Ciao

This will likely be my last post from across the sea. One week from today we will be home in Baltimore. Our last week is going to consist of packing and our last European adventure to Amsterdam (Van Gogh & tulips for me!).

So this week, I am just trying to soak in all that is Basel so I can remember until (I hope) one day I return. Rob will be coming back once a month to work in the office here (the other work will be done from home) so I am hoping to make it back at some point. So I thought I would make note of some of the things that I'll miss about being here. (Obviously there are some things that I won't miss - the people are not exactly warm and fuzzy but that is not what this blog is about!)

I'll start with a few of the biggies - of course being so close to so many beautiful places. I don't think it will truly sink in until I have been home for a while as to how many incredible places I've been in the past 6 months. We are extremely fortunate and I hope to never forget the beautiful places and our memories at each one. And it has been wonderful to have so many friends and family visit us. We don't really have a ton of friends in Basel so being able to share our experiences with so many of our favorite people has made our experience that much richer.

I will miss the brilliant blue sky and the lush green grass. These are colors brighter than any in the Crayola box. My theory is that the color of the grass is due to the rich Alpine water and the sky because of limits on industry in the area. It's hard to describe the beauty of things as seemingly mundane as grass and the sky but these images will stay with me.

I will miss of course the mountains. Until now, I had really only seen the Rockies once and some little bumps in western Maryland so I don't have too much to go on but I know that there are few places in this world as still, natural and beautiful as the mountains I've seen. People here talk about them as a place to find their solace. When you are in those mountains, you truly are awed by God's hand.

I have loved experiencing a different culture. Although this was not always easy (i.e. when I almost got thrown off a train for having my feet on the seat), it has given me a new perspective on my life, life in the U.S. and how it fits in (or doesn't) on a more global level. It's interesting when I think about that because this western European culture is more like ours than any other in the world. I don't pretend to have a worldly view having never been to Asia or Africa or even eastern Europe - but just find that I am seeing things now through a wider lens than before.

With that, I will conclude for now. I hope everyone has enjoyed our Swiss adventures. I know it is difficult to make a trip to Europe so I hope I have allowed you to get a taste for what life here is is like. Now I get to come home to all of you and continue my adventures with all of you. I know that I will be back though and I know that my life has been forever changed by this experience.

Little Ladies in the Big City

I have been here in Basel for a little over 5 months now and we have had many visitors. I have had so much fun with all of them and have loved sharing my life here with them and taking them exploring to other parts of Switzerland or neighboring countries. But none have I been so excited to introduce to my European life as my mom and sister. I had my doubts as to whether they would actually make the trip so I was elated when the booked the trip and even more so when I saw them at the Zurich airport last Wednesday.

We began our adventure right away. I took them home to check out casa chez Valcich (how's that for a variety of languages?) and then we went out exploring Basel a bit. I took them to places I thought they would enjoy - along the river and over the bridge, to the open air market in the middle of the city, inside the old post office and to the Munster (Cathedral). I admit - I was starting to get used to life here and the novelty and excitement of Basel had worn off a bit so it was wonderful to experience it again through their eyes and realize how fortunate I am to live here. It truly is a beautiful place.

We had a nice lunch then came back to Chez Valcich so they could catch their breath. I made dinner that night and tucked them in - we were off to Milano early on Thursday morning.


I was very anxious about our trip to Milan given that Rob had to work and I had never been there AND my mom has a severe cheese allergy - meaning emergency room. So I did my homework and had with me how to say NO CHEESE - SEVERE ALLERGY in 3 languages tucked securely in my bag. To my delight, we had no problems getting there or getting around the first day. Yes I was the total tourist with my map out every 5 minutes but it was worth it to me to keep my mom and Joy and me on track and too turned around. We had a nice lunch (no cheese problems!) then went for a walk. We saw the outside of LaScala Opera House and a beautiful piazza across form it featuring a statue of DaVinci. We walked through a shopping aracade (Prada, Louis, D&G = I did not shop!) and into the Doumo piazza. The Doumo is a magnificent gothic cathedral. One of the largest we have seen and certainly one of the most beautiful from the outside. I was a bit disappointed that work was being done on the facade so we didn't have a clear view of the front. But it was spectacular just the same.

