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| TASIS Christmas feast |
Christmas vacation began with a wonderful feast for all of
the teachers, white table clothes, candelabra, wine, and a delicious meal. True
to Swiss life, there were also pre and post holiday gatherings. The Birk’s
treated us to a German
holiday tradition--the feüerzangenbowle; a rum-soaked sugarloaf is set on fire
and then drips into a bowl of mulled wine.
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| On the way to Zurich |
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| On the way to Zurich |
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| On the way to Zurich |
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| Singing Christmas tree! Click the arrow on the photo below to hear some of the singing! |
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| Tree in the Christmas Market at the Zurich train station. |
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| Things the English book store in Zurich think that Americans miss from home! |
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| Como |
On Sunday, I went to Como, Italy to visit my Italian
teaching friend, Claudia. It was my first train adventure by myself. I was
completely confused when everyone got off the train in Chiasso, Switzerland. I
was told I needed to walk through customs and then take a bus to Como??????
Some very nice women helped me take the bus to the Como train station where
Claudia met me. We walked all around the historic parts of Como and by the
lake, absolutely beautiful! I think I ate the best pizza I’ve ever had and
drank hot chocolate so think and rich you had to “eat” it with a spoon!
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| Lake Como |
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| Hot chocolate so rich and thick you need to "eat" it with a spoon! |
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| Christmas in historic Como with Claudia |
When it was time to go back to Lugano I found out why the
train didn’t take me to Como. The Italian trains went on strike! The departure screen
showed all of the trains as cancelled! All I could think of was that I only had
12 hours before I had to leave for the airport to go home! Fortunately, Claudia
spoke to a person at the ticket counter. I had to buy a new ticket for a
regional train, which goes through Italy but is not an Italian train. I had
five minutes to buy my ticket and rush to the correct platform, whew; I made it
in the nick of time!
Friends are like family here, and I’m thankful for Zach who
picked me up at 6:00 am to take me to catch the bus to the Milan airport. My
trip home was rather unpleasant. First the flight was delayed an hour and a
half. Once in the air we were told we would be landing in London due to
communication/technical problems. We sat on the tarmac for a long time before
departing. Our flight landed at JFK five hours late and so I missed my
connections. I stood in line for more than two and a half hours to get
rebooked, but by then it was too late to get home that day. I arrived at a
hotel at 10:50 pm and left at 4:30 am to get to the airport againL,
but then the fun began! I took a city bus to my Mom’s apartment in St. Paul.
The look on her face when she opened the door was precious! I think it was
better that I knocked on her door at 10 am, rather than 11 pm. I wouldn’t have wanted to give her a heart
attack!
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| "That looks like my mom.....MOM!!!!! |
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| Becca shrieking for joy! |
Then I took the shuttle to Rochester and walked to Caribou where one of
Jen’s friends finagled her to go get some coffee. I was sitting by the
fireplace with my iPad filming her surprise when she said, “That looks like my
mom…..MOM!!!!!!!!” Priceless! So then we went “shopping” at Wal-Mart until
Becca spotted me and shrieked with delight and jumped for joy! I have that
moment captured thanks to Jen.
Then we snatched the dogs and drove back to Minneapolis to
surprise Ben. The excuse was that Jen had to bring a computer cord that she had
accidently taken from him when she visited him on the way home from school. Jen
arranged to meet Ben at Noodles for dinner. Too many windows there though, so
Ben found me before I saw him. I didn’t get to see the expression when he saw
me, but his hug sure was good!
Tricia was the only one who knew I was coming; she couldn’t
understand why she couldn’t visit and travel with me around Switzerland for
Christmas. I couldn’t think fast enough and ended up telling her I was coming
home. She did a wonderful job keeping the secret, even when my Mom was very sad
and worried about Christmas without me.
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| "Merry Christmas!" |
I had bought and wrapped all my Christmas presents in
August, so my time home was very relaxing….lots of just being with my kids and
baking. I love Christmas cookies! It was wonderful surprising friends at Gage
and Flapdoodles. The get together with all of my biking friends was great. I’m
grinning right now with the fond memories.
My flight back went well, and I even got a ride up from the
bus station. It was a good thing because I came back with way more than I left
with – picture frames and photos of my kids, Peanut M&M’s, and little
things I missed from home that are hard to get here. I had been in transit for
22 hours, and hadn’t even been back for an hour when the phone rang from a
friend asking if I wanted to go biking. We went on a short ride and then went
up the Bargengo hill that is a Cat 1 climb, what a great way to end the year! I
think it was a good cure for jet lag! We rode up Barbengo again today, what a
great way to start the New Year!
I am very fortunate to be teaching at TASIS; I really enjoy
it here! We don’t start school until the 7th, and so I hope to get
in short trip somewhere and a few bike rides. We had about a foot of snow the
last day of school, but it’s all melted now. The temperature is forecast to be
in the 40s and 50s this week :)
Happy New Year! I hope you’re blessed with happiness, good
friends, good health, and new adventures!
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| Next best thing to having my kids with me! |
