Challenge #1: Carrying eight 23 kg (50 lbs) bags, 4 rolling suitcases, a bell, a violin, and my messenger bag.
Challenge #2: Getting to the airport. This is the university van loaded with our bags. We had to ride in another car- no room for anyone but the driver in this vehicle.
Challenge #3: Check-in and weighing bags
It only took 3 luggage carts to take them to the counter!
Challenge #4: Waiting for boarding and going through the full-body hand search. Tip for parents- if your kids cry they can get out of the pat down. No need to traumatize little ones.
Challenge #5: Putting the rolling suitcases, bell, and violin in the overhead bins (two very kind passengers assisted with this task).
Challenge #6: Passing the time on a 9.5 hour flight. Not terribly difficult with tv/video screens for every seat. It's amazing how many movies and video games you can watch with this amount of time.
Challenge #7: Waking up an exhausted Elisabet and getting all four of us off the plane for customs in Chicago.
Challenge #8: The "Passport Control" line in Chicago. Just looking at it brought Elisabet to a wail.
Challenge #9: Collecting all 8 checked bags at customs, loading them on 3 carts again, and wheeling them to the re-check point.
Challenge #10: Trying to make our connection to MSP in 44 minutes.
Challenge #11: No boarding passes, self-check kiosk not working. An agent took pity on our situation (at this point both girls were in tears at the thought of missing the flight) and literally ran back and forth between us and a booking computer with our passports. Rushing back, she shoved them in my hands and yelled to us with encouragement "run, run, run".
Challenge #12: Security line. One boarding pass reads "Travis" not "Leif". Only 19 minutes until the flight departs. The head security person decides to wave us through- a huge black man who I would have hugged and kissed if I had not been carrying a bell, messenger bag, and two rolling suitcases.
Challenge #13: Removing boots, jackets, watch, computer, and putting all bags back up on conveyer for their last inspection. Convincing a now whimpering Elisabet it was worth it.
Challenge #14: Getting to the gate. Only 2 gates away from the security checkpoint, another lucky break for us.
Challenge #15: Loading it all back into the overhead bins. Seriously regretting that cow bell.
Challenge #16: Gathering everything back up one last time to de-plane.
Worth every single challenge: Seeing the smiles and happy faces of family waiting for us at the baggage carousel.
Packing your entire household is no easy task. We've been working at it all week. And then last night we saw the news of new security regulations for hand baggage. On our trip to Switzerland we brought roll-on suitcases and an extra bag each. We're going to have to hope for nice gate checkers that won't count Leif's violin, the cow bell, and my Freitag bag as a second piece of hand baggage......
Sorting through papers, computer equipment and software.
A good scale is essential for weighing each bag. We have our 8 allotted checked bags (Travis is still working on his) at between 20-22 kg. The maximum weight allowed is 23 kg, so we're cutting it close.
We were treated to a special raclette dinner last night at a friend's house. We met the family this fall through the girls' ballet class- they live in a nearby village called Birmesdorf and have 3 children. They speak German, English and Polish (they lived in the US for 3 years, the father is Swiss and the mother is Polish). The kids had a great time playing with legos, racing around and playing games. We had Polish beet soup for a starter, a mache salad, and then raclette, made the traditional way. This involves mounting the wheel of cheese on a post under a heater and then scraping it off in layers as it heats. "Raclette" literally means scraped cheese. It is traditionally a winter time meal because it was made from extra milk from the cows in the winter (when transportation was limited). You eat the cheese with boiled potatoes, pickles, pickled baby corn, and a nutmeg and pepper spice mixture. A great meal to finish off our year abroad, especially in the company of a warm and friendly family.
Zermatt, Switzerland is in the canton of Wallis/Valais (depending on if you are German or French). It's one of the most well known ski resorts in the world and was the destination for our final trip in Europe before heading back to St Paul. From Zürich's main train station it was only a 3 hour 14 minute journey to get within skiing distance of Italy on the southern border of Switzerland. We gave thanks to the ingenuity and talent of the tunnel engineers because it used to take 5 or 6 hours to reach the valley of Visp and Zermatt.
