to leave behind the dear country of the alps.

 
Hopefully, there will be a second installment in my blog series featuring Switzerland. All I can say is....

Stay tuned.




 

What do you do with day #88 (out of 90) as your extended holiday winds down?

I have met the most amazing people while in CH. I hope they will be lifelong friends.  My solo journey was greatly enhanced by these beautiful women and their families. They have all gone above and beyond to take time from their busy lives and invite me on an excursion to share their country with me.  I owe them so much.  If they ever come to America, it is my fervent wish that I may return the favors one hundred fold, at least.

They are:  Angela (and Jakob) from Neuchatel; Helen (and Oskar and Natasha in Basel/Benningen); and Brigitta and Madlen from Aarau (close enough to call it that--I think).  It will be my pleasure to introduce my family and friends to any of these gals that might make their way across the waters.  

Two wild and crazy gals--and I mean that in the nicest way

Brigitta and Madlen when I first met them.

On a Standing Room Only train ride to Zermatt (to see the Matterhorn) back in September, I met two native Swiss gals who have been friends for over 40 years.  Some wonderful hand of fate directed me to ask them if the seat next to them was "Frei?" (Free?) and when they nodded "Yes" a union of welcoming sharing and friendship was begun.

Brigitta (pronounced Bridget) and Madlen (like Madeline) are two of the warmest and open human beings I have ever met.  Within minutes, I was invited to join them in their little snack feast on the train. Two beverages  became one for me and one for them to share, while we enjoyed very flavorful slices summer sausages. Yum!  At the end of the 1.25 hour train ride I was invited to join them on their hike "through fairy tale land" (as Brigitta described it).

At that time I declined, but we made a plan to meet again in the middle of October since both gals were in the process of moving.  We exchanged phone numbers and went our separate ways.

As the middle of October arrived, I thought of my two friends.  I wanted to see them again, but felt a little forward contacting them to invite myself to their homes.  I didn't have anything to worry about.  A few days later my phone rang and it was Brigitta.  We made a plan to spend one of her next days off with her showing me the city of Aarau and then we would meet up with Madlen who had to work that day.

The city was beautiful, ned vor. (of course.) It was really interesting to see how the houses were built in a circle--as they formed one of the rings of the city wall (back in the olden days).  Fascinating.   I wondered how you would defend your home if the invaders decided to come through your house when they arrived to make their onslaught.

One really beautiful feature of Aarau that Brigitta pointed out to me is the artwork under the eaves of each of the buildings.  Sadly, as it was a cloudy day, most of my pictures turned out too dark to see the elaborately decorated under-eaves. They were beautiful--all colors and all patterns imaginable.
 
Once again, it was a beautiful and quaint Swiss city with a lovely village feel, mixed with rising industry all around.  Recently, they closed down the middle of the city to car traffic. Only pedestrians and city buses are allowed on the roads there nowadays.
 
We had a couple of minutes to spare before going to Madlen's office and we stopped by the office where Brigitta's daughter worked finding tuition money for students who could not pay at the university.  Sadly, there are no programs to help out aging Americans who might want to also attend the university as a student.

After we picked up Madlen from her office, we found ourselves on the top of the very tall office building because it had such a beautiful view of the city.

Then....it was time for the girls to take me to my surprise.

The one last experience I really wanted, but knew it was unlikely I would be able to have

I have become accustomed to eating alone in restaurants.  After all, if not alone, then not at all, yes?  I have managed to enjoy almost all of the Swiss dishes during my 3-month stay, except one.  Fondue is not a dish that can be served for just one.  I knew it would be a longshot if I would be able to have it here.

Madlen and Brigitta decided to provide that experience to me.  Madlen is personal friend to an owner of a very popular restaurant where fondue is a specialty.  As a matter of fact, the place is booked solid every night due to its popularity. It's impossible for the average person off the street to come in and get a meal. Only because of Madlen were we able to get a table.  I was so happy!

