The Goldman Family's blog

September

Rome

La Dolce Vita

 

Of course we were going to visit Rome.  It was on Larry’s list. (But what isn’t?)  It had been nearly a month since our last “vacation”!  Off we went for four days in Rome.  Arrival in a foreign city is never the highlight for me:  by train, it’s how to figure out how to get to the hotel; by plane (as it was for us to Rome’s tiny adjunct airport,  Ciampino) it’s submitting yourself to the mercy of the local taxi mafia.  Wherever you go in this world as a tourist, you know the first place you’re going to get ripped off is the taxi stand at the airport.  I don’t get it.  Bye-bye, fifty euros.

 

"The Mouth of Truth"

But then, we were at our tiny, friend-recommended hotel in the heart of Ancient Rome!  The room was small, moderately clean by my standards (not Mary’s!), and the proprietor spoke some English, which helped.  We had left so early from Basel, we had the whole, hot day ahead of us.   We started out well with a shaded lunch al fresco, and the famous “mouth of truth” photo opportunity.  Then the disaster of a hot afternoon.  We trudged around in the heat looking for shade, like in our guidebook’s “shaded playground for kids.”  Unfortunately, it was in fact a completely unshaded and scorchingly hot playground.  We felt like Bugs Bunny in the desert, jumping into the oasis which turns out to be just a mirage.  It was time to go back to the hotel and regain our strength.

Water, Water Everywhere 

(and you can even drink it)

 

After that early disaster, we planned the rest of our stay in Rome for comfort.  We had passed the Piazza Navona earlier in the day, a large enclosed plaza with three huge fountains, ringed with outdoor restaurants, sure to be packed in the cooler evening.  We returned when the sun was low in the sky and the weather was perfect.  Piazza Navona was indeed a beautiful spot for spending a warm September evening – the cool fountains, the fantastic (if touristic) food at those plaza bistros.  Touristic, in this case, means something every Goldman could eat (pizza and pasta).  Add a bottle of local white wine for Mary and I, and we had the makings of a lovely evening.  After dinner, we went for a lovely walk along the Tiber, taking in Rome by night, and the now-standard merry-go-round for the kids.  All thoughts of the blistering hot afternoon had vanished. I already knew that we would be back for dinner the next night.

 

Trevi Fountain

Oh yes, the fountains of Rome.  Three of them in Navona alone.  They were everywhere, they were huge, the sculptures always beautiful, and, on a long hot weekend, essential for survival.  I believe the water was drinkable – I drank quite a bit of it over the course of the weekend without apparent consequence.  The Trevi Fountain, the granddaddy of them all, was surprising and impressive.

 

Trevi Fountain

On and off the beaten path

 

Of course, we saw the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums, Saint Peter’s Basilica.  And we ate gelato.  A lot of gelato.  All of it good.   But I didn’t have to tell you that.

Biking in Villa Borghese

Some of the more memorable experiences, were little surprises stemming from our “plan for comfort.” Above the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, provided shade and . .  bikes!  Families whizzed by on three- or four-person pedal bikes.  We had to join in.  At the bike rental, we were told only motorless bikes remained.  Turns out the bikes we saw had pedals that started battery-powered motors.  Well, a lack of motor wasn’t going to stop me!  However, it turned out to be difficult for one dad, (plus or minus one son) to pedal an entire family up even a very slight uphill.  But the downhills were fun!  The hour did finally end with one exhausted, hungry dad.  After lunch we found a large fountain (no sculpture) which the kids took for a swimming pool – another good idea on a hot afternoon.  Another pleasant surprise was Janiculum hill (not one of the seven), with shade trees and a very amazing view of Rome.  And every day ended with a lovely dinner of pizza, pasta, wine and the warm September evenings.  That’s the way I’ll remember Rome.

 

Fountain or Pool?

Technorama

Technotronic

 

After Rome, we had a long break without plane travel.  Back to just enjoying Switzerland.  And Germany.  And France.  Learning that there was a big Lego exhibition there (from my nephew Matt), we headed off to Technorama, Switzerland’s biggest science museum, located in Winterthur, about 20 km east of Zurich.  And what a great recommendation – thanks, Matt!!  The Lego exhibit was pretty cool, but the museum itself was wild – like the Exploratorium in San Francisco, but two times bigger and far less crowded.  And unlike the kiddie attractions in Alsace, everything here was explained in English.  I think I had more fun than the kids.  Huge bubble sheets, vapor tornados, optical illusions, cool!  We spent the entire day there, and zipped home through the town of Winterthur itself.  Again, the unplanned stop often offers up a little surprise – here, a tiny, free aviary with strange and colorful warblers.

 

Eagle Castle

France vs. Germany

 

Aunt Karen was next on the agenda.  She left Manhattan to spend 10 days with us.  Karen was great with the kids, who smelled fresh blood.  During the week, Mary escorted her around Basel, Lucerne, and other requisite destinations.  At the weekend, it was my turn to drive.  On Saturday, Alsace.  Having done the monkeys in the spring, it was time for the eagles.  Located in and around an abandoned castle in Kintzheim, Le Volerie des Aigles treated us to an hour of flying raptors:  eagles, vultures, falcons and owls swooping inches over our heads, and trampling on our feet.  Aunt Karen will never forget the vulture that stepped on her!  After that, it was wine tasting in Bergheim and another charming town – Riquewihr.  Unfortunately, its museum of torture was closed by the time we got there! 

 

Then on Sunday, Germany.  I picked Todtmoos, a town in the Black Forest, as our destination.  It wasn’t the most charming town.  Still, it was picturesque, nestled in a wooded valley with a lovely church, typical Kaffee and Kuchen (yum!), and Aunt Karen got to watch the amusing spectacle of me taking my kids German mini-golfing.  German mini-golf is a semi-professional sport, and difficult for dads, let alone kids.  They get frustrated, then dad gets frustrated, then we break the rules and walk on the course (do not, I repeat, never walk on the German mini-golf course proper, or face the wrath of the Geschaeftsinhaber, whomever that is. )

 

The winner – France, by a landslide.  This week, anyway.

Aunt Karen in Lucern

Les Grottes

Jurassic, I mean Pre-histo Park

 

The tri-country area offers a surprising variety of attractions.  Our guide to “Family Fun” in the region directed us the next weekend to Reclere, the western corner of canton Jura, surrounded by France, and a bizarre tourist trap labeled “Pre-histo park.”  The dinosaur park, turned out to be a pleasant walk in the woods that occasionally passed less-than-lifesize plastic replicas of mostly-extinct animals.  The kids had fun running around, though, and the attraction was paired with the “Grottes de Reclere”, a series of large underground caverns. Descending the caverns actually felt like a “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”  Now that was “awesomely awesome”, Jules Verne style!

Less awesome was the lunch we had at the local restaurant.  After spending an hour in 45 degree caves (brr!),  we headed indoors to eat.  Apparently so did a swarm of flies.  The staff seemed to accept this situation as normal.  For me, it was if we were back on Skopelos!

Dinosaur Park

 

 

The Spanish Steps

PRICELESS QUOTES 

 

“What’s the big deal?  It’s just a castle, mom.  Get over it.”  Nina’s response to Mary’s desire to visit another chateau.  September 26, 2009

 

“What’s the big deal?  I don’t get it.  They’re just steps.  It’s not like they’re painted pink, purple or orange.  Now THAT would be something!”  Nina’s response to the Spanish Steps in Rome.   September 6, 2009

 

Pumpkin Festival

EXCERPTS FROM LARRY’S JOURNAL

 

The pumpkin festival was awesome awesomeness.  First, I jumped off a bunch of hay.  I crawled through Coraline’s tunnel (a maze).  We climbed the tower thingerooney and looked around.   We went in a pool full of kernels.  I wish we [could have] put it in a giant microwave.  I did crate climbing.  Das ende. 

September 19, 2009

 

I went to some caves today.  It felt like I was underground, AND I WAS!!!  It was freakishly awesomely awesome.  I loved it. 

September 26, 2009

 

I went to Kleinhuningen today.  I saw the American style new mall.   Dad and I went in it and I saw like a billion stores.  Then I looked around for lunch and found a pizza place, a McDonald’s (Ba Ba Ba Baa!  I’m lovin it), and a Subway.   It was awesome. 

September 27, 2009

 

Pumpkin Festival

 

Nina's Turn!

EXCERPTS FROM NINA’S JOURNAL

 

The Mean Tram teacher:  One day…we were taking the tram home and the teacher’s telling other kids not to go close to the edge of the standing place.  And when the tram came we got in…and when I was not looking a teacher pulled Larry out for touching the tram!  I don’t see what’s wrong with that.  Anyway, when the tram took off I thought, “Where is Larry?”  I searched for Larry but he was not there.  So I panicked.  But luckily Max and Harry were taking the tram home so I went home with them.  And Max and Harry’s mom called my mom. And as they usually say, “[we] lived happily ever after.” 

September 11, 2009

 

On Saturday I went to the pumpkin festival.  At one point we went on a thingy magiggy and they put a belt-like thing around your waist.  They have a crate and you step on the handles.  Then they give you more and more crates and you’re on a rope and you try not to fall before ringing a bell on the top.  You have to fit [the crates] in the right way and it gets all wobbly.  And as you get closer [to the bell] it gets wobblier and you just keep looking through the crates and you almost flip out.  That’s what I did.  So I just went down instead of going higher and I was like, “Sweet land!”  It felt scary and sort of fun. 

September 19, 2009

 

Park in Laufen - Fall

We went to a park that we were at 7 months ago in the icy cold winter.   There was one spot where we took a picture before and the spot was still there…It was just so amazing to be in the same place and it felt just so good to see it again. 

September 26, 2009

Park in Laufen - Winter

More Fun Moments in September:

Pumpkin Festival, LEGO Exhibit, Miniature Golf in Todtmoos,

Mechanical Bull Riding and Bungee Jumping at the School Barbeque,

and Hall of Maps in the Vatican Museum

 

 

 

 

 

August

After a busy July, we stayed close to home most of August to enjoy the lazy days of summer.   Since I’m usually so anxious to get of town to see more of Europe, it was kind of nice to hang around Basel and to take advantage of all the local attractions. 

 

Summer in Basel

 

Basel feels calm and laidback during the summer.  People appear happier and more relaxed.  I even noticed more smiles and “Guten Tags” around town (maybe those were all the foreigners).   Even with the mellow feel throughout the city, excitement still managed to fill the air.  The Swiss love having reasons to get out and celebrate.  In August alone there were so many festivals and activities, we could barely fit them all in.  One of my favorites was the annual Rhine Swim.  On a daily basis you can catch people swimming in the Rhine.   But on this particular day of the year, hundreds of people jump in around the same time to enjoy the water together.  It’s quite a sight to see (especially if you can catch a glimpse of people mooning you as they float by).  Larry was crushed that I wouldn’t let him join in the festivities.  Call me crazy, but letting a child drift down the Rhine with boats and hundreds of people bobbing alongside (or possibly on top of) him doesn’t exactly sound safe. 

Rhine Swim

Larry was somewhat appeased when Ken took him for a little swim in the Rhine a few weeks later.  They found a small quiet beach with some friends and hopped in, letting the current whisk them away.  The boys floated down a few yards to a point where they could easily get out of the water and walk back to the beach to repeat the process over and over again.  Larry returned home excited and proud of his achievement.  Never mind that he came back with a five-inch long cut down his hand! 

 

I would have scolded Ken for Larry’s injury, only I remembered that I nearly let my daughter drown the week before.  It happened when I took the kids out for a picnic and an impromptu swim in another local river.  Although this place is much narrower and gentler than the Rhine, there is still a current that can swoop small children off their feet.  Nina demonstrated this perfectly when she lost her footing and fell.  She clung onto a rock while I stood there oblivious to her struggle.  “Larry, help your sister” I said as I clicked away with my camera.  Nina eventually got up, but she came over to me in hysterics.  “I saw my whole life flash before my eyes!”   Oops.  I guess you can’t assume anything’s safe around here just because everyone else is happily frolicking away in the water.

