HeyOH! He's not tired of using Technology

 

Here is an improved version of one of our photos from our last weekend in Luxembourg. Our buddy Tim took it on himself to make the cemetery look cooler in this picture than it did in person. Thanks Tim! Hope this crappy weather isn't getting you down...(sorry, we escape tomorrow!)
Blog is on official leave bitches, see all our readers in person soon!

Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Oh My!

We spent last weekend freezing our butts off in Luxembourg. The rental car (ehem, yes, you saw correctly, it was a Mercedes) kept telling us it was -2C (28F) but we're positive it was a liar. We had a low-key Friday evening strolling the Christmas markets with gluhwein and a relaxed dinner & drinks. Saturday we decided to venture out to a few of the WWII memorials in the area. The American Cemetry in Luxembourg was a moving, dramatic sight. For a good part of our time there, we were the only visitors and it was so quiet, so cold, so serene which I suppose is just how a cemetery is supposed to feel...

Next we headed over to Bastogne, Belgium (1-1.5 hour ride) which was where Hitler gave it one more final go in the dead of the winter of 1944. Belgium erected this giant star shaped memorial to the Americans who defended and died there. We topped the day off with a Christmas market in Trier, Germany (almost 2 hours from Bastogne, 20 mins from Luxembourg). All these events we accomplished in one afternoon. Gotta give it up to small rich countries in the middle of Europe. They are easy to get around, generally far too expensive and a nice place to call home. Although they can't create the excitement that we are feeling as we prepare to head back to our heimatland (homeland/birthplace), only 48 hours until we arrive!!

WinterWonderLand

 

This is a weekend in mid-November -- sunny, clear skies, almost warm temperatures. We've nosedived quickly back into reality and have had a dusting of snow on all the trees and rooftops for almost the past week. Apparently even the newspapers are complaining about this unseasonably cold weather.

 

Last week I took the children to Kerzenziehen (candle making). They set up locations in almost every town/neighborhood around Zurich the week before the beginning of advent. Pay 2francs for the wick & then start dipping. We definitely needed our fair share of help considering the adult influence in the group had no idea what she was doing. I've never been instructed so much & often (in a language I didn't understand) by random 7-10 year old children. I found it fascinating. It felt great to mix more with the community, to share smiles of misunderstanding over a pot of hot wax. I believe the children found it boring. We'd probably already been dipping for about 25-30 minutes & you can see there is plenty more work to be done before those little guys make a decent candle.

 

And a horrible shot of our Thanksgiving celebration, that's our hazy friend Jonna who hosted the event and Joe carving the turkey with a bread knife which is, I guess, what happens when you attend a half Swiss/half American Thanksgiving in a 300 year old house. It was great fun & is always good for us to have an experience of actually mixing with a group of Swiss people (instead of our usual one token Swiss per event;)

 

And lastly here are the children yesterday on the ski rink in town. We spent a few hours out skating yesterday, thank goodness for the polar bears. (Does anyone know, do they exist in the US?, I don't recall every seeing one there.) I spent a lot of time also holding on to the polar bear to get the children moving a bit faster which worked out really well except for the backache I'm having this morning from all the bending over.
We'll have to attempt to get a good shot of the new Christmas lights on the Bahnhof. They are absolutely stunning this year & they were turned on Thanksgiving night, so after our pub dinner we strolled up the Bahnhofstrasse to take in the view. We had a fire again this past weekend when our friends Davide & Elena came over for lunch, we've played the same 9 Christmas carols we have downloaded on an endless loop & we head to Luxembourg this weekend to enjoy some serious Christmas markets. I'd say we're ready & definitely in the spirit, lucky for us it's only T-10 days until we are Merica bound!

Toby's Arrived

Our good friends, Erin & Lachland gave birth to a baby boy, William Patrick, yesterday. Joe woke me up to tell me the good news this morning, but all I could respond with was...THEY STOLE OUR NAME. In utero they called the baby Toby, as it was "made in Switzerland" just like Toblerone chocolate. Maybe I'll just pretend that's his actual name so I can someday carry on as planned.

Other than this exciting news, nothing is happening. Hence, the lack of recent information. We are laying low, ordering inexpensive American wares like their is no tomorrow and counting down the days until we get on the jet plane.

Hope all you Americans enjoy your short week & your juiced turkeys. Come Thursday evening (after we both get off work), you can find us feeling sorry for ourselves as we enjoy some bar food, beer & multiple televisions playing American football (one day a year;). Keep your fingers crossed that we can find a classier establishment than Hooter's this year.

Rovio oh Rovio Where Art Thou Rovio?

We spent the past weekend in Ticino, staying with our friend Tim, infamous for writing glowing compliments and taking awesome photos. Add to that list, framing & printing said awesome photos, then gifting them to us & taking us on an amazing, unknown hike to this massive waterfall just outside the most deserted Swiss town I've ever seen. Also, speaker of the title of this post. Multi-talented. So, we had less sunshine than the weather report predicted, but we still enjoyed the crunch of the leaves, the crisp fall air, the spray of the falls & the good old fashioned fear of slippery boulders. Ticino is also host to yummy Italian food, thick, rich cappuccinos & an especially cozy couch (which Joe & I napped on promptly after returning from the hike). All in all, another stellar weekend. Thanks for making it so Tim!

All in a Day's Work

We've had a beautiful week here in Zurich, which means lots of outdoor time with the kids. Yesterday was too perfect to not snap a few shots, which inspired some seriously amateur photog moments (these are by far the best of the 15+ she took). If ever you wanted an upclose & personal view of the inside of a stroller or the side of a 3 year-olds face, this would have been a glorious day indeed for you.

Breaking News: Obama "feels bad" about loss of Seats

Literally: this is CNN BREAKING NEWS. Although you guys have to deal with this crap on a daily basis, we are a bit immune to all these political renderings. We have about 10 English channels & 4/10 are showing me this worthless news conference. BOO. I tried this out & I vote for Friends re-runs, they seems a bit more worthwhile at this moment.

