Show 'N Tell Time

Whenever the Rosenthal girls get together and do a little shopping there is this ritual of "Show 'N Tell". I think it has been passed down over generations. Since this rarely happens, we have to make a big deal out of it. We take turns showing each other what we bought that day, even though we both already know what's in each others bag. Still fun. After each bag is emptied and each thread of clothing displayed, we continue talking about what good deals we found and how amazing we are for finding such great clothes. Plus, there is an underlying game where whoever gets the best deal...wins! Good times.

The door buzzed this afternoon with a little treat from die Post. Mom had been at the mall one day awhile back and we were chatting on AIM as she is describing the gems she is finding play-by-play. How jealous am I? What? Lucky jeans. On sale. Cute hoodies. No. And, for next to nothing.

The course of the conversation changes directions from Mom looking at clothes to Mom looking at clothes...for me. I start listing off things I don't want to spend a gizillion dollars on out here and she starts finding deals on everything. Jeans. Check. Gap Body underwear on sale for next to nothing. Check. Sweatshirt wrap-around thingy.  Check.

Aren't Moms the best?!

So, even though Mom isn't here to do the beloved "Show 'N Tell", this post feels like a good substitute. Mom even managed to find a little somethin'-somethin' for Stella Bella. She is in heaven. Check out the video below. Love you, Mom.

Prague-o-rama

Now that I am realizing that this blog isn't going to write itself, I better at least post some pictures of our trip to Prague a few weeks back. How bad am I? You would think a hausfrau could find a few minutes our of her busy schedule to write a simple blog post...but, I guess you would be wrong.

Prague was amazing. This was my first time venturing over to the east side of Europe and I am already looking forward to going back again. Mom and I lucked out that Josh had a "hackathon" (basically a nerd fest) for a few days in Praha which gave us just the excuse to meet him there. We actually went a couple days before he was finished nerding it up and then he met us for a couple days of touring. I promised this time not to see everything before him like on our trip to Hamburg. Naughty wife.

I thought I had done so good finding us an apartment instead of a hotel to stay in while we were there. Cheaper. Bigger. Better location. Think again. If you enjoy coming home to a frat party going on right above your apartment then you would have loved where we were staying. What a first night. After a great day walking all over the city, eating goulash with bread dumpling, drinking Pilsner Urquell, we got to spend the night calling the apartment management complaining about the noise over head. Thank goodness the boys moved out the next day and then all we could do was wonder about the funky beds and the "wireless" internet as long as you were leaning out the kitchen window. Any who...

Prague is absolutely beautiful. I was expecting a lot of gray, but the buildings are actually a rainbow of colors. I loved walking over all the bridges just admiring the city landscape. It is a sight to see.

We saw the usual tourist spots, but along our way we saw a couple of things that I will never forget. The first night in town we bought tickets to a concert being held at the Spanish Synagogue. It was such an intimate setting. There were probably 50 people total watching some members of the Prague Symphony. And, the building is over the top insane. Unbelievably gorgeous. Perfect way to start our trip.

The next day we took a tour of the Old Jewish Quarter which included the Old Jewish Cemetery. This was definitely the highlight of the trip. I know, right? How could a cemetery be that powerful? It was like nothing I have ever seen. Gravestones upon gravestones. Literally. The cemetery is actually hilly. Since there was such limited space bodies would be buried on top of one another. There are over 12,000 gravestones and more than 100,000 bodies. Believe me. I paid my extra 40 crones to take pictures. Well worth the couple bucks and the sun was nice enough to come out in time for the photo shoot. Amazing!

We saved the Palace and Petrin Tower for Josh. The best part was St. Vitus Cathedral right in the middle of the Palace grounds. Something about these gothic churches. Like I have said before, it just doesn't get old.

My one question for Prague is, "Where are all these Czech bakeries? And, where are my kolaches?". These were no where to be found. I find it pretty strange that there is a Czech bakery in West, Texas with homemade kolaches, yet I can't find one in the actual country. Is someone trying to pull a fast one on me?

*I took way too many pictures to post on here. Check out my flickr page if you are craving more.

Therme Vals

I need to preface this post and just let you all know friends and family are keeping us very busy through the holidays. Plus, other prospective "work" options have blossomed for this hausfrau (keep your fingers crossed). I am doing my best to get caught up on our adventures before the next batch gets to town. I promise loads of stories at the beginning of the year. Til then, I apologize for the sparsity.

Our mother/daughter trip to Vals, Switzerland was a long one in the making. My mom and I have been drooling over the idea of a spa trip for the last couple of years, but something always kept getting in the way -- Mom being a regional Hadassah president, moving from California to Texas...oh yeah, and then moving again but this time to Zurich. Now, some people might look at this as a negative and give up the fight, but not us. Eventually this spa trip was happening and even better now, we could do it Euro-style.