 

Nina's being swept away!

That brings me to the topic of Swiss safety standards.  They’re low - very low.  People here take responsibility for their own actions.  That means whether you decide to jump in the Rhine or go sledding down a steep mountain with dangerous fenceless drop-offs, you do so at your own risk.  There are usually no warning signs or postings prohibiting you from engaging in death-defying activities.  I’m a bit torn about this attitude.  On the one hand I do love that the Swiss are not a highly litigious society, on the other, I’m always a bit nervous when my kids are enjoying these freedoms.  As a parent you can never be certain that your children will be safe.  For example, most pools don’t have lifeguards.  Larry and Nina love that no one yells at them when they’re running on the wet pavement or pig piling down the waterslide with their group of friends.  But I’m not so thrilled.  There are also toys that could take your eye out (like the crossbow dart game below), playground equipment that would have American tort lawyers jumping for joy, and lots of other ways to put gray hairs on a mother’s head.  Parents definitely have to be on their toes here.

 

Nina Shooting Her Brother

 

St. Jakob Pool

With the hot summer days, it was impossible to avoid the dangers of swimming.  So despite the general lack of Badmeisters (lifeguards), we took our chances and enjoyed some refreshing water time.  Europeans love their pools.  Our area has over 19 public swimming facilities.  Many of these places have multiple pools:  one for laps, one for diving, one for slides and sometimes another area just for small children.  Then there are the other amenities:  restaurants, snack bars (where the chicken nuggets are served on real china), volleyball courts, soccer fields, ping pong tables, playgrounds.  It’s enough to make one’s head spin.  On our first trip to the local St. Jakob pool, I didn’t know where to focus my attention.  Then I saw something that still burns my eyes – a leathery tanned man in a G-string.   This wrinkly gray-haired svelte senior proudly struts around in his skimpy suit without a care in the world.  I found it hard to divert my eyes in the beginning.  After a few trips to the pool, however, I finally got used to him.  I even gave the guy a name.  Now it just wouldn’t be a day at St. Jakob without seeing “Crazy Fritz” in all his glory.  I’m starting to feel like a real local…

 

St. Jakob Pool

 

I finally accompanied Ken and the kids to another favorite swimming spot – Laguna Badland in Germany.  Nina insisted on going there with some friends for her birthday, so I knew I couldn’t avoid a visit.  For a kid (and the less squeamish adult), Laguna is a swimming paradise.  The kids got a taste of this place in January (see that month’s blog entry), but I wisely bowed out back then.  This time I wasn’t so lucky.  I joined the hoards of other people on a hot Saturday afternoon and went in the wave pool and down the crazy slides.  I’ll admit it was all fun.  The place is enormous and full of exciting water attractions.  If it weren’t for the crowds and for the cockroaches in the locker room, I might actually go back.  At least that’s what I thought until I was approached by a large hairy man who kept trying to talk to me in French and German. 

 

Larry's Big Jump

 

I think we all know by now that I’m no ace with languages.  With the splashing water and the happy screams in the background, I could barely make out what the person was trying to say to me.  I heard something about a sauna and nodded my head, then pointed to a door with the assumption that he was asking for directions.   When the man wouldn’t leave, I got a bit suspicious.   He kept talking animatedly in German and French.  I responded with a lot of “oui’s” and “ja’s” trying to cover both bases, but hoping he would just go away.  Finally, when the guy reached for my arm I realized that he was trying to get me to go in the sauna with him.  With all my nodding I was probably leading him on!  Only I could mess up with language that badly - again (and again, and again...).

 

Grun 80, Basel

 

Just to show you that language issues can also affect the linguistically gifted, I will share one of my husband's own moments of confusion.  The other day as Ken was opening the mail, I could hear him mumbling under his breath.  I sensed a little stress in the air from whatever it was that he was reading.  Silence followed and I braced myself for the bad news.  A few minutes later I heard a huge sigh of relief followed by a chuckle. Being new to living in Europe and still not entirely familiar with the language, Ken mistook a legal advertisement for an actual letter.   When you get a notice in German that says you owe thousands of dollars due to an accident, I can imagine that your mind starts racing as you try to recall what you did to receive such a bill.  Naturally, we can recognize those kinds of advertisements back home in the U.S.  But here it was so unexpected (especially since the Swiss are not typically big on lawsuits).  And to be honest, the way Ken drives, it’s not beyond reason that he would be in some kind of car-related trouble.  Now we know that even Europeans must deal with junk mail and ambulance chasers. 

 

 

Ecomusee

In addition to all the fun water time, the kids had a chance to engage in some educational activities over the summer.  One weekend we went to the Ecomusée in France where Nina was relieved to discover that the place is a recreation of a 17^th century Alsatian village (much like Williamsburg, Virginia), not a museum dedicated to echoes.  Given that we’ve already been to a French fry museum and a chocolate museum, I could hardly call her assumption ludicrous.  Ken informed me that there’s also a museum somewhere in Germany dedicated entirely to currywurst.  (That would be hot dogs covered in ketchup sauce and curry powder.  Yummy, yes.  But museum worthy?!)  There are lots of other strange attractions in Europe:  the phallus museum (Iceland), the wallpaper museum (France), the corkscrew museum (France, of course), the dog collar museum (UK), the lawnmower museum (UK) and the asparagus museum (Germany) are just a few.    In some ways it feels just like being in America.  Now where can we find Europe’s largest ball of yarn?

 

Ecomusee

Part of our educational outings included a trip to the Roman Festival held at the ruins near Basel.  The kids were fascinated with the fair’s depiction of the life and culture of the ancient Romans.  Larry, Nina, and their friends ground wheat into flour, hammered their own coins, made mosaics and blew traditional horns that could easily poke your eye out.  Apparently the gladiator fights weren’t real enough to hold their attention.  Afterwards we needed to offset the kids' disappointment with some authentic Roman soft serve ice cream and Diet Coke.  

Roman Festival

 

As if life couldn’t get any better, Nina got to go on a pony during the festival.  Riding around on her little horse, she looked like she had just won the lottery.  I earned “Best Mommy in the World” title and numerous hugs and kisses for allowing her that one small pleasure.  I was on my way to earning "parent of the year."  Until…

Europa Park

As a last summer hurrah, we took the kids to an amusement park in Germany called Europa Park.  Larry and Nina were bursting with excitement all day long.  The rides were fun, the food was good and the weather was perfect.  Ken and I only screwed up twice during our entire 9½ hours at the park.  First, we went on a pirate ride that looked harmless enough from the outside.  It turned out to be dark, scary, and loud – all the things our daughter hates.  Nina was terrified.  She didn’t fail to mention several times that we “are the worst parents in the world.”  Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Nina's not happy with us.

Later, against Ken’s wise objections, I decided to let the kids play some carnival games.  I know that these types of amusements are designed to rip people off.  But kids usually stand some small chance of winning, don’t they?  Well, not here.  Europeans don’t coddle children when it comes to games or sports.  Even diversions that are designed for kids can be impossibly challenging (Miniature golf is another good example.  Although in Germany it’s actually an adult competitive sport!).  As if the difficulty level weren’t high enough, Europa Park adds a 30-second timer to increase the pressure and frustration.  Nina was so distraught when she realized she only had 10 seconds left to catch a floating ducky that she threw her fishing pole down and walked away in tears. 

Mini golf

We recovered from the second traumatic moment after a few hugs and my pleading, “Remember the pony ride!  Surely I get make-up points for the pony.”  It worked.  But I’m not sure how much more credit she’ll give me for that one.   Like I told Ken, as a parent you’re only as good as your last deed.  Festivals, pools, theme parks, a summer of traveling around Europe – it’s all quickly forgotten.  Luckily I have plenty of photos and a blog to hold against the kids when they’re older!

 

"Thanks, Mom & Dad!"

EXCERPTS FROM NINA’S JOURNAL:

 

We went to a Roman festival.  There were mosaics, weaving and so much more to see and do.  When Larry took an early leave you would never guess [what] mommy gave me.  A pony ride!!!!!!!!!!  It was amazing!!!    August 29, 2009

The Pony Ride

Today I went to the biggest amusement park in the whole of Europe!!!! Mom and dad took us to a ride and mom said it was nice, calm, outside, unscary and bright.  And she was WRONG.  It was scary, dark, inside, and crazy!    

August 30, 2009

EXCERPT FROM LARRY’S JOURNAL

 

Today I went to Europa Park.  There was a ride called the Supersplash…It was mega, ultra, super fast…The water hit me in the face.  I was soaking wet.  After that I was extremely awesomed out.  I wanted to do it 50 times more.  But I couldn’t.  It was extremely awesome.   August 30, 2009

 

Europa Park

July

July was our busiest month in Europe so far.  We crammed in four vacations:  the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Greece.  Not bad for one month.  It’s all part of my mission to see as much of Europe as we can before our inevitable departure.  I may have to rethink my plans now that we’re exhausted and broke.  Plus, our recent travels have opened my eyes to the less-than-appealing aspects of touring Europe…

 

Athens, Greece

Tip #1:  Avoid trains outside of Switzerland.  

 

I’m spoiled by the cleanliness and reliability of Swiss trains and public transportation.  What should have been a quick train ride from Amsterdam to Bruges, turned into a long, tiring adventure.  Delays and random stops in the middle of nowhere made for a miserable experience.  I thought that Ken was going to self implode from stress every time the train came to a crawl during our journey.  Mobs of people in the stuffy hot stations didn’t exactly help either.  Luckily, Larry and Nina are traveling pros.  They stayed fixated on their iPods and card games, leaving mom and dad free to do all the fretting for them.  

 

Train to Bruges

 

Tip #2:  Book transportation, then lodging!  

 

I had always dreamed of vacationing in Greece and swimming in the clear blue waters of the Aegean Sea.  I went to my trusty website, rentvillas.com, and found a lovely rental on a small island.  Without hesitation I booked the villa.  Then Ken made the travel arrangements.

Skopelos, Greece

 

Athens is technically about a two-hour plane ride from Basel - if you can get a direct flight.  We couldn’t.  If you want to go to one of the many Greek islands, you have to factor in the extra travel time and the logistics of getting there.  We didn’t.   Two airplanes, three taxis and one 5-hour ferry ride later, we finally reached our Greek island getaway.  Was it worth it?  Larry and Nina can answer that:

 

Skopelos, Greece

Tip #3:  Take a nap or a Valium before you enter a Greek taxicab. 

 

Ferry to Skopelos

Part of our long travel day to Skopelos included an hour and a half cab ride from Athens to the port where we picked up our ferry.  Now, I’m used to crazy driving.  I am married to Ken after all.  I just don’t enjoy entrusting my life to a driver who constantly has a cell phone glued to his ear while he’s zipping along the highway at speeds well above 80mph.  Our Greek Indy 500 contender had not one, but three cell phones.  All of which rang continuously throughout our journey.   And did I mention that the seat belts didn’t work?  Yes, a Valium would have been quite handy.

 

Tip #4:  Don’t drive in Italy with four kids in the car and without a map.  (Not that a map would have made much of a difference for me.) 

 

During our recent trip to Italy, I volunteered to watch two other children while Ken and his friend were off attending work meetings.  By the second day of my babysitting services, I was really looking forward to unloading four bickering kids who constantly loved yelling out, “We’re bored!”  (My parents are probably enjoying this.  “Payback’s a bitch,” my dad would say.  Boy is he right.)