The weather was clear blue skies and sunshine as we boarded the train in Visp which took us up via cog railway to Zermatt. We wound our way along a steep gorge and through the town of St. Nikolaus, which of course boasted a church steeple decked out as Santa Claus that could be seen from the train station.
The town of Zermatt is car free..... which is true, we didn't see any cars, but you do have to watch out that you are not run over by an electric taxi or bus. These were everywhere and seem to assume that you know they are coming and should get over to the side of the road. More than a few times we were surprised by one zipping around us- you can't hear them coming very easily with those electric engines.
We stayed in a hotel close to the mountain gondola and away from the busiest section of town. It turned out to be the quiet time before the holiday rush, so we scored two rooms, one even with a view of the Matterhorn, for the same price as our one family room to share. Many of our hotel experiences in Europe have not been geared towards children or families, so this was a nice treat. The kids had a little drawing table set up in the hallway and they even placed some children's books in their room (although the TV turned out to be the biggest draw since they haven't seen one all year).
We rented a sled at the ski shop down the way from our hotel and this was their preferred method of transportation around town.
Monday was Leif's 10th birthday. 10 years old.! Travis and I are still adjusting to the idea. Leif is thrilled of course. We celebrated with presents and breakfast in the morning as a family. Then Leif and I walked down to the ski shop to pick up our boots, skis, and poles and boarded the electric bus (the Gruyere cheese bus of course) for Sunnegga Paradise. A cog bahn- THROUGH the mountain- took us up to the ski runs where we spent the remainder of the day.
After some warm up runs in the morning, Leif got into his groove and was in his words "bombing down the hill in front of mom". It was a warmer day than the previous one which was -18 C, but the wind picked up dramatically in the afternoon. The entire Italian side of the ski area was closed due to high winds. This freed up the slopes for us though, and what had started out as a crowed and fairly congested run we had nearly all to ourselves by the afternoon. We found ourselves making "just one more run" about five more times because Leif had discovered the thrill of higher speeds. It was definitely a great and memorable way to spend his birthday.
Travis, Hanna and Elisabet spent the day sledding the highest sled run in all of Europe from Rotenboden to Riffelberg, a 1.6 km run. Sledding requires a bit of finesse to control the direction and speed of your sled. Their first run resulted in Hanna getting stuck in the deep snow off the side and Elisabet with her face full of blown snow. Travis remedied the situation with hot chocolate in the lodge and then convinced them for another try. This time Hanna got the hang of steering and Travis put Elisabet behind him and they had so much fun they did it 4 more times.
With wind chapped cheeks and sore muscles, we topped off the day eating chocolate birthday cake and singing "Happy Birthday" in two languages.
In 1954, my dad and his family of 4 brothers and 1 sister lived in Munich, Germany. Hearing about this experience growing up definitely provided for inspiration for our year in Switzerland. That and a very willing and adventuresome husband.
Now perhaps we will have planted the seed for our children to take their families abroad as well. I can tell I am already starting to get nostalgic as the year draws to a close.....
Bells are an important tradition in Switzerland. Wherever we go in the city or in the country, we hear the sound of ringing bells. Each town has a church or churches with bells that ring regularly, usually 4 times per hour with special concerts daily. In the countryside and mountains, we often hear the ringing of cowbells. The bells vary in sound based on the size of the animal. Large bulls can have huge bells hanging from the collar on their neck! We have seen them on sheep and goats as well- the billy goat with a bigger sized bell and the smaller ones with tiny, higher pitched bells. They ring even when the animal is resting in the grass.... we've often wondered if this bothers them! There are also ceremonial bells that are worn when they bring the cows to and from the mountains in a procession. The cows are also often fitted with elaborate flower headpieces as well, and the most beautiful one wins a prize (a bell!).
