Sunday, March 27, 2011

Speeding and Camera's and Ticket's - Oh My!

I was reminded about another transition we'll have in returning to the States - Driving.

I was reading an article re: Highway camera's being used in a few selective locations in the US and the controversy that accompanies them. Some have been removed because it gives the "impression" that the camera's are just there to generate revenue. In spite of the fact that statistic's prove there are fewer vehicle collisions and fatalities when camera's are in use. Oh, and most of the people complaining are those who received tickets.

The camera's in these highway circumstances give advance warning (signs on the road) and there is a "give" or "cushion" built in so that a ticket is not triggered for going a bit over: in an example, a ticket was issued for going 81 in a 70 zone (with a warning sign preceding the camera trigger). Plus, no ticket is enforced when there is doubt re: the driver.

I can't find the url of the article right now or I'd link it. But it got me thinking. I have no problem with this type of camera setup. Maybe I've become immune living in Switzerland. There are camera's all over the place.

Unlike the UK, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, etc..., Switzerland does NOT post a warning sign with it's highway radar camera's: Nor with the local radar boxes (we have one right down the street), nor the temporary ones they hide ever-so-often on a well trafficked road, NOR in street intersections. Considering the speed limit on the Highway (Autobahn) is 120 (75mph), there isn't really a need to go much faster (most of the time!).

Except I like to drive fast so I'll push it a little on certain stretches. And if safety is improved by enforcing speed limits, is that so bad? The camera's are cheaper than people. The US is so large and widespread, how can cities/counties/states expect to improve safety when they can't afford the manpower? How is it violating rights when that someone is already violating the law?

I've received 5 love letters from various Cantonal Polizei divisions since we moved here. Nothing too painful - smallest was for going 2km over the "cushion" limit and largest for going 95km on the Autobahn when the limit was still 80km (I thought it had already switched to 100km) - 7 over the cushion.

I've not had a love letter in 2.5 years now and I don't intend to get one in the next 3 months. I stick to "round about the limit" and think about my girls who walk/cross the streets here - and I want others to stick to the limit too. I'm a rule follower - most of the time. But I do like to drive fast. One more trip planned to Germany before the move!

Right turns, traffic lights, traffic circles, right of way and pedestrian traffick all have their nuances too. There are aspects of some that I'll miss but overall look forward to getting back to "my normal."

Hey - I didn't bring up the school parking lot. Still verboten in our house. There was an incident shortly after my last post re: the school parking lot - fortunately no one was hurt.

So - all that said, I will miss flying down the Autobahn with the mountains in the distance and the green hills surrounding me. I love how in Spring, all the 'fair weather' cars come out of their garages (similar to cold weather States). The neighbor has her little Porsche all cleaned up, the Aston Martins, Ferrari's and Maserati's hum by and well, Bart cleaned and vacuumed ours before his near departure. My Volvo that I love even though I said I'd never have a Volvo back when I was young and single.

What is the regular speed limit on the highway in CA now? AND How long before I get a love letter from the CHP do you think? It would be a first. :)

Friday, March 25, 2011

Last Ski Day?

Oh - Where has the time gone? Has it really been a week since I last posted?

I've been on a round of showing the house, cleaning the house to show the house, various other appointments and "leaving" events as Bart is soon to take to the land of sunny skies and mild seasons.

I'll share our last family weekend in the mountains. Boo Hoo! And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. We planned a nice 2 day/night outing to Davos - first place we ever went as a family to ski. Bart was busy but managed to arrange things so we could go.