 

Siena, Italy

To alleviate the tension, I decided to visit a friend who was also staying in the Siena area.   A day lounging around Angela’s pool with a glass of Chianti sounded heavenly.   But as always, little disasters accompany me everywhere.  I was supposed to follow a series of signs to get to the villa (located in a town so remote that even the GPS device couldn’t find it).  Unfortunately, road signs in Italy come in two forms:  none at all or twenty postings piled all together in one giant mess.  Without a co-pilot, reading and driving are an impossible combination.  As I slowed down to the speed limit to try to figure out where I was going, the other drivers had a fit.  

What would you do if you encountered something that looks like this with 3 seconds to process it all?

 

Italian Road Signs

It was hot, I was running low on gas, the GPS led me down two dead end dirt roads, and the four kids in the back kept tossing out their opinions, “Pull over and ask someone for directions,” “Why don’t you call dad,” “Go that way,” “Use the TomTom,” “Turn around,” and so on and so on.  The ubiquitous childhood rant, “Are we there yet?” came into play too.  Yes, I was in hell. 

 

With all my driving fiascos you must be wondering, “Why does she keep getting into her car?”  Well, if I didn’t face such catastrophes, I wouldn’t be able to soak in the rewarding moments like these:

 

Amsterdam

Tip #5:  Keep your eyes on the sidewalk.

All I’m going to say on this subject is that Pooper Scoopers are not popular in Amsterdam (or Paris).  So step carefully! 

 

Tip #6:  Keep your eyes on the road.

 

In Amsterdam, there are more bike paths (or, as Ken calls them, “bike highways”) than sidewalks.  In fact, there’s very little room for foot traffic in Amsterdam.  Pedestrians, it would seem, are a nuisance.  Sometimes we would be strolling down the street, only to find that the sidewalk had merged into a bike lane, or that the pedestrian zone disappeared entirely.  After Larry had a few close calls, I feared one of us would certainly suffer an untimely and humiliating death by bicycle.  So in addition to me screaming, “Poop!” (Remember tip #5?), the kids had to hear my frantic cries, “Watch out for the bike!”  I wasn’t expecting a stroll down the street to be so stressful.

 

In Italy and Greece, my cyclist concerns were replaced by mopeds.  Is there any safe place to walk with kids in Europe?

Bruges, Belgium

Tip #7:  Get used to “hemorrhaging money”

 

That’s the phrase my expat friend uses when she talks about living in Europe.  It’s true.  Not only is everything expensive here, when you’re on vacation it’s even worse.  I find it pretty hard to deny our kids the priceless thrill of buying souvenirs or partaking of paddleboat rides, horse drawn carriages, tour boats and other touristy modes of transportation.   A loose wallet makes for many happy memories.  And there are ample opportunities to make happy memories!

 

Paddleboat Ride in Amsterdam

Those sly locals have found ways to profit on everything.  In Bruges there are an assortment of museums to choose from:  the french fry museum, the chocolate museum, the light museum and the diamond museum to name a few.  We had to take the kids to the french fry museum.  It’s not every day you get the chance to visit a place entirely dedicated to the history of fries.  We also made a stop at the chocolate museum because mommy wanted to see the chocolate sculptures.  (A life size chocolate Obama.  Is that even PC?!)

 

Chocolate Museum, Bruges

Perhaps the most frustrating expense is the entry fee to just about everything.  Even places that were once open to everyone now require tickets (the duomo in Siena, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Acropolis, etc.).  If it’s famous, be prepared to pay. 

 

 

Tip #8:  Forget the diet.

 

While I do enjoy Swiss food, it does get tiring after a while.  I can only eat so much paprika and hazelnut flavored cuisine.  So when we travel I’m anxious to dig into all the wonderful local dishes.  In Amsterdam we were wowed by the French fries, the mini pancakes covered in powdered sugar (served with a scoop of butter for good measure) and the selection of ethnic foods (Don't knock curry spaghetti until you've tried it!).  Belgium lived up to its culinary reputation with amazing melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, crunchy perfectly cooked friets, and complex flavorful beers.  Italy has its gelato and just about everything else that you can put in your mouth - all phenomenally delicious.    But what’s most amazing to me is that wherever we go Nina seems to find the biggest sugary gastronomic delight possible.  I thought “supersizing” was strictly an American concept.

 

Tip #9:  Don’t eat outside in the summer on an island

 

Dining al fresco is highly overrated.  At least on a Greek island it is.  When we weren’t fighting off aggressive bees, we were swatting away flies and creepy giant beetle-like bugs.   I didn’t mind so much when I witnessed a bee flying off with a small chunk of Larry’s hamburger (Bees like meat?), or the sight of its comrades viciously attacking my fish.  But when Larry pointed out a giant black dead thing on my plate, I nearly had a heart attack.  Staring down at a belly-up bug the size of a quarter with its stiff legs in the air put an abrupt end to dinner.  Seeing another one of these creatures crawling on a neighboring diner’s back (then into her hair!) reinforced my desire to stay away from outdoor dining altogether.  I am not a nature lover.

 

Skiathos, Greece

Tip #10:  Pace yourself on the liquids (re-visiting the public peeing issue)

 

What I failed to mention in my last post was that in addition to funky restroom toilets, Europeans have another curious way to relieve themselves.  It’s called the pissoir.  Invented in France to deal with the problem of public urination, a pissoir is basically an outdoor bathroom stall without a toilet (and in most cases without a drain).   Or quite simply, it’s a wall to walk behind while you pee on the pavement.  I hear there are some in Basel (someone even devised a map to locate them), but I have yet to encounter one here.  No, I had to go to Amsterdam and Bruges to experience that non-pleasure.  If you have an easily offended nose as I, or if you don’t enjoy getting splashed, then take my advice and cross the street quickly when you see a pissoir – especially if it’s in use!

 

Bruges, Belgium

Pisa, Italy

Tip #11:  Accept that iffy accommodations are just part of the adventure

 

I returned from a day of sightseeing in Bruges to discover a dirty rag in our open suitcase.  I was sufficiently repulsed and confused.  Why would the hotel maid throw a cleaning towel in our luggage?  The incident bugged me, but I didn’t dwell on it.  Until, that is, we moved on to another hotel and we couldn’t find Ken’s swimsuit.  Whether housekeeping inadvertently picked it up with the other soiled items that were presumably thrown on top of our belongings, or whether she found Ken’s swimsuit from Target too irresistible, we’ll never know.   But next time, I’m keeping our bags sealed.  (And I won’t forgive the hotel staff for subjecting the kids and I to the sight of Ken swimming in his underwear!)

 

In Italy, I was ready to chew out the farmhouse owner for the intermittent hot water in the shower, the lumpy beds, the poorly equipped kitchen and the mosquito infested rooms.  But as we were packing up to go, the kind man with a warm smile handed us a bottle of his homemade wine and wished us a safe journey with his sincerest hopes that we would return.   Gee, now I feel like an ass for wanting to complain.

 

Bruges, Belgium

IT’S ALL GOOD

 

I don’t mean to give the impression that our summer travels were a nightmare.  On the contrary, in spite of all the minor snafus we had a terrific time taking in the amazing sights of Europe.  Larry and Nina continue to be great travelers (when they’re not terrorizing each other) and they have a genuine interest in the places we visit.   Swimming in the beautiful blue waters of the Aegean, standing atop the Acropolis in front of the Parthenon, listening to the kids discuss art at the Van Gogh museum, taking in the fairytale streets of Bruges, watching Larry and Nina get excited upon seeing the leaning Tower of Pisa, roaming the streets of Siena at night…We definitely feel lucky to have these opportunities.  Maybe by the time Ken and I return to Berkeley, we will have mastered traveling without stress or scary surprises.  Maybe.

 

The Goldmans in Athens

Excerpts from Nina’s Journal:

 

“Comparing the local niceness between Basel and Amsterdam:  Amsterdam is much nicer than Basel.  If you’re on a boat ride on a canal, everyone will smile and wave to you.  In Basel they would just look, then frown, and then walk away.  Well there you go.  Amsterdam is much nicer than Basel.”  July 2, 2009

 

Amsterdam

“I went to a really cool pet shop.  [It was] so cheap.  They had so many pets in different shapes, sizes and colors…It was an open market too.  Things everywhere.  It was excellent…Now that’s a good story.  July 4, 2009 (Bruges, Belgium)

 

Bunnies at the Market

“Traveling by car is not so easy.  First the packing, then the setting up the car.  And long drives, I’ll tell you – bring a barf bag with you.  If you don’t, you’ll see.  And be sure to bring stuff to do when you’re bored.  I do also like to look out the window too.  Also, when you put your window down, the fresh air you breathe in is excellent!  And don’t forget the sun.” July 12, 2009 (the ride to Italy)

 

Siena, Italy

 

 

Excerpts from Larry’s Journal:

 

“Nighttime is party time.  I am in Amsterdam right now and having a great time.  The most interesting part was Amsterdam at night…It was more crowded than I thought [it would be].  There were a lot of boats out on the canal.  The bridges were lit up.  At about 11:30 pm we went to the park.  The restaurant nearby was having a PARTY!  I thought that was weird.  After the park we went home and I fell asleep.  That was one of the best nights of my life.”  July 2, 2009

 

Amsterdam

 

“Clinky Clonky!  Today I went on a horse ride around Bruges.  We were on a carriage.  I thought we were just gonna go around town but it was a tour.  I was fine with that though.  I got to see some parts of Bruges I have never been to....That was a horsetastic experience.”  July 4, 2009

 

Bruges, Belgium

“Today I went to Mulhouse, France.  We went to an electricity museum.  We got to hold an electric ball and our hair would fly up.  Everybody laughed.  We also saw the Tour de France in Reiningue, France.”  July 18, 2009

Electricity Museum

“Today I went snorkeling in the Aegean Sea.  We saw a big school of fish…It looked so awesome.”  July 27, 2009 (Skopelos, Greece)

 

Milia Beach, Skopelos

 

Ioannis Beach, Skopelos

June

I like to ride my bicycle

            No avoiding it – the cold winter and rainy April left Daddy a bit on the pudgy side.  OK – fat.  I needed to get back on my bike.  With the rolling hills of the Jura and the Alsace beckoning on two sides, and the flat expanses of the Rhein valley on a third, the joys of biking in Basel are irresistible.  And with the midsummer sun up from about 4 am to 10 pm, there is ample time to do it.  Alone, I’ve manage to enjoy lovely scenery everywhere; the countryside is ten minutes away.  If I’m going to Alsace, I just memorize a series of towns I want to pass through, and then just follow the road signs – Neuwiler, Hagenthal-le-Bas, Folgenbourg, Michelbach-le-Haut, Attenschwiler, Hesingue, Hegenheim, home, for example.  In Switzerland, it’s even easier:  hiking and biking routes are ubiquitous and well-marked.

Three Country Bike Ride

         

Rope walking

   I’ve started to take Larry on longer rides, too.  He prefers flat Rhein trips – one of the Swiss National routes that we’ve been on is part of a trans-European route from the French Atlantic coast to the Black Sea – Larry is convinced we will ride the whole route one day.  Maybe.  I’ve introduced him to a few hills as well.  He’s getting stronger each time we go out.

            And Nina has blossomed on her bike as well, gaining comfort and assurance each time, and now permitting real family bike rides (yes – Mary, too!)  Although as a foursome we can’t go as far or as fast, we’ve managed to have at least one great bike adventure encompassing three countries in a day:  rope walking in Switzerland, swan-feeding in France, zip-line riding in Germany, and wurst, frites and beer for lunch!  (OK, so you’ve figured out I’m not losing weight any time soon...)

Bike Ride Lunch

Rollercoaster . . . say what?