We had a very nice dinner on Thursday night in our lovely hotel (Windsor Milano - oops - I think that is probably a British chain but it was the nicest hotel that I have stayed in in Europe) with lots of fun LaGreca ladies conversation. It was wonderful.

Friday our goal was to visit the Last Supper and the interior of the La Scala theater. We went to the La Scala museum. I had my doubts about this one but I really really enjoyed it. The museum had all sorts of artifacts from operas past. Beautiful costumes, intricate sketches of scenes, old instruments and busts and photos of people intrgral to opera history. At the conclusion of our tour, we tiptoed into a small box where we could view see dancers practicing a ballet in the midst of the theatre. The theater was completely elegant in red and gold. I could easily picture the elite of Milan stepping out in their best to attend an opera. I made it a goal of mine that morning to one day come back and see an opera there.

Next on to the Last Supper. That was a trek but Mom and Joy were troopers - it was a very warm day and we probably walked about a half hour after past La Scala. Imagine our disappointment when arrived and were told that it was sold out and no tickets were available until Tuesday. I was most disappointed for my mom. I have been fortunate enough to see so many incredible works of art in the past 6 months but I knew that she would have loved to have seen this. So we went outside and bought a few little trinkets from a little Italian man outside the building. By some miracle, this little man was able to hook us up with tickets - 2 of them. Which was a bit unfair given that there were three of us. Joy and I both knew that Mom would go. I wanted Joy to go because I had already seen so many beautiful works of art. But she graciously let me go with Mom as she is coming back to Italia in September.

The Last Supper is as one would imagine - breathtaking. It is huge - covering most of the wall next to the Santa Maria delle Grazie church. It was amazing. I felt so fortunate to be able to see this. And saw so much more in the actual painting than I had ever seen in any replica. It was beautiful - so many colors and with delicate expressions on each face. Mom and I both agreed that the person to Jesus' right certainly did look like a woman.


So with this wonderful start to our day, we went back to the hotel to scoop up Rob who had come to meet us then set back out on the town. We saw many other beautiful parts of Milan - the Castello Sforzesco, a pretty park and Via Spiga - a shopping street with some of the top names in fashion. Again - no purchases here but a lot of window shopping.

We had another great dinner that night at the suggestion of our concierge. My dinner melted in my mouth! I'm not sure how Italian it was but it was certainly delicious - crepes with shrimp and truffle shavings in a white wine butter sauce. Woah! So very good. Along with warm hospitality, good wine and smiles and laughs with my favorite people, it was perfect

The next day, we headed back to Basel. The train trips in Switzerland are not your basic Amtrak Washington-New York style. Looking out the window allows you to see snow peeked mountain, clam lakes and the greenest pastures. At one point, we went through a tunnel and when we came out on the other side, we saw a dusting of snow on everything. It was probably only for a mile or so but it was beautiful and freshly fallen.

We took a quick detour in Berne to collect some souvenirs for Joy and Mom so I was able to quickly introduce them to my favorite Swiss city.

The visit went way too fast but I know that all of us have wonderful memories to share and recollect for years to come. I hope that the trip whetted Joy's appetitive for the amazing experiences she will have when she comes back with Ben in September and I hope that Mom enjoyed it enough to one day come back and bring my Dad.

Luxembourg & Brussels

Fasnacht concluded at 4am Thursday morning. It lasts exactly 72 hours (except for one year when the city officials accidentally turned out the lights at 3:59 - that year, it lasted 72 hours and 1 minute). So I had Thursday and Friday off (no class) without parades to attend. All the schools are off for the entire week and many Baslers go out of town. Some even during Fasnacht (gasp!). Rob, Chris and I had planned to head up to Brussels, Belgium to continue our European tour.

On the way up to Brussels, we stopped in Luxembourg. What a pretty city that is! It was late afternoon - the sun was low in the sky and it was a great time to see the city. We walked around a bit and had a really good dinner. The city was interesting - The language is called Luxumbourgish, which is a blend of French and German.Which worked out well for me. Between my small knowledge of each, I was able to piece many of the words together.



Then on to Brussels. Our hotel was very close to the stunning Grand Place. This is a square framed by beautiful white Gothic buildings with sky high spires. This was probably some of the most beautiful architecture (design?) I have seen in our travels. It was amazing.

