Joyful Journey

This entry could be filed under multiple categories. Things I love about Switzerland and will miss when we move back to the states. Or another reason why it's hard to follow a low-carb eating plan when you live in Switzerland, as if Swiss chocolate didn't make it hard enough! Or scriptural truth that now has a new level of understanding. I was thinking of this while I was, yet again, cutting up dried bread to make into croutons. Or yet another category: Ways to create more work for yourself, by making croutons your hubby much prefers over the store bought kind. Ah well, it's nice to be able to do something that brings joy to his day. I have long been familiar with the Lord's Prayer, as have many people, even those with little exposure to scripture. But that phrase, "Give us this day our daily bread...." really didn't have much impact on me. I grew up in a land of weekly bread as have my children. In the states you can buy a loaf of bread on Monday ...

Bob often gets his run in during the week by leaving our apartment a bit after 6 a.m. When he came in from his run today, I didn't hear him sing this Rogers and Hammerstein number, but maybe he should have. At least the part that goes, "...when the dog bites..." Then again, he's not sure the dog really did bite, but it definitely drew blood, most likely with a claw as he was on his way up or down to attach him. The experience was quite surprising in Switzerland, the land of well behaved dogs. You will often see dogs, waiting very patiently, outside of stores while their owners shop. (This pic was taken when MarDell and Justin came to visit and is on a very busy street corner in Zürich.) They seem very indifferent to other dogs, people, etc. They appear quite content to just sit or lie and wait. Bob commented after his run that he considered giving the dog a kick in the mouth, as he would have Sydney if he went to bite, but he wasn't sure it is legal in Switze...

Switzerland in the the fall means overcast skies and fog. At least in the lowlands. On the mountain tops frequently you are above all that and can enjoy the views of all the surrounding mountain peaks. One of my jobs is to decide where we are going to hike on any particular Saturday. Sometimes I suggest a few and Bob picks or sometimes I've just suggest an area and Bob decides on the route once we get there. In looking at options, I had checked the "My Switzerland" website. I didn't see any of the "Autumn Vineyard" hikes (their current hiking list) that offered much physical challenge, but in the process, co me across the hikes suggested to Stanserhorn and thought that would be a fun place for us to hike. Stanserhorn is the mountain above the town of Stans, a favorite town of ours in Switzerland as it is the home of Pilatus Aircraft , the Swiss company that manufactures the P-6 and the P-12, planes Steven is apt to fly when on the field. We had a wond...

Maybe some of you have experienced a day like I've had today. Okay, actually you all probably have. Bob's in Sweden on a business trip. I had met with a friend to check out fabric possibilities in Zurich for a dress for Steven and Dawn's wedding. The results were discouraging. There aren't many choices out there and costs are much higher than in the states. We also visited a couple of the big department stores in the city for pre-made clothing and found less selection than in the states. I came home feeling like I'm back to square one. I ate a late lunch, did some wash and some house cleaning, answered some emails and then went to work on my Bible study. It was definitely dinner time by this point, but since I had a late lunch, I set the timer for an hour and decided that I'd start some dinner at that point. Last night's dinner had been a bit "sparse" (translation, tuna fish on toast) and so I decided that I should eat a true meal tonight. ...

(Okay, I know this post is out of order...but I'm trying to record, at least for a future scrapbook our time in Switzerland as completely as possible. So your patience is appreciated!) Did you know that meringue was invented in Switzerland??? Neither did I, until Bob informed me that he had decided we wouldn't stay in Zürich for Easter weekend and that he had booked us into a hotel near a ski slope, hoping there would be enough snow left for us to go snowshoeing. As I checked out the town on the web, I learned of its "claim to fame." According to Wikipedia, the notion that meringue was invented here by an Italian chef named Gasparini is contended. But you wouldn't know that wandering the streets of the town, as meringue cookies and desserts are in every bakery and cafe. Although he didn't find Lemon Meringue pie in town, Bob did manage to find a bakery that served a wonderful lemon tart. It is also famous as the town closest to the dramatic Reichenbach falls...

(Began this post in July....decided to finish it and move it forward, or it would be "lost" among all those old posts....) We enjoyed a wonderful 4th of July with a mix of fellow Americans and others organized by the Greenlee family. Steven had arrived that morning and graciously agreed that it might help him stay awake if we were away from home! We met along Greifensee, grilled "hot dogs" (Swiss style), enjoyed a potluck and many in the group threw around a baseball or football. I have asked Vreni, who is Swiss, but has lived many places, many of my questions regarding culture, how to know what is considered "cardboard" and what is "paper" when I was recycling things, how to read directions on the back of a package and now, how to know which foods in the grocery store are already cooked. In the states, I think, but now I'll check, packages indicate if a food is "precooked." But here I'm often unsure if a certain food is packa...

(Not sure what's going on....but having great difficulty in moving photos where I want them....but I'm sure you can figure out what photo goes with which part of this blog entry!!! I also realized that this post is out of order....check the next post. Ah well. Once the post is begun, you can't change the order. Such is life!) Checking the weather forecast, it seemed like the Luzern area had the greatest possibility of Alpine views and so we headed to Art-Gothard to catch the Rigi Bahn , the cog rail train up to Rigi Kulm. This is one of my favorite places in Switzerland and I was hoping that the weather would cooperate. There is something so very special about riding on the cograil train, climbing up the valley and all of a sudden seeing the Alps in the distance as you reach the train station near Rigi Kulm. Again, it was not to be. Of course, there are these wonderful "cut outs" which made for the perfect photo op. Just couldn't pass these by. As you m...