Final Few Days in Switzerland

Wow.  We've been busy.  So, I'm going to try and do a catch up post on our last four days in Switzerland.

On Saturday Mark and our group (including Kathi!) took the train to St. Gallen, which is in northeast Switzerland very near Austria and Germany and within a few miles of Lake Constance (or Bodensee).  Tom's mom lives in St. Gallen -- well, just outside of the city in a town called Roggwil -- and we were spending the night in her home.

Kathi and Hannah on the train ride from Luzern to St. Gallen.

A view outside of the train window - beautiful scenery.

Terry, Peg, Mark, and Dan on the train.  Mark brought along some snacks!

We arrived in St. Gallen at about 4pm and took a quick walking tour through the city despite the rain.

St. Gallen is a quaint city - rain or shine.

Most shops and other sites closed at 5, so we hopped on a bus to Margaret's home where we were warmly greeted with a yummy spread and some local white wine.

Just a quick note about transportation in Switzerland -- the train system is extensive with stations in many cities and towns.  If a town does not have train service, ultra clean and efficient buses travel to those towns.  So, virtually every town in Switzerland, regardless of size, is accessible by public transit.  And, buses and trains are on time, every time....to the minute!

Margaret made a great dinner of veal strips cooked in a mushroom cream sauce (traditional Swiss dish) followed by a berry cream/mascarpone dessert.

Margaret greeted us from her window.

Tom and Adam enjoying a cocktail! No, it's sparkly apple juice in a Heineken glass for Adam!

Peg, Kathi and Adam.

Tom taught the kids this fun trick with some classic Swiss candy!  It's not as easy as it may seem.

A fun game after dinner.

I must say, the kids continue to amaze me with their adventurous attitude about eating in Europe.  Unlike the States, we haven't come across one children's menu.  So, the kids eat whatever the adults eat and seem to be liking it.  Imagine that!  Kids eating food other than chicken fingers, pizza, or mac and cheese!  We Americans have it ALL wrong as far as this goes.  Also, the kids are over eating soft, squishy bread.  Most mornings while in Switzerland, they each had a piece of grainy brown bread spread with Nutella or jam. I guess if the choice is grainy bread or nothing...then, grainy bread it is!

The next morning, Margaret prepared a fabulous brunch for us -- meats, cheeses, breads, yogurt, muesli, soft or hard boiled eggs...a traditional Swiss feast.  After eating, the kids rode their scooters up and down Margaret's street in her very quiet town.  They discovered the home of a neighbor who kept the cutest long-eared rabbits.  They were funny looking (their ears dragged as they walked), but were very friendly and sweet.  Hannah knelt down and called them, and they hopped over to the fence for a little love.

The Sunday morning view from my bedroom window.  I woke up, opened the shutters and heard the clip clop of horse hooves and church bells.

Hannah and Kathi before brunch.

Hannah and Dan saying hello to the floppy-eared bunnies.

Riding scooters down the BIG hill was a thrill for the kids and a fright for me.

We sadly said goodbye to Kathi -- it was great spending a few days with her!  We took a quick walking tour of Roggwil, and then Mark led us via bus first to a nearby town situated on Lake Constance and then to an old Medieval city called Stein am Rhein for a quick tour.  It was a picture perfect little town -- on the Rhine River, of course.  We walked through the streets a bit, took some photos, and then headed back to the train.

A sad goodbye to Kathi as she headed back to Austria.  We can't wait to see her again -- maybe in the States next time?

Margaret's little town, Roggwil, is serene and picturesque.

Adam in Roggwil.

Adam and Hannah drinking from the town's fountain - a fixture in many Swiss towns that we visited.

Mark and Margaret planning our day!

Stein am Rein.  Notice the castle on the top of the hill behind the city.

Peg, Hannah, Terry, and Dan crossing the Rhine into Stein am Rhein.

Our tireless host.

Dan making a funny face in the center of town.

From there we travelled to Zurich.  Again, Mark led us around the town on a great walking tour.  Although I've flown into Zurich twice, I've never really seen the city.  I was incredibly impressed and would love to go back.  Zurich is a beautiful old city.  It's very hilly and situated on a river.  The winding  cobblestone streets give it an old-world feel, but it is cosmopolitan as well.  We saw trendy restaurants, high-end shops, and lots of young people.

Terry, Hannah and Peg with Lake Zurich in the background.

A fun part of the river park in Zurich!

Zurich at night.  If you look closely, you'll see a full moon to the left of the towers.

I'm trying to not post too many scenery photos, but I have to stick a few in.  This is in Zurich.

A game of Uno on the train back to Luzern -- it had to be close to midnight!  The kids are still on EST.

Monday was a quiet day.  We did a bit of laundry at Mark's before heading into town for a visit to the EF offices in Luzern (where Mark works and where EF Cultural Care offices are located.  Cultural Care is the organization that helped us find our ten fabulous au pairs) followed by a great lunch at the top of the Montana Hotel.

We sat outside on the roof deck, which had a great view of Luzern.  We were enjoying the gorgeous scenery and sunny day when a large gray storm cloud rolled in.  Before we knew what hit us, we were sitting under our huge patio umbrella in the middle of a torrential downpour.  By the time we realized how bad it was, it was too late to move.  So, we laughed and made the best of our soggy situation and tipped the waitress well for dodging raindrops as she ran to our table with our food!

Our friends at Cultural Care Au Pair in Luzern!

Mark under the EF flag on top of the building.

A great shot of our group overlooking Luzern.  This is taken from the EF building.

Lunch at the top of the Montana Hotel -- before the rain storm!

The highlight of the day had to be dinner.  Mark wanted the kids to experience Swiss traditions, so he took us to an ultra touristy, classic Swiss restaurant -- complete with a show of yodeling Swiss maids, Alpine horns, and cowbells!  We ate fondue, bratwurst, and rosti potatoes.  The kids weren't quite sure what to make of it -- but finally came around when Mark, Terry, and Adam got up and joined the conga line! (I know, doesn't sound too Swiss, but it sure was fun!).

Swiss cheese fondue.  The kids thought it was more fun making it than eating it.  The cheese was too strong for their tastebuds.

Alpine horns.  Heidi was there too!

The end of the conga line!

We left the next morning -- after a great send off from Tom and Mark.  Not only did we get a ride to the train station (us and ALL of our increasingly souvenir-laden bags!), we got a BIG bag full of pastries, which, by the way, served as breakfast, lunch....and even breakfast today on our first morning in Venice!

An early morning goodbye to Mark and Tom. See you in the States!