July 8, 2010

We've had warm weather here. Today was warmer than yesterday and we've been out in it all day long. That makes us very tired. Yesterday was the worst. I think we're still getting over the jet lag... but today I am better. We keep moving all day long. It is good. I'm especially impressed with how Norwin and Karen have figured out the public transportation. Even though Switzerland is very rural, everyone uses public transportation. On somedays we may change buses up to 5 times and then jump on a train. I'm feeling frustrated because I know none of the language. I felt a little better when we were in Italy last year because Spanish and Italian are somewhat similiar and they had many of their signs in English as well. Not so in Switzerland, so I feel very dumb at times....I have problems reading a bus schedule. The Swiss speak a Swiss version of German... some words are the same but some are completely different. There are many other things that are quite remarkable about Switzerland. This country is extremely neat and tidy. You will rarey see liter and never see junk outside of a house. It is a prideful country. They not only teach that this is important but it is probably regulated as well. So every house is kept up even though some houses are a couple of hundred years old. They keep all the yards and lawns well-manicured....even the farm pastures are kept mowed and the manured stacked in piles. Everyone loves to be outside enjoying nature. Laurie, we must have some Swiss in us ...ha! Everyone is biking, hiking, walking, playing soccer, swimming. Today we went up to Sentis, the largest mountain in the Alps in Eastern Switzerland. There were mostly locals up there and some even biked up.... a pass almost 3 times as high as Snoqualmie. The bus ride was phenomenal.... the scenery breathtaking. Then once up there, you would see people all ages hiking all up the side of the mountain which still had snow on it. We took a gondola (it cost up $20 ea. and would've been $40 ea, but Norwin had a discount card). Some even had their dogs with them hiking on dangerous slopes. yesterday we hiked by some lakes. One of these lakes, although small, was about 3 or 4 times as long as a swimming pool, People of all ages were swimminglaps and swam the length of that lake several times. They keep very fit. It is rare to see someone overweight. The Swiss love their children and animals! Their dogs go everywhere with them... on trains, in restaurants, dogs in stores, etc. and most often they are off leash, but they are so incredibly trained. They stick right beside their owners, they don't bark, when you see them in restaurants they are sleeping on the floor (not begging) they don't pee where they should not. They almost seem invisible. We have figured out that the Swiss spend so much time with their dogs that they are well socialized (behaved). It is rare they bark or react at each other. They are also firm with their dogs (and children as well :) No babying...or spoiling, and no yelling either. They talk to them in a whisper. It is amazing.