Concerts, Parties, Glamorous.

 

Here's Trish & I at the Train concert. The venue fit about 400 people, the band put on a fabulous show, Pat Monahan has some serious pipes (which we have proof of on our video camera, although still are at a loss of how to put videos on the blog & are feeling a bit demoralized after our first video was ripped apart by my dearest brother) and we had a great night. Plus, aren't we pretty?

 

I guess some bits of the concert were kitschy, but he walked through the crowd while singing one song & shook Joe's hand & grabbed my arm (we haven't washed since;). Also, he sang the first part of When I Look to the Sky acoustic. It always blows me away when an artist can pull that off well. So yeah, the guys may sing some cheesy shit, but they have serious talent & what the heck, I'll admit it, I'm a sap sometimes.

 

This is the previous night at Erin & Lachie's pre-baby extravaganza. Besides the fact that we had to stop in a McDonalds at 1am cause the Urquharts aren't big fans of feeding people proper meals, it was a great night, filled with laugh until you cry moments, which our endearingly gorgeous Swedish friend does so well. It's impossible not to carry on when the one pictured in the middle gets going. And carry on we did.
We're looking forward to another great one upcoming: dinner with friends Friday night complete with Easter proposals as well as a night in Lugano with Tim Venchus! What what!

It's a Sheep Thing. We wouldn't Understand.

The town where I work is just a bit outside Zurich, but things are much more rural, grassy and quiet out there. Recently, my Mom asked if I'd seen the beautiful moon and I noted that I was waiting for the bus one night after work and it was hanging gorgeous and low amidst a sky full of stars. No one else was around, there was only the sound of very distant cars....this at 7.45pm. Which prompted parental concern over my safety...So yeah, it's a quiet place. But I digress.

Yesterday we are out enjoying a gorgeous afternoon at the park. As the weather's been getting colder here, the sheep, goats and all other varieties of farm animals are being brought down off the mountains. And where are they living now you ask? All alongside the path to the park, duh. We arrived to the park, no animal incidents or interactions other than a smattering of comments like 'look at the baby goats,' 'they are cute.' However, as we were leaving the park, walking past the animals a funny thing occurred. I'm at a loss for how it all began, but I believe the oldest child made a 'baaahhhing' noise. There were about 30 sheep in all varieties of size, spread out over a vast rolling hill. And they all began slowly to walk forward towards the fence, next to where we were standing...baahhing and bleating as they got closer and closer. There was a definite 'leader of the sheep,' who bleated the loudest and seemed to be calling all the others to him to stare at this 'child sheep.' It was eerie. I honestly wished I had the video camera as the noise was incredible and the slow steady way they all approached us was like a horror movie when all the dead people are lumbering slowly towards you before they kill you....luckily there is a rope fence, rope people, that was protecting us from the lunatic sheep, so yeah, they couldn't have easily gotten past that I'm sure...

JuckerFarm

Last Saturday we ventured out with some friends to JuckerFarm. It was a clear day so we enjoyed some great views of mountains, as well as dinosaurs decorated with pumpkins, ate some yummy pumpkin soup and oogled huge ugly pumpkins. Apparently the farm grows things other than pumpkins as well, but we were committed to the pumpkin theme; now if only I had a pumpkin latte to go with it that I hear all you American dwellers talking about...
Later that evening we had few friends over, ate butternut squash with coconut milk & shrimp soup, sat by the fire and talked. So, although fall's been fun and all, I'm really really not ready for the big W. And she's in the air here alright, I can see her on the mountains closest to Zurich and I want that frosty bitch to just back off for a bit.

"We'd Be Better off Without Italy"

Says the Fiat CEO. I say to you Mr. Marchionne, would you really be Italian anymore, if you had nothing to bitch about? I wonder this often with my parents when they threaten to get rid of Bosco. What would you have to bitch about then Mr. & Mrs. Viggiano?

Switzerland & Paris, Ron Style

Ron sent us 170 photos, I pared it down to 30 for you all. Thanks Ron for the great shots, it almost makes me want to read that photography textbook you gave us for Christmas last year;)

Relax don't do it...

 

These are three of my closest girlfriends here, as well as one of my most notable features (that had just been given a one-hour treatment) at the spa in Adelboden. It's 11.30, we've just finished a four-course dinner, enjoyed spa treatments, sat in the outdoor hot pool while it snowed...no wonder everyone's looking so relax(ed).

Oh My God!

We recently had the pleasure of Ron, Mary, Auntie Mary & Uncle Bob for a 10-day visit. As it goes with the Duchek's - Ron & Bob are obsessive photographers, so we left ours at home & let the experts get down to business. However, that does mean we don't have too many photos to share (yet) from our time with them as they are all on harddrives in America. I'll honestly be surprised if we ever see any of the elusive photos Robert took --- he has quite the reputation for taking gazillions of photos, yet no one ever sees them. I do want that one of Joe & I in the Orangerie if you are reading this UB!

I believe I speak for most of us when I say, this was the highlight of the visit:

 

This was taken from the hotel room balcony with our small digital (thanks AMaryMeell) --- so you can imagine what the SLR shots look like. Zermatt is to me the absolute pinnacle, the perfect example of a gorgeous, cozy Swiss town. It's all chalets, cow bells, 500 year old barns, wood stacks, and flower boxes. We couldn't turn a corner without our resident awe-struck Auntie Mary saying "oh my God," "Oh my GOD." It was so charming & she was smitten by Switzerland that she started asking us about what kind of temporary job she could get out here!;) Honestly, it was quite the relief to have someone else as vocal about their love for the place, sometimes I think I'm uber-annoying with all my talk of 'how great it is here.'

 

Here the boys are in our favorite little hotel bar in Zermatt -- complete with fireplace, cushy couches & stuffed animal heads (my fav;).