I had read much about the number and quality of restaurants in Brussels and was not disappointed. We had probably the best mussels I have ever had at a little restaurant right on the Grand Place. Rob ordered the mussels (with pommes of course) and I sampled some. They were huge but very tender, cooked in white whine sauce. I wasn't feeling well that night but I was well enough to know that these were the best mussels I had ever tasted.

We also had a healthy lunch of Belgian waffles one of the days we were there (don't tell my mom). Wow were those good. I had mine with whipped cream and hot chocolate - Chris had his with ice cream and strawberries and Rob had his with strawberries. I guess it is a touristy thing to have but I am so glad we did. There are waffle stands/windows on almost every block. We couldn't leave without trying those!

And the chocolate was unbelievable. I need to say this very quietly but I think it is better than the Swiss (good thing I am leaving the country soon or they really would deport me for that).

And of course the beer - I love Belgian beer and have ever since the first time I tried it. I remember I was in New York for a photo shoot and the art director took me to a Belgian restaurant where we had pommes frites with mayo and a beer out of a strange, large bottle. It was called "Chimay." In the time since, I have come to love Delirium and McChouffe in addition to Chimay. So it was a little disappointing to me that I was feeling under the weather and couldn't really enjoy the Belgian beers to their fullest but luckily my compadres were able to enjoy them fully.



I was enchanted by this city. The city itself was beautiful, the food was wonderful and we had a great time. I've heard that Coca Cola's European headquarters are in Brussels. I wonder if there is a marketing opportunity there with my name on it.

Fasnacht

I'm not exactly sure what Basel is most known for. I know that there is a big art show here every summer. I know that it has a unique position in being so definitely Swiss but so close to Germany and France and I know it is known for having many Pharmaceutical firms within the area. From what I understand though, Basel is most proud of and most renown in Switzerland for its Fasnacht celebration.

After checking out the start of everything Monday morning at 4am, Rob, Chris and I stumbled home to get some shut eye. None of us were feeling all that great on Monday thanks to an exhausting weekend, little sleep and some bad kepabs the night before. But when the first band (Gugge) marched down the street in front of our window on Monday around noon, I was ready to go out and check out the action. This time, the band was full - with lots of horns and bells - not just piccolo and drum - they sounded great.



Rob and I went down to check out the festivities around 4pm. The parade started at 1:30 but things were still going strong around 4pm. I had already watched footage on TV so I knew to expected loads of confetti being strewn from the floats as well as candy, flowers and small toys. It was so neat to witness this parade. Everything was so unique and interesting. Each group had a theme for their costumes and their large painted lantern - each a comment on some political happening from the past year. I saw many floats/groups featuring penguins (apperantly there was a failed attempt at a penguin house at Basel's zoo this year), commentary on global warming, local earthquakes, school uniforms, non smoking proposals and disputes between the residents of Basel Stadt (City) and Basel Land (county). Each Gugge group had made their own costumes and oversized distorted masks. Each person in the group had the same mask except for the leader whose mask often extended several feet above his body with an enormous head 2 to 3 times the size of the others. I loved seeing the parade on Monday. It was so different from any parade I had ever seen but is what I imagine the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans to be like.



Like New Orleans Mardi Gras, the Basler Fasnacht celebration included a children's parade which was on Tuesday. This was definitely the best of the three parades for me. Imagine hundreds of small children in costume - anything from cute animals to miniature versions of their parents groups costumes - carting around on floats and standing in groups to watch the other children go by. The costumes were hilarious to begin with, but the best part was seeing the children hurtle confetti from the floats. Some would hold a flower or a toy in one hand to give to someone but not let go until releasing confetti at the recipient with all their might from their other hand. It was very very funny. Chris and I went to this one - Rob was working - and we got showered almost immediately upon arriving in the parade ("cortege") area. Little children found it immensely funny to not just throw confetti at us but try to put it inside our coats, in our hair, etc...

In one of my first posts on this blog, I mentioned how the Swiss do not celebrate Halloween. Well now I know why. Fasnacht, and in particular the children's cortege, is like Halloween plus fourth of July all rolled into one for the local children. They come out in masquerade and go home with bags stuffed full of goodies.

