Switzerland: Packed and Ready to Go!
 

Leave Friday for 3 wonderful weeks in Switzerland and England. I've got pages and pages of notes from this board. You're all so amazing with your wealth of knowledge and keen observations on those little "extras" that shouldn't be missed. This is the trip my parents are accompanying us on, and it will be our first time staying in an apartment in Grindelwald. Can't wait!

Kopp, I don't wish you a wonderful trip - I KNOW it will be enchanting. Sure, envy you a little, and share your excitement. Make sure you have lots and lots of films or storage space in your camera. Don't even want to touch the subject of food. Bon voyage and great weather!

Gruezi Kopp!

Willkommen in der Schweiz!

Wir wuenschen Ihnen einen schönen Tag.

Tschuess!

Schuler, that as very kind of you.

that's was, not as

Thank you for your kind notes.

I see I need to do an repeat course in German. Had to go to the translator for that third sentence. But yes, schuler, that was very nice of you!

I received an email from the kind lady who is renting us the apartment. She'll have a welcome drink waiting for us upon arrival!

Now, to look for that ice cream and chocolate...I will be dreaming of cow bells and train whistles tonight!

Actually, I don't remember them selling train whistles! Cow and sheep bells - everywhere, any size, but the price... high! like a skyscraper :)

Also the clocks everywhere and the weather houses in some places. Beer steins can make nice souveniers if you don't mind heavy and breakable.

Chocolates deserve a special paragraph. No, scratch the paragraph, make it a book. All shapes, sizes, with nuts and without, filled and plain, tiny to huge. No need to look for them or ice-cream or cheeses - they are everywhere!

If you're taking the Glacier Express, they sell special slanted wine glasses there - 25 fr a piece! Ouch!

Don't drop your ice-cream walking on those cobblestones :)

Danke schön.

And while you're here, don't forget to try a Swiss bratwurst and have a Cafe Zwetchgen (cafe with prune brandy).

Oh, dear schune, is there really such as thing as prune brandy? So funny you mentioned that. I just got back from the grocery store as I had forgotten my trusty bag of prunes -- helps with the dudy duty on these trips...LOL Perhaps all I'd need is some prune brandy each night!

And yes, faina, ice cream is a favorite -- I love the Coupe Denmark with all the trimmings! Don't you remember the shrill from the train whistles as it departs the station? I live for that high-pitched noise - and always right on time! Gotta love the Swiss!

And we'll be spending 10 days in England as well. We have a reservation with the Queen for tea..well, maybe not but I do have an appointment to visit her house and all her horses.

Got a minute for a funny story? Mom called from CA, asking about how ATMs work. She wanted to know if those machines over there print foreign money, or do they just give dollars? This should be a fun trip indeed!

Lucky you!!! More best wishes for a fantastic trip. I go to Switzerland every-other year in the summer. Unfortunately this is the "other" year so I am in extreme Swiss withdrawl at the moment.

p.s. loved the ATM story from Mom :-)

I love this story too! Have you warned your mother she should tip the pilot :)

Schuler, where were you just 2 months ago when I was getting ready for my Swiss trip? Oh, well, another reason to go back :)

Have a wonderful trip, kopp! We will be looking forward to reading all the details when you return. I hope you'll be able to sample Geschnetzeltes mit rosti somewhere along the way. I don't know if it is part of an Oberland menu, but I enjoyed it in Zurich and in Bern (Pardon the spelling if it's not accurate, schuler.) And don't forget felchen filets. So many of my scenic memories are paired with food memories. Ahh. J.

Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!
Views! Views! Views!
Relax! Relax! Relax!
The cowbells, the waterfalls, the everything...ENJOY your trip!!

OMG jmw44 - that's my favorite dish - geschnez...oh, whatever - but yes, that's certainly high on my list - as is spatzli mit kase - good thing I've been dieting these past few months!

Parents have departed CA enroute to TX. They're coming here a day early -- and it's a good thing. They've packed 4 suitcases just for them -- totally goes against the packing list I sent them - one of which is just their shoes - yikes! Sounds like I need to print out the Trip Nazi report for review on the flight to let them know what's acceptable.

Gruezi Kopp,

Bring summer and fall clothes. We seem to be getting hot weather one week and very cool weather the next. We are just going from a very cool week into a very hot one (30C today). Tschuess!