The other main adventure for the visit was Paris. We scored a fantastic apartment a block from Saint Michel fountain and a few more from Notre Dame. There were street performers, boulangeries, beggars, McDs & Starbucks all within blocks of our door. We had fabulous breakfasts, complements of many of these listed things! Honestly, if you are in Paris, GO HERE . As many of you know, I am in a serious, commited relationship with....food. This place was most likely the highlight of Paris for me. Although, our happy hour experience after a garbled first day was quite enjoyable as well. We hit up a lot of the major sights, but we also went a few places we'd not been before.
I know how I feel about Paris (which is most likely more about my dislike for crowds, being underground and a relentless fatherly opinion that the French & France are loathsome) -- but what do you think of it? Traveling with an enthusiastic lover of all things French while in Paris, slowing down the pace & staying in a great part of town certainly made the experience enjoyable....even if it was France (sorryDaddyo - please don't disown me).

First Video on the Blog!

As you will see this video is from our trip to Italy in July... took us a little while to format. Hopefully future videos won't take so long. Thanks Ron-ode!

Wies'n/Oktoberfest 2010

This is our formal invitation to my 6 readers to join next year for Oktoberfest, 2011. My official, legitimate dirndle (can you believe the one I'm wearing in the photos is from a costume shop? I mean, it's oozes class & taste, right?) arrived to Zurich during our weekend at Oktoberfest (not helpful), so I have at least one reason to return next year. 2010 went down in history for the most visitors (6.4 million of your closest friends), an impressive 7 million liters of bier consumed and of course, the honor of hosting super awesome people, Adam, Trish, Joe & myself. Help us to break the record again next year!;) We all kept ourselves in reasonably good shape, although it did become clear that Adam was pretty drunk at the end of our first night when he had his arm around me for a solid 15 (atypical Adam style). Joe was feeling ill, so I suppose it was better than cuddling up to him! The weekend was just another reminder that we have super awesome friends (thanks to Trisha who took most of the photos above, then emailed them all to me!), beer is tasty and Munich is one of the best cities in Europe, if not the world! Prost!

It's Fall Party Peoples

And what a gorgeous one we are having here in Zurich. As I type, the warm fall sun is glowing in through our enormous picture window, warming my legs. It's cozy.
It also requires a fall blog revamp. The cows are all off the mountains now --- and as you'll soon hear, we have first hand experience that there is plenty of snow on them already to boot! We've had our first fire, courtesy of wood delivered by our good friends, the Schaubs (they rock) and family here to enjoy it with us. Lots of updates from our recent adventures coming soon.
Thanks to Adam, Trish, Mary, Ron, Auntie Mary & Uncle Bob for making the past few weeks anything but ordinary!

Kung Fu Fighting.

Today at work, some children passed us on the pavement & Alice said to me, 'they are going to Kung Fu lessons.' I did not hesitate to break into song, loudly, proudly, on the sidewalk, in Switzerland. Don't click on the link if you don't want this song stuck in your head for the rest of the day & a better part of your dreams tonight. Although, probably the mere mention of the song invokes that response. But, I digress. After I sang for a while (as the children stared at me incredulously), Alice turns to me & says, 'Liz, you should really sing on stage. Your voice is like an angels.'
Oh, to be six again. I remember thinking this of my mom as well....and, let's just say, my opinions changed a bit. Perhaps I'll check back with Ali in a few years & see what she has to say about my kung fu then.

You're hot, then you're cold Majorca.

We felt quite mixed about Majorca. We found some nice spots, enjoyed the sunshine & each other's company, but nothing about the place particularily compelled us. Our hotel was nickel&dime city. Everything from beach towels to the safe key (in room safe) cost extra. And, they all required a deposit. Then you had to keep your deposit reciept to get your deposit back. Rubbish. Which leads me to my next issue with the place; chock-full of Brits & Germans. The entire island catered to the crappy tourist dollar. If I wanted to go to a British pub, or eat schnitzel, I would have chosen another place to visit. It was like Majorca copied everything yucky and cheap about their most common tourists & then plopped it on every street corner. Oh and they had our delightful American places to boot, more KFC, BK & PizzaHut's than I've seen all year combined.
However, as you can see, we found a great spot for a post-dinner drink. We thoroughly enjoyed this little bar with a great waitress who entertained my Spainish, and was far away from the crowds and the excessive numbers of under-5 children. We took a really nice, winding drive on the one overcast afternoon. Joe was right (ehm, I admit) and we enjoyed some really picturesque towns. We spent another afternoon at a nice beach & the rest of the time, poolside. One night we ditched the car & took a taxi into town so we could 'party all night' (we were back in the hotel by 12.30 & promptly asleep with glasses on face & TV on. Don't let anyone tell you we aren't rock-stars (how we are going to manage ourselves next week at Oktoberfest, I don't know).
Everytime we take a trip, we learn more & more about what we really want out of our holiday time. We need some cultural experiences, some feeling of mixing with locals, eating their food & drinking their beer or wine. We need a hotel that has updated their rooms at some point this century, esp. their comforters, no more rust colored ala-1970. We want some time to relax, to listen, and absorb. No more running from one place to the next to the next. Vacation is not a check-list. A place to get a bit away from the crowd, to hike, or swim, to be a part of the natural environment. Maybe throw in a patio with a view for good measure. This doesn't seem like too much to ask, does it?! ;)
Please note: We realize the fact that we get to do all this (despite my sometimes negative nelly/snobbish attitude) is a serious blessing. Yesterday, one of the children drew me a treasure map & instructed I put it on the hidden treasure in my house & I said, 'I'll stick it on Joe, he's my treasure.' All I'm saying is, take me with a grain of salt peoples. I do reco-nize.

love.

 

I saw a woman recently on a flight working on one of these multi-sudokus. I was jealous. I wanted one too. The book I'm reading isn't grabbing me, so I'm spending a fair bit of time with the free Swiss papers, Sudoku page (*the one page I'm sure to understand;). But the middle difficulty puzzles are starting to bore me....so, one day last week I found a different paper on the tram & inside was this guy. Is the title too strong?, because honestly, it was super fun.