Wednesday was the final day and the last parade. Rob, Chris and I went down to the main bridge in Basel around 3pm to check things out. Again the parade was in full swing with thousands of spectators watching. We stayed on the bridge for a while and then wandered into the center of the city. On this day, the parade went on for hours. Things were finally dying down around 6pm but again with small groups continuing to parade through the city. I will never forget this day. Aside from the parade, the weather was beautiful - sunny but with a few spots of rain which created beautiful rainbows that only seemed appropriate for this colorful event. Rob, Chris and I had a great time watching everything go by and diving for fruit and candies here and there. We did end up with a bag of loot - my favorite items - the flowers (carnations and a big bouquet of mimosa) and a grapefruit that one of the Gugge group members gave to us because he had to continue marching and he had no where to put it.

The carnival here is one of a kind. The Basler Fasnacht is the biggest in Switzerland. People came from all over to witness it and I was so glad to be a part of it. I had heard so much about this event and could not imagine a 3 day party in which everyone "let loose" (as much as they do here) and just enjoyed the party. I was in shock that Basel would allow the city to get so dirty - each day there was about 3 inches of confetti in each of the major streets. But each morning, it was cleaned up to make space for the next day's party.

So now carnival has come and gone and we are able to move home shortly, knowing that we have experienced what is the highlight of the year for most residents here in Basel.

Fire & Fasnacht

Wow - where to begin? So much as happened over the past week or so that I am going to break up the posts in hopes of circumventing bored. Starting with last weekend....

The skiing weekend was very fun although the score was definitely mountain 1, sundai 0. What is the deal with skiing? Why couldn't I stop? Anyway - the mountains were gorgeous as always and we had really good food and fun times and enjoyed a new Swiss town - Chur. It reminded me a bit of Berne actually - older than Basel and I believe the oldest city in Switzerland.

We returned from skiing on Sunday afternoon, perfectly timed so that we could go check out the Cheinbaase parade in Leistal. "What the heck is that?" you may ask. Well - the first that I had heard of this was on Friday afternoon when I was volunteering at the English speaking community center. I picked a copy of "Swiss News" (it is actually written in English) and read this story about some crazy event in a town close to Basel where the people in the town carry huge brooms of fire through the town. My inner pyro couldn't wait to check this out. Turns out that someone had told Rob about it the same day at work. So we made sure that we were back for that. We jumped on a train and went a few short stops to Liestal (the capital of Basel Land which is like the county to Basel City).



It wasn't too long before the show began. All the lights in the town went out. A couple little bands came down through the parade route. Then the fire show began. Sure enough, men carrying huge brooms made of numerous pine branches (branches probably 3-5 inches in diameter or so) came rolling through the town. Some were running - those things must have been heavy and HOT. It was so crowded that I could only see the tops of the brooms scurry by. We were very close to the start of the parade where the men come through an arched wall. Apparently as they continue along the parade route, the loads lighten as the branches burn away. Thus the extreme crowds where we were. The highlight of the parade was definitely the fire wagons though. There were several times intermittent among the walking men when men came through dragging huge burning wagons (see photo). I have never seen anything like this in my life and cannot imagine it taking place anywhere other than Switzerland where everything is so regulated. The fire lept up as much as 3 stories high within small crowded streets. And the fire was so hot when these wagons passed that all the spectators had to turn away and put their backs toward the moving wall of fire. I was in awe that spectacle was actually taking place and in further awe the following day when I read in the news that no one was hurt. Of course not - this is Switzerland after all.

After the fireparade, we came back to Basel and dozed for a few hours in preparation for the Morgenstraich - the kick off of Basel's Fasnacht celebration. I had heard so much about this and was so excited to see it. That parade started at 4am. So around 2:30, Rob, the ham and I dragged ourselves out of bed and walked down to the main square of the town. It was raining a little bit when we got there but we all had warm clothes. The rain turned out to be good for us - we were able to get a spot at the front of the platz so we had a perfect view of the parade.

The clock chimed 4am and all the lights in the town went out. Then all the music started - only piccolos and drums and the only lights in the town were these small decorated lanterns on the marchers' grotesque masques and the large decorated lanterns that were the key piece in each group. It was really neat. The groups started in various parts of the city and came through narrow streets to join the procession. The parade was really unique in that the groups had various starting points and no set ending points. They could roam in and out of the processions and could continue into the night. We left around 5:30 am - pretty exhausted after a day of skiing, and watching the various parades, but the groups (gugges) were continuing to play all around the city - not in a set line but in small groups but still staying together. We decided it was time to head home and tuck in to prepare for the next three days of Basler Fasnacht.

