November 26, 2015

Of all the times I have raised/lowered/opened/closed the shades in Europe, of course this time (in front of my kids) I completely get them off the track (or whatever they are on) and they are jimmied half-on/half off and couldn’t be lowered.  Everyone slept deeper this time with no mid-night wakes and it took quite some time to get Mags and Ethan up the next morning.  Ethan’s slothiness is more present than usual, lately.  

There was no snow in the city, but the surrounding hills had plenty.  I wrote to the Montessori school I saw yesterday and thanked them for their time, I also got in touch with my prior school again.  The prior school said next time we would meet, the Montessori school said it was also their pleasure, please send in docs asap.  I also contacted Ladina, my childhood friend, and we decided to meet at one for lunch.  Her office is in the area we had explored the day before yesterday when looking for adaptors and walking around….  Funny how this time, my visit has been in this particular area of Zurich.   Ladina told me how brave she thought me for trying to move here – that she hadn’t really thought I was going to do it, and yet…now that I’m here, I find I’m a little  afraid.  I LOVE THIS TOWN.  I love the area, buildings, the feelings I get, the smells…and yet…where do I belong?  WHERE is the place where I will feel I am “home”?  I do not like it where I live now – I never really have and I have been there 13 years…it’s time for a change, I think.

After we met with Ladina, we headed back to the hotel for a brief minute which turned into a 30 minute face-in-the-pillow-I-just-can’t-move-anymore rest period.  All this walking has done bad things to my body, which isn’t aided by chocolate and cheese as I’m giving myself the gift of extra weight to lose.  The next plan was to go exchange money and visit Sprüngli (which the kids found to be too expensive) and find a café so I could sip some coffee and we would play cards.  We found a lovely little bar, sat down and played some cards as we sipped on hot chocolate (them) and coffee (me).  I smiled at every person that walked past us and only one person, a woman, returned my smile.  I’ve noticed this.  Not a lot of happy faces around here, which saddens me.  They live here!!!  How could they not be overjoyed??

Our next adventure was the Raclette Stube for our Thanksgiving Day meal, but I know my kids and was concerned they wouldn’t like it very much, so I ordered them the appetizer plates.  I was raised on this stuff and didn’t care for it very much myself as a kid (especially fondue with kirsch…hated that).  Sure enough, they weren’t crazy about it, but I went to town and loved the raclette better on pearl onions, cornichon and the baby corn than on the potatoes.  Of course, the pearl onions went flying everywhere as I tried to stab it with my fork, of course I found the spear after I was almost finished.  It’s just another chapter in my book of grace.   As we walked back, I wondered quietly: when the hell am I going to meet someone that I can share my life with?  I am, at times, exceptionally sad to be alone and right now is one of those times.  My own daughter wonders why I’m not dating anyone….  Am I too weird?  Too extreme?  Too independent?  I don’t get it…I’d date me.

Back to the hotel to play Joker.  The ice-skating will wait until tomorrow after we go to the Landes Museum.  It has been another lovely day in Paradise, and I STILL can’t believe we are here.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Pics 'n Flicks: The kids work to keep their balance as the tram shifts; Zurich Burgmeister Hans Waldmann, 1489; Playing cards; We troop to Raclette Stube; A familiar site in Zurich - Campari.  Two movies from yesterday's skating adventure I forgot to post.