Ambiguous Gender Day

Today on the tram ride home from my appointment I saw not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 people whose gender was not easily determinable. The mental guesswork was woman, woman, man, woman...honestly people I know today is not such a nice day in the city & there is a bit of humidity in the air, but seriously. You are creeping my shit out. Anyone else bothered by this phenomenon?

Magic Mouth

Somebody had their sass-pants on yesterday, and for once, it wasn't me. Instead the lil 4-year old guy I work with was whipping it out left and right. We've brought a picnic lakeside. It's the last decent day predicted for the week, so we're outside and so are a fair bit of others, despite the fact that it's 1.30 on a Monday. (Don't ask me how people are so rich here...) A man is laying down sort of close to the playground area. At one point, he pulls out a cigar and begins to smoke. A few minutes later, I'm straightening up where we'd picknicked & look up to see all 3 children standing in front of said man. I think 'oh, oh no.' Then, I see lil man wagging his finger at said man. Literally, he was wagging it, at a grown, stranger man. I walk up to a laughing guy saying, in accented English, 'they're telling me smoking is bad for me.' Hmmm, well.
Cut to bed-time. I've requested said lil man straighten up some bits of paper he's been cutting out. And I've requested and requested and....you see the pattern. Finally, someone else says I'll help so we pick all the bits up & throw them away. Now apparently some bits were not to be thrown away and he got very upset when he saw we'd thrown everything away. He begins to cry and carry on, then tell me 'your horrible, horrible, horrible' in his gorgeous little British accent. Honestly, nothing made me feel less horrible all day. Of course, I waited until I got home to laugh about it...doing the impression had Joe laughing crying.

Additionally, I arrived to a house full of people who thought my birthday was this week. (It got a bit confused in the 6-year old head, plus, I think she was just really excited about it). They made & hid cards around the living room. Waved to me from the balcony as I walked up from the bus stop. Sang happy birthday when I walked in. It was completely lovely & endearing. I'm already looking forward to next Monday to see what else they come up with ---
Since we don't have a car here, lil man always tells me 'he's going to buy me one for my birfday.' So, we'll see, could be a big birthday;)

Balade Gourmande, Grandson

Joe arranged for all of us to attend a wine walk yesterday. Basically, you walk from one location to the next along an arranged route, each location provides a course & wine to taste. We traveled to Lake Neuchatel, outside Yverdon, to partake in this 7km wine walking adventure. Most of the stops along the route were dairy farms & often, we were tasting wine & eating cheese with the lingering smells of cows. We were, most likely, the only non-French speaking people on the walk. One woman was quite surprised that we were there at all, noting it's much more of a local event. Usually, we aren't even aware when events are happening in our area, let alone another part of the country, so I was quite impressed with us.
Later, another woman, when we told her we live in Zurich, said 'you come from the big city.' Then proceeded to tell her friends & a wine pourer this fact. Big is certainly not the first adjective that comes to mind when I think of Zurich. She also mentioned that every year they change the route for the walk & that next year it will take place completely alongside the lake. We're definitely hoping for round-two next year, in case anyone wants to plan a trip out to coincide!

Homemade Din What What?!

 
With no man in my life tonight to come to the dinner rescue (post 11-hour child-care day). I whipped this up for one. (Honestly, the rice was leftover as I made fried rice earlier in the week & since I do not grasp the concept of cooking for one, this is the fourth time I've eaten it, with plenty more where that came from). The tofu&veggie red curry was the perfect compliment. Plus, I accomplished a task involving a sharp thing (knife) and a hot thing (stove) and emerged unscathed after another blissfully exhausting day. Do I rock at this, or what?
(Note: no jokes, this was a serious accomplishment)

Burst of Serious Summer

 

I spent the morning lakeside with the oldest & youngest of the newest ladies in my life. It was a hot, sunny day. A type of day we haven't seen here in Zurich since July (at least it feels that way). Tomorrow the temperature is predicted to drop & rain roll in, so we did our best to take full advantage of the situation. There is no better way to spend a perfect day like today with kids, splashing by the lake. Both the girls ended up with completely soaked pants, which ended up in pantlessness...more splashing, running, laughter & sun.

 

And what's a perfect summer day without a drippy, messy ice cream, complete with chocolate face, hands and sticky legs? Not perfect. That's what.

2 Jahre!

We arrived here in Zurich, 2 years ago today. All fresh, perplexed and a lot bit shocked. I could see it in Tim's face when he looked at the menu. That frightened look we once had about us. That, how am I ever going to eat, travel & save money? Clearly, you all know we're doing the first two & managing the third as well. It feels like a lot has changed this past year - new house, new job for me, some friends moving home and other, new ones emerging. I was writing an email to Stacey, one of our friends who has recently moved back to the US and is finding the transition a bit tough. I noted; ' I have to be honest, I am still completely smitten with Zurich. Even today, my breath caught as I was walking across the Quai after I'd completed my extensive errand list. Is it the light? The lake? The way the Grossmunster is just framed perfectly against the sky sometimes? What the heck is it?'
Honestly, what? Cause I just can't figure out how we're still so in love with this place.

Perfect for Top of the Muffin To You!

 

I've been the proud owner of a muffin tin for the past 3 months. Today, I decided to grab a stool, pull it down off the top shelf & whip up some muffins. Without Joe here to consume his daily banana, they were getting quite rip. I thought the tin was a bit odd, much skinnier than our American counterparts (like most things Swiss). Sure enough, the muffins have quite the top on them. This took me on a trip down memory lane, to the land of Elaine, Cosmo & the franatic episode where they attempt to get rid of some stumps. If you are in the mood, and able to laugh freely at work, give it a go.