6 weeks and counting

So my time here in Basel is winding down. I'm a little sad but very excited to return home and spend time with family and friends. And move and find a new job and.... (did I say I was excited?).

In the meantime though, there are plenty of things to look forward to in our final weeks here. Next week is the biggest event of the year in Basel - Fasnacht. From what I can understand, it is like a big upscale Mardi Gras. The event begins in the middle of the night (4am) on Monday. The town goes completely dark and the parades begin at various points throughout the city with drums and fluting. I can't wait to see it.

One might ask, why is this Fasnacht the week after the traditional Mardi Gras celebrations that take place prior to today, Ash Wednesday. Good question. In the towns and countries around us (Germany & France), Fasnacht has already taken place. The story from what I gather is that Basel used to be run by bishops, waaay back in the day. Then it underwent a reformation and a severe split from the Catholic church. Typically (maybe I should say historically), Catholics fast and refrain from celebrations during lent. So Basel's holding Fasnacht a week into lent is a kind of dig at the Catholics. I found all this to be very interesting. Also interesting to me is that the Catholic churches here in Basel do not observe Ash Wednesday. I emailed a Catholic church nearby to ask when the masses were today. At first I thought that "meine Deutsche" was creating a communication problem when I got the email back from the church and they had no idea what I was talking about. But with some further digging, I learned that they disseminate ashes on Sunday here. Strange but true. It seems there are very few Catholics here. Thus concludes your Basel history lesson of the day.

So back to our last few weeks - our good friend Chris is coming into town on Friday. So more fun and traveling is on the horizon for Rob and me. This weekend we were going to try to go into the mountains as Chris is an avid skier. (I'm not really sure how that is going to work given the sunny skies and temps in the mid 50s for the past week?) And then Monday - Wednesday is the Fasnacht celebration. The town pretty much shuts down for Fasnacht - German class is canceled for the entire week. So to take advantage of some time off and Chris in town, we will be heading to Brussels next Thursday. I am so excited to check out this city. I'm already planning my diet to consist of chocolate, beer, mussels and waffles. YUM!

So it should be a very exciting week next week. I will do my best to document as much as I can so I can share with everyone. And the following week, Mom and Joy come to visit. I am so excited to share my Basel life with them. I will drag them around and show them some of the places I frequent and also take them to visit some neighboring towns and countries. I'm not exactly sure of the agenda yet but we will be making an excursion into the tip of Italy so Mom can see the motherland.

So that's what's on tap. Stay tuned for the recap of these new Swiss adventures.

Shame on me

I did something twice this week that I had prided myself on not doing during our time in Basel. I visited American chain restaurants here in Basel. Actually, I like to think of it as a bit of research - to compare and contrast the American with the European expereince. Does that sound like a worthwhile rationalization? Okay then - forgive me for hitting Starbucks and BK in the same week.

I went to Starbucks on Monday actually to meet someone for an interview for an article for the English radio program and he proposed the meeting place. Well the inside looked exactly like a Starbucks at home. It had drinks with pretty much the same names and they all came in sizes "tall, grande, venti." The prices were a little bit higher but not too much. The cost for a tall Caramel Machiatto was 6.60 chf which is over $5 but not too far from the price in the U.S. They served me the drink in a big comfy mug. (I'm not sure whether there are different sizes for the grande and venti but the mug was huge!). And like in the U.S., they had Norah Jones type music playing and oversided chairs with neat small tables. I felt very at ease there but like I was cheating my European experience.

And I have secretly been wanting to try the American fast food here too. It just happened to be that Rob and I met for lunch at BK 3 days after I had been to Starbucks. The experience was much like Starbucks in that the sandwiches had pretty much the same names as at home. However there seemed to be more on the menu at BK. Different "sandwiches" with different combinations of toppings. Maybe they are also in the U.S. - I'm not sure at this point. The main difference was the cost. Hang on to your seats - the total for a value meal for Rob and me was $26.50 cHf. So more than double the price at home even with the confersion factored. Woah. Good thing it was just for research and I don't go all the time. The Whopper was delcious though. Just like at home.