There is this very fancy, well-known spa in the Heidi-Land of Switzerland known as Therme Vals. Prices of course are high, but luckily a very good friend was kind enough to pass along the details of a spa package from Hotel Alpina Vals (Thanks, Kristi!). There are a bunch of small, boutique hotels all throughout Vals. So, there is no need to stay at the Therme Vals Hotel. Save some dough. Go to the baths for sure, get a massage or two, and then relax with a short walk back to your less expensive room (smiling the whole way knowing how much you just saved yourself).

I can't say enough good things about the Hotel Alpina. Highly, highly recommend. I have to give them a little shout out here. They are about a 10 minute walk from the baths and our package included both breakfast and dinner. Our room was massive even by American standards. We even had a sitting room with a couple windows looking out towards the mountains. And, the food was 5-star. Dinner was a 4-course meal which they easily adjusted for my mom who is diabetic and vegetarian when she eats out. Our server even wrote out the menu in English on the second night so that she could explain the menu. They really went above and beyond to make our stay feel like being at home.

As for the baths...I was a little surprised. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but it was no Lake Austin Spa. Don't take this the wrong way. I am not being negative. It just would have been nice to know exactly what to expect when you arrive there. The Therme Vals are a handful of pools each with a different temperature ranging from 14° C (57.2° F) to 42° C (107.6° F). There is also a steamroom, sauna, and the naked room. Sorry. No. I did not go in this last room. All of this is pretty straightforward, but know that you aren't given any extra amenities like shampoo, robes, slippers, or even towels. You pay 40 CHF to use the baths. Also learned that you should make appointments early before you arrive to Vals. That includes going to the baths. We lucked out that we went mid-week so the baths were easy to get into, but were only given the options of a bubble bath, exfoliation, or foot massage for spa services.

Before I give you my cheat sheet for going to the Therme Vals baths, I have to tell you one more story. Mom and I get to the baths on our first day, all excited to finally be spaing. Come to find out we were supposed to bring our own towels. I end up renting a couple for 3.50 CHF. We change and start jumping from one pool to the next. Having the best time finally being at a spa. What an experience. And, to be doing this together...in SWITZERLAND. Awesome. After we are substantially pruned, we go to grab our towels and get ready to head back to the hotel for our 4-course dinner. Wait. Where did our towels go? Seriously. Someone stole our towels. Mom still says someone accidentally mistook our towels for theirs, but I don't buy it. We ended up semi-drying off each with our own scarfs. This was not a pretty picture. Not a good way to end the day at the spa and thus my reason for the cheat sheet.

Cheat Sheet: Necessities for Bad-ing

• Bathing suit (a couple true Europeans had to by bathing trunks before entering, not cheap)
• Flip-flops (if desired)
• Robe or multiple towels (towels should NOT be white. bring a bright, ugly towel that doesn't look like anyone elses. Trust me on this.)
• Shampoo, conditioner, brush, etc.
• 2 CHF for each locker needed
  
• Ugly Migros bag to put everything into (again, the uglier, the better)

We learned our lesson for sure and the second day we watched our towels like hawks. Looking forward to going again now that I am a seasoned pro.

Bier, Weiners, and a Dirndl

It feels like I have been on a whirlwind of a tour through Germany these past couple of months. For a country I thought I would see very little of, we have become pretty tight. Hamburg, Berlin, and now I can add Munich to the list.

When Mom was visiting we decided to take a mother/daughter trip to Munich. We bought a couple semi-cheap (cheap shouldn't even be in my vocabulary anymore) train tickets (about $120 roundtrip) and set off on our German adventure. Mom had never been to Germany before...and NO, the Frankfurt airport doesn't count.

My first impressions of Munich weren't much. I don't know what I was expecting, but with all the hype built up around Octoberfest and my previous trips to Germany, I thought Munich was going to be one of those cities to write home about. Think again. I hate to be so negative about a place, but let's just say I am not holding breath til we can go back.

Instead of focusing on the negatives, let's put a positive spin on this city. There are definitely highlights to this trip. I just wouldn't chalk it up with some of the other cities we have been to so far. Am I turning into a Euro-traveling snob? Back to the positives.

 

Bier. Oh, how I love you. There is a reason Munich has become synonymous with Octoberfest. How could I be in Munich and not have lunch at the Hofbrauhaus? and get a liter of bier? with a weiner sampler plate? on top of a mound of sauerkraut? This seems like a must-do. I swear the bier was bigger than my head. The best was the look on peoples' faces not just when I was drinking the bier, but when I finished it. Most women were drinking the half-liters. All I gotta say...don't judge a book by its cover.

You aren't going to believe it, but I actually bought my very own dirndl while we were there. I know, for a girl that hates wearing dresses, who would have thought? And, I did it even before the liter of bier. I will never again worry about a Halloween costume.