We went up on a Friday night anticipating a nice meal at our hotel with a reservation at the favorite Italian trattoria (Romeo & Juliet) for Saturday night. Glad everyone enjoyed their meal on Friday:
As this was our poor Rachel on Saturday:
Please note!: bucket was NEVER USED! She had complained of stomach cramps before and when we all thought back later, we all probably had some version of this over the course of the preceding week - no symptoms except painful aches and then Rachel did happen to run a fever with it. It wasn't our dinner.
It was decided that we shouldn't waste the beautiful day entirely and that Susan & Kendra would do some skiing while Bart stayed with Rachel. BooHoo. Look at this:
Absolutely perfect blue skies and we knew all that was waiting for us in Zurich was the grey gloom. So Kendra and I got ourselves ready and headed up the ParsennBahn. It was deelightful. But not toooo delightful as we were missing Bart & Rachel. But the snow was really, really good. We hadn't had many really, really good snow days this year. I was still conflicted about having so much fun skiing with the other half stuck in a hotel room. I've begged forgiveness.
And I'm still upset that Bart has never seen this:
Although he's seen it from the other side of the valley (Jacobshorn side) so I guess it's OK.
Have I said how much fun Kendra and I had? She even convinced me to ski in the snowpark - jumps, chutes, etc... Which was fine until I got to the top of the first jump and as I should have been lifting off suddenly thought "What the heck am I doing?!!!! I haven't done this for 20 years!!!" Thus leaning back when taking flight, instead of staying forward. Fortunately. Fortunately, I didn't actually fall (even Kendra will say "well, you didn't really fall") but chose to slowly continue my lean back approach and slid myself to a stop sitting on my right side. It would be hard to say I "stuck the landing" but neither did I blow it. Needless to say, in interest of preserving my future career in skiing, I let Kendra do her penguin jumps and I skiied around them.
She then asked if we could ski to the bottom - into Davos. Oi. My knees didn't like this run last time. She convinced me that if my knees were feeling good at the end of our day that we would do the run. They were still good.
This is Kendra 2 years ago ready for the run into Davos (note - we had a LOT of snow that year so she actually looks taller in this pic):
And this year (last year with this ski jacket :( but she has THE coolest helmet ):
I treasured the time with her. We ended up packing up and saying goodbye to the hotel (and $$$) but were glad to get home as Rachel did start running a fever. She was fine by the next day!
There is so much going on and we are making the best of our family moments until Bart goes - we join him shortly thereafter for some house hunting.
That was probably our last ski bit in Switzerland during our residence here. It was a good one.
You could say it agreed with me:

Friday, March 18, 2011

Ice! and Water

Ice? you say. Yes, today's exciting topic is ice. Not ice on the ground thank goodness. Ice in your beverages.

I've been thinking about all the differences between our life here in Switzerland and what life was like/is like in the United States. We'll have spent 5 years in another country and no matter how "Western" it is - there are differences.

As our move back to the States approaches, many people ask "What are you going to miss?" "What aren't you going to miss?" "What will be the biggest adjustment?"

I can't answer any of those questions specifically. Not in one sentence. I wouldn't dream of condensing a whole 5 years of experience into a single statement. There is a long list of differences/experiences/behaviors that one can compare and contrast. Without picking favorites. OK, well, maybe there are a few favorites.

I decided the best way to go about this is to pick the various topics and have short posts about them individually. Some with pictures and some without. Some will be emotional and some frivolous. Topics such as: housing, kissing, chocolate, measurement & time, driving, etc... If you have a question surrounding a topic, please leave a suggestion in the comments or email me and I will add it to the list.

Ice. We have several small ice trays in our freezer. A month may go by without ever cracking an icecube out of a tray. I have to remember to empty and fill them ever so often because ice gets icky after a while if not refreshed. Especially in a freezer that requires defrosting every 6 months.

We drink our water cold but not iced. We drink our soda beverages straight. We like it cold but do you realize how watered down your drink gets with ice in it? :)

When ordering at the local McDonald's last week (a lunch date with Rachel), I was asked if I wanted ice in my drink. I ordered in German but my "cheeseburger" pronunciation gave me away. The young man switched to English immediately and asked about the ice. This happens elsewhere ever so often. They hear the American accent and automatically assume we want ice in our beverage even though they aren't serving it to others.

And the size! This picture is awful of the girls but when they set these "regular" soda's in front of us last summer in Minnesota, we looked in shock at those big glasses. We could have split 2 of those for the 4 of us. They were as big as Kendra's head (doesn't she look mad! heehee she's ok, just bad timing). Needless to say - we got our fill of Root Beer that day. How long will it take to re-adjust to the ice? We'll probably have an ice-maker in the frost-free freezer of our future home - wow!

But water? Free water at a restaurant? That I look forward to. It will save some $$ on the restaurant bill! $4-$6 per person. Except for the San Pelligrino - I do like my sparkling mineral water. Chilled. Not iced.

Cheers!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

And so it's over until next year.....

