What we love (and don't love) about Switzerland

So at dinner tonight, I asked everyone what they like and don't like about Switzerland - here are some of the responses:

Bennett: He likes the chocolate, and the cows. When probed on the cows, he commented that they make such good milk here. We asked if the milk tasted any different, and he said no. Perhaps just the fact that he has met cows here (which you don't often get the chance to do in California) now makes the milk a bit more personal.

Karl: Trams. Actually, on our ride home today, Karl asked to stop so he could take the tram the rest of the way, that is how much he likes it. He can quote any tram # and describe it's route - he has amazed us when we are in the middle of a part of town we have never been before but he can tell us exactly what tram line runs through.

Eric: He likes that the pace of life here is a bit slower - and it really feels nice. It is puzzling, but somehow being on the hamster wheel of life you don't often think there is any other option but to keep on spinning. Eric also commented previously how much he likes our house here. We finally did the final push to unpack - see Bennett lost among the boxes - and now it really feels like home.




Sue: She loves the walking - that you walk everywhere, and you find the time to do it. At home the Safeway was a 10 minute walk from our house and we would rarely think to do it (because we were on that hamster wheel - can't get off - too much to do!), where here she has frequently walked to work (30 minutes) - even in the rain! The other thing she loves is the outdoors - the forests, the mountains... here is a snapshot from a recent weekend hike:



The nature is really breathtaking, and we can't wait until winter to do it all with snow as well!

For the things we don't like, Karl mentioned cheese, which is just a continuation of his cheese ban from California. Bennett, a cheese lover, chimed in that what he does not like about Switzerland was the cheeses he doesn't like - can't argue with that reasoning. But the winner of things not to like in Switzerland, with resounding agreement among all of us is the smoking. Even though it was just banned in restaurants in April, it is still common and prevalent at tram stops, walking down the street, and any teenagers hanging in a doorway. And to make matters worse, one of our childhood memories is here:



Candy cigarettes! Karl and Bennett are fascinated by them, and beg for them often. They will chant until the cows come home how bad smoking is for you, but the allure of the candy cigarette - a little naughty without being harmful - is this a habit in the making or a passing fad?

And it goes without saying that one of the things we don't like about Switzerland is that all of our family and friends are not here! We are slowly making new connections, definitely helped by school starting again - but nothing replaces old friends! Don't forget us, because we are not forgetting you!