We were wondering through the streets with all the fancy stores on them when we rounded a corner and saw all of these amazing dirndls and lederhosen in the window. It wasn't like one of those cheesy costume stores back home where the outfits look all thrown together and are barely hanging on by a thread. These were the real deal. MUST TRY ONE ON, my head kept saying. The girls working in the store were so helpful. I didn't even know which pieces I needed. They got me squared away and showed me to the dressing room. After a few minutes, they must have realized I was having some technical difficulties. There was no way this size was going to fit me. The girl just looked at me like I was crazy. She said, "Of course this will fit you. You don't want to go up a size". Ah. Ok. And, just how do you...and before I could finish my thought, there I was all zipped up and ready for the ball.

I have a feeling we will be heading back to Munich one of these days. Now that I've got the dirndl and know I can at least finish one stein of bier, I think a trip to Octoberfest is warranted. Next year in Munich. Isn't that the saying?

American Mommy in Zurich - Letter Three

Week 3 was a big travel week - in and outside of Switzerland (so I'm afraid that this is an even longer letter than the last two!!). On Saturday morning Deb and I left to go to München (Munich, Germany), four hours by train. (Josh and his mom Pam had a nice mother-son weekend at home.) Great train ride (definitely not like Amtrak - they actually follow their schedule to the minute). We had breakfast in the dining car (again, head and shoulders above Amtrak - white tablecloths and all). If you allow yourself, you can meet some of the most interesting people on the train. A very nice (and very cute) young man sat down across from us (the trains are set up with two seats across from each other). Turned out that this 29-year old is from Mexico and has been working in Geneva for two years. Got his Masters in Economics from Harvard. He is now working on his PhD in his "spare" time with a professor in Munich. So he was on his way to meet with his professor for the weekend. Their meetings are while they snowboard!! They go down the slopes, then discuss his thesis on the way back up. He told us about the American-style football league in Europe. Deb LOVES NFL so she was really excited. He plays for the Geneva Seahawks. So the funny story is that there is a rule that no more than one American at a time can be on the field playing for a team. They actually mark the Americans' helmets with a large letter "A" to identify them!! So his helmet has an "A" but he wants an "M" for Mexican!! Deb kept teasing me that I wanted to fix him up with someone because he was smart, athletic, adorable and so personable. He travels to Central and South America for his job. But after his third year job commitment, he wants to move back to Monterrey, Mexico...so know of any single women who speak Spanish and willing to relocate??? (I'm still trying even though I have no idea what his name even is.)

We were extremely surprised when we arrived in Munich that the train station there is SMOKE-FREE. Have I mentioned how all of the Europeans smoke all the time?? Of course, you walk right outside of the station and you can't see or breathe. We checked into our hotel and set off to explore. A few blocks away was the Karlsplatz and it was PACKED with Saturday afternoon shoppers!! We walked amongst the crowds to the Marienplatz and then just wandered and wandered and wandered, looking at churches and government buildings and my favorite, the Viktuelienmarkt (an outdoor food market that was quite interesting). It was so crowded everywhere and just packed in the streets. I guess EVERYONE comes to Munich and shops there on Saturdays. We had a great time in Munich but it was definitely not our favorite city or a city that either of us thought we'd ever have any interest in going back to - unless it was for Oktoberfest (we could put up with the crowds for that)!! Munich seems a little schizophrenic - very old, massive buildings that have been converted to ugly, uncharming stores. Most other cities have also added shops to the ground floors of their old buildings, but Munich did it kind of crassly. The other thing that really hit us was the presence of Polizei everywhere - and lots of them. And in comparison to Switzerland which is sooooo clean, Munich was kind of dirty - trash overflowing in the trash cans on the streets, etc. Even with all of these considerations, we did have a very nice time and were glad that we went - my first time in Germany outside of the Frankfort airport and Deb says that doesn't count.

The most fun that we had - aside from lunch at the Hofbrau Haus - was shopping for Deb's dirndl. You know, Heidi clothes!! The TIGHT embroidered dresses with the little white puffy shirts underneath with lots of cleavage showing and the eyelet apron. She looks quite cute of course. When she tried it on, she couldn't get it zipped up so we asked the salesclerk for a larger size and she just said, "No, this fits," and yanked up the zipper. I think Deb can wear it if she doesn't eat anything - or breathe for that matter. I'm sure she'll blog on her dirndl so keep reading her blog for the post - and picture. Now Josh just needs to get his Lederhosen and they're set for their next party!! That, I want to see. Dinner that night was Italian. When we asked the concierge about restaurants and then told him I needed vegetarian, he switched his recommendation from Bavarian to Italian!! After dinner, we turned on the TV and what was on, but the German version of American Idol - and they were awful! They even have their own version of Simon Cowell.

Small world time. Having bagels the next morning at Coffee Fellows, we met an American who is in Munich working on a project for two weeks. Turns out he used to be a professor at the University of Iowa!! He told us about his book, The Oxford Project. When we got ready to leave, he gave us his business card - Peter Feldstein. I knew it - I'm in Munich, Germany and I find a Jewish guy from Iowa!! Check out The Oxford Project (www.oxfordproject.com). Also while we were there, we saw someone wearing a University of Texas Longhorns hat and another kid wearing a Minnesota t-shirt!