I heart you Polska

We spent the past weekend in Poland. Friday morning our flight departed at 7.00 am. Therefore, we were meant to arise at 4.45 to catch a 5.32 tram to the airport. At 5.32 Joe woke up & said, the alarm says 5.32. 'Are you serious?' I responded. I stood up, looked at my phone and yes, it was in fact 5.32. We had a momentary mini spaz attack in which we thought we could reasonably cut out brushing our teeth until we got to the airport, before we realized we could just call a cab & be there in less than 15 minutes. So that's what we did. We took care of our oral hygiene before leaving the house, Joe threw on a hat & we were off. The random tone of the day didn't end there. As we boarded the plane, the super nice, super 1011 flight attendant directed us to the 'business' seats on the plane due to Joe's 'condition.' There were roughly 40 people on our flight to Warsaw, so we had the whole 'business section;)' to ourselves. The flight was easy & calm. Then we walked through the airport, expecting to be met at the other end by our guide for the day. We departed, but saw no one with the business logo, or our names listed. We had to pick up our train tickets in the airport & pull out some cash, so we burned some time doing that, then returned to the arrivals area. Still, no one. Hhmm, odd. Then Joe recieved a call on his phone, the 1970s Polish van that was supposed to be our tour transportation for the day was broken down on the side of the road. Could we wait 30 minutes for someone to come collect us? Not long after, we were greeted by the lady we'd had extensive email contact with. It's weird sometimes to "speak" to someone so many times in weeks leading up to an event, then meet them & think, hm, I expected you'd be older than me. (Insert whatever sentiment you like.)

It ended up we didn't get to take our tour in this old Polish van. But, we did get the pleasure of a 1994 Fiat 2 door & a delightful guide, Tomas, who had a clever grip on the English language & referred to the company's Polish van as "a piggy bank." This tour we did was 'off the beaten path' -- literally. We passed through tenement neighborhoods, the ground litered with broken glass & courtyards housing Virgin Mary statues (during the Russian occupation, the Poles couldn't go to church & gather, so they erected neighborhood places of worship). We saw this, the longest building in Warsaw which was building during Communism to house maximum numbers of people. It's like the projects, on their side. We ate lunch at a 'milk bar,' which is a government sponsored restaurant for 5plz, under 2 dollars (for two of us and Joe had meat). Now that I think of it, I suppose this could have been the culprit for my later drama. It was sobering, lively, educational & a great way to spend our day in Warsaw. We learned & saw more in our 6 hours with our guide than we do in many other cities.

Later in the afternoon, Tomas dropped us at the train station where we would catch a train to Krakow. We opted for first class tickets and it was glorious. It was the nicest, newest train I've ever been on. This means it bested Swiss trains. Please, don't tell my neighbors. Although, there was an obnoxious group of 20-something Poles a row in front of us who watched videos at full volume on their labtop the whole way, which rather tainted the ability to enjoy the experience, but ah well. About 2.5 hours later we pulled into Krakow & we're off to find our apartment. After a slight hiccup/confusion, we were on the right path & then easily found the Main Square & the apartment. Unfortunately, the place was NOTHING like the pictures the hotel posted online. It was circa 1968, smelled like mildew & gas & had it's own built in alarm clock of pigeons cooing on the fire escape outside the room (which sounded oddly like a person being strangled). We basically dropped our crap, bitched for a while, then hightailed it out of there to find food & mental fortitude to handle the apt, in the form of beer. We had a few beers (3-4), ate some food, hung around, then headed back.

The next morning I woke up feeling very ill. This was perplexing, 3-4 beers...seems okay. We both assumed I would shake it off. However, the usual tricks, being sick, drinking Coke, etc. didn't work their magic. After about an hour outside the room, I returned to nap. Then spent another hour outside the room, then napped. Rinse, repeat. I took 3 naps on Saturday and was in bed by 10pm. I would feel better for about an hour, then turn into a walking, pained zombie again. Finally, Joe is recovered & ready to go and I'm bedridden. Go figure. Unfortunately, Sunday wasn't much better. However, we did still manage to see most of the Krakow tourists sights which were very close to where we were staying. We bought LOTS of amazing Polish handmade wares. We strolled the square & bumped into an insane amount of people (the town was packed), and just enjoyed the feeling of the city. Unlike Warsaw which was completely ravaged in WWII, Krakow was basically unscathed. The old town is based around a vast, charming square that is lined with restaurants, bars, music venues, etc. There is really no contest between the cities, Krakow is the jewel. However, Warsaw has struggled more and the city, the people, have a stronger connection to their history because of the ways it's defined their lives. We were so happy to experience another part of Eastern Europe. We've loved every city we've visited in the former bloc and I think it has something to do with this connection. People don't take their lives and their freedoms for granted here. Everything is vibrant and dusty, often full of hope, yet steeped in depression. It's incredible to see how much can be restored in 20 years, yet how much work there is still to be done. Our guide in Warsaw was incensed by the protestors I refered to in a photo, outside the President's home. They consist of a large population of the country's voters & they believe in this conspiracy that the President's plane crash & subsequent death were intentional. He stated how ashamed he was that and these people brought embarassement to his country. I responded, 'but you must feel so lucky that your countrymen have the right now to protest, to speak their minds, no matter how misguided you may think them.' He didn't respond, perhaps I'd missed the point of his shame, but it seemed to me like a powerful indication that finally these older Poles, who previously had their lives dictated for them, were now protesting, smiling, speaking & standing for themselves.

Moving to Switzerland Much?

Our friend Tim just passed through last week on his move to Lugano, the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. He wrote the nicest things about us & our ability to host the shit out of people;) Plus, he took a really nice photo of me, it's so close you can see individual freckles. That's a serious lens for you.

Adventures in the New "Workplace"

 

Dress up time. Basically everyday.

 

Dressed as a pirate at the kinderzoo, riding a horse. Yup.

 

All the kids, snapping the ends of the green beans for lunch. A task that oddly they all loved & felt compeled to contribute towards. Now if only I could inspire this sort of energy during 'straighten up time.'

