Some Thoughts from Terry on Switzerland & Venice

We're on the go from a mountain top reached by rail to swimming in a lake, a dinner of raclette, being with, in turn, two aupairs, walking hilly Luzern and for that matter hills signal everywhere in Switzerland, including Zurich where Mark toured us on Sun evening.  Train ride of 7 hrs to Venice with the company of word search, beautiful scenery, Suduko, napping, water and a cheese sandwich.


Venice is sunny, busy to us, but not our landlady who told us Venice is too quiet.  BOys use their scooters with delight on the piazzas and paths.  Hannah too sometimes. Crowds on the vaporetto, but the kids do beautifully.  Training on the #1 subway reaps benefits.


About to have pizza in Venice and we'll see how it is rates to Sal and Carmine's.  I've already voted, but the kids are withholding their Zagat review until they taste it.


The trip goes well.  Seeing everything takes on an extra light, as we see H, D and A take it in. They go with the moment. A hotdog in Switzerland means a chunky sausage in half a baguette with catsup at the bottom.


They taste almost everything and the winner the other evening at the home of Tom's mother was smoked lake trout (delicious for the adults) and gobbled up by Hannah and Dan.  One counted 7 pieces and another 5 that they happily ate during the pre-dinner snacks.  Zabar's could not match the quality! Magrit, Tom's mom told us it was made by a neighbor just done the street in the small village where she lives.

Three Days in Venice

After a long train ride with two stops -- one in Switzerland about 25 minutes outside of Luzern and one in Milan -- we arrived in Venice on Tuesday afternoon.

Dan doing his crossword puzzles on the train to Venice.

One quick observation about Swiss vs. Italian trains.  Although we never changed trains after entering into Italy, we knew we had crossed the border.  It was remarkable.  While in Switzerland, the train was running smoothly and on time....to the minute!  Upon entering Italy, the train slowed down...then stopped.  We heard an announcement about mechanical problems and that we were going to be delayed by about five minutes.  We started moving, then slowed again.  This went on and on....and we arrived into Milan about 45 minutes late.  Luckily, we had an hour to make our connection in Milan, so we had 15 minutes to spare!

Hannah and a Venetian mask.

Getting to our flat was a chore. Our bags seem to be getting heavier and lugging them from the train and onto the Vaporetto and then again through the streets (and up and down several sets of steps over bridges) to our building was quite a journey.

After settling in we went for an early dinner.  The kids enjoyed pasta.  Terry and I shared a Caprese salad, pasta with small, tender clams, and we each had Bronzino -- Mediterranean sea bass, and of course, wine.  One of the things I love most about Europe is the ability to quickly (within a few hours) switch from one culture to another.  We went from Rosti potatoes and bratwurst to pasta con vongole.

Adam enjoying his spaghetti pomodoro.

Piazza San Marco was our next stop.  The boys brought their scooters to dinner and loved riding around in the open space of the square.  Hannah smiled a HUGE grin when Nona gave her some Euros to buy a glass bead bracelet (and today the bracelet is paired with glass earrings!).

The boys riding their scooters before dinner.

Yesterday was a warm and sunny day in Venice, but despite going to bed early, we caught up on much needed sleep in the morning and didn't get out of the apartment until early afternoon! We missed breakfast (and coffee!) and went straight for lunch at a hotel cafe across the street. We all had pizza -- the kids declared, "If Sal & Carmines is 10, this is 12," "It's a mile better," and, according to Adam, "It's the same."  (Perhaps Adam, at age 8, has not yet developed his taste buds to thoroughly appreciated the nuances between NYC pizza and Venetian pizza) So, there you go....pizza is pretty tasty in Italy!

Adam and his scooter in front of our flat.

Hannah and Webby, our landlord's dog.  We miss Nellie!

Our resident wash maids doing their chores!  This trip isn't all glamour and glitz, after all.

The kids weren't up to touring historical sites, so we took the Vaporetto to the Lido -- the beach on the Adriatic Sea.  The beach was crowded and the water was warm.  All three kids enjoyed a swim while Nona and Peg relaxed.  I stood at the water's edge watching with an eagle eye.  Mark -- you'll be glad to learn that none of the children has grown an extra appendage as a result of swimming in "dirty Venice water."  Actually, the water looked quite clean...and judging from the crowds of swimmers on the beach with us, it's a common pastime for the locals in the warmer months.

Swimming in the sea.

A gelato after our day at the Lido.

A view of Venice from the Vaporetto.

The view from our flat.

Hannah and Dan waiting for our pizza to arrive.  Dan is already in the Italia mood with his "football" shirt.

Today we awoke to huge rain and thunder showers that have continued throughout the day. We've taken it easy....a walk to a local cafe for a coffee, some scootering around the neighborhood, and a few games of Bananagrams and Uno.  Oh, and we saw a HUGE cruise ship coming into Venice harbor from our street.  The boys were impressed, and Dan declared that next year for his birthday he wants to go on a cruise in the Mediterranean!

The boys loved riding their scooters in the rain.  I was terrified they'd ride straight into the canal!

A GIANT cruise ship at the end of our street.

Great dinner tonight in a small restaurant that served more than the standard pasta and pizza. Hannah, my mom and Terry all had pumpkin lasagna, for example.  We missed out on gelato after dinner -- many shops close on the early side in our neighborhood.  So, we came home and packed our bags for our afternoon flight tomorrow from Venice to Dusseldorf, Germany where we'll meet Eva, our au pair in 2009.

Arrivederci Venezia!

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!