 The girls made me decide on the type of fondue we would have for dinner.  There are actually three kinds.  Cheese, of course, and two other types of heated medium in which you dip your raw meat or veggies--boiling broth or boiling oil (the two types).  You eat freshly cooked meat and vegetables with this type of fondue.  Additionally, there is every kind of sauce for you to dip the cooked item in. (What about chocolate fondue you ask? It's actually an American invention from Manhattan.)

 I chose the raw meat and veggies fondue and my reasoning was it would be easier to re-create the cheese fondue at home (which is what I planned for a later time, maybe back home in America). The waitress brought out an incredible spread.  Incredible!

One of the rules of fondue is that if you drop anything off your fork into the pot, you have to kiss the nearest man (if you're a woman) or buy the next round of drinks (if you're a man). And no double dipping!  Another really bad faux pas is to let your lips, teeth or tongue touch the fondue fork.  Brigitta and Madlen said we didn't have to follow that rule since we were "family."  

We ate and ate and ate until there was no room for any more.  I was in heaven.  Brigitta would not let me pay for any of it and fondue ain't cheap--that's all I'm going to say.  Thank You, Brigitta and Thank You Madlen for wrapping up that last special wish of mine. 

Sadly, at the end of the evening, Brigitta was finding it hard to catch her breath.  She had been coughing all week from a cold which had settled into her lungs and Madlen did not like the sound of her cough after dinner.  So we drove right to the Klinik (also called a Krankenhaus--for hospital) and they decided to keep Brigitta to give her some strong antibiotics to help clear up the infection in her lungs.

The plan was for me to go home with Madlen and spend the night.  I met some very lovely reptiles that lived right next to my bed.  On purpose.  Madlen's daughter loves them and is currently doing a study on them for her internship.  I felt right at home.  A little bit of desert in Switzerland.

How many do you count? 4? 5?

The next morning, I went to the supermarket with Madlen and when we came out, it was snowing!  Oct. 27 it snowed all day long.  (And all night long too.)  Of course I'm acting like a goofball--totally thrilled.  Then Madlen made me a breakfast fit for a queen.  
 
Madlen is absolutely wonderful and loads of fun.  She speaks Swiss German as her native language, and only a tiny bit of English (because it makes her uncomfortable). So how did we communicate?  In Spanish!  Madlen speaks very good Spanish because she lived in Spain for a while.  And I know enough Spanish to be dangerous, so we had so much fun trying to speak Spanish.  Hilarious.

We went to see Brigitta at the Krankenhaus (wonder if that's where "cranky" comes from?) and she was doing and sounding so much better that we were quite relieved. 

A few days later, I called Brigitta to check up on her recovery only to discover that Madlen had been admitted to the Krankenhaus the very next day with an emergency procedure of her own!  Now I had two very sweet friends who were off work recuperating and I asked if I could come by and see them.

An impromptu party was planned.  I asked if I could pick up something and bring it for dinner.  All of the sudden a great idea was born.  We would have a cheese fondue party at Brigitta's house.  Madlen has a special blend of cheeses that she gets and we were thrilled to taste it.  There are many recipes for cheese fondue, but Madlen's was really yummy. 

The secret is to twirl your bread in a figure eight pattern as you are dipping.  So said my Swiss experts.  We had tremendous fun giggling and eating fondue.  And then we played a card game that they have played for years--every Monday night--Skipbo!  I had not played that for a very long time so I am sad to say I was a bit slow.  Their pace is amazing.

You might think that two very fun fondue nights were all that are required when entertaining a guest from America. I hoped to return the favor and invite them to my apartment for a version of something American that I could make for them.  It didn't work out, but we are planning that evening some time IN America.  Save your Swiss Francs, girls!

A final "Howdy" from the top of Rigi Klum, where Mark Twain tramped abroad

As I entered my last week in Switzerland, Brigitta wanted to know which day we could get together one last time since her day off was Wednesday. She discovered that I had not done "the Rigi" yet and that became our plan.  