Travis received the beautiful bell pictured as a gift from the Tierspital for his work here this year. It is ceremonial bell and VERY heavy. Won't that be an interesting carry-on for the airplane!
Last night we had not one, but two singing programs for Advent. Leif's Hirzenbach school performed songs from a variety of countries and languages. They sang outside on the "Pauseplatz" of their school.
Here is the one that was his favorite:
And my favorite:
Hanna and Elisabet had a program in a nearby church. They sang mostly German songs, but the teachers performed "Lean on Me" in English and the older children sang "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" first all verses in German and then all verses in English. The piano accompaniment was a student and there were quite a few soloists on the flute, violin and piano.
Hanna's favorite, Leise rieselt der Schnee:
Elisabet's favorite- note how she is singing with gusto, Guten Tag liebe Leute:
And a classic, Rudolph, das Rentier:
Monday, December 7, 2009
On December 6, Switzerland celebrates Saint Nicholas Day. The traditions vary depending on if you live in the German, French or Italian speaking parts of the country, but they usually include a visit to your home or apartment by Samichlaus and his helper Schmutzli. We arranged for this with a little help from the "Samichlaus-Zürich" website and the handy google translate tool. Our evening began with a traditional fondue meal at Matt and Krista's apartment in Dübendorf. Matt demonstrated the proper way of preparing the fondue pot, stirring in the cheese and wine, then adding the cornstarch and kirsch, and a dash of nutmeg, pepper and paprika.
Once the fondue was the proper consistency it went straight to the warming plates on the table and we dug in. The traditional accompaniments to fondue are bread, Fendant, a white wine from the Vaud and Valais regions of CH, black tea (to aid digestion of all the cheese), and pickles and pickled onions. No fresh vegetables or salad, just lots of cheese and bread. Krista skirted this detail by placing fresh cut vegetables and dip at a side table for an appetizer.
Matt explained to us that fondue was used as a peace-making meal after wars fought between Switzerland and the bordering countries.... until Switzerland established its neutrality at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Perhaps fondue is the secret to their success at remaining neutral!
Around 8:30 we heard the doorbell ring and the Leif and Hanna jumped up in anticipation of Samichlaus, while Elisabet dove under the table. It was a false alarm (probably actually WAS them picking up the info we had left by the apartment's main door), so we went back to eating our dessert of chocolate torte when we heard the jingling of bells near the door. Elisabet dove back under the table and Hanna and Leif took their places on the couch as Matt opened the door for Samichlaus and Schmutzli.
You can see that Samichlaus has a big red book in his hand which is how he knew all about Leif, Hanna and Elisabet. Schmutzli's bird friends peak in the windows during the year and let him know whether the children have been good or bad. They knew the children understood high German best and that we had also come from America, so Samichlaus told us the story of how they came to deliver treats together on St. Nicholas day. I only got bits and pieces of the tale, but Leif recounted it to us later in great detail so clearly his German comprehension is very high. We really appreciated the time they took with us- it was a little difficult for Samichlaus not to slip into Swiss German and at the end he wished us Christmas greetings in English.
The story he told goes as follows:
One day when Samichlaus was in the forest he was carrying his sack full of presents for the children. Schmutzli lived in the forest with his animal friends in a wood hut and saw a trail of presents on the ground. He wondered if Samichlaus was bringing the presents for him, so he took a sack and followed the trail, gathering up the nuts, mandarins, lebkuchen (gingerbread) and chocolates until he met up with him. There had been a hole in Samichlaus's sack and he had noticed. So they went together to the first house to deliver presents, but the mother would not allow Schmutzli to enter because he was too dirty (Schmutzig = dirty auf Deutsch). Samichlaus explained that if it were not for Schmutzli he would have not had any gifts for her children. Then the mother said that be could had a brown cloak that had belonged to the grandfather and she let them come in and visit the children.