 

Rocking big girl sunglasses, which incidentally now have scratches, but I'm pretty sure it's worth it.
Often I leave work dirty, scratched, colored on, exhausted, yet joyful. I am in awe of how people do this, working, running a house, having kids. Literally, I am close to non-functional by the time I get home after work -- Joe is relegated to dinner duty -- aka heat something up, but honestly, it's more than I'm in the mood for, so I take it & happily.
As goes with all kids, and adults, we've had our hiccups along the way. However, I/we have settled into a better understanding of what we all need to have a happy, successful stress-free day. One of the most endearing/scary things is the way kids pick up on language, and so quickly. All the kids have gorgeous British accents (from Mum) and then I come into the picture and they are picking up, sometimes subtely, on things that I say. I sort of do this thing where I say 'nneennneenn,' understandably this is not a word & most likely a sound you may not be able to hear, right now, in your head. However, I do it as a 'are you sure you should be doing that?' sort of noise. And the other day I heard one of them doing it, to her sister! SweetJesus.
The family has an amazing, open way of communicating to the kids. However, the youngest is only 2.5, and sometimes things get a bit confusing. She keeps saying things like: 'My penis is dirty.' 'My penis feels funny.' And everytime, I have to try to keep a straight face as I tell her, yet again, 'You don't have a penis. You have a vagina.' Then, the next time I am there: 'You don't..' Rinse, repeat.

For once, I honestly find I'm at a loss for words. This deeply emotional, evocative Abel Korzeniowski score 'And Just Like That' succeeds for me where words fail.
We are holding the Eckstein's in our hearts as they cope with the tragic loss of Joe & Kate's cousin, Mary & Ron's nephew, Andrew. Join us in praying for strength & understanding for his father, step-mother, his brothers, their wives and all those who grieve as they try to come to grips with the loss of Drew.

Riomaggiore - Italia Part Due

And Lake Como just got topped. It's no wonder Cinque Terre has been on the lips & itineraries of so many Americans lately. It certainly showed from all the young backpackers and students trolling around town as well. The place is spectacular. We stayed in the 5th town, Riomaggiore. The apartment we stayed in was well above town. The family who owns the place also owns a hotel in town, but they live above the apartment where we stayed. Grandma, Mom & son all lived above, ran both the hotel & the two apartments, all while being exceptionally warm, helpful & deft parkers (we should have taken a photo of the garage where the car was 'parked' (aka wedged). Most of our time in Cinque Terre was dedicated to reading, enjoying the sun, swimming in the Med, walking up & down the hill, sitting on the deck, strolling the Via del Amore, eating, drinking local wine & Coronas;), noshing (great noshs every night courtesy of Nickerbocker -- cheeses, salamis, olives, croustinis), watching the sun set, playing cards, enjoying a very starry night, ferrying between the towns, and generally, relaxing and loving life.
We made friends with our waiter one night -- he ended up with not only Dad's business card, but his cousin Lori's contact information in Portland as well (the guy is visiting there during the up-coming off-season). We checked out all but the middle town, Corniglia, and honestly, I would be more than happy staying in any one of them, any time in the future. However, next time, I think we all would vote against the car. Once we got into the apartment, it never left the garage again due to terrifing cliffs, hairpoint turns & insane Italian drivers (with no respect for the slowski tourists). Thanks again for driving Dad -- I was nervous enough just being a passenger! And, thanks to you Mom for your endless help with Joe's knee rehab, advice & constant entertainment of the subject. We really couldn't have asked for a better trip.

Lake Como - Italia Part I

It all makes a bit more sense now. I thought Lake Como would be a bit of a let-down. I mean, we've all heard about this place for years linked to the rich & famous, but I just don't have a lot of faith in hype. However, hype it deserves. We stayed in Tremezzo, a small village on the left finger, situated a bit south & across the lake from Bellagio. This was a great move. Although the hotel was located up some seriously curvy, one lane (for you & oncoming traffic) roads, and we were all a bit tense after experiencing a crazy, typical Italian traffic jam (almost everyone got OUT OF THEIR CARS, on the highway & stood in a circle, convening about God knows what), it was spectacular, precisely because it was up a one lane road, in the middle of a quiet, residential area. The first night, we opted to stay very close to the hotel for dinner since the drive into town was a bit stressful. We ended up in a restaurant a few blocks down the hill, which, according to the hotel staff; 'is a local place.' Local it was. Our waiter spoke to us primarily in Italian, he told us 'tiramisu, me, my brother is the gnocchi,' (meaning who made what), we ate vinegar soaked fish (All of us), and drank wine out of coffee mugs, all while looking out over a splendid lakeview. Mom & Joe embarrassed themselves by ordering another plate of gnocchi (after trying Nick's -- they decided they could share an additional entree). While I ordered cheese for dessert & got 4 different kinds, all of which were at least one serving (for 3E!) --- We ate most of it later as a nosh. It was a seriously perfect first night of what ended up to be a perfect little holiday.

We awoke the next day, late (I blame it entirely on the wine in a coffee mug, who can even tell who much you are drinking?--and, yes, I did feel like a wino drinking out of a mug), to rain. By the time we got out & arrived to Villa Carlotta, the rain had slowed & almost stopped. We entered the enormous gardens & walked through all the gorgeous lushness. It was incredible. Someone owned all this. People own houses & land like THIS. It's pretty unfathomable. As we walked, the clouds rolled out & we got some fantastic views. We enjoyed a late lunch, then decided to head over on the ferry to Bellagio (it began raining again just in time for this decision). We weren't nearly as impressed with Bellagio. It was too touristy. There were too many people speaking the one language I understand, and unfortunately, most I'd prefer not to have understood. It's an odd phenomenon -- after so much time of being totally ignorant of what is happening around me, when I can understand, it just annoys me. Mainly, we were in Bellagio for a dinner reservation I'd made though. And, boy was it worth the annoying people & the wait for the cab to take us the secluded spot & the monies it cost to eat there. Everything was beautifully done. There were so many different twists, often I couldn't even figure out what it was I was tasting. We asked about a sauce, the chef said tomatoes, cooked over very low heat, for a very long time. Tomatoes. Really? That's it? Seemed more reminiscient of tomatoes on steroids, drunk. And then there was the dessert, which Mom & I decided to share. We were like vultures. I've never torn into a dessert like that before. It was exceptional. I honestly couldn't say which meal I enjoyed more (for different reasons, of course), but these two were the best on the trip, so I promise to refrain from the full disertation on food in Cinque Terre as well. So far, this trip has been right up ViggianoAlley.