Confetti in the street drains from the night before: Streets into town closed off for safe pedestrian travel:
It's 1 o'clock in the afternoon and there are places to go:
But, but - it's not Halloween! Is it?
Fred and Wilma are on their way:
But it seems the night before was a bit hard on the Boomtebooms and they are no where to be found with their souped up wheels chairs (that is NOT a saline bag on that IV stand!):

A few hardy souls getting a start on the evening's activities with music so loud you can't hear yourself think (aka why the street is otherwise deserted):
I haven't been into town this morning but my guess is - the streetsweepers were busy at work come midnight to remove all evidence of fun and frivolity:
Fastnacht(Carnival) is over! Whew! No more loud music and monkeys dancing in the street. It's entertaining - I'll have to give you that. But over the course of 3 days you become a bit bemused by grown men in elaborate costume, lounging at tables on the sidewalks and drinking at all hours of the day.
Are you confused that we had an end to "Carnival" this Monday? When Ash Wednesday was last week? It takes a bit to get used to but as we know, Switzerland likes it's uniqueness. One of which relates to the religious orientation of each Canton (state/county). After the "wars of the Reformation" period died down, the Cantons of Switzerland determined themselves whether they were Catholic or Protestant. It has remained this way and thus, many holidays are determined by whether you are in a Catholic or Protestant Canton (ex. Zurich, a Protestant canton does not take All Saints Day off as the Catholic Cantons do).
I have not been able to get anyone to tell me WHY the Protestants hold the Fastnacht/Carnival period out longer than the Catholics do. Was is out of spite long ago? Does it follow a pagan tradition calendar? It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Protestant Reform Church in Switzerland at all. But it's what they do. One neighbor said "it is so the people can be disguised and act ridiculous without revealing themselves." Hmmmm. That actually explains alot and makes sense once you've lived here long enough.
Our town celebrates over 3 days each year, starting Friday night and ending at midnight on Monday night. There are events and Bands (brass) scheduled throughout. The sounds have been carrying up the hill and it has been noisy! It's marching bands without the football game - for hours. The pictures above are before and after the "Kinder Umzug" or the Children's Parade. Monday was a half-day for all of Wadenswil and the Children all come in their costumes (this is their Halloween) and parade through town and throw confetti in the afternoon.
I must say - the costumes are incredible. I had other business so did not stay to watch the Parade :( and as I'm not about to take the girls into town in the evening for the drink-fest, I have no pictures other than the few above. Trust me! They are incredible. Whole groups of people coordinate their costumes and the band costumes are always elaborate. Fun to watch. Scratch my head. Why do they do this again?

Enjoy the quiet once more.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Weekend Blessings & Kids in Church

This picture - Chicken Pot Pie - has nothing to do with today's post. The girls love to see it come out of the oven all puffy and Kendra insisted on a picture. It was really good. There's always a little left-over for my lunch the next day. :) Weekend Blessings:

1) our good friend, ski buddy and Dental Hygienist who is Japanese emailed everyone this morning. Very thankful that her 15.5 yr old niece and the older nephew are safe and home now. The niece was on a day trip with school to Disneyland Tokyo. The Park immediately closed and kept all school groups inside until they could be safely relocated to school facilities nearby and then eventually transported to their own communities. With cell services compromised and train service stopped, this was hard on families waiting to hear about their children. Her nephew was working in the city and was able to buy a bike and biked his way home - he normally takes the train - it was a very long bike ride.

I'm sure there are many stories out there of similar nature. And many people grieving as well. Praying for all those still waiting to hear where family and friends are, the humanitarian efforts, all military personnel and those trying to contain potential nuclear disasters. It's surreal.


2) Talked to my sister in Hawaii. So happy to hear that J's (one of the new twins) hearing loss has certainly not increased and may in fact be improving - no promises but things are going well!


3) My bro-in-law (HI) had some tests done too - brain is working great! We could have told the Dr's that! Anyway, many improvements are being made in the treatment of Parkinson's and we are very hopeful that he can proceed with a desired treatment course.


4) Showed the house for the 1st time. They are Swiss and would prefer to buy vs rent but, Hey, my house is clean so I can play. Or do the filing which I really need to tackle. Hmmm - Play and make chocolate chip cookies!