I'm used to clocks everywhere after a few weeks in Switzerland, but in Munich, there are CUCKOO clocks everywhere. Every size imaginable. Deb looked at buying one but I reminded her about the "Cuckoo, cuckoo" that they do over and over again - and make you crazy. The best clock there was on the Rathaus (the New Town Hall), the Glockenspiel. Every day at 11 a.m. it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lothringen. In honour of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria and Lothringen. The Bavarian knight wins every time of course. This is then followed by the bottom half and second story - Schäfflerstanz (the coopers' dance). In the 16th century a particularly bad period of the plague hit town and everyone went into hiding. The first people to dare go back onto the streets were barrel makers who performed a big dance to show that it was okay to come out again. The whole show lasts about 15 minutes. At the very end, a very small golden bird at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps three times, marking the end of the spectacle.

We walked and walked and walked - saw Maximilian this and Maximilian that - statues, streets, castles. Ended up walking through the English Gardens. I would describe them as the Central Park of Munich. There was a group of men and women who were surfing in the Isar River. They were great - wet suits from head to toe. Signs saying "Surfen und Baden Verboten" didn't stop them obviously. There are some videos on YouTube if you search for "Munich English Gardens Surfing".

Time for real Bavarian food - and real Bavarian beer! I of course had water but Deb said it was great - and BIG, huge steins of it. I think the stein was about as big as Deb - we figured about 3-4 beers - and little Deborah finished the whole thing. Deb had a platter of brats/weiners and sauerkraut and I had my favorite spetzle. It came with Käse (cheese) and Zwiebel (onions). My treat was a giant, hot, fresh Bretzel (not misspelled - that's what they're called here). The band was playing up a storm (think oom-pa-pa) and lots of people were dressed in their Sunday best - they really do dress like in the movies. You share tables and just have a wonderful, joyful time eating and drinking. This was the Germany I expected. I can't even imagine what it must be like during Oktoberfest. They even have a room where people have their personal biersteins locked up and I understand you have to get on a long waiting list to get one. Hard core beer drinkers in Bavaria.

We decided that we were tired and ready to just sit and have some coffee or tea - and maybe try a German dessert. So off to another Bavarian beer hall, the Weisses Brayhaus. Deb tried to order an apfelstrudel with vanilla ice cream but the very cute waitress in broken English shook her head no and pointed to another dessert. We thought that meant that they were out of strudel. She started to almost faint on the spot telling us in sign language how much better this other dessert was. Swooning was probably the right description. So we ordered the Kaiserschmarm. She was so right! OMG! A caramelized pancake with rum-soaked raisins, split into smaller pieces while frying and served with hausgemachten (a good word to learn to look for - homemade) applesauce. Wow!!! She was so right. (I said that already, didn't i??)

Back to Zurich. Pam went home on Monday morning so we were back to one Mommy at the Peterthals. Monday we had lunch at Google (sound like a broken record??) because Stella the Pug had a lunch date there with Emma the Pug. Deb and I then had the fun job of finding a laser printer in stores with no English. We did it. But then came the shlep to the bus, on the bus, and UP THE HILL. You know how big those printer boxes are. How did they ever get all of their apartment furnished and carried up those hills???

Tuesday, back to the train station. This time we trained it twice and then took a bus to Vals, spa-land. Ahhhhh.....mineral baths. Hotel Alpina Vals was our home until Thursday and it was a very nice vacation. The snow-covered Alps were everywhere you looked. Charming town. As I told Deb, I could just feel my blood pressure and heart rate slow down. Ahhhhh....off to the baths!

Therme Spa is quite unique in its design. Vals is a very quaint small town that commissioned a famous architect to design a building suitable for their famous mineral baths. The building is built into the mountain all out of local Valser quartzite and very dark and modern and linear, with little nooks and crannies everywhere, all with different temperatures of the waters. We started in 32° C which was like a very nice warm bath. There were also baths in 34° C, 36° C (indoor and outdoor), 42° C and then the ice pool at 14° C (57.2° F) very appropriately named. My toes went in after the Fire Pool (107.6° F) but that's it. Some people actually emerged their whole bodies in it and then went back into the hot bath. There were the usual, but kind of bizarre, wet and dry saunas and even a nude bathing area. Deb wouldn't let me go in - maybe it's because the people who went in right before that were these little old man and his wife. Our favorite was the "grotto" bath at 34° C - a small square secluded, quiet area with nice gentle whirlpool jets. The next day we went back after a nice long walk and also had foot massages in their spa. (Kurt, you are so much better than Jenny was!!!)