            We are about an hour away from Europa Park (in Germany, about the closest thing to an American-style amusement park around), but we haven’t been there yet.  In the meantime, we’ve discovered the joys of a Rodelbahn or alpine slide – essentially a toboggan on wheels on a metal track.  A few months ago, we had fun on a slide that was a 1.5 km metal half tube.  But on Father’s Day, we headed to Todtnau, Germany, in the heart of the southern Black Forest – Mary knew of a 3.1 km slide there.  This one ran on tracks like a real roller coaster, reducing the danger of flipping out of the piste on high speed turns.  Larry and I boarded the two-man sled right behind Nina and Mary’s.  Although I gripped the hand brake, I think I screamed most of the way down.  Larry and Nina immediately wanted to go again.  But including the 10-15 minute ski lift ride to the top of the course, it’s not cheap, and Daddy is.  We promised to return at least once more during our time here, though.

Alpine Slide

            What could possibly follow the thrill ride?  First, it was Kaffee and Kuchen time, and Mary and I ordered Apfelkuchen with vanilla ice cream to share, and instead got this amazing plate with cake, ice cream, whipped cream, fruit and sauce.  A treat for the whole family.  Next, how about the tallest waterfalls in the world?  OK, no.  The tallest in the Black Forest (maybe).  They were lush and as advertised – the Euro twist was the installation of several painted wooden benches/lounge chairs, permitting us to lay back, relax and enjoy the view.  Larry, of course, was too busy jumping rocks across the stream.

Todtnau Waterfall

            For dinner, Daddy had long been promised his choice – Chinese food.  Not that Germany (or Switzerland for that matter) is the place to get it, but beggars can’t be choosers.  Fate had other plans, however.  As we followed the winding river Wiese out of the forest, we passed the tiny town of Schönau, and happened upon a local festival with a local high school band blasting ABBA tunes.  I can’t pass up opportunities like this, so we sat down with the locals for steak, wurst and frites washed down with the local brew.  As Nina would say, “Does it get any better than that?”  Happy Father’s day to me!

Schonau, Germany

Everybody Bang Chow Tonight

            This title needs a bit of explanation – in 1983, I took the summer off from grad school to travel in Europe.  I went with my good friend Boomer – another friend of mine cancelled last minute and we were stuck with an extra plane ticket.  Boomer and I sat on the Morristown green trying to convince our friend Tony B. to join us, but his plans for his impending legal career clearly did not include a summer Eurail pass.  He wished us well, and told us to enjoy “banging chow” across Europe.  To this day, none of us know what he meant, but it was funny at the moment, and, if you knew Tony, you’d understand.  25 years later, I got to reunite with Boomer in Europe, when Mary and I went to stay in a genuine Scottish castle on the occasion of his 50^th birthday.  That was a blast, but still no Tony.

         

Colmar, France

   Imagine my surprise when Tony called up a few months ago with news of an impending family trip to Europe.  Yes, June marked a visit from the whole Boyadjis family – Tony, Lauren, and the girls Hannah and Rachel.  Their stay with us was barely 24 hours, but it was a real treat for us.  We had a lovely dinner that Mary prepared at our house, and then Larry and Nina led us on a two-hour twilight walking tour of Basel, arriving home after dark.  The next day, Tony and Hannah got in a morning Rhein run, and then I was pleased to give them an unexpected bonus – a trip to Colmar, France, adding another country to their trip.  The girls shopped, the boys talked politics and religion, we had a lovely lunch in the center of town, and before I knew it, their visit was over and they were off to Frankfurt and home.

            I truly cannot express the pleasure having one of my oldest and dearest friends visit gave me.  Among other things, it gave Mary and I a chance to begin to repay them for their hospitality on our visits to New Jersey these past twelve years.  They were perfect guests, and I miss them already.  I finally understand the concept of banging chow in Europe.  I think.  But I’m not telling.

Basel

The Papermill Playhouse

            Basel has over 30 museums, but I doubt that I’ll enjoy any one of them more than our family visit to the Basel Paper Mill Museum one rainy afternoon.  We had walked past it many times – the huge centuries-old water wheel churning away under the power of the St. Alban stream flowing into the Rhein.  Once inside, we saw that the wheel powers a series of large wooden mallets that pound rags into pulp.  The kids got to use that pulp to make their own paper, watermark included (yes, we learned how watermarks are made).  Each successive room offered a new opportunity to learn and participate in paper- and book-making.  Larry and Nina set their own type to print their names on paper, sealed letters with signets and sealing wax, and many other hands-on experiences as well.  Who’d have guessed.

Excerpts from Nina’s Journal:

 

Today I went to a paper museum.  It sounds boring but it was really cool.   

June 6, 2009

 

Basel Papermill

Today I first woke up and did all that normal morning stuff.  But there was a rough start in the morning.  But then mommy saved me from the bad day and then it was great!  We went to the pool!!!!  The pool was spectacular, amazing and awesome…We went out to dinner along the Rhein.  We put our feet in the water and I got lots of bird feathers!  It was a good day.  

June 14, 2009

 

Yesterday I sat around almost all day but then we went on a one-hour ride.  I was exhausted.  We went on an alpine slide that was bigger than four Empire State buildings!  It was too fun to be true.  Really!!!!  

June 21, 2009

 

 

Excerpts from Larry’s Journal:

 

Relaxing, eating and playing soccer, what a day!  Today I went to a little park in Lucern and I had a very amazing time.  June 1, 2009

Lucern

 

Paper, paper most of the day.  Today I went to the Basel Papermill and I had a fantastic time…we actually got to make paper.  We got to paint/write with a feather and ink just like in the old days!  June 6, 2009

 

Papermill Museum

Splash!  Today I went to St. Jakob pool to cool off.  [My dad and I] went on the slides with my sister over and over again…I went on the 10 meter diving board.  My dad was very nervous, but I was confident.  I landed with a huge splash.  That was a very great swimming pool!  June 14, 2009

 

Whoosh!  Today I went to Todtnau, Germany and went on a 3 kilometer long Alpine Slide Track!  When we were going down I thought it would never end.  I was dizzy at the end.  I want to go there many more times.  Maybe next time I’ll go faster.  June 20, 2009

Todtnau, Germany

Lucern

More June Moments

School international Fair

Second Grade Concert

The end!

May

As we head into our sixth month in Switzerland, I can’t help but think how fast the time is flying by.   Ken, though happy, likes to emphasize that we’re one quarter of the way through our stay.  Yes, things are moving along quickly.  But I have so much more to do before we leave…

 

Paris

 

Paris Delights

 

My favorite trip so far has been to Paris.  Though I’ve been there before, experiencing the city with my children made me appreciate Paris in an entirely different way.  For starters, I had no idea you could get cotton candy as big as this:

 

Barbe a papa

 

In addition to sugar-coma-inducing barbe à papa, Paris offers families a whole range of treats:  carousels, playgrounds, crêpes, pastries, zoos, street performers and even sewer tours (what better way to please a nine-year-old boy).

 

Paris

I don’t think I ever noticed a single playground during my younger, childless days in Paris.  I remember the canopy of trees, the fountains, the chairs and the perfectly laid-out lanes for strolling in the Jardin de Luxembourg.  But play structures, not a one.   As a parent, it’s impossible not to walk through a park without your playground radar on.  And Paris has no shortage of playgrounds for desperate families who need to satisfy the needs of their museum-exhausted children.  Just remember to bring your wallet.  We discovered that even riding the swings costs money!

 

If you ask the kids about their favorite part of the trip (besides the playgrounds) you will hear two very different answers.  Larry loved anything that was deemed important or well-known – the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, etc.   As long as it was famous, Larry wanted to see it.  If only we could use that same technique to generate enthusiasm at mealtime, “See that broccoli?  Someone famous grew it.  Eat up.”  Nina without hesitation will say that the highlight of her trip was the shopping.  Since a love of spending money runs in the family (guess whose side) Nina naturally felt very at home in Paris.   The gift shops especially piqued her interest.

Paris

 

Magic

 

Everywhere you go in the world, tacky souvenir shops abound.  But Paris cashes in on its fame like no other city.  I’m ashamed to admit that the Goldman family contributed to the success of tacky Parisian memorabilia (berets, snow globes, posters…).   Our most embarrassing purchase would have to be the light-up Eiffel Towers.  Initially, I thought, “Who would buy such junk?”  But when your kids are jumping up and down and screaming excitedly, “Pleeeease!!! I’ll pay you back.  I have to have one.”  Well, then you eventually cave.  Trapped by the beauty of the Eiffel Tower glowing in the background and the excitement of our children, Ken bought not one, but two light-up towers.  That’s how I knew that the magic of Paris had swept him up too.   He didn’t even blink an eye when he handed his money over to the triumphant street vendor.  Yes, we’re suckers.  But we know that happy kids make for happy parents.  And when in Paris, just throw money around and everything will be fine.   We can cry about the bills later.

 

Eiffel Tower at Night

 

Spring

 

Though Ken mentioned the coming of spring in last month’s notes, I feel compelled to emphasize once again the joy of its arrival.  Suffering through a bleak cold winter has made us grateful for warmth, sunshine, flowers and trees.  The whole city is alive with people making use of the outdoors.  But more importantly, those pesky smokers in restaurants have moved their nasty habit outside.   The Swiss have not yet caught on to the smoking ban in restaurants like their neighboring countries.  In the winter months when windows are kept tightly closed, the first thing one notices upon entering a restaurant is the smell of cigarette smoke, not the pleasant aroma of food.  Now that the windows are wide open and outdoor tables line every sidewalk, it’s a big relief to be able to sit in a restaurant without the kids saying, “It stinks in here.”

Grindelwald

Given the Swiss love of the outdoors and their passion for physical exercise, smoking seems so contradictory to their lifestyle.  The Swiss will smoke anywhere - at the zoo, as they’re pushing their kids on the swings, waiting for the tram.  My favorite sight is the mailman on his scooter rain or shine always with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.  I’m also fascinated by the workers at the glass factory who blow glass for hours, but who still take the time to have a smoke every few minutes.  They must have some strong lungs!

 

Another bonus that comes with spring is the decrease in mystery illnesses.   If you thought the swine flu hysteria was bad, you need to spend some time at the International School.  All winter long we received notices from the nurse alerting us to all sorts of sicknesses:  strep throat, lice, fifth disease (slap rash), scarlet fever, threadworm… Are we really in Switzerland?

 

Colmar

Polyglot, I am not

 

That’s my new motto.  I’m convinced I will continue to bore you with the trials and tribulations of my language mishaps for the next 18 months.  These incidents are never-ending for a linguistics challenged person as myself.  So please bear with me. 

 

Grindelwald

Last month when we were in Italy, Nina and Larry had a few itchy bug bites.  Since the pharmacies were all closed for lunch, I decided to go into a beauty supply store to buy some hand lotion to ease their skin.  When I showed Ken my purchase he pointed out that I had just bought the equivalent of Orajel.  I then returned the mouth cream for a familiar product, Eucerin.  Once outside I started pumping what I thought was hand lotion onto my kids’ arms.  Then Larry and Nina started complaining that it felt sticky.  I bought soap!  As my kids’ arms started foaming and Nina started crying, Larry decided to rub salt into my wounds, “I can’t believe you’re Italian and you can’t even speak the language!”  I thought it best not to mention that I also took Italian for two years in high school.  Oh, the shame…

 

My German lessons are coming along slowly but surely.  Right now I’m studying workplace conversation.  As you can imagine, it’s coming in very handy.  I was taught that one must always state an occupation when asked, “What do you do?”  It is inappropriate to simply respond, “I don’t work.”  I was not very happy to learn that a stay-at-home mom is called a “Haus Frau.”  For some reason it stings my ears.  I’d much rather say, “Ich bin Rentnerin”  (I’m retired).  My German teacher was not amused. 