Mags & Nick's Visit, Part I - Zurich & Colmar

Both Mom & Dad arrived to Zurich without any trouble last week. Mom requested a bike ride, so on Thursday, before Dad arrived, we took the train out to Zug, picked up some free bikes & set out to ride around Lake Zug (40-44km, 26-27m). We stopped in a cute town for a coffee & butt break (the free bikes seats are not very comfy, if you can believe that). Then, took off from there, following around the lake. Soon we came into a more wooded, foresty area. In the beginning, the path was okay, so we continued on. Then, we had to get off & walk the bikes as there were huge tree roots, braches, tree trunks down in the path. It got steeper. We pushed the bikes on. Finally I called my friend Erin who we were supposed to be meeting for lunch. I think we're a bit lost I said. We won't be back in time for lunch. One hour and a half later, we were back at square one, where we'd had our coffee break, only plus muddy shoes & sore upper backs from dragging the bikes through a freaking forest. We had quite a few laughs & serious questioning about why we'd decided to continue on once the path got out of control. Finally, after a few threats that I had to get the train back because I was too tired, we arrived to the self-service flower garden. Basically, there's an open field with flowers, each type is labeled by name & price. Grab a knife & cut away. Then, drop your money in a giant barrel & you're all set. We got enough for two different vases for only 10chf! Quite the Swiss bargain. Finally, we pulled into Zug, almost 5 hours later, met Erin for a very late lunch & were back in Zurich just before the first of many bouts of rain.

Dad arrived the next morning & I went to pick him up at the airport while Mom accompanied Joe to his PT appointment. We spent a low-key day around Zurich, stopped in some shops & churches, had a hot chocolate. It rained basically all day & we were getting quite concerned about our outdoor movie night. As we were leaving for the movie, it was still raining a bit, but we headed out anyways. We reserved our seats & then found a partially covered spot to eat dinner pre-movie. It was a chilly night, but the sun shined on us for a few minutes & we were just thankful that the rain stopped as the movie goes on no matter what. However, there were far, far fewer people in attendance than there were on Monday night.

Saturday morning, we all woke up a bit early & headed out to Colmar, France. It's just a cute town to stroll around in & Joe did really well getting about. I think it was a good trial to see what he can handle before we head to Italy on Wednesday. It was chilly again, but rain free in France, whereas when we'd left Zurich, it was raining. We had a nice lunch, picked up some very cheap French groceries, walked, went in a few shops, churches, etc. Saturday evening we had a fabulous dinner at home complete with some serious Nickerbocker margaritas (minus margarita mix) -- I think you can all imagine how this night ended up. Needless to say, no one was too quick out of bed Sunday morning. Mom & Dad went to church, then we all met at the cafe for brunch. Mom & I visited the Botanical Garden. Dad & Joe went to the beer garden on the lake which we joined them at later. Then we headed back home for another great dinner at home. Mom & Dad took off for Zermatt this morning. They are en-route to the mountains which are predicted to be temperatures of low50s - high30s, summer what? However, seems like it might be a bit clearer & less rain down there than we've been having/are predicted to have here in Zurich. We're having a fabulous time so far & can't wait to get down to Italy (although it's predicted to be a lot of rain there as well, boo)! At least I've jotted down quite a few good looking cafes, wine bars, etc., I'm sure no one will complain too much if it's simply eat our way through Italy, 2010.

T-23

Hours until Mags lands in Zurich! And another 36 or so more until Nickerbocker does! Mostly, I'm happy Joe will have someone new, who knows more, to talk to about his knee. We do all know that Duchek's live on a repeat loop, correct? I'll be content making dinner & drinking a beer in the kitchen tomorrow night while Mags deals with the physio run-down;)

OrangeCinema

 

Here we are on a gorgeous night in Zurich for the outdoor cinema. We arrived 1.5 hours early to get seats, only to realize Orange, a cell phone company here (ps what sort of name is Orange for a company?) hands out 'seats saver cards.' You write your name on it, then go to one of the many restaurants/bars set up around the perimeter & eat, drink & enjoy the evening. No need to hang by your seats, this is Switzerland people, the row in front of us, one lady left her purse to mark her spot. Her PURSE. I never get over this phenomenon. We ended up locating a few spots together in the top corner, but still a perfect view of the screen & surroundings.

 

Plenty of views of the lake & towns surrounding -- sail boats out for a late night cruise, people smiling, eating, enjoying life. There's not a single person in a grey suit anywhere. It's refreshing.

 

The screen as it's turning up to begin the endless previews before the movie begins. Somethings don't change. The moon reflected over the water the entire movie. Oddly enough, we both really enjoyed the movie, A Single Man. I had low to no expecations, but it was beautifully done. The imagery and music were powerful, some scenes almost felt too intimate, like I was peeking into someone's kitchen window and found this poignant expression of reality. Perhaps in a nasty, soda-pop sticky theatre, this movie would have lost some of it's appeal to me, but it just fit seamless into the evening and left me feeling stirred, sad & wondering, unlike any other film has for quite a while.

Per Official Request

Here are a few of my the things I enjoy on my neighborhood walks. Honestly, the pictures don't do it justice. It's a feeling, the air is warm & fragrant, the pavements are empty, there are plenty of mature trees and I'm on the move, listening to a fun, upbeat song like 'Hollywood's Not America' and dreaming of what life would be like to have a huge house in the hills. I guess I'd have to hire a guy to vacuum my white brick driveway though (I actually saw this happening today) and let me tell you, it was a damn good looking driveway. I might even consider living on that...although as you can see, our pink house is a pretty suitable alternative at the moment.

Since we can't afford real art...

Or, framing it for that matter in this city (painful note: we had something framed this past month & it cost 265; quality: average, salesperson attitude: sub-par, price: exorbitantly above what we were quoted) So, I thought of this (what I think to be clever) idea on a long weekend in May. The cards are made by Papyrus (bought in Vevey, CH) flower nails were also found in Vevey, and the stick (free) from one of my walks in the Zuri-berg. Total cost 28, banging nails: fun, salespersons attitude: chipper;)
 
What do you think? I could make a killing off these, no?
 