Samichlaus started with Leif, the oldest in the family. For each child, he praised them for what they had done well during the year. He told Leif he had been good in school and was a great reader and asked him if he read in German or English. Then he wondered if Leif played the violin and suggested that maybe he needed to practice a little more. Before Leif could receive his gift, he recited a poem for Samichlaus called "Die Tasche Uhr".
Hanna went next and Samichlaus started with that she needed to work on not having temper tantrums (right to the point!). Then he said she was also a good reader and had done a very good job going to school in Switzerland and learning German. He commented on her favorite food, pizza, and that it was both an American and an Italian specialty. Then Hanna sang "Leise rieselt der Schnee" for him.
This is as close as Elisabet wanted to get to Samichlaus. She started under the table and worked her way from Travis's lap with her ears covered, to my lap with her face buried, to eventually sitting safely between Krista and me. Samichlaus told her she had been very brave going to Kindergarten every day and wanted to know if her nickname was "Liza" in English. (On a side note she has mentioned to us that for a nickname we can call her ElisaBETH). She had planned on singing "Grüezi, grüezi mitenand" for him but said she didn't realize he was going to be so close!
And then finally they received their treats from Schmutzli.......
We said our goodbyes and warm holiday wishes- tschuss and ciao to the children, handshakes all around, Fröhliche Weihnachten and they were off. No trips to the woods in Schmutzli's sack for these three! This is what the children are told by parents that if you are not good, Schmutzli takes you back to the forest to help gather the nuts and oranges and treats for the next year. Elisabet was pretty sure this wouldn't happen, even if you were bad, if you were 4 or under! Or if it did you could probably bring someone with you, like your mom.
A special treat for readers who have gotten this far. A video of the children eating their fondue with the church bells ringing their daily concert.
The most sparkly Christmas tree in Switzerland and possibly the world.... the Swarovski tree inside Zürich's Hauptbahnhof. On Saturday we took the intercity train to Basel to see the outdoor Christmas market.
After wandering through the various street stalls for several hours, we went looking for hot chocolate and ended up at a Starbucks (yes, they are all over Switzerland too). It was packed out with people and a huge line, but a couple employees spotted the kids and took them over to the store window. They were having a "Kinderprogram" and let the kids spend the next hour decorating the window with Christmas trees, snowmen and Samichlaus drawings. All of them agreed it was the best part of the day because they had NEVER been able to paint on a window before.
It was a highlight for us too as we got to sit back, talk, and enjoy our coffee and chocolate while they were busy painting. table style="width:194px;">
Wednesday afternoon is off for all school children in Zürich. It's often been the day where we take a mini trip, spend extra time in the library or do a special activity. This week we met Elisabet's friend Emma and her mom and the Dolder rink which is located at the top of the Züriberg in the woods. You can reach it by car or by cog tram. The kids were quite excited because they got to ride the #8 tram (an old one with wooden seats) and the Dolderbahn, both of which they had not yet taken. We spent over 2 hours skating- it took them a little bit to get their balance back and then they were off. Elisabet was so focused she barely stopped for a snack.
The first snow fell in Zürich on Monday, cheering the hearts of skiers and ski resorts who had been worrying about the start of the winter season. Some resorts were not able to open yet due to the lack of snow in the mountains. It's a wet, heavy snow here at our lower elevation making for great snowball and snowman packing conditions. Elisabet came home from school with completely soaking wet mittens and snowpants. She demonstrated how much more fun the school slide was with a little wetness on it and shot off the end, skidding 3 extra meters on the slippery playground mat.
The kids are busy learning German and Swiss Christmas carols for a Advent singing program next week. Elisabet's teacher was excited to report that she spoke German to them today (not bad for 2.5 months in school) and Leif's teacher told me that she hasn't needed to use English with him for several weeks now. Hanna's goal in her school journal was "Ich will sprechen deutsche lauter und fil fil fil besser". fil= viel= lots I peeked back through it and noticed her journal entries had switched from being written in English to German quite a while ago.
And more for the photo junkies: http://picasaweb.google.com/esaveraid/FirstSnow?feat=directlink