Of course I have to tell you about the food in Vals. Our hotel served us dinner and breakfast since we had a package with half pension. We did not expect 4-course gourmet dinners. Wow! Our waitress was the best and so accommodating to make sure my meals were vegetarian, even without us notifying them before we arrived. Our second night there she even had written out the menu in English so she'd get it all correct and had veggie options already selected for me. We had some wonderful pumpkin soup (Kürbissuppe) and apple-pumpkin soup (Apfel-Kürbissuppe). Again, cream and butter...I'm trying to find a recipe and make it "healthy" - oh, and taste yummy too.

On Thursday we reversed our route and walked to the bus stop and took a bus and then a train and then another train and then a tram and then walked up the hills to Deb's and then back down again and back on a tram to a bus and walked to her friend's to pick up Stella (and yes, then back on a bus to a tram to the hills to the apartment)! We had just over 24 hours to recuperate and pack and leave again (and deliver Stella to another friend's to dogsit), this time for a long weekend in Prague. Deb says we're staying put after that.

Next week we are going to try making a few recipes before I leave. Any suggestions??? And still on my list before I go home is Cheese Fondue - so many foods to try; so little time!

Coming home Monday...

American Mommy in Zurich - Letter Two

Nothing like a Week 2 letter appearing at the start of Week 4. All I can say is that she is a Luskey and for her...this is right on schedule.

Grüezi!

I am working on at least pronouncing the German words correctly. Not an easy language....but learning some of the words that are used over and over again - like Gleis (platform as in train platform) and verbotten (forbidden)! Deb has me starting with counting from one to ten. (That actually helped me know how much my latte was at the museum. Didn't have to ask her to speak in English.) Baby steps...now if I could understand what's HIGH German and what's SWISS German.

Another big week in my adventures in Zurich/Switzerland/Europe. Josh's mom Pam was also here so the Peterthals had TWO mommies to deal with. Lucky Deb and Josh!!

So many interesting events this week. As I read my notes, I see a theme here - FOOD! It just turned out that way this week. Food and TRAVEL!!  Lots of travel - and lots of new foods to taste. It's more than just the food, though - it's a way to really absorb the culture - and the calories. Everything here seems to either have milk, butter and/or cream - but made with milk from "happy" cows. Oh, yeah, potatoes are also very big here.

On Saturday, we went to ExpoVina (12 ships docked in Lake Zurich) with wine tasting from all over the world. $20 to get in and all the wine you wanted!! I had water and a Diet Coke!! But I also split a Swiss "cheese pie" called Chäschüechli. I think that means little cheese pie. After going from boat to boat, we went to some friends' house for Mac n Cheese!

On Sunday after a run/walk on the Sihl River, we all went to Korperwelten, the "Body Worlds" exhibit (since almost nothing is open here on Sundays). Really interesting and so much fun to read all about the workings of our bodies in either German or French. Again, my French came in handy but it must have taken me at least an hour longer than it should have because of my time needed to translate. They just don't teach you the words for "stroke" or "menopause" in French class. Dinner was as Swiss as you could get - Zeughauskeller for Kalbsgeschnetzeltes (sliced veal and mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce) served over rösti (like incredible hash browns), kind of. I had spinach and ricotta tortellini (not too many vegetarian choices on the menu).

On Monday, we all (Stella included - Switzerland is VERY dog-friendly) bundled up and headed to the tram to go to St. Gallen and Appenzell for the day. We got to the tram and Stella, even in her nice warm jacket, started shaking and shivering so Deb stayed home with her and Josh took both of the mommies for a day trip. I told Deb it wasn't nice of her to get Stella all wet to make her shiver - she could have just told us that she didn't want to go! St. Gallen was nice - didn't really have much time there. But Appenzell was just so very charming - as my Dave described it, right off the Swiss Mix box! This is the Switzerland that everyone envisions. But it was eerily quiet as we walked along trying to find Hotel Traube for their famous mac n cheese. It finally hit us that no one was out and about and everything was closed so I guess Appenzell shuts down on Sundays AND Mondays. We found a place for coffee and after finding a cheese shop and sampling a few (and buying three), we found a Bäckerei that was open. We ordered Käse Zweibelkuchen (cheese/onion quiche) and grün salat (green salad) and wonderful Warme Schokolade (hot, actually warm, chocolate) and latte macchiatos. And to top it off, we had to have some of their special lebkuchen (gingerbread with almond filling) and apfelkuchen. We scoured the few stores that were open for a cow bell (read Deb's account of the cow bells) and then boarded a train and then another train to return back to Zurich. Great day. BEAUTIFUL part of Switzerland. Thank you, Josh, for being such a patient son/son-in-law.