 

(Before you begin to think that the Germans lack a sense of humor, take a close look at the gargoyle on the left from the cathedral in Freiburg, Germany)

 

Freiburg, DE

 

So far the conversational German hasn’t helped me with my everyday needs as a Haus Frau.  For instance, I still can’t read a menu when I’m out having lunch.  One day I took my cousins to a restaurant and I could barely recognize anything on the menu.  Amy and Ben played it safe and ordered the two things that were recognizable on the menu:  tomato soup and a club sandwich.  Apparently they read my blog and realized that they better not rely on me for translation skills.  I ordered something that said carpaccio.  I decided I didn’t need to know all the other superfluous information.   What more do I need to know about carpaccio?  Bring on the meat.  Well, when a giant plate of thinly sliced headcheese (gelatinized pork) was placed before me, I realized that maybe I did need to know those other words!

 

Ribeauville, FR

Just in case you were beginning to think I’m a complete disaster, I can proudly report that I have been improving my French skills.   A few hours before I was supposed to meet my cousin at the train station in Basel, I got a flat tire in France (I’m still a disaster with other things, but this segment is about language).  After I called Ken at work to drag him down into my state of hysteria, I composed myself and dealt with the problem.  I was relieved to discover that the roadside service operator spoke English.  But just so I wouldn’t stay too calm, he sent me a text message in German – not helpful.   A few minutes later a French-speaking mechanic called to ask for my location.   I think I did pretty well.  Never mind that I spoke French like a two-year-old.  At least I made it home!

 

 

Francophile

 

I don’t understand why France gets a bad rap sometimes.  People always talk about how rude the French are.  Maybe if those same people lived in Switzerland for a while they’d find the French to be as warm and inviting as I do.  It’s not that the Swiss are unfriendly.  They just don’t display emotion as openly as other cultures.  I’ve grown accustomed to ignoring passersby while walking down the street in Basel.  So it always takes me by surprise when I’m in France and a stranger pleasantly belts out, “Bonjour!”  Oh, that’s right.  I’m actually allowed to say hello to people there.

 

In the stores, French shopkeepers appear happy to have your business.   I know the salespeople are probably fixated on my wallet.  But if I’m going to spend a lot of money, I want some “ooh la la’s” and “trés biens” out of the deal.   More importantly, as a consumer, I appreciate the little white lies that are created to make me feel more comfortable about parting with my money, “Ah oui, your French is very good!”  Isn’t that in itself worth the price of ridiculously expensive shoes?

 

Colmar

Play Time

 

I’m not the only one who suffers from not knowing how to speak German.  Due to the language barrier, making local friends has been a challenge for Larry and Nina.  It’s unclear whether the communication gap is responsible for the other kids’ unfriendliness or if the Swiss kids are just plain bullies.  All I know is that words are often exchanged with limited skill from both sides.  At the park, Larry attempted to communicate with the local kids by miming, “We.  Come.  In.  Peace.  We.  Are.  Not. Here.  To.  Destroy.  You.”   That didn’t go over very well because the other kids came back with bats, a bag of rocks and a jar of bees!  Maybe we need to work on Larry’s German skills too.

 

    

What the?

 

Sometimes it’s hard to know if something is strange because it’s a foreign custom that I’m unfamiliar with or if I’m just in the presence of someone weird.    One day my mother-in-law and I were having lunch at a small café outside when a woman pointed to the empty seat at our table and said something in Swiss German.  I assumed she wanted to take the chair so I nodded my head, “yes.”   To our surprise, the woman plopped herself down to join us and ordered something from the waiter.   As if that weren’t awkward enough, she started to pull out a pack of cigarettes.  Not only did she crash our lunch, she was planning to smoke us out too!  Fortunately the look on our faces kept her at bay because she refrained from lighting up in our presence.  She did, however, manage to further shock us when she brought two more friends over to our already crowded space.  We were now a party of five sharing a cozy table.  Eating lunch with three strangers wasn’t a huge tragedy.  I finally found a bright side to the language barrier – I wasn’t distracted by their conversation.

Murren

Murren

European Medicine

 

We finally got to experience the part of the country that immediately comes to mind when one thinks of Switzerland – snow-capped mountains, waterfalls, wildflowers, cows grazing on hillsides with jangling bells around their necks, chalets with geraniums spilling out of window boxes, and mountain streams rushing down into the valley below.  Nina summed it up best when she said, “Could it get any better!”   Actually, that was her reaction when she spotted a playground and a big mound of snow in the mountain town of Mürren.  But I’d like to think she actually appreciated the other aspects of our adventure.

 

Alas, Nina’s joy was short-lived as usual.   This time we earned our “evil parents of the year” award by not taking her to the miniature golf course that was across from the playground.  “If you don’t let me play golf I’ll be unhappy for the rest of my life!”  (There’s no shortage of drama in the Goldman house.)   Fortunately, cranky moods can easily be shifted by something else shiny and new.  In this case, it was the promise of ice cream at the outdoor café.   Plus a little something for mom and dad…

 

Yes, traveling with kids can often be challenging.  For every fabulous moment, Ken and I must endure many painful ones (whining, fighting, crying).   Luckily, alcohol is in ample supply everywhere we go – cafés, parks, sausage stands, zoos, museums.   Europeans know that a glass of alcohol in a beautiful setting does wonders for the soul, or at least for battered parents.  Now that’s a part of their culture I can really embrace!

 

Here are some, “Happy Ken Moments.”

 

Exerpts from Larry’s Journal

 

“Today was a great day full of monkeys! … A mother monkey thought I was trying to attack [her baby] so it tried to pull my shirt!  I was strong enough to push the monkey away.  I didn’t want to feed that monkey anymore!”  May 23, 2009

 

Monkey Mountain

“I went on a bike ride today and it was really fun.  I went around Basel, a little bit of Germany and a little bit of France.  It was very pretty…All I could hear was the sound of the bike and the voices of my dad and I.”    April 25, 2009

Paris Swings

 

 

Excerpts from Nina’s Journal

 

“I went to an indoor pool today and it had a water slide.  I had a spectacular time.  The slide was super super fun.  I zoomed down the slide speedy quick.  They also kept the pool nice and warm but not too warm.  It is a brilliant pool place.”  April 16, 2009

 

Monkey Mountain

“Today I went on a long random walk.  I saw so many amazing things.  There really were just so many things there to see.  At one point we saw a little house where some old man used to live ALONE!  It was so small.”  May 10, 2009

 

Ermitage

“Today I went to an extraordinary mountain…There was snow and it was hot [outside]!!!!  And near the snow there was an amazing park and also a golf course.  And then I got a Heidi doll!  It was just amazing.”  May 21, 2009

 

 

Murren

 

 

April

Ken here.  Mary’s been bugging me to start pulling my weight on this blog, so here goes. 

April was a big month for us in Basel – spring’s promised arrival in March fizzled, but April delivered in due course.  Also, the kids’ school had two weeks off for Easter, so it was time for us to venture out for our first “real” vacation – a week in Ticino (the southern tip of Switzerland) and Northern Italy (Padua and Venice).

Lugano

 

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

 

I know Mary hopes that most, if not all of our travels in Europe are by train, and if not, then by plane.  Me, I wanted to drive on our first trip.  A GPS device is fairly essential here, especially for city driving, but I fancy myself the “human GPS device.”  I don’t like relying on our TomTom, as it often fails when roads are closed due to construction (which they often are.)  Our drive to Ticino was the setting for the failure of the human GPS.  That drive requires crossing the Alps, which is accomplished either by way of the St. Gotthard Pass, or the relatively new 17-kilometer long St. Gotthard tunnel.  Two is a very limited number of options, and traffic for the tunnel on a holiday Saturday morning was very bad.  My distaste for standing still in traffic nudged me off the highway to take the scenic pass option.  Very soon we were speeding alone up the winding pass into the Alps; driving through snowfields, and passing by jagged peaks.  It was exhilirating and beautiful.  After twenty minutes, though, the road just petered out and died.  Only then did those signs register.  I mean the ones that said in RED, and in FOUR languages, including English, that the pass was geschlossen, ferme, chiuso, CLOSED.  I also remembered that my German teacher had gone out of her way the week before to tell me that the pass never opened before May.  Even the GPS probably would have known better.  One hour lost to the GPS gods.

Morcote

 

Stau!

 

Back on the highway to the tunnel to sit in the now-worsened traffic.  We had been passing signs saying “Stau at St. Gotthard” ever since we left Basel.  Now we know that Stau doesn’t just mean ordinary traffic; it means turn off your car, get out and have a picnic, Godard’s “Weekend” kind of traffic – and the kind that is not so out-of-the-ordinary in Europe.  The St. Gotthard tunnel is an engineering marvel – 10.5 miles long straight under the highest mountains in Europe.  But a dual carriageway highway brings you to the single-bore, two lane tunnel.  You face oncoming traffic through the entire tunnel, and if there’s an accident in there you’re toast – literally.  As it turned out, there was no accident – just those pesky metering lights.

 

Melide

Lago di Lugano

 

So, we made it through the tunnel to emerge in Ticino, the Italian-speaking Swiss canton.  Its reputation is well-deserved – the cuisine and climate of Italy with the orderliness, cleanliness and exactitude (and costliness) of Switzerland.  We stayed three days in a lovely little hotel in the tiny town of Melide on Lake Lugano, a warm, clear lake surrounded by the snow-capped mountains of the southern Alps.  We immediately drove down to Morcote to stroll through a small town and climb up a hill to a scenic church.  Mary and Larry were so invigorated that they just kept climbing.  You’ll have to ask them how high.

 

Little Switzerland

 

We spent the next day exploring Lugano, including a paddleboat ride and a funicular to the top of Monte Bre.  But on Monday we went to “Swissminiatur”, a short lakeside walk from our hotel.  As if Switzerland wasn’t small enough already, here they have created at a 1:25 scale (I think) over 100 of the most important/famous (or whatever) sights in Switzerland.  It was a kick.  But the kids’ favorite part was the bumper boat ride!  Later that day, we took the longest paddle boat ride of our lives – across the lake and back.

Melide

...to Grandmother’s Hotel...

 

Enough of Switzerland, it was time for Italy.  Our destination was Venice, but remembering my previous visit there (25 years ago!), I had sought accommodations in the cheaper, easier, nearby city of Padua.  However, my Expedia search for a hotel with a pool had led me to the town of Abano Terme, even further from Venice.  Imagine our surprise when we ended up in the Miami Beach of Northern Italy.  And I don’t mean the ‘90's South Beach, fashion models and Art Deco Cosmopolitans Miami Beach; I mean old school Fontainebleu Miami Beach.  Turned out “Terme” refers to the thermal baths in the area.  Decades ago Euros flocked to dozens of near-identical hotels in town to “take the waters” and eat the food, but that heyday was long gone.  Navigating the town was tricky – every street looked the same, lined with four-story hotels with verandas in the front, pools in the back, portly German tourists and fading banquet rooms.  I kinda liked it.  The kids of course could have played in the 85 degree pools forever – or at least until the old ladies yelled at them.

 

Morcote

O Sole Mio!

But Venice was the reason we were in Italy, and we set off the next day to the city where the decrepitude is the charm.  You can almost feel Venice sinking under you.  What else can you say about Venice?  It is truly unique in appearance.  We splurged for the full-day water taxi passes, which we took full advantage of.  (Nina didn’t forgive me for omitting the pricey gondola ride as a result.  I’ll try to make up for it in Amsterdam, Brugge, or other pseudo-Venices later) We split up – Mary and Nina went shopping and sightseeing, and I took Larry to Lido, and he got to collect shells and play on the beach.  Yes, for Larry, Venice was a day at the beach.  He loved it so much, we had to bring Mary and Nina there later.  Mary and I got to enjoy a seaside cocktail (outdoor drinking is definitely a Euro plus!) while the kids played.  We enjoyed dinner in a relatively peaceful Venetian setting, and saw Venice at night on the endless water taxi back to the train station.