The day began as a hazy one, but the weatherman assured us the foggy haze would burn off and clear up.  Planning a trip to go to the top of a mountain to see the view makes a  hazy weather report a factor to consider.  We forged ahead, hopeful.  

 As we rode the boat across Lake Luzerne (the scenery was spectacular--check out the reflection of the castle on the water) to catch the tram up to the summit, the haze persisted, even though we could see the blue sky peeking through in a few spots.  Brigitta's doubts that we would be able to see anything were worrying her.

But, hey, we were there already, might as well head up the mountain and see just what was visible.  Were we in for a surprise.

As the tram climbed up the 1797 meter summit slowly, the fog was lightly swirling around us.  It was beautiful, but hazy.  All of the sudden we noticed that we were in bright sunlight.  We looked around and discovered that the tram had climbed out of the fog and was riding through the clearest blue sky you have ever seen. A gorgeous blue-sky day.  We couldn't believe our eyes.

To add to the magic of the moment, as we looked downward behind us where the tram had come, there was a carpet of white clouds (our"fog") blanketing the valley below.  It was quite ethereal and took our breath away.  We had a combination of very clear day and very hazy day too.  Only in Switzerland!

From the tram, we hiked all the way up to the top since this is a very famous view of Switzerland.  On one side of the peak you look down and see the "flachtland" (Swiss German for flat land).  Flat by their standards.  

 
On the other side of the peak you see the alps mountainous side.  It's an amazing comparison.  Mark Twain wrote about it, "The Rigi-Klum is an imposing Alpine mass, 6,000 feet high, which stands by itself, and commands a mighty prospect of blue lakes, green valleys, and snowy mountains--a compact and magnificent picture 300 miles in circumference."

It was every bit that.  Simply amazing.

I have another thrill to thank Brigitta for

As I was riding home from lunch with Helen in Basel on Monday of my final week (departing for USA on Friday), I wanted to get one really good last look of the Swiss countryside that I have so come to love.  I wanted to find some place to go that was about a 3-4 hour train ride and I could have one final extended gaze at the landscapes I had been enjoying on a daily basis.  Brigitta, who works for the Swiss railway system, knew exactly the place.

"You got to go to Lugano."  She insisted that it was absolutely beautiful nestled in the alps right on the bottom of Switzerland, across the lake from Italy.  She was right.  The three-hour train ride gave me the calm survey of the "landscape of the angels" (from the song "I Must be in Switzerland" by Bellamy Bros & Gola).  And I was thrilled to have the quiet time to ponder and think about something and nothing and see beauty wing by outside.

Mineral wasser, no gas, veal cutlets, and polenta. Yum!

So I stopped in Lugano, walked along the lake, looked up a tiny Italian restaurant mentioned by Rick Steves, wandered around the town for a bit, 
watched some men playing chess on the sidewalk,

Looked up to see these two standing right outside the funicular door as it started to go up the hill. Nice!

took the funicular back up the hill to the train station, and headed home.


And I will head home on Friday too.



 

Hodgepodge Lodge--Bits and pieces of my Swiss adventure

All bundled up in my cold weather gear.

I was going through my archive of photos the other day and found many that I had not included in a previous blog.  They didn't exactly go along with the theme or the story at the time, so now I have all these loose ends of curiosities and observations which I would like to share with you.  

These are my potpourri Switzerland short subjects

Drinkable fresh water everywhere

This water fountain is in the Rauthaus in Basel

One of the things that Switzerland is very proud of is their clean water.  I have heard time and time again that you can drink right out of the wall (tap) because it is so clean and fresh.  And it is.  The only reason anyone buys bottled water here is because they are on the go and it is for convenience sake.  Or, they like water "mit gas" (with gas--carbonation).  A ton of preferred water is the carbonated water.  I am often looked at askance in a restaurant when I order mine without gas.  