Tuesday was shopping on Bahnhofstrasse, the Rodeo Drive of Zurich. However, we shopped at H & M!!! Chinese food for lunch in the basement of Jelmoli again. Then Pam and I went on our own on the bus to the grocery and electronics stores and then back to Deb and Josh's. Made it without any incidences! Figured out what I needed and how to get it and pay for it and then get back home! Just like an old pro. The transit system here is so amazing. You can get almost anywhere in such a short time. The interesting part is that it's all on the honor system but you better have your pass on you just in case. Back at the apartment, Pam made Toll House cookies with her smuggled-in chocolate chips and the new hand mixer we had bought. We killed the hand mixer -what does Daewoo know about mixing cookies?? Deb took it back and told the clerk that "Ist kaputt!"

Wednesday, Hausfrau Day for Deb. Laundry day. So I took over as the tour guide for the day. My first true test of my knowledge of the city and how to get around. We met Josh at Google and he walked us to the train station and saw us off. We took the S4 to Selnau and then changed to the S10 for Uetliberg. Piece of cake - except the S10 only went as far as Triemli. So we got off and waited for the next S10 to continue up to Uetliberg. We had been waiting for a clear day because from Uetliberg, you can see all of Zurich. It was really gorgeous. After that, we took the train back to the main train station (the HB) and walked down Bahnhofstrasse and through winding little streets in Old Town to see the Chagall stained glass windows at Frau Münster. They are beautiful and we had to take advantage of the sunny day. I found our way to "the best bratwurst stand" in Zurich and we ate with the locals. Back to Bellevue and we took the tram to the Kunsthaus (Art Museum). Then back on the trams to the apartment. I had done it! Gotten us there and back and everywhere in between. If you can read a time schedule and system map, you can figure everything out. Luckily, I can do that. Back to home and clean clothes!

Thursday was Google lunch (#3 or #4??) and then the grocery store and then Pam made her famous veggie lasagna. Google had a special "Daughter's lunch menu" so we had fish sticks, hot dogs, spaghetti - very cute to see some of the daughters there for lunch with dad/mom.  We took Pam to Freitag to buy a bag made out of all recycled materials - truck tarps, seatbelts, and tire tubes. Cool place. We also went to a great little funky antique shop with the coolest old giant clock from a train station. Deb is trying to figure out how to get it home and wired in the States. All four of us went to the Opernhaus that night for the opera "Madama Butterfly". What a treat. The opera house was built in 1891 and is as you would imagine it - ornate and beautiful (but not designed to see very well from every seat we found out). Imagine it - being at the Opera in Switzerland watching an opera set in Japan about an American soldier and sung in Italian with German subtitles!!! I had advised Deb to read the synopsis before we went - that was very good advice!!

Friday the 13th, Josh took off another day from work for another day trip. We started the day with Pam making us Swedish pancakes! All we needed were fresh lingonberries. Again all of us set off (Stella included) for Luzern and then on another small train for Alpnachstad. We bought tickets to ride the steepest cogwheel train in the world and went from 1450 ft. to 7000 ft at a 48% incline. Read Deb's blog for comments and pictures. Stella did great until her feet got wet in the ice. So Deb and I headed in for lunch. What did she have?? You guessed it - mac n cheese with a twist, called Alpine Macaroni (mac, cheese, potatoes). I had the first of many bowls of suppe in Switzerland. The soups are wonderful and after looking up some of the recipes, I found out why - cream and butter!! Very funny that our train was five minutes late and Deb started going crazy!! I guess she has become more "Swiss" than she thinks. That evening we met a bunch of Deb and Josh's friends to celebrate their anniversary - at a Japanese restaurant having "syabu syabu".

Back to Zurich just in time to pack for a weekend in Munich!! Week 3 update coming soon (we leave for Prague tomorrow morning for four days). Tschuss!

*Stephen (aka Dad) has decided to blog a response to my letters, sometimes even before I write the letter! Read his responses at http://stephenrosenthal.blogspot.com/

 

American Mommy in Zurich - Letter One

My mom has decided to live with us in Zurich for a month. Lucky us! Part of her duties while here (besides being the maid, cook, hair colorist, and doggie au pair) is to be a guest blogger. We will be featuring a letter a week of her adventures and impressions as an American Mommy in Zurich.

Dear friends,

I don't even know where to start but I promised an update to a few "very select" friends. Deb has made me promise that I will also add some comments on her blog and I'll let you know when I do. Life in Zurich has been WONDERFUL! It doesn't seem like I'm living in Switzerland...then I go on the streets and everyone is talking German and all the street names have jillions of letters that end in "strasse" or "platz" or "weg" - and I KNOW I am in Schweiz. I am trying very hard to learn a few words here and there but mainly to be able to at least pronounce the words correctly. Today I even went to the store all by myself and returned an item with a clerk who spoke no English!!!

My flights here were amazingly smooth. Even landed an hour early. Then the adventure truly began. Deb and I took the train and then a tram to Bahnhof Enge (the train station of her "canton" in Zurich, Enge). OMG. I had to go in one of those little tiny photo booths and take my passport pictures so I could go get a month transportation pass for zone 10 and the surrounding areas....see I'm learning something. That's Zurich and any zone that touches zone 10...make sense?? Of course! We laughed so hard because you must not smile and look straight into the camera and keep your eyes level and have your face line up in this oval on the screen - and remember all of the instructions are in German so I think I'm doing it right - the pics are sooooo bad but who cares?? It got me my bus, tram, boat, train pass for a month!!