Venice

 

Venice

Not Exactly Venice

 

I recall a lovely day spent in Padua – however, that was in the summer of ‘83 with my friend Boomer.  I thought we’d spend another lovely day there this time around, but results were mixed.  There were no leisurely viewings of Giotto frescoes.  We did, however, enjoy St. Anthony’s Basilica (the patron saint of lost stuff), where his remains are buried.  Late in the morning we found a playground for the kids, but as we tried to enter, our way was blocked by a city employee who directed our attention to the sign indicating closure from noon to 3:30!  That sounded far more Swiss than Italian.  But we vowed to return, and found a quiet piazza to lunch al fresco just in the nick of time (on vacation the kids’ moods plummet rapidly as mealtime approaches, and Daddy drags them around looking for the “perfect” place to eat).  We made it back to the playground at 3:00, to find several families ignoring the locked gate and hopped the fence.  Oh, well, when in Rome (or Padua). . . It wasn’t worth the three-hour wait, and the kids were feeling ill – luckily, Larry waited until seconds after the bus deposited us in front of our hotel to rescind his lunch.  Seconds later, he was his happy self again, and we ended our trip with a long frolic in the old peoples’ pools, and a memorable dinner at Roberto’s, a small trattoria in the country.  Chef-owner-maitre d’ Roberto greeted us, sat us, and served us lovely plates of gnocchi that looked like small golf balls and tasted like heaven!

Abamo Terme, IT

Let’s Go Out to the Lobby!

 

April marked our first trip to the movies in Switzerland as well.  A definite Basel plus is a group of downtown theaters that show movies in English with subtitles.  One night, with the kids at a sleepover, Mary and I got out to see Slumdog Millionaire.  On the plus side, seats are reserved, and even the Hindi scenes were subtitled in English and German.  On the downside, however, tickets are about 16 bucks a pop, and, get this: all Swiss movies, no matter the length, are shown with a 10-15 minute intermission.  Mary says its so the Swiss can have a smoke.  Which a surprising number of them do.  But for us, the intermission’s a waste of time.  A few days later, we took Larry and Nina to see “Monsters vs. Aliens” in English (with French and German subtitles) – complete with intermission.

Farnsburg

 

You Can Never Hold Back Spring

 

After enduring three cold months here, wherever we went hearing “you should really visit in spring”, it finally WAS spring.  The cherry tree in our yard turned pink overnight, and dumped its blossoms on us unceremoniously for the ensuing week.  But, like the cherry blossoms, the Baslers appear in throngs at streetside cafes and restaurants at the slightest hint of warm weather.  It’s a real joy to see.  We are also getting to use our front deck, seemingly inconceiveable back in January.  Now we know – thoughts of spring are what get the Swiss through winter.

Hirzbodenweg

March

TRAVEL

My favorite quote of the month comes from Larry who said, “When are we going on a trip?  We haven’t been anywhere!”  Apparently France and Germany do not count – they’re right next door.  Does that mean Italy, Lichtenstein and Austria won’t qualify as destinations too?  What exactly is the standard of a nine-year-old for going somewhere?  Children are a mystery…

 

Here are some photos of places we “haven’t been.”

                                 

Zurich

 

                          

Bern

France

 

Neuchatel

 

Inzingen, Germany

                                        

DISCOVERIES

 

Every now and then I encounter a situation that makes me realize, “Oh yeah, I’m in Europe. “ The other day I was walking along the Rhine when I noticed a man in a Speedo.  He appeared to have just finished taking a nice little dip in the river.  As I contemplated the insanity of swimming in 45° F weather, the man casually stripped down naked without a hint of embarrassment.  Hello!  Welcome to Switzerland!

 

Basel

 

Another European curiosity that I’ve had the misfortune of viewing first hand:  men peeing in public.  I can’t understand why everyone else in my family misses these sightings.  It’s not as though they’re hard to find.  You see, rather than step behind a conveniently located tree or bush, the men here prefer to get the act over with in full view.   I can only assume it’s because fussing with public restrooms adds some stress to an already urgent moment.  After all, in Europe you never know what kind of toilet you’re going to encounter.  I’m not talking about the occasional squatting variety.  I mean the weird modern contraptions – coin operated stalls, self-cleaning pods, rotating seat liners, mysterious flushing devices.  But my favorite example is the spinning toilet seat.  After you flush, (if you can find the flusher) the entire rim spins around through a sanitizer.   I was tempted to take a quick video for the benefit of readers back home, but when I told Ken he quickly shot back the look of disapproval.  That was probably for the best.

 

SIGN LANGUAGE

 

Language barriers still pose a problem for me, especially when I am forced to communicate beyond my comfort level (i.e., “Hello,” “good-bye,” “thank you,” “How much is that?” “A glass of red wine, please.”).   The latest challenge occurred when my son broke the basement window.  Ken was conveniently out of town, which meant that Larry had to endure my uncontrolled wrath.  Not about the window, about forcing mom to speak Deutsch!  

 

Thank goodness for Yahoo Babel Fish, the online translator.   Reading back instantly translated text over the phone can give the impression that one actually knows how to speak German.  I know I did something right because the glass company appeared at my doorstep two hours later.  If only I could have used Babel Fish while trying to converse face to face with the repairman.  Fortunately, pointing and making hand motions like a crazy person still works rather well in any language.  

 

 

MONEY MATTERS

 

One thing that my improved charades skills could not help with was the big communication gap regarding money matters.   As the glass repairman started to walk off with my window, I stopped him and asked “How much?”   He looked at me as though I had just offended him, then he shrugged his shoulders and left.  Two hours later the man returned with a brand new window.  Again I asked “How much?”  He pointed to the mailbox, said “post,” and walked away.

 

This is a typically Swiss way of doing business.  Whether it’s the plumber, electrician, or doctor, one rarely pays right away for services here.  Instead, the people promptly fix your problems and talk money later.  Well, they really don’t “talk money.”  They just send you a bill.  There are no price quotes, no negotiations, no ballpark figures.  They simply come, do the job, and pop a bill in the mail a few weeks later.   You are completely at their mercy.  Am I going to pay $30 for the broken window, or $300?  Who knows!  I’m living on the edge.

 

Basel Fasnacht

Fasnacht

 

Basel’s famous Fasnacht celebration did not disappoint.  We limited ourselves to three out of the four parades, skipped the traditional flour soup (Doesn’t that sound appetizing?), passed on the late night music, and still gained enough from our experience to say that Fasnacht is a truly special event.  The kids loved catching the treats tossed into the crowds by the masked characters called Waggis.  When I say treats I really mean treats.  Waggis threw candy, flowers, stuffed animals, toy novelties, plastic bottles of soda, fruit and other goodies.  Some lucky onlookers even received mini bottles of alcohol!  (Not us.)

 

Fasnacht does have its ugly side.  As the crowds thicken, the more seasoned parade-goers get aggressive in their desire to receive treats from the Waggis.   Grown women push and trample small children for the mere thrill of catching a flower.   I was happy when one lady received a bumpy potato and a hair full of confetti after she barged in front of my kids.  Swiss justice is nice!

 

Besides the parades and music, the Swiss use Fasnacht as an opportunity to comment about current affairs through their costumes and lantern designs.  Most of the political and cultural statements were beyond our comprehension, but this message seems quite clear:

 

 

Basel Fasnacht

 

BEYOND FONDUE AND RACLETTE

 

Nina was initially nervous about moving to Switzerland because she thought she’d have to eat fondue every day.  Luckily for all of us, that is not the case.  Here are some local specialties that we’ve grown to like: 

 

Schoggiweggli – rolls with chocolate chunks (if only I could pronounce it!)

 

Läckerli – Basel spice cookies with a hint of ginger, citrus peel and sugar glaze

 

Rosti

Rösti – shredded potatoes that are pan fried until brown and crunchy

 

Spätzle – little dumplings made from flour and eggs and boiled like pasta (then sautéed in butter until golden and crunchy)

 

Carac – tartlet filled with ganache and covered with green icing.  These are divine.

 

Bake-it-yourself breads – every grocery store in France, Germany and Switzerland carries these convenient pre-baked breads.  Just pop them in the oven for 12 minutes and you have a fresh warm baguette!

 

Pain de Mie – crustless sliced bread.  Thanks to pain de mie, Larry has finally discovered that baguettes are not the only bread that can satisfy his selective taste buds.  What a relief for me.  For the first couple of months, I woke up every school day to bake bread for Larry’s lunchbox.  Okay, pre-baked baguettes don’t qualify as baking.  But at least now I can sleep in an extra twelve minutes. 

 

Glühwein – mulled hot wine (a good way to warm up)

 

Schnitzel – breaded and fried cutlets (our kids’ answer to chicken nuggets while dining out)

BYE-BYE BIRDIE

 

My dream of retiring in the south of France (or anywhere else in Europe) has been shattered.  When I came up with this idea many years ago, I failed to take into consideration the fact that Europeans like to dine on the late side.  Whenever we go out to dinner, we’re usually the first or only people in the restaurant at 6:30 or 7:00 o’clock at night.  By 8:00 or 8:30 others may start to trickle in.  But 9:00 p.m. seems to be the standard time for dining.  There’s just no such thing as “the early bird special” in Europe.  How can I take advantage of the best part of the golden years if I can’t eat dinner at 4:00?!!  Retirement plan ruined.

 

FREEDOM

 

Children in Switzerland enjoy the kind of freedom that Ken and I experienced in our childhood.  Kids as young as five years old roam the neighborhood unsupervised by adults.  Larry and Nina have started to enjoy that same freedom with some of their school friends who live nearby.  They head to the park, go to the candy store or run back and forth to each other’s houses with more and more confidence each day.  I’m still nervous about letting them roam freely, but they’re more than happy to zip out the door without so much as a good-bye.  They grow up so fast…

 

Young independence can also be witnessed on the trams as small children commute to and from school on their own.  One day I overheard a seven-year-old from the ISB talking on her cell phone: “Okay, dad, I’ll text you when I get home.  See you tonight.”  I just can’t picture Nina saying she’ll text me later!

Basel

 

TV

 

Even though Larry and Nina miss their American television stations, they have discovered many new shows that they love.  If you thought Teletubbies was the wackiest program to come out of Britain, I can tell you that the Children’s BBC channel (CBBC) has introduced our kids to a whole host of weird new shows.  Our favorite example is called “In the Night Garden.”   Although it’s geared toward the pre-school set, we can’t resist the surreal psychedelic atmosphere and the absurd antics of Ickle-Pickle, Upsy-Daisy, Topplyboo, Ninkynonk, Pinkponks, Ponty-Pines and Makka-Pakke.  See for yourself:

 

In the Night Garden

MUSIC

This song from Silbermond actually makes German sound much prettier than I thought possible.

a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=52566587">Irgendwas bleibt

Irgendwas bleibt

ALL THINGS FAMILIAR

 

It’s funny to think that everything that was once strange and new upon our arrival, now feels comfortable and routine.  We’ve gotten over sticker shock at the stores, we are in sync with the supermarket schedules (the two hour lunch breaks and no Sunday business hours), we dutifully walk our kitchen scraps down to the local compost site (and by “we” I mean Ken), we don’t use our cell phones on public transporation, we avoid eye contact while passing people on the street and we try to respect the quiet hours as best we can (considering we have two loud children).   

 

Having traveled out of town a few times now, we’ve come to appreciate some things about living in Basel.  Namely, the sound of church bells, long lunches, walking everywhere, the clean streets, the reliable trams, Swiss tidiness and efficiency (okay, I’m the only one who appreciates the last two). 

