Salzburg

    We left early Friday morning and took a train to Austria.  It took about six hours but was a beautiful ride.  We checked into our hotel and headed to Old Town.  Unbeknownst to us there was the largest Festival of the year going on with tons of booths, tons of entertainment, and tons of people.  We watched dancers, yodelers, and guys in lederhosen flip their dance partner upside down and slap each other's bums.  (See pictures)

We had dinner overlooking the beautiful city of Salzburg.  Keith had goulash and I had schnitzel.  The food was average, but the view was exceptional.

Bum slapping dancers.

Salzburg Castle - one of the biggest castles in Europe.

Salzburger Dom Cathedral

Mozart's Home

     Saturday, after a great breakfast, we took a train to Hallein where the Durrnberg Salt Mines are.  When we got to the town we thought we were lost as there were no signs and no people.  After walking around town for a bit, and almost giving up and going home, we found a taxi to drive us the few miles to the mine.  To start we took a cool ride into the mines sitting on a platform.  Then we walked through the mine with a tour guide and videos about the history of it all along the way. We then took these cool slides that are made of wood and you just stick your feet out and slide down.  Then we took a small barge type boat across what they referred to as the Salt Lake.  It was a cool place to go and I'm so glad we didn't give up and go home when we were lost in the town.  (Traveling can be tough, especially when you don't speak the language.)  After the salt mine tours we walked a mile or so up to a town that had the longest alpine slide in Austria.  It was one of the funnest things we have done so far.  The slide was on a track, was so long, and you could go so fast.  We went back to the festival that night which was one time too many - stood in line for 30 minutes for a bratwurst, found out I don't really like bratwurst.

    

Riding into the salt mines

The amazing view from the alpine slide

     Sunday we woke up early, had breakfast at McDonalds (so much cheaper in Austria)  then went to Maribell Gardens where we went on a bike tour of Salzburg and all the Sound of Music sights.  It was so fun to see all the places where one of my all time favorite movies was filmed.  We saw the two houses they used (different homes for the front and the back.), the graveyard they hid in, the trees they hung from, the gazebo they sang in, and so many other places.  The bike ride itself was really beautiful and definitely was the best way to see Salzburg.  Much better than getting on and off a bus.  

     After walking around some of the famous sights downtown, we took a boat down the Salzach River and back out to where we had just been on our bikes.  There we went to the Trick Fountains and took a tour of Hellbrunn Palace. (This was okay but I wish we had gone to Hitler's Eagles Nest or taken a hike in the town of Hallstatt by the lake - maybe next time.) That night we went back to the hotel, relaxed, had Chinese food in our room while watching german t.v., and swam.

     

A sculpture of Mozart meant to poke fun of what a big deal
Salzburg makes of Mozart  being  born and living in Salzburg.

The door they drove through in the movie when they performed at the festival.

The graveyard they hid in.

The real church the Von Trapp's were married in - different from the movie.

The back side of the house.

     Monday morning we just had enough time to have breakfast, 

swim some more, and head to the train.

settling in

     Last Saturday our Ward rented this place on Estavayer-le-Lac on the south-east bank of Lake Neuchåtel where you water ski without a boat.  I was confused when I first heard about it, but it was really cool.  There are cranes in the lake that hold up a cable that goes around in a very large circle.  You put your skis on, stand on the doc, and wait as the rope pulls you in and around the circle.  If you fall, which most people did, you simply swim away from the middle and wait for the boat to come get you.  It was wild.  I didn't try it but Keith and the kids did and had a great time.  Afterwards we had lunch on the beach and enjoyed the sunshine.

Kelly, Erin, Elayna, Lara, Natasha, Nadine

A castle near the lake.

     Sunday was a very interesting experience.  After church, we went to a "Remembrance Ceremony" for 9-11 at the Ambassadors home.  It was a beautiful mansion behind the U S Embassy.  The Ambassador spoke, they had a few musical numbers, and my friends daughter read a poem.  Afterward they planted two trees on the grounds and everyone had the opportunity to be a part of planting them.

This picture I took from the Embassy website because I didn't have my camera.  I would have loved to have taken pictures of the Ambassador's mansion - it was amazing.