I attended a monthly meeting of The Professional Women's Group of Zurich where waiters were circulating and pouring drinks in the meet and greet socializing portion prior.  When I asked for my "mineral wasser no gas," the waiter said, "Boring."  Seriously. 

An additional source of pride which is mentioned in the tourist guide books is that every town, no matter how big or little will have live running fountains that the public is invited to drink from. I have noticed that most of these fountains are quite decorative, besides just being functional.



I ride in a Mercedes Benz every day

I really do.  The manufacturer of the buses is Mercedes Benz.  I have often ridden along silently chuckling about this in my mind.

One day, on a train, as I was waiting for it to depart (I had arrived and was sitting in it approximately 15 minutes early), the driver of the train came into the car I was sitting in and proceeded to open the door to the engine--which was right there in the adjacent car.

I was quite interested to watch as he left the door to the train "cockpit" open.  He had a laptop computer which he carried in and connected it to the mighty power engine to run the train.  It was an interesting minute or two of observation prior to him closing the door and driving the train.

I took a special cable car tour in Basel the other day.  It was a loud clanging affair and the tour guide gave us all headset earphones to wear.  We thought it was so she wouldn't have to talk so loud, but we discovered that the noise of the cable car is so loud that it hurts the ears for an extended time period.  Without them, we never would have been able to hear the tour guide.

Interestingly, the tour was called the Oldtimertram.  It means that it is an antique tram car or a vintage model.  Somehow, that got lost in translation to me.  It made me feel like I was on a senior citizen tour.  And on the tram was another bit of language that suffers through no translation at all....it just looks hilarious as your read it phonetically.  I couldn't stop giggling. (Oldtimer Fahrten=Vintage rides)

 One really amazing thing about the tram tracks for the various trams is that they are right there in the middle of the walkway and pedestrians must walk over and around them all the time.  

Often after getting off a tram one might cross right in front of the tram as a pedestrian.  No one controls this.  Meaning, there are no barriers and extra guard rails to force pedestrians to be safe.  You are expected to act in a responsible manner.  

In Basel, there was a road crew working on the middle of the road with a jackhammer.  Besides the noise being ear-splitting, I could have walked right up and stood next to the worker while he was working.  In Arizona, they have to have a million barricades up and TWO DPS officers doing nothing but sitting all day in their patrol car with the lights flashing to warn everyone to watch out or stay away.  Over kill.  Wasted resources and money spent.


Exciting weather for an Arizona desert rat

One exciting thing that appeared on the first day of autumn was the stands on the street corners and at the train stations where they are selling roasted chestnuts.  "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."  The smell is very pleasant and is a sure sign that it is fall and the seasons are about to change.

I bought a warm bag and excitedly took it home to share with my landlord since all the tour books and websites talk about wonderful it is--don't miss the opportunity!  When I brought them to him upon arriving home (for I had purchased them right before coming home from a stand outside the bus station at the airport), he said, "No thanks.  Roasted chestnuts have always tasted to me like dried and boring mashed potatoes.  I don't know why there is all that fuss over them."  

I thought he was a total spoilsport.  I hurriedly peeled one warm and toasty specimen, inhaling the fragrant smell.....only to discover he was right.  Dry, bland mashed potato was what it tasted like to me.  Still the sight and smell of the roasting stands is really cool.  A sure sign of fall.


I took a ride on the Glacier Express again Oct. 23.  The Express shuts down its summer season Oct. 30 so I wanted to ride it one more time to see the changes fall had wrought upon the landscape.  

This time I sat amongst three very nice native Swiss gentlemen who were very kind and friendly.  They were my age or slightly older.  One had ridden the train several times, but the other two, despite living here all their lives, were riding the panoramic Express for the first time.






I have mentioned on Facebook that I am loving the weather here.  Rainy days? Exciting.  I've got an umbrella or a raincoat or a jacket with a hoodie.  Yes, they are wet and everything gets wet and the floor of the bus is wet.  It's still exciting weather.  