 

Dijon, FR

Excerpts from Nina’s Journal

 

“I found out that traveling does not always come in handy.  Whoooo… You don’t want to see me barf.  It’s not pretty.  Trust me.“ (Nina writing about getting car sick) March 8, 2009

 

“What is getting a bit too full is mommy’s calendar.  Too much stuff!  Today this, that, and maybe more.  I just feel a bit too planned…I have a busy life.”  March 21, 2009

 

“Today my favorite thing to do was the Alpine Slide…My favorite [part] was feeling the cool breeze.  It felt really good.”  March 22, 2009

 

The Alpine Slide in Lagenbruck

Alpine Slide

Excerpts from Larry’s Journal

 

“I went to Zurich today.  All we did was walk.  Mom and dad were mean because they didn’t let me go to the zoo.  But I had F.U.N. at the museum…I went to a terrible restaurant.  I asked for a PLAIN burger.  But they gave me one with not nothing on it!”   March 1, 2009

 

“When I went to Bern I was excited.  I saw a huge brown bear named Pedro.  10 years ago, a dude fell in the pit and Pedro ate him.  We went to the Paul Klee museum.  I made a huge city.  There were also blocks.  I LOVED IT THERE!”   

March  8, 2009

“Today was a great first day back from break.  It was really fun to be back at school.  I saw most of my friends and that felt great.”  March 9, 2009

 

Paul Klee Museum

More moments from Nina's busy life:

Miniature golf in Germany, Toy Museum in Riehen

Butterfly Dome and Jungle Trek in Kerzers, Roller Skating in Neuchatel, Playground in Dijon

 

 

February

In February, we ventured beyond Basel a little more with day trips into Germany and other parts of Switzerland.  The photos probably say it all:  ruins, castles, cathedrals, cute town, cute town, ruins, museums, more ruins.  You get the idea.   Allow me, therefore, to direct your attention to the everyday quirks of living in Switzerland.

 

Adventures in DRIVING

 

Unlike Ken, I don’t find driving in foreign countries the least bit thrilling.   If figuring out the road signs and speed limits isn’t enough of a challenge, there are the other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and trams jumping out at every turn to keep you on your toes.  To make being behind the wheel even less appealing, if you have the misfortune of getting into an accident, the Swiss will impose a fine even if you are not at fault.   In addition to all of those wonderful perks, the many cameras designed to catch speeding motorists might be the best incentive for sticking to public transportation.  Not that I’ve ever had speeding issues before.  But here the speed limits change quite suddenly and they’re not always posted.  Should you get caught being a lead foot, a ticket will arrive in the mail a month later.  I’ve heard that you can rack up a nice bunch of fines in a month’s time before realizing that you’ve been breaking the law.  The good news is that when your license is suspended for all those violations (a frequent occurrence among expats I’ve been assured), you are asked to choose the month.  How polite! 

 

Road signs

 

I could no longer avoid the driving issue when I realized that the kids’ commute to school takes ten minutes by car versus thirty-five minutes by tram.   So without Ken by my side to guide me through the streets of hell, I went for it.  I got in our new car and adjusted the seat, the mirrors, and the GPS device (the “TomTom”).  Then I carefully started to pull out of my parking spot.  Whoosh!   I nearly collided with a passing car, then a cyclist and then a man pulling out of his driveway.  Getting to the end of the block wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be!  After recovering from my mini heart attack, I continued on.  I drove about two blocks to a bunch of barricades and construction workers, trams, and pedestrians.  Just the sort of chaos a new driver needs.  The TomTom kept nagging me, “go straight.”  I started fighting with the machine, “I can’t go straight!  The road is closed.”  “Go straight.”  Unsure of what to do, I turned around and went home all the while being yelled at by the TomTom (which I couldn’t figure out how to turn off).   Thus began my first adventure behind the wheel.  

 

I have since managed to go beyond the two blocks from my house.  On one occasion, I actually drove myself to France to do a little grocery shopping.  I could tell from the beeping that the other drivers didn’t appreciate my granny driving skills.  Oh, and the TomTom yelled at me more than a few times.   But since no major catastrophes occurred, I will consider that excursion a complete success.

 

 

Fribourg

LANGUAGE

 

We had a lovely trip to the Swiss town of Fribourg one snowy Sunday.  Fribourg is in the French-speaking part of the country, so I was happy to be somewhere where I could communicate a little more easily.  We decided to begin our adventure in town with some lunch. 

 

Before I go any further, I need to take a moment to tell you about the time I took my aunts out to dinner in Paris (18 years ago).  They let me do all the talking and I ended up ordering the wrong thing.   They wanted duck, we got pork, and in the process I might have mistakenly called the waiter a jerk (Hey, “canard” and “connard” are very similar).  I have never lived that experience down. 

 

So on this occasion I was in Fribourg, once again putting my French to test in a restaurant.  I’m happy to say that we all got exactly what we ordered.  However…halfway through our meal, it came to our attention that we were dining in the bar– not the restaurant.   Had I properly understood the hostess (or correctly read the perplexed look on her face) we could have avoided sitting in the smoke-filled room among the mounted animal heads and graphic hunting photos with the sports channel blaring above our heads.  Now I have my children (instead of my aunts) to constantly remind me that my French skills are extremely lacking.   “Mom, I can’t believe you made us eat in a BAR!”

 

 

Fribourg04

 

 

 

SNOW

 

If you glanced through some of our photos you will notice that the kids still look like they’re having fun.  We have Mother Nature to thank for that.  Being from California, snow never ceases to amaze Larry and Nina.  On our trip to Fribourg we lucked out when the snow came pouring down in thick fluffy chunks.  Larry couldn’t pass a ledge without pushing snow over the side.  Nina deliberately plowed her face in the snow at every opportunity.    And thanks to the powdery goodness, the kids did not object to going into a few churches to warm up.  The cold must have numbed their brains because they actually seemed interested once inside! 

 

Valentine's Day

 

 

BlackForest08

 

 

 

Sledding

 

MUSEUMS 

One day I had the luxury of going to an art museum by myself while the kids were in school.  Now, you would think that being in a nearly empty museum unencumbered with children would be the best experience ever.  Well, let me tell you a thing or two about Swiss docents.  They do not like when you linger in a room to look at art.  I’m sure it must mean to them that you are up to no good.   Being one of the few people roaming around the museum that morning, I aroused a lot of suspicion.  One woman went so far as to follow my every footstep (I could tell from the creaking floorboards behind me).  To test her patience (and to amuse myself), I went back and forth between two rooms several times.  So not only did I get to look at some great art, I also managed to give my tailgater a little workout.  It’s fun messing with the Swiss!   

 

BaselSights04

GROCERIES

 

Shopping in Europe qualifies as an adventure in itself.  You never know what strange or ridiculous thing you’ll find.  My latest discovery:  wine in juice box form!  I’m not kidding.  I saw individual sized wine boxes with straws.  You can purchase them in white, red or rose.  I have yet to test these products out.  Having children, wine in box form can only lead to trouble.  I can just see the scenario now:  “Sorry that Nina was drunk at school today.   That cabernet sauvignon looks a lot like fruit punch.”

 

Wine

As for grocery stores in general, I love them all.  They’re filled with a smorgasbord of delights.  The Europeans really know their priorities when it comes to food.  You can tell just by observing how much space they dedicate to sweets in their markets - the chocolate aisle (seriously, a whole aisle), the candy aisle (not to be confused with the chocolate), the cookie aisle, the ice cream aisle, not to mention the baked goods and all the sugary cereals.   In Germany there’s even a section devoted entirely to gummy candies.  Don’t get me started on the wine selection and the variety of frozen potato products.   I’m not complaining, mind you.  I’m just in awe.   

 

Aesch Fasnacht

 

 

FASNACHT

 

As someone who loves order and tidiness, I was looking forward to the living in Switzerland.  However, even for an anal freak like me, the Swiss are really a bit over the top.  They have rules for everything.  Special bags for garbage disposal, special stickers for bicycles, quiet hours, stickers to drive on the highways, residence permits, parking cards to display in your windows, and on and on the list goes.  With so many restrictions, the people here are bound to be a little uptight.  So for one week out of the year, the Swiss take all of their pent up feelings and pour them into a giant celebration called Fasnacht.  

 

While each town in Switzerland has its own Fasnacht celebration, most people agree that Basel holds the biggest and the best.  It starts at 4:00am on the Monday after Ash Wednesday and lasts for three days and three nights.  The festival includes parades, lots of music (but no dancing – this is Switzerland after all), colorful costumes, mounds of confetti and loud crowds (but no public drunkenness – again, this is Switzerland).

 

Even though Basel’s week of revelry has not yet started, I was able to experience a small Fasnacht celebration in a nearby town when Nina’s class marched in the local parade.  Everyone dressed up in elaborate costumes.  Musicians belted out lovely piccolo music and the sidewalks filled up with cheerful onlookers.  All the kids in the parade threw confetti (Räppli) and candy to the crowds.   Sounds sweet doesn’t it?  Well, I suppose it’s sweet when the preschoolers are tossing confetti at you.  Their small hands can only grasp on to so much paper.  The older children, on the other hand, took confetti tossing to a whole other level.  Remember the pent up frustration I mentioned?  They certainly enjoyed letting it out in the parade.  Apparently, shoving confetti down people’s coats, jamming it in their pockets and dumping piles on others' heads is a Fasnacht tradition with old and young alike.  I guess when you only have one time a year to let off some steam, you might as well do it in a big way.   Confetti mayhem aside, Fasnacht was great fun.  I’m looking forward to the bigger event next week.  Although this time I will remember to keep my mouth closed when under attack!

 

 

Aesch Fasnacht

 

 

 

 

Aesch Fasnacht

 

PRIVATE SCHOOL

 

Before we moved abroad I read books about Switzerland to familiarize myself with Swiss culture and people, I studied some German to better communicate with the locals, I even looked at maps to learn the layout of our new city.  What I really needed to do, however, was learn about the culture of private school and the British-run education system.  For me, that has been the most challenging transition.

 

The kids and I find the cold stiff attitude of the International School of Basel (ISB) more than a little unpleasant.  The ISB appears to love rules and order more than the Swiss!  I didn’t think that was possible.  The kids are always complaining about the restrictions they must endure at school.  I feel their pain.  I have been scolded by staff members on several occasions for standing in the wrong place or not knowing the proper procedures. 

 

I have found a positive side to this new situation.  Like any good parent, I always threaten to send Larry and Nina to military school whenever they misbehave.  In the past, the kids never really took me seriously because they had no idea what that meant.  They now understand my threats a little more clearly since I told them that military school is worse than the ISB (I’m guessing only slightly worse).   When they don’t believe me about military school, I just tell them we’ll stay in Switzerland longer so that they’ll have more time at the ISB.  Works like a charm!

 

School play

 

HARD WORK

 

Sending the kids to private school has taught me one important thing - that I’ve been working way too hard.  Everyone here has hired help whether they need it or not.  For example, I met a family that employs a full-time au pair.  The hired help basically lives in a closet, works around the clock and gets one day off in the middle of the week.   I complimented the employer on her hardworking courteous au pair.  The mother responded,  “Yes, thank you…You know how overwhelming it is when you have kids.”  Yes, indeed.  “Do you work?”  “Oh no, I don’t have a job.”  What?!  A full-time indentured servant and the mom doesn’t even have a job!  What is that woman doing with all of her time?  She certainly doesn’t spend it cleaning her apartment, I can tell you that much.   Of course, she probably has someone to do that too - everyone else does.   

 

Brewery

 

For all of those overwhelmed parents, the school has a variety of organized events and activities to help them cope.  Among this semester’s offerings:  fencing for adults, cocktail mixing classes, wine tasting, floral design, cooking, art lessons, yoga, pilates, and much more.  I will admit that I readily signed up for a few events.   I mean, how could I pass up a tour of the local brewery for one.  As the twenty other members of my group pointed out, someone has to scope out the good places to take all of our out-of-town guests.  Sampling beer with warm pretzels at 10:30 in the morning was hard work, but I managed - all for the good of my future visitors.   You’re welcome!

