Parallel lives

I got a really great birthday present this year from D. She invited me to Bern to visit the Paul Klee museum and to have dinner with her family. In Switzerland, hardly anyone invites people to dinner, so needless to say, it as quite an honor.

So, Sunday afternoon I took the train down to Bern and headed to the Paul Klee museum. I didn't know a whole lot about Paul Klee before, but he's a very cool artist. We were inspired by his painting called Vorhaben/Intentions. It reminded us of our lives and our work.

D's mother worked hard to think of the perfect "Swiss" meal for her visitor--I learned that D's father is a locomotive driver for the SBB. He loves model trains, just like my dad! Wow! They told me about the trip they made to the US 30 years ago pre-D--similar to some of the trips we took when I was growing up. Parallel lives, hmmm.

Tour guide Whitter

Had a nice visit of my sister A and her friend B. They were in Züri for a couple of days and then we flew to Greece.

I would have to say one of the highlights was our day in Appenzellerland. We'd taken the train from Züri to Appenzell, where we had to get around by PubliCar, a kind of taxi service run by the PostBus service (there are, by the way, two 16-seat vans to service the whole area) since there is no bus connection from Appenzell town to the Appenzeller Schaukäserei, the cheese dairy where they make the famously tasty Appenzeller cheese. I can only recommend a PubliCar ride through the winding roads and hills of Appenzell--it's so green and beautiful!

Of course, Greece was great, but too short. The photos speak fro themselves.

Quebec in 7 days or less...

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Originally uploaded by wahartung

This post has next to nothing to do with Switzerland or Swiss people, but I just got back from an amazing trip to Quebec to meet my family, who drove up from Ohio. We spent a few days in Montreal--there is so much to see and do there, we didn't even scratch the surface. We were also in Quebec City for a few days--it's one of the oldest cities in North America, and one of the most beautiful by far, with the Chateau, amazing views of the St. Lawrence River.

All through Quebec, people are very proud of their French roots. They speak to you in French if they think you have an inkling of what they mean. The food has a decidedly French flair, and everything proceeds at a slightly slower pace than other places in North America. I couldn't believe the churches--in Kentucky, where I come from, there is a church on every street corner, even way out in the country. In Quebec, there is a cathedral on every street corner! I definitely hope to make it back one day.