5) Rachel finished her Science project which included a model of an atom. Silly mom forgot to get a pic before she took it off to school this morning. During the process of making the model, we realized that one thing we will be thankful for in returning to the US is: all-in-one craft stores. Big ones! (Michael's, JoAnn's Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, etc....) As usual, we had to visit 2 stores to get the necessary supplies - this happens when sewing projects come up too, remember? One store to buy the fabric and then another to buy the thread and other notions.

6) Good friends. We had a lovely afternoon with friends at the Thermal Baths in Baden. And High Tea afterwards - substituting "Doppelrahm" from Gruyere for Clotted Cream on the scones - yummy. The baths are a kick! The indoor pool is about 35C and the outdoor pool about 38C. There are "jet" stations all around the pool at various heights (feet, calves, back, etc....) and there is a chime and lights which blink when it is time for everyone to move from the jet they're currently on to the next station. It's funny to see the whole pool "rotate" at the chime but you get to experience all the different jets - no jet hogs allowed!

7) Good husband and a good deal. I bought a piece of furniture, a sofa, last week. Yes, right before we move. I think I got a good deal. Anyway, on our way home from Baden last night we call to let the sellers know what time we'll be home so they can deliver. The wife says "oh, if you're close, you can come and your husband can help mine get it into our truck and then my husband can follow you home." See - she bought a new sofa for their TV room and the old sofa (antique that they were using in their TV room) was now in her atelier/studio. She wanted it OUT! and put it on the school website at a great price which included delivery. So I said "yes, we can swing by and help." So I now have a sofa sitting in my garage waiting for it's trip to the US. Thank you dear husband. I think Bart and the other husband maybe had some words together about their crazy wives but I haven't heard much so far. Not sure if that's good or......

Kids in Church

In January, we had an evening of delightful entertainment from our young people at church - Living Psalms of Praise. There were participants from ages 3 to about 16: singing, reading, violin, piano and dance/song. I think it surprised us all as to the willingness and talent that arrived that evening. Even my eldest surprised me.

A key lesson taken away from the evening for our church was the importance of letting the children have an avenue to display their talents at the church. Personally, I started at 6 years old! We had a small church and there was opportunity to share ones musical talents with the church. I speak primarily from the music side of church services - it's pretty much what I know.

Most of the musicians (vocal & instrumental) I've worked with over the past 10 years all have roots in small churches where they were able to develop their talents and presence in front of an audience at church. I would never have dreamed when I was my girls age that I would end up serving as a part-time Music Leader.

We don't know, of all those willing children in our church, who will be asked to serve as adults - or in what capacity. What a great opportunity to see them grow, learn, share and gain confidence before others.

I'll share a few pic's - I wasn't able to get a pic of Kendra at the piano but she also read Psalm 121:

Rachel played "Wonderous Love" with our friend D accompanying on piano:
Rachel and her friend G sang "Above All" :
So proud and blessed by all of the children at our church - including my own.
"Then the little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:13-14
Peace be with you.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

SkiWeek 2011 - Eats & Animals

As I start this post, I must first share what the "I don't want to move" child said the following day: "I can't wait to move, 'cause then......."

See? Up and down. Thank you for all your kind comments and suggestions. One day at a time.

However, we are wringing enjoyment out of each day as it comes. A lot of pictures again today. I have a picture problem/addiction but often feel that is the best way to describe the experience. I know I enjoy the pic's of others.

One doesn't think "animals" when going for a week skiing. However, with snowfall not to be found and some beautiful sunny days, a country that lives amongst it's livestock will invariably let them out for some fresh air when reasonable.

Now - this little guy isn't alive but considering the obsessive nature of Swiss woodpiles/stacking, I thought this was very fun and clever. This Gent is flashy - a Dapper Dan - a Dandy:
He was out keeping his ladies in line and the other Roosters away - including us:

Ducks were out on their semi-frozen pond enjoying the sun:
The cows and calfs were out of the barn enjoying some fresh air. This precious baby (no teeth yet) liked my hand as well as the saltlick. I couldn't get the girls to let it (looks like a her but I forget) lick their hand. Chickens! Could have left them there in the coop.....
There were more sweet babies! We saw at least 4 newborns in the shed here. The farmers keep them cooped up during the winter except for sunny days - warm in the sun.
And a couple of Ibex were grazing near our rest stop - not close enough for a good pic but you can see the horns:
OK - not a live animal. I would have put him in my bag but he was too big. Perhaps the owners would miss him. Perhaps I will find one of my own.
Now on to the FOOD! I can't fix this picture - it's staying sideways. This was Bart's lasagne for our Valentine's dinner out. It came looking like a giant puff pastry. The server cut off the top crust and it became the bottom layer. On top of it she scooped the layers of cheese, sauce and parma ham? Didn't expect the ham but Bart said it was very tasty. Most interesting looking lasagne we've run across.
Here's a typical lunch out while skiing: wienerli (linked hotdogs/sausages), bratwurst, french fries and whatever the soup of the day is - usually vegetable or barley (always tasty). There are some other favorite lunchtime meals like Roesti and Alpermagrone but no pic's today.
Another soup - special of Mary's Cafe. I have not doctored this photo - that is GREEN soup. Fitting for Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham I think.
At last. The Main Event. Fondue. Just the girls and I because Bart doesn't care for fondue. We LOVE it. Please take note of the bowl of potatoes - Kendra let us have some. She eats them straight - loves them! I like to drizzle mine with a little fondue cheese.....
With every fondue meal comes the traditional pickled onions and well, pickles:
The end of the fondue. Scraped every bit o' cheese out. I even ate the garlic cloves. The girls tried to scrape the bottom cheese layer up - very tasty and it's part of the fondue "culture" so is not poor manners - but it just would not lift.
Me - I got a new hat. Like I need one for the Bay Area.....................
Glorious Evening:
Air is so clear:
Enjoying a break:


Love each and every moment:
In spite of little bumps, this was a terrific week and I'm so glad that we were able to take the opportunity to go once more. And look how big those girls are getting - Rachel and I are almost eye to eye. She can't wait!
Now - to go shoosh the birds out of my blinds again. I understand they need nests but another location would be more desirable........... Shoo!

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Editorial Comments for the Day

It is March. Already. I wasn't anticipating a speedy arrival but it's here.

The sun is shining today. In Zurich. Let us give thanks.

Yesterday saw the Swiss AirForce racing through the skies time and time again. Wonder how long it takes them to circle the country? 20, 30 minutes? :) Today - it's helicopters. This all equates to noise.

Why does Middle School have to be so hard? At times, I think boys would have been easier. Yet, my parents survived 3 girls!

One of my children has declared "I don't want to move." I told you this would be an up and down ride.

Had an awesome day of Bible study - Paul has been imprisoned and the Romans aren't impressed with his exhortations of self-control. Considering I am working on adjusting/changing some eating habits - convicting and encouraging all at the same time.

We need a new bed. Slept on the guest bed for 2 nights and I feel, oh - so much better. Asked Bart yesterday what's the first thing to buy once we have a house. Bart: "A TV?" Susan: "So you're going to sleep on the floor but at least you'll have a TV?" Bart: "weeellll, yeah. I guess I buy a bed next?" Priorities.

Kendra continues to outscore me in Scrabble even though my words are more "complex." My take from this - "big, simple words rule." In Scrabble at least. I've got to beat her!!!!!!!!!

I saw a flock of geese flying North today. Spring is coming!

I really need to get off the computer now and get something done...............

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

SkiWeek 2011 - Skiing, Skating and ???

Our last Ski Week in Switzerland. :(

Not to say that we won't come back and ski - for a week even. However, this is the last "official" Sportfereien (sport holiday aka Ski Week) during attendance at school in Switzerland. I've mentioned in years past that this is a regular school holiday in Switzerland (local schools have 2 weeks off, Int'l school takes 1 week). Have I said how much I will miss the school schedule here? I WILL MISS the school schedule here.

I may put sad faces on things we miss but there is much anticipation and excitement about returning to our home country too. There are happy faces coming too. And you get to come along on our up and down ride.

We chose to return to Wengen to spend our week. Tired of it yet? We're not. If it made ANY sense, I'd be looking to buy a little apartment or something here. But it doesn't right now. We are moving to the wrong Coast.

I love how the buildings at Kleine Scheidegg mimick the peak of the Eiger: Bart was able to come up with us at the beginning of our week. Since you have to park in Lauterbrunnen and put all your stuff on the train up - 2 ski bags, 2 boot bags, 3 suitcases and 4 backpacks - he comes in very, very handy!