For example, it began raining last night at midnight.  It rained all night and all day and now it is approaching 9 p.m. the next night.  Still raining.  I went out in it on an errand. Loved it.

Switzerland had a thrilling early snow this year.  The temperatures dropped really low and the weather report said, "Snow, snow, snow."  It had been snowing up in the mountains for a week or two already, but the lower elevations do not see snow in October very often.  The last time it happened was 2005 and 2008.  So I was really excited when it started snowing on October 27, 2012.  

It snowed all day, but didn't really stick to the ground until the late afternoon.  Then, the snow began to stay.  You could actually see it on the ground as opposed to just falling from the sky.  

Walking to the bus the next morning.

It snowed all evening and all night.  When I got up the next morning to head out to my day's adventure, the walkway was completely covered and all the trees and bushes were covered.  It was really cool.

Off my balcony next day.

The snow was everywhere.  It covered all the green hills and trees and houses.  From the train, the glorious green pastures and hills were transformed into Christmas card snow-covered scenes.  Still absolutely pretty.

From the train, the rolling white hills.

Swiss gardening has always been a growing experience

The Swiss love to garden.  Who wouldn't in a place where everything is green and grows as if by magic?  Still, to their credit, they are avid gardeners.  Almost every home has a garden.  In a nation that finds the majority of inhabitants living in apartment buildings, how do they carry on the tradition of gardening?  Garden allotments.

In every city, there is a place or two or three where dozens of citizens own or rent a little space within a communal gardening area.  These are equivalent to the grow boxes that are commonly found in Arizona.  However, they are much more elaborate.  Owners might come at the end of the day to their garden and unwind with a beer while working with the soil.  But, most likely, there may be a gathering at the garden spot on the weekend.

These garden plots often contain a little hut/shed which the owner has erected at the garden site.  There may be a porch area with table and chairs and there may be a BBQ grill, etc. There are often social gatherings right there at the garden spots. Numerous gardens have a flagpole and when there is someone there, the flag of their native canton (state) or country is definitely flying. On most weekends you can see dozens of flags. I even saw some solar panels on the roofs of the garden huts to provide power to the hut and garden area.

I have one friend who was married to a Swiss (newly divorced) and her one comment was that she was glad to be free of the pressure to carry out the gardening tradition. My other friend from the UK told me that the garden plots are very dear and hard to come by.  They are passed down from parent to child and never leave the family.  It is very difficult to obtain a garden plot.  It is a very popular hobby and social activity as well as a way to bring good food into the home.

The popularity of fresh vegetables and fresh fruits here is tremendous.  This is just one display at a farmer's market on one day.

Are you over-the-top with your toilet paper?

I am sure it has not escaped your notice that in America there is division among the citizens about toilet paper.  Some grow up in households where the roll is over the top and comes right down the front side.  Others grow up in households where the toilet paper comes from the backside of the roll, or the underside (for clarification).  When a person from over and a person from under wed....you know how that works out.  Constant friction.  It's silly, but people do become ingrained about this issue and many a heated word has been exchanged in the "mixed" marriages. 

In CH, the matter has been decided for an entire nation.  As a matter of fact, they probably have no idea this serious papering issue exists. Over here, everyone is over the top rollers.  It's due to the design of a metal plate which is on every single toilet paper holder I have seen across the entire country.  In every hamlet, town, city; public bathroom, private bathroom; home after home, apartment after apartment.

 Around the back under-rolling would simply not work with this device. Additionally, it seems to cause the paper to tear off at four sheets--every time.  The toilet paper has the consistency and is comparable to a paper towel where I come from.  It will be really nice to return to my lovely and soft Charmin.  Even the "Super Sensitive" brands here are still similar to your average Bounty in texture.  However, get water on it and it disintegrates very quickly.  It is very clear to see that the emphasis is on paper that is quickly biodegradable.