Off to Deb's on Tram 7...I'm learning!! Get off at Brunaustrasse and then up, up, up the hills with all my bags to Deb and Josh's apartment. Stella the Pug went berserk when she saw me like we hadn't seen each other for hundreds of years. Lots of pug kisses (sorry, Max - I do miss you!!). Then I started unpacking (I will show you pictures once Deb downloads them). I could bring 2 suitcases up to 70 lbs. but mine only weighed a very heavy 53 and 57 lbs. (plus my small carry-on). You'd think I had brought lots of clothes and shoes for a month, right?? Not so. I am wearing the same three outfits. The suitcases were filled to capacity with "stuff" requested from the States. Are you ready for the list???? Kraft Mac 'n Cheese and Velveeta (remember I am in the land of cheese but I had to bring these!!), Hot Tamales (and not the Tex Mex kind), vitamins, ibuprophen, vitamin C and sugar-free cough drops, vanilla extract, and the list goes on and on....wait until you see the picture of her stash!! On top of all of these items, I also brought things that Deb ordered and had delivered to me - camera battery, rainboots, Uggs, and more shoes. Didn't leave much room for clothes for me so hence the three outfits and a coat and jacket and workout items (which so far have only been used to lounge around the house or on "Hausfrau Day"). Chad, I promise to be better next week - I have been walking tons and no matter which direction you go from her apartment, it is downhill which means it's uphill on the way back (like when you walk the dog, have full suitcases, or bags from the grocery store)!

Being here for a month, I actually got a shelf in the bathroom medicine cabinet and in the hall closet for my stuff. I unpacked and Deb then caught me up on some of the oddities about Zurich living. They are very conscious about recycling and it costs $2 per bag of garbage so you don't empty the garbage any more than necessary. Which means when you have "stinky" food, you put it in a Baggie in the freezer and not in the trash. When the garbage is finally stuffed full, then you put it in the trash before taking it outside!! You know how all houses have little quirks?? Usually you have a warn a house guest about how to jiggle the handle on the toilet or something else, but Deb then informed me that the water level in the toilet is very low and so there is a brush next to it and it is not just to clean it out once a week - no more description is necessary, I'm sure!! (Remind me when I get home and I'll tell you what the signs at Google said about the toilet brushes!!) Through all of this, Deb and I are in hysterics - maybe it was jetlag or maybe it's just because it is very, very funny.

Bus 33. Off to The Coop (pronounced cope, not co-op). That's their mega-grocery store/Target (kind of but definitely not in price). Have I mentioned yet how incredibly expensive EVERYTHING is in Zurich?? OMG...you just wouldn't believe it. (Dave and Tina, bring lots of money with you in December.) Next lesson learned - Deb would only let us take one handbasket per person at the grocery store. Why?? Because remember when I told you about going uphill to get back to Deb and Josh's??? Never buy more than you can carry - and don't buy heavy food! I won't tell you everything but just wait until you read Deb's blog (www.peterthals.com....please "follow" her) about our experience buying hair dye and then even better is preparing to dye her hair and actually doing it. All I can say is that my last French class from 1974 really came in handy. Eileen, even though it came out really great, you don't have to worry about me becoming your competition and I still want YOU to color MY hair for me!! I had to come 4700 miles (or 7500 km) to dye my daughter's hair!!! I guess I'll now have to come back every 8-12 weeks! What a mother doesn't sacrifice for her children. We ate lunch 1 (of many I'm sure) at Google where Josh works.

On Tuesday, Deb and I went to Jumbo (Jume-bo) which is kind of like an Ace Hardware - a lot of stuff and such an interesting assortment but no fireplace grate. Off to Jelmoli (Yel-moe-lee - the J is pronounced like a Y), a super department store right off of Bahnhofstrasse, the fancy, shmancy shopping area (all overpriced even by Zurich standards). The best part about Jelmoli was the basement (level negative 1; the ground floor is 0; the 2nd floor is level 1; etc.). It was filled with the most unbelievable assortment of gourmet foods and take-away foods (or you could eat there). Amazing!!! Sushi, Italian, breads, olive bar, steaks). We decided to see if they had a turkey since Thanksgiving is coming up. Deb had not seen a turkey in Zurich yet. We found one - frozen hard as a rock - about 15 lbs - for 103 CHF!!!! So no turkey for us!! We ate some incredible CHINESE food while we were there. Makes sense to me - go to Switzerland to eat some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. makes perfect sense. Only one problem was that when we went to pay for lunch, Deb pulled out her credit card and he said only cash!! I had not exchanged money yet and Deb didn't have enough francs on her. Luckily, she had Euros which were accepted. Thank goodness. When you are in Zurich, you must carry large sums of cash - so many places don't accept credit cards. It is very strange to someone who never has money on her. So after lunch, we went to the bank and got me 200 CHF (about $200). I never even have $5 on me at home!! It all still feels like Monopoly money though. While we were in Jelmoli, we also bought tickets to see "Madame Butterfly" at the Opera House next week!! Can't wait! So will it be in Italian with German titles??? I think I better read the synopsis of the opera before then. On the way home, we decided that we had to try some of the heissi marroni (roasted chestnuts). Let me just save you 3 CHF...don't try them!!!! These stands seem to have popped up all over the place where ice cream/gelatto stands where we I was here in July.