"The Doctor Told Me To"

 
Imagine, it's 10am on a Friday & you are working from home. Is this what you look like? If so, photographic evidence is required, please.

The Guy from Snakes on a Plane

 

As Joe & I were leaving Bauschänzli last night after a nice, post-work beer, I stopped short in my tracks. And stuttered out to Joe, "isn't that? uh, i think that's..." Only to have a guy from the entourage (which had just entouraged by us) turn & shake his head in the affirmative at me. "It's the guy from snakes on a plane" I finally said. Joe was all 'have you ever even seen that movie?' and I was like no. But I'm pretty sure in the ads he yelled something about 'motherfing snakes on the plane.' So yeah, we saw Samuel L. Jackson get on a sweet mahogany speed boat on Lake Zurich yesterday. Took a while to sort out his actual name of course. A black man dressed in all white in Zurich is not at all a common sight, so it's no surprise I noticed him. Honestly though, I was most bothered by the fact that he had all white people with him. Do you not keep it real SamuelLJ?

 

Plus, we'd been admiring this boat from our spot at the beer garden and wondering what a boat like that would run. Turns out it runs on the serious cash that only an actor from such classics as snakes on a plane fame can afford. Note: Joe thinks we now need to rent this movie but I reject this hypothesis. Just b/c it was the first (and only) movie that came to my head when I saw the guy, does not mean we need to torture ourselves with viewing it. (Depressing note: Joe just insisted on IMDB'ing SameulLJ and he's been in 131 movies, although to my credit, the only ones I've seen are Inglorious Basterds (only his voice), Die Hard: With a Vengeance and Jurassic Park; a seriously horrific list)

So, we Celebrate with Food.

 

And dawg gone it, with dinners like this, it's pure logic.

What were we celebrating you may ask? Just my first full-day at my new job. It's a nanny position with a British/American family. Apparently, I really like working with kids, something I never imagined before moving here. So, why not take it from 1 kid to 3 kids?! All 3 are wonderful, they are sure to keep me laughing & definitely busy! Some of the most amusing bits so far have revolved around language. The mum is British, so they have gorgeous little accents, until they start copying the way I say things, like maaango. The little boy has been copying me the most -- really brings home the fact that the phrase 'silly goose' is about the silliest thing one can say. Of course, sometimes he forgets and calls me things like silly goat, classic.

Atrophy What What?!

 

Atrophy - 1. A wasting or decrease in size of a body organ, tissue, or part owing to disease, injury, or lack of use. 2. Melodic Death Metal band from Berlin, Germany.
In a way, I wish this title related to the band, although I find it hard to believe that death metal can be melodic. Note: I just turned them on, and my ear drums confirm the theory.
Seriously, this picture does not do justice to the insane muscle loss Joe has undergone in the past 7 weeks post-injury. As his 'official' leg massage therapist (he has to call to make an appointment, usually this involves making a ringing noise while sitting next to me, but still, I insist on an appointment) I can tell you, it sure is crazy to work on the injured one, followed by the healthy, muscular one. However, we are now less than one week away from the next doctor's visit & starting down the road to serious rehab.

Please Chicagoans, Please.

Try this new gym class I just read about today on the inner-web, ZombieFit classes, which, I shit you not, 'help you survive the coming Zombie apocalypse.' "And so, two nights a week in a gymnastics studio in St. Charles, five to a dozen people gather to run, jump, climb and vault up, over and around obstacles that stand in for the features of a city in the grip of a zombie infestation. They also undergo strength and conditioning training because zombies are relentless." Don't you forget it folks.

Happy Birfday 'Merica!

Hope everyone is enjoying some burgers & beers, perhaps a parade & some flag waving today! Here's a bit of interesting wisdom from a fav WSJ author in the Duchek household, Peggy Noonan who speaks in her most recent editorial about the writing of the Declaration of Independence (and how the Continental Congress edited the f out of Jefferson's work (not P. Noonan's words;), similar to what Joe would like to do to my masterpieces sometimes). She wraps up her article with a plug for us (me: the writer, Joe: the editor): "And so to all writers (would-be, occasional and professional) and all editors too, down through our history: Happy 234th Independence Day. And to our British cousins: Nice growing old with you." I like thinking of the Brits as being our cousins, certainly not nearly as cool as our real flesh and blood cousins, nor with as nice of teefs, but with cooler accents at least!

Zürifäscht

 

Thanks for sending along the polo shirts M&D --- Joe's already rocked two of three, and as you can see, he's looking damn good doing it! You're looking at an American, an Italian & a Russian. How brutal would it be as an Italian to find out in your mid-30s that you are allergic to gluten? So I made stir-fry with rice for dinner, apparently rice has no gluten in it. Seems like a big duh, esp. after I asked the girl in the Bio store who then treated me like a handi (perhaps I am?)
Here are the guys at Zürifäscht for the 11pm fireworks, which was extended to 11.30 to accomodate for the OT in the football match. Serious business here. Also serious business, people standing directly in front of established individuals (us, Joe in brace/crutches) and then being stepped on (read: mine). Our dear friend Elena here weighs possibly 94 pounds soaking wet, but she was serious about boxing people out to keep them away from Joe. Russians. They know how to throw their 'weight' around. It was dark last night when we arrived for the fireworks show, so it tended to block out trashiness like this: (which we saw today on our walk through the daytime Zürifäscht festivities)

 

Yes, that certainly is a man with dangerously low pants despite the suspenders he is rocking with a shirtless gut. Really, we're not quite sure what the Zürifäscht hype is about. Unless you are a solid 12 years younger than us & enjoy stumbling around wasted in public at mid-day, there wasn't much to it. Or, if you love Euro carnies (even riper & weirder than the American version), ferris wheels & loads of sausage stands...

 

As always though, the city still shines. Just watch your step this weekend.