Schnee

This morning when I got up, I could peek over Robs shoulder and see the snow falling. There was already a light dusting and it was continuing to come down steadily in big fluffy flakes. I have seen snow many many times in the U.S. but have never appreciated it so much as I did today. There is just something about the snow falling and sugaring everything in this fairy tale setting - all the spires and old buildings. It is just perfect.

Winter Wonderland

This past weekend we had good friends Brad & Julia in town for some winter fun. We met them at the Zurich train station and went straight to Grindelwald, a small mountain resort town. The weather here has been much like that of the east coast of the U.S., not quite that warm but still warmer than usual for this area. So we weren't sure what we would find in Grindelwald.

Valcich Griffith Olympics Sporting Chapter I - Snowboarding

When we got there, it was kind of slushy and rainy. But we were determined to get on the slopes. Brad & Julia are snowboarders so Rob and I decided to give it a whirl. We rented our equipment and jumped on the gondola. I have never been skiing before but I think that at most of the east coast ski resorts (can we call them that?) you use a lift and not a gondola. At first I was excited to be enclosed in the gondola rather than legs hanging free on a ski lift but then once I saw how high we were going, I got a teensy bit scared. Okay, gripping Rob's hand for dear life. We survived though and got off on a stop on the mountain. It's pretty much a free for all up there - people just choose their desired altitude, jump off and plow down the mountain. I wasn't too afraid of anyone hitting me - these people are born experts I think, but I was worried about me plowing into something or someone. My goal was just to be able to stand up on the snowboard, not hurt myself too badly, and move it around a little bit. Luckily for me, all were accomplished - thanks in big part to my wonderful husband who would run beside me and hold my hand as I slid down the hill. I told him to let me go though at the end and was kind of able to maneuver it. I didn't learn the proper way to stop though and I all could remember was advice someone had given to me to use the first time I ski and i needed to stop - just fall down. so I did! OUCH! Apparently it is easier in more snowy conditions but my butt did not love slamming into the ice. All in all though, a really fun experience! Except for almost missing the last gondola and having it stop and just hang there swinging half way down the mountain. I'd like to think I maintained my cool. Perhaps it even helped the acrophobia. Rob says if there is anywhere you want to be stuck on a machine, it is in Switzerland due to the superior engineering. Works for me!

Val- Griff Olympic Sporting Chapter II - Curling

On Saturday morning, we got up and headed down to the sport center for our next activity of the weekend. Brad was very interested in curling so Rob had booked us at the ice rink for 2 hours of curling - the first with an instructor. Well, all I knew of curling was that it was on the winter Olympics and probably among the most boring of all sports to watch. Well when you are playing, it is quite different. We had a blast hurling the stone down the ice. Julia must have been a professional curler in a previous life - she was excellent! We took our lesson and played against each other for about half a game. The trick is to curl the stone the right way (by turning your hand when you release it) and to make sure it goes the right distance by your release and brushing the ice in front of it to speed it up a bit. Brad & Julia beat us but no matter - it was so much fun and really wonderful to try a new sport like that. Brad swears they are joining a league as soon as they get back to Philly and told us we need to start one in Baltimore. We'll see about that.


Val - Griff Olympic Sporting Chapter III - Sledging

The first I had heard of this "sledging" was about a month or two ago at a happy hour here. A British guy that lives in Basel was telling Rob all about this trip that he and his friends take once a year into the mountains at night where they go to the top of the mountain and "sledge" from town to town, stopping at each town for a drink or some fondue. I guess "sledge" is the British word for sledding? At any rate, we decided that we should try this "sledging" especially since it didn't look like we'd be able to get back out on the snowboards unless we wanted to face the same icy mess slamming against our bottoms. In Grindelwald there is a little train you can take to the top of the mountain and then "sledge" down. So Saturday evening, we rented our "sledges", dragged them onto the train and chugged up to the top of the sledge run. I can't begin to describe the view from the top of the mountain looking down at the town of Grindelwald all lit up and glowing in the shallow of the mountains. Our camera doesn't really work in the evening so there was no way to capture on film. It was just stunning. So peaceful and quite and beautiful. So we took in the view for a few minutes and then began hurtling down the mountain. Now I had gone sledding before back in Bel Air on Shamrock road by the nursing home and at the country club. Well that is NOTHING in comparison to this. The sledge run is about 2 miles long, windy and steep down the mountain. The track is about as wide as a one lane road and you must maneuver your "sledge" and try to take the turns and get from spot to spot without totally wiping out. This was quite a challenge for me but I took it slow and again have to thank my wonderful hubby for waiting for me around all the steep hairpin turns to make sure I didn't turf it too badly. To give you an idea of this path, the first run took us about 35-40 minutes. We took a lot of breaks and went kind of slowly since we didn't know what was around each corner. Some of the turns were pretty frightening to me - in some places the path cut through rock or was at the edge of the mountain (see fear of heights mentioned previously). We used these old wooden sleds - like the Radioflyer type. I don't think one could go down this path on a plastic sled since there is no way to really control it. We "controlled" the sleds by using our feet to help turn or stop. Thank goodness for those new snow boots.