Here they are at the top of the Maennlichen Bahn and ready to take off on a beautiful day:
There had been no significant snowfall for approximately 2-3 weeks so the pistes were pretty much hard packed and icy in spots. Great learning experience for all during the week. The girls learned how to read the pistes/run's really well, stay on top of their skiis on the ice and, well, with no snow coming - we had some awesome weather. Sunscreen was in order. If you've been watching any WorldCup Ski Events in Europe lately, you'll notice how there's often snow on the runs only. We were a little luckier than than - a little.
There is something for everyone in the Jungfrau Region - skiing, ice skating, snow shoeing, sledging (Crazy!!!), cross-country, hiking, curling: Yes, curling. A riveting sport (joke) and the curling rink is always busy in Wengen (not a joke). I refuse to go sledging based on the number of people I see take flight face-first off of them. Oh, and you use your legs/feet as brakes. I don't think so. I think the wooden sledges are a nice ornament. That's it.

We opted for no Ski School this year either. That gave the girls and I a lot of flexibility - to sleep in and hit the slopes whenever we felt like it. OK - not quite that dramatic. They both ski well and we wanted to explore and have fun so that's what we did. We skiied all over the mountains and there was no rush to catch the Ski School train, pick them up, listen to them be tired and not want to ski with me - We had a great time.
Our first day getting back was interesting. The apartment we rented worked best (meaning we didn't have to take skiis off and hike through town at all) if we went up the Maennlichen Bahn, skiied around the back of the mountain and returned by skiing down from Kleine Scheidegg (the 4 km run - WhooHoo!). But the lack of snow had forced a closure of certain parts of the trail.
We found ourselves crisscrossing the mountain by way of skiing from one chairlift to the other to the Lauberhorn lift (Lauberhorn as in THE downhill run - World Cup - bells and all) and bypassing the race route to the portion of the Wengen run to town. Then we hit the gates that cut our trail off. So I'm proud to say that my girlies have skiied the bottom portion of the Lauberhorn Race piste. To another chairlift that eventually got us back on route. They actually started moving snow via trucks so that the Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen route was more easily accessible. :)
One of my girlies is very intuitive and just seems to get stuff. She surprises us all the time with her sense of humor and innate intelligence. Where did she come from?

There she is playing in the snow:
WHAT????????
Yes, Where did she come from??????
None of us are ice skaters. But the girls love to get out there and circle around and practice whatever tricks they feel competent at. Rachel does pretty good out there. They have ice skating at the local outdoor rink for PE during the winter for a couple of weeks. The girls love to push each other (and mom & dad) around in these chairs.
I keep thinking there are more stories to share but I don't think we have all that much time and space. Guess I'm slightly addicted to the view:
This was a quiet day - Wednesday. Due to weather, a lot of people took a break. Speaking of quiet - our Break fell a week earlier than most of the UK's half term and the Netherlands and most of Switzerlands. So it was not crowded at all! Last year was crazy and we enjoyed the change that came with this year's trip.
At Kleine Scheidegg - meeting point of trains coming up from Lauterbrunnen/Wengen and Grindelwald as well as the starting point for the train up to the Jungfraujoch. Everyone catches the train up and then heads out to their favorite runs. Note: see them crossing the bare tracks on skiis. Not a good idea if the tracks are warm from the trains.....think about what it does to the wax. Not that it's ever happened to me...................... (ski instructor in red below - carrying his skiis!)
One of the highlights of the skiing was just one run - similar to skiing the bottom of the Lauberhorn - the Eigernorwand piste. Unfortunately, Rachel was back at the apartment with a fever and Kendra and I did this our last day. It's been open for just over a year and I didn't make it last year because 1) I was skiing alone a bit and 2) my knee was really bothering me last year. This lift has 3 black expert and 1 red intermediate run that then join another run that turns into blue beginner. Kendra and I picked red. She did awesome. I forgot my camera!!! :( But we took the big, orange bubble lift and happy to say we did.
Here it is from the train looking up - at the right of the top lift station is the Eiger Hotel. We saw the lift stantions being installed during summer hiking trips so it was cool to ride and ski the finished product.
We enjoyed our week and believe it or not - I have more to share. There's eating and animals. Animals? Yes. Animals.
I will say we miss Bart when he has to go home to work. And when kids get sick and I pack everything up and head down the hill myself - minus one suitcase. I don't get much sympathy considering the 'whole circumstances' but a girl can try?