Halloween and superstitions

For a Halloween treat, I took myself on a Ghost Walk of Zurich. 

It was a lovely 45-minute walking tour with a humorous and well informed tour guide and actor, Dan Dent. The tour did not disappoint and some of the centuries' old history was fascinating.  Dan's dry humour and one-liners were hilarious and kept the flow interesting and fun.

I would recommend this brief tour to anyone coming to Zurich.  It is a very pleasant evening's entertainment and I especially enjoyed it as a lovely addition to the week leading up to Halloween. (But the tour is great any time of the year.)

I also discovered an odd and slightly eerie thing when I got on an elevator going up to visit a friend at her work.  

There was a 13th floor.  Yep.  You could push a button and stop on the 13th floor.  Office and companies worked on the 13th floor.  

I explained to my friend that 13 was thought of as an unlucky number in the US and no elevators had a 13th floor.  She thought that was really funny.  Come to think of it, it kind of is....

At another festival, the holly branch or a twig of holly was considered to be a very lucky thing or a thing that would be sure to bring you good fortune.  They were selling them (for a donation amount of your choice) to raise money to support the festival expenses.  Men had them tucked into the brim of their hats and women carried a sprig, like a Miss America bouquet of roses.

I thought they were beautiful and loved the tradition they represented.  I bought one immediately.  However, I was not a huge fan of getting sliced by the edge of the holly leaves or my fingers cut on the edge of the scallop of the leaves or the thorns. Over and over.  Pretty, but ouch!




And that brings us to the dairy portion of the stories

While there is a river of chocolate--beautiful, smooth, sensuous chocolate--there is no skim milk in Switzerland.  There is no non-fat milk in CH.  (That I could find.) I am a huge fan of skim milk.  There is nothing that I love more than an ice cold glass of skim milk. I even put ice cubes in it sometimes for that really invigorating ice cold refreshment.  I have not had one for three months.  I dare say that I will make sure to stop at a grocery store on the way home from the Phoenix airport and grab a gallon.

Instead, in CH there is a milk drink.  I don't know what that means.  There are cartons of it sitting on the store shelves.  Not refrigerated.  The date on the carton says it is good for several weeks.  I don't know what that means either or how that is possible.  Still, I have consumed my fair share while here.  I just don't know what it is.  

Making the thin cheese sheets.

And, while the reputation of Switzerland and cheese is one of incomparable excellence, there is one cheese that is not here (at least I could not find it).  There is no cheddar cheese here.  No longhorne cheese, either.  Flavorful cheeses of unlimited variety and excellent quality, yes.  No bright orange, stringy, gooey cheesy flavor I'm used to.  That will be a menu choice once again when I'm on American soil. (NOTE:  I don't come to another country and look for America.  I enjoy the new country.  I merely make these observations since I'm talking about milk and cheese.)

Can you see the Harley cow?

However, they do love their cheeses and present it in many forms.  Sliced, cubed, shredded, for sure.  But they also slice it very very thin, like a thin sheet of see-through paper (you can even see through the cheese too, it's that thin).  Then, they take these cheese sheets and very carefully roll them into cheese rolls.  A lovely appetizer.

 Finally, take a close look at the front of this Harley.  It is decorated to look like a most beloved Swiss cow.



A couple of notable establishments I frequented

 Upon arriving in Zurich, I could not miss out on the Rheinfelder Beirhall dining experience.  They have this giant dish called the Jumbo-Jumbo Cordon Bleu and it's a massive chicken fried steak thing.  Big enough to feed at least 2-3 people.  This restaurant is very popular and you will always find a crowd inside and outside at the many tables on the sidewalk.  Loved it.

I also was a patron of a lovely bakery called Blueberry.  Every time I walked past one, it made me smile.  
 
Wouldn't you smile too if it made you remember a flame-haired little munchkin who is the most adorable child ever (with the most beautiful flame-haired mom too)?
 
You could just drink her up!