The second time we went down was much more fun and we were able to go much faster. We completed the course in about 20 minutes this time. It was much better for me because I had less fear and was able to relax a bit. We waited until everyone else had already gone down before we started our run so that was nice too. Only a couple of people came racing from behind. A couple of minor spills here and there but all in all, a thrilling adventure. We went down one other time (this time it only took us 15 minutes) but there were many more people on the course so we couldn't just relax and speed up as much. This is one of the most fun things I think I have done in my life. Sledding down the Alps at night was just unbelievable. I got seriously banged up - bruises behind my knees from trying to control the sled and some bumps on my backside and legs from wiping out. But the experience was just so exhilarating and the view incredibly beautiful. I hope we get to try it again but if we don't, I'll never forget that night.

The next day, we took a train to another sledging path. This one was a little disappointing though. It was not nearly as steep or long as the one from the night before, and this path was shared by hikers and cars. So again, we couldn't really just let go and fly down without control. None of us had any accidents or anything and the snow was a little softer than the ice from the night before. But I think we started out on the daddy of them all the night before so it was a bit of a disappointment. (This seems to funny to me considering how happy I was flying down the hill by the nursing home for so many years.) Of all the we did this weekend though, this is the one I would recommend the most. It's such a high to come down the mountain like that at night under a million stars.

Thus concluded our weekend Olympics. We had so much fun with Brad & Julia in the activities and enjoying the Swiss and Italian meals we had. They were wonderful company and the perfect complement to our little winter excursions.

Back to Basel

Prosit Neujahr Everyone!
Hope that everyone enjoyed the holidays and is getting off to a great start in the "Neujahr." Our trip back to the U.S. was great. Quite hectic as you can imagine with friends and family spread apart but it was wonderful. There were many people that we wished we had time to see but we will be home soon enough and hope to catch up with everyone this spring.

Going home was kind of funny. Quite a few people said to us "oh, you look the same!" Yep - same same - no drastic makeover here in Switzerland! That struck me as kind of funny. I guess maybe some excepted some kind of change in fashion or look or something? I wouldn't say that Basel is on the cutting edge of fashion. Now if I had more time to spend in London or Paris? Then maybe!

We did everything pretty much the same. Except we did walk from Cambridge St (Fells/Canton) to Federal Hill one night and caught some flack for being European for walking instead of cabbing. It was warm though?!

The first major difference that really jumped out at me was being able to understand all the conversations around me. One really takes that for granted! But here I am constantly straining to a.) determine which language is being spoken and b. ) try to understand some of what is going on. It's good though! My German has gotten much much better and I am trying to refresh my French at the same time. But it was nice to relax and not strain at conversation.

I don't really have too much else to report right now. We haven't even been back a week yet. We spent the weekend quietly, getting readjusted and enjoying the warm weather (it's about 50 here so that is somewhat warmer than normal for Basel at this time of year). Oh and we also caught some football last night - Sorry Jets fans! YEAH Eagles fans! I am pulling for an all-bird Superbowl this year - Eagles Ravens!

Anyway, I should have some stories to share next week. Brad & Julia are coming to visit us on Friday and we are going into the mountains for some winter sports. Skiing, snowboarding, sledding and curling?! We'll see how many we get to do. I have never bee skiing so YIKES! It will be a good weekend for me if I can manage to get up and down the bunny slopes in one piece. So more to come on that next week.

Ciao for now