     It was a busy week as we continue to try and get settled in.  Monday I did some more shopping with my friend Monique who helped me navigate the grocery store and find some things I had not been able to on my own. We then met our husbands for dinner and had a wonderful evening. Tuesday I met with Kelly and Josh's new principal and we talked about classes they could begin taking in the afternoon in order to get to know the kids at the school they will attend in November.  Wednesday I waited for our Internet stuff to be  delivered (which it never came), got my haircut by my friend Lori who just moved here from Portland.  She then took me to a great grocery store where the prices are much lower than I'm used to.  After that we went to a book club with some really nice women, most  of whose husbands work for the Embassy, and all who had lived all over the world and were very interesting to talk to.  Thursday I was planning on going with the kids to their first after school classes, but ended up not getting the okay and will now wait til Tuesday.  I went to a few more used furniture stores because the company van was available and it was a chance to get a few more things.  Friday morning I had a great time at my friend Monique's house where she taught me to make polymer clay beads.  It was so much fun, the craft and the company.  That night we went to a  birthday party and dinner for some really great people that we met at church.  They are from Uruguay and have now lived in Switzerland for two years.  (Interesting side note - his parents were just called to be mission president in Peru.)

Monique took these pictures of our days work, they were so fun to make.

     Saturday we took a train to Interlaken and spent the day zipping through the trees.  We went to this really big outdoor park that had a ton of rope courses and zip lines. (the best part was we pretty much had the place to ourselves.)  As we were up 20 meters on a platform we heard this loud ruckus and looked over to see a parade of cows coming down the hill with huge cow bells and head pieces.  You don't see that everyday. We got to the zip lines at 12:30 and had to pull Josh off at 5:30 because they were closing.  Needless to say, we had a great time and Kelly and Josh had no fear standing 20 meters in the air on a small platform around a tree, hooking their zip line on the cable, and jumping off.

Picture taken from 20 meters up a tree.

     Our new flat - Ugh!  Jana and Elinor, I need you!

I found this great iron rack for 15 francs.

Keith and my room is the worst - I'm just using bedding we were given.

Josh's room

Kelly decorated her own room and really wanted this sliding table so she could have breakfast in bed.
She's still waiting for that to happen.

My funny hutch and mismatched chairs.

A Place To Call Our Own

     We moved on Friday and Saturday and it feels so great to have a place of our own.

     Friday my wonderful friend Monique came and helped Keith and I move.  As soon as the kids left for school, Keith and I took the tram to our new place where we met Monique.  Monique and I brought some loads from her house and from our old place while Keith waited for the deliveries.  The used furniture store and IKEA both came right on schedule and by 1:00 we were starting to assemble stuff.  We didn't get very far because Keith's company had a big party that started at 2:00.

  The party was great and was at the Gurten which is on top of a big hill in the middle of Bern.  They had great food and the company has it's own band that played.  They were actually quite amazing.  The lead singer is an American, so they sang popular American songs.  

     Saturday was long and hard and poor Keith had to leave the next day to go out of town for a week.  He was feeling real pressure to get things put together.

     On Sunday  we had dinner after church and it was amazing.  They had set tables up in the Relief Society room with tablecloths and china, they grilled bratwurst and had everyone bring salads, breads, and desserts.  It was so much fun, I just love our ward.

Side note - We were waiting for the funicular after the party and a man from Keith's company started talking to Kelly in German.  I was worried that she felt uncomfortable, and almost interrupted,  but then I listened to her speak back to him in German and they continued to have a pretty long conversation.  I was amazed and asked her later if she really understood everything he said, which she did and was able to respond.  Yesterday on the tram she picked up a newspaper and was able to tell me what the stories were about.  She couldn't read every word, but enough to get the idea of  the story. 

    

There are many things I have taken for granted in my life.  After this experience I will never look at things in quite the same way.  Here are some of those things I never really appreciated before:  

1. Garbage disposals are a wonderful invention - without them, you have smelly food in your garbage that attracts bugs.  All of Switzerland does not have garbage disposals and I think I was told it has something to do with rats in the sewers, without the food in the sewers, you don't get rats.
2. Our beautiful church hymns.  I am sure that they are just as beautiful in German, in fact they sound so beautiful in our tiny ward and everyone here sings!  But I miss hearing the hymns in English as much as anything.  I cry every time one of my favorite hymns is sung and it's not the words I know and love.
3. At home I take the garbage out daily.  Just grab another small white plastic bag and throw the old one in the can.  Here the garbage bags cost 1,70 francs and you are required to use these.  Since they are kind of expensive you keep them and fill them up for as many days as possible - add in the smelly food and it's not so pleasant.
4. Ice and free refills.  As in most parts of Europe, they don't believe in ice, their drinks are tiny, and they don't give refills.  And water from the tap can cost as much as a soda.
5. Maybe I have always appreciated people not smoking in public places, but I will always be grateful for our strict smoking policies.

     Don't get me wrong, I love Switzerland.  In fact, I love it more everyday.  I love the people here, I love the beauty of it all, I love the architecture, I love the trams and trains and dread going back to driving, , I love that the people are so diligent at recycling, (which is why they charge so much for garbage).  But there are a few modern conveniences that I miss and will not take for granted when I'm home.