The weather has been either gorgeous or very rainy or windy or not or sunny or cloudy or all of the above in the same day. The people all wear scarves, pretty heavy coats and BOOTS - aren't they used to cold weather??? Overall, it's been great. We have begun to plan some side trips for the upcoming weeks. For sure we are going to Prague and we're also looking at Munich and/or Salzburg. We will also take some little side trips, usually day trips except for the one planned for two nights at a spa - "taking" the waters (mineral baths). CAN'T WAIT!!!! Since Wednesday is Deb's day to use the washer and dryer (see her blog for more info on that), we spent Wednesday at home having "Hausfrau Day" - cleaning, washing, watching the Roomba vaccuum...turned out the weather was pretty crummy that day so it was nice and relaxing staying home - and it was Deb and Josh's 3rd Anniversary and we spent it cleaning!! That evening though we met her friend Stacie (from Tulsa, Oklahoma married to Hanspeter from Switzerland) at the movie theater. An interesting experience. $18 for a ticket; $10 for a large popcorn. Reserved seating. We walked into the theatre to see "Julie and Julia" in English with German and French subtitles and the theatre was sooooo tiny - maybe 50 seats!! They sell TVs larger than the movie screen. But we LOVED the movie. Laughed so hard - Meryl Streep is the best Julia Child. It was great. I had been warned but right in the middle of the movie, mid-sentence I think, they break for an intermission. They needed to sell more $10 popcorn I guess. Afterwards, we went out for drinks and a very nice - but smoky - bar. EVERYONE smokes here. We took our tram back home and on the way home, there was a (don't know what his title is) guy who checks everyone for their transportation passes. (It is the honor system here but if you get caught, it can be a very steep penalty.) Deb looked and looked for hers but it must have been at home so she was given a citation. Deb was busted!! That meant that the next morning we had to stop at the office at the train station to show her pass - and she had to pay 5 CHF (Swiss francs, about $5). She has now been paroled and is free again to travel on the trams, buses and trains!

Yesterday, Thursday, Deb. Stella and I took the train to Rapperswil at the other end of the Zurichsee (Lake Zurich). It was such a delightful afternoon. We had lunch by the seashore at a very nice sidewalk cafe - salad, pizza and latte machiatos!! Then we walked around Altstadt (Old Town), saw the old castle, looked one way toward the Sea and the other way to the Alps! Not bad, huh??? A very quaint, lovely town and only 35-40 minutes from the main train station in Zurich. Stella acted like she was Queen for the Day but crashed on the train on the way home - snoring and all. (Another story for later is the buck and his mating rituals....very interesting, not a sight you see every day!)

This brings me up to today. Josh's mom Pam flew in today so Deb went to meet her at the flughafen (airport) while I went off on my own to The Coop. First time to find the bus stop, get on the right bus, get off at the correct stop, find the mall and shop!!! And then get back on the right bus, off at the right stop and find my way back home from the bus stop, use the key, etc., etc., etc. I did it!!!! Deb taught me to ask "Sprechen sie English?" Limited myself to buying only 3 types of cheese (plus cottage cheese, does that count too??) and two loaves of bread. Many nights we start off with a "fromage platter" - fruit, bread, crackers and cheeses and then we're too full to eat dinner. Sometimes that's it and sometimes we eat some cereal (museli is wonderful here). I was quite proud of myself. Even came home and got Stella and walked with her to the train station and back. Not bad, huh???? Pam came and it was back for lunch #2 at Google!! So now Hotel Peterthal (Peterson + Rosenthal = Peterthal) is full!! I have moved from the guest room to an air mattress on the floor in the living room - and I'm loving it!!! I love being in Zurich but I am even happier that I am able to spend this kind of time and have these experiences with Deb and Josh. This is very special time that I know I'll never, ever forget. This is the best B & B in Europe. Way above 5 stars - even on an air mattress!!

Tomorrow is ExpoVino....wine tasting on 12 boats on Lake Zurich or something like that. The fun continues. I know I wrote almost a book...never intended to do that but so much has already happened and I don't want to forget any of it. I do miss all of you but I am afraid that the month is going to fly by.

Love to all. Auf wiedersehen!
Carol/Mommy