 

EXCERPTS FROM NINA'S JOURNAL

 

"We went to Fribourg, or as I like to call it 'Fry Burger.'  My mom took me to a bar for lunch.  Eww!  We went to the Tinguely museum.  I loved that place the most...Fribourg is fun!"  February 1, 2009

 

"Larry went to ski camp...It was sad to see Larry leave.  I was still happy as a clown [though]."  January 26, 2009

 

 

Fribourg

 

EXCERPTS FROM LARRY'S JOURNAL

"Skiing is fun!  I like ski camp.  I don't like raclette...I had a great time...I did not win the tidy room award or the quiet room award.  Not surprising!  I LOVE skiing!"  January 31, 2009.

"Dear journal, today...I had kinda' a guten tag."  February 4, 2009

"Every day at school is getting better.  I am learning a lot more German.  I am also getting better at French.  I now know better French, German and I guess nothing else."  February 13

 

Ski Camp

 

 

 

January - New Beginnings

 

Basel City

 

 

After more than four weeks of unpacking, dealing with Swiss registration formalities and being without phone service or Internet connection, we’re actually beginning to feel at home in Switzerland.  More importantly, we are finally able to get our blog up and running.   Here is a sum of our experiences to date.

SCHOOL

 

The kids have settled in nicely at the International School of Basel (ISB).  They made friends and learned their school routines pretty quickly.   Nina usually talks about her day the entire 35-minute commute home.  Larry can never really get a word in, but I think he’s enjoying school too.  The only big complaint I heard from the kids is that the ISB has some strict rules (e.g., low voices at lunch time and no outdoor voices EVER – even when you’re outside!).  Larry also hates that he's required to make eye contact while communicating with adults.  Nodding one's head is unacceptable.  On the up side, Larry and Nina may just develop some manners by the time we get back to Berkeley. 

 

Nina, Emily and Claudia2

 

This morning Larry left for ski camp.  His class will be in Nendaz (about three hours from Basel) for the next 5 days.  What a rough life!  If you’re interested, you can check out the location at www.nendaz.ch.  Parents are not welcome on the trip, so I can only hope that Larry will remember to bathe at least once while he’s gone.   I’m sure that there will be lots more to write about when he returns on Friday

 

Nina and Claudia

 

 

ADVENTURES

 

Although they miss their friends and home life in California, the kids are enjoying their new experiences here.  On our first weekend in Basel, friends took Ken and the kids to an indoor swimming pool in Germany called Laguna.  I opted out, especially when I heard that the boys would have to rent (yes, rent) Speedo-like swimsuits (sorry, but that’s a sight I don’t need to see).  Larry and Nina could not stop talking about Laguna when they arrived home.  Wave pools, giant slides, tunnels with strobe lights, hot tubs – maybe I will have to brave the Speedo-clad men after all!

 

 

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Yesterday Ken and Larry went sledding in the Swiss Alps.  (Nina and I were at a High School Musical birthday dance party.  Yes, HSM is big here too.)  From their accounts, the snow was amazing and the sledding was intense.  I stopped sharing in their enthusiasm after I heard something about “Dead Man’s Curve,” 10 foot drop, barbed wire, lost glove and torn ski jacket!

 

  

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MUTINY

 

Any attraction specifically designed for the amusement of children goes over very well with Larry and Nina (parks, rides, pools).  However, as soon as the kids discover that we’re planning a cultural outing they immediately whine and protest.  Nina has said on more than one occasion, “I’ll go.  But I promise you that I’m not having any fun.”  I’m happy to say that Ken and I have proven her wrong every time.   Just look at the photos if you don’t believe me.  Of course, every weekend the kids continue to object to our outings and we have to force them out of the house, but at least we know that they will forgive us by the end of the day.   (I think)

 

 

 

 

January Highlights:

 

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Ferrette, France – Larry and Nina throwing snowballs off the edge of an 11^th century hilltop castle. 

 

Bruderholz (Basel) – walking to the top of the water tower for panoramic views of Basel and the surrounding countryside.   Larry and Nina trying to sled down a hill with plastic bags.

 

Tinguely Museum (Basel) – watching the kids’ amazed reactions to the mechanized sculptures.  Larry and Ken playing on a giant outdoor chess board.

 

 

 

Tinguely05

 

 

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BASEL

 

Basel itself is a lovely city.  It’s easy to get around by foot or on public transportation.  On the weekends everyone is outside walking.  Joggers run along the Rhine no matter what the weather.  Even bikers can be seen riding around in the snow.  Maybe they don’t think it’s that cold outside.   I’m just happy that the trams and buildings are all toasty warm.  (I absolutely love the trams.)  In addition to the great walks around town, there seems to be a lot to do here.  However, Larry will tell you to avoid the doll museum at all costs!  Nina and I disagree. 

 

The old section of town is filled with beautiful buildings, winding narrow streets and charming shops.  Everything is quaint and picturesque – just like a postcard.   The Rhine even looks pretty in winter.   The rest of Basel has a wonderful array of modern structures mixed in with older ones.   The only surprising feature here is the graffiti.  It’s everywhere. 

 

Basel

SWISS LIFE

 

Swiss people are usually polite and friendly, but sometimes they’re also a little cool and reserved.  Maybe that’s because even the locals are finding the recent bout of cold weather to be a bit frustrating (This is the coldest winter they’ve had in a few years.  Lucky us.)  Or it could be that we happen to live in an older neighborhood where there aren’t too many non-natives.  The other day on our commute to school, Larry was blocking the door to the tram as an older man was trying to get out.  The man mumbled something in Swiss German then pushed his rolled up magazine into Larry’s chest to get by.   He was still mumbling as he walked away (I don’t know the bad words in Swiss German yet, but I’m guessing we were getting an earful at the time).  It may not sound funny as I’m describing the experience here, but the kids and I were hysterical as we rode off in the tram.  I now tease Larry that I will carry rolled up magazines with me in case he gets out of hand in the future.

 

On the Tram

 

EXPATS UNITED

 

Even with a few bumps in the road, acclimating to life here hasn’t been too difficult due to the large expat community and their eagerness to help out.  One day we heard an American struggling to get her crying child into the car.  As soon as she heard us yelling at our own kids, she came over to make introductions.  It turns out we have a family from Marin living just a few houses away on our street.  I was quickly invited to coffee where I was then introduced to another American family in the neighborhood.   Whenever other expats discover I'm new in town, they are more than eager to show me the ropes.  I thought that I’d ease my way into the social scene here in Basel, but it seems like the school community can’t wait to break in the new expats.  While no one can replace my dear friends at home, it's nice to know that I'm not completely on my own here.  My calendar is quickly filling up with lunch and coffee dates.    Good for my social life, not so good for the waistline - as coffee gatherings usually involve pastry!

 

Tinguely06

Tinguely02

SUSTENANCE

 

Speaking of pastry…Larry will be the first to tell anyone that the food here is wonderful.  He can’t get enough of the milk, chocolate, ice cream, baguettes and butter.   (He did ease up on the milk a bit after a classmate told him, “If you drink Swiss milk you’ll clog up your arteries and DIE.”) Nina eats everything – especially if it comes from France.   If Nina says she doesn’t like green grapes, I just tell her they’re French grapes and she’s all on them.   Her latest discovery is spätzle.

 

Because the food in Switzerland can be on the pricy side, one weekend we drove into France to shop at my favorite store – Carrefour.   It’s like a Target with an enormous supermarket.  Anyone who has ever heard me praise and swoon over Carrefour will know that I went a little nutty with the shopping.  In fact, I bought enough meat and groceries to make Ken nervous about crossing back into Switzerland.  Worried that we had exceeded our import allowance for food, Ken drove us back home via Germany where the border is pretty much unmanned.   I love living on the edge of three countries!

 

On that same day we also made a stop at the local IKEA.  It may come as no surprise that the store here looks and feels just like any other IKEA.  Except that in addition to shopping, people also go there to dine.  We decided to join in and have a quick lunch in the cafeteria.  Unlike the people around us, we simply ordered a main dish - no starter, no salad, no giant slices of cake for dessert.  I believe that the French family sitting next to us thought we were barbarians.   We finished our whole meal by the time they were halfway through theirs.  Did I mention that we sat down after them?  Apparently, even at IKEA there’s no such thing as “eat and run.”

 

SaintAlban04

LANGUAGE

 

While I’ve been enjoying the newness of living in Switzerland, I have to admit that the language barrier has been somewhat frustrating.  People in Basel speak Swiss German, which is nothing like standard (high) German.  My German lesson books are coming in handy for reading signs, but I can’t understand a word the locals are saying.   I just stick to nodding my head and smiling regardless of what they might be saying to me.  Contrary to what I had heard, very few people here understand English.  Fortunately, many Baslers do speak French.  Unfortunately, they’re all too happy to fluently ramble on while I stare at them dumbfounded.  Still, the French has certainly come in handy, especially when it comes to reading appliance manuals.  My parents will be proud to know that my college semester in Paris is finally paying off.  I have successfully tackled the dishwasher, the washing machine and the oven with my limited French skills.  And when all else fails, I just start pressing buttons.  Voilà!   

 

 

Home

 

 

 

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SLICE OF HOME

 

When the day-to-day struggle of learning a new language becomes too much I turn to an unexpected source for a little bit of home comfort – the nearby Starbucks!  Yes, it’s true.  I’m shunning the great European coffee all around me and I’m resorting to an American chain store for the sheer joy of being able to speak English in public.   It all started when I wandered into Starbucks in search of a bathroom for Nina.  I pointed the kids off to the restroom signs while I headed to the coffee counter, dreading the task of trying to read the menu.   To my surprise, all the signs were written entirely in English.  Everything in the store was exactly as you’d expect in America (right down to the stale maple-glazed scones in the pastry case) and most importantly the cashier greeted me in English.   For a moment I was home… “Tall nonfat latte, please!”  

 

QUIRKS

 

Now back to the bathroom issue.  Before I could revel in the joy of my new discovery, the kids returned confused and upset.  “We can’t find the bathroom.”  Irritated, I snapped back, “What do you mean?  I showed you the sign.  Did you follow the W.C. sign?”  Larry responded, “Yeah, but the stairs kept going down and we got scared, so we came back.”  Unconvinced that the kids had tried hard enough to find the bathroom, I headed to the staircase and began to follow the signs with them.  After the first flight, the warmly painted walls turned to cold bare concrete, and the W.C. signs ceased to exist entirely.  I was beginning to see their point.   After descending three long flights of stairs, we finally came across the restrooms.  It turns out the Swiss will stick a toilet anywhere even if it looks like a parking garage or a bomb shelter.   Lesson learned:  trust my kids in Switzerland when they say something is weird!

 

 

Tinguely Museum Fountain

 

Excerpts from Larry’S JOURNAL:

 

“I learned the Hokey-Pokey in Deutsch.  I tried to teach Nina these words:  Lisbon, Oslo, and Stockholm.  She didn’t get them right.  Switzerland is great.”  01/13/09

 

“It snowed really hard today.  I love the snow!  I chose friends to sleep with [on the ski trip].  I chose Henry from Korea, Pradyot from I think India, and Danny from the USA.  I love Switzerland.  My fourth choice would be Henrique from Portugal.”  01/14/09

 

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Excerpts from Nina’S JOURNAL:

 

“Today was really fun.  I met two really fun kids named Stephanie and Olivia.  I thought it was good to meet kids who will either be in the same class or have the same recess with me.  They were both very nice to me and now I have two friends in Switzerland.  And now I am a little more comfortable and a tiny bit more excited in Switzerland.”  01/02/09

 

“Today we went to our new school to see what it looks like.  We’re not meeting anyone like yesterday.  Anyway we took the tram back home and played cards for a few minutes then we were bored.  But still we did something like breathe, stand, sit, read.”  01/03/09

 

“Today I went on a walk.  I don’t know where.  I took pictures of stuff.  I ran down a hill.  I sledded on mom’s super cool shopping bag!”   01/11/09

 

TierparkLangeErlen