Trains, Planes & Automobiles (and other things!) Part II

Planes...
On December 23, our daughter, Christine arrived by plane from Chicago.  It was so good to see her and we had such wonderful plans for our time together.  She got to visit where we are living, see for herself the 'hike up the hill' to our apartment, visit our grocery, cook in our kitchen and...get ski lessons!!!

Yep, the day after Christmas we took ski lessons.  I was on ski's one time about 15 years ago in Santa Fe, NM. That's it.  The day we arranged ski lessons there was a significant snowfall here in Davos.  The snow falling actually made the experience even more fun.  So remember, we are in the Alps.  People begin skiing here when they are 5 years old.  We had a ski instructor who actually asked Ray how old he was, because she could not believe that in his whole life this was the second time he had skied.  Oh well...

...see the little flags around us?  We are on the 'beginners slope'.  Remember who the 'beginners' are in Switzerland..they are 5&6 years old.  So we are learning with the children!  But, when you don't know how to make yourself STOP, this is the best place to be.

On the left is Christine and I at the top of the 'hill' getting ready to go down....








How on earth do you get the skis to turn??  Notice we don't have poles in our hands.  Not yet.  The poles get in the way when you are learning.













Christine got to use poles, because she did so well!

After a great day of skiing, we all felt victorious!  Of the three of us, Christine did the best.  The instructor said she was ready for the 'real' slopes.  We didn't have time for her to go up to the top with the ski lift.  She'll have to come back before the spring comes for that!


We had other things to do...we had to get home to pack...we were headed out of town...to ITALY!




Italy.  We love Italy.  Get ready for an Italian adventure in of Trains, Planes & Automobiles (and other things!) Part III!

Auf Wiedersehen und glücklich Skifahren  (Good-bye and happy skiing)

Marybeth

                                     
                                               

Winter Is Here - Christmas Markets, Playing Outdoors - and other things

Zurich!

Last weekend, Ray and I spent in Zurich.  Why?  Well, a graduate student was defending her thesis, which means she was officially graduating from the University of Zurich.  She had completed her research at the institute Ray is working at, so everyone here from the institute went to Zurich to celebrate with her.  The celebration is called an Apero, which means a spread of finger-foods with lots of wine and because the student is from Poland, there was Polish Vodka.  Reminded me of growing up.  I am Polish.  Every New Year's Eve, my mom and dad would have a toast with Polish Vodka.

Zurich Christmas Market in Train Station

Ray and I decided to spend 2 more days in Zurich. We stayed in the Old Town.  Most European cities have an 'old town'.  Remember, 'old' here is much older than we are accustomed to in the US.  The streets are cobblestone and the churches are sometimes a thousand years old.

Christmas Markets

December in Europe is all about Christmas Markets.  A Christmas Market is an opportunity for people to sell their local specialities, whether it's food or crafts.

The main Zurich Christmas Market is held in the train station.  At the same time there are smaller markets scattered all around the city, held in small parks.   One of the famous aspects of the Zurich Christmas Market is the huge Swarovski Christmas Tree.  The tree is decorated completely with Swarovski crystal ornaments and white lights.  It is beautiful.  I just had to get a crystal ornament for myself!!!  WooHoo-a Christmas gift to me!

Glühwein

A Warm Wine Drink

When you visit the Swiss Christmas Markets, you've got to try the traditional winter drink: Glühwein.  Glühwein is warm red wine with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and mace.  I think you have to grow up drinking this beverage, but I can say I tried it.

River in Downtown Davos

White Days

We now have snow filled days, crunchy paths, brisk air - and no chill.  That's correct.  The air is dry.  It does make a difference in your ability to spend time outdoors.  The last two weekends Ray and I have taken long walks and it is so wonderful outside.  The sky is clear blue, not a cloud can be seen and there are droves of people skiing, sledding, snowboarding and just walking along the river.

Making Snow

So while there is snow on the ground, it's not enough for the skiers.  See the white 'mist'?  That is snow blowing out of snow making machines.  These machines blow out clouds of snow 24 hours a day.  On the top of the mountain, the machines line the ski slopes.  Each machine has a spot light.  When the lights are 'on' during the dark hours you know they are making snow.   It is beautiful at night to see the lights illuminating in a zig zag pattern across the mountain top as they are making snow.




A Place to Rest & Play

At the bottom of the ski area is a restaurant.   This is where the skiers rest and eat snacks, drink hot chocolate and/or beer.  This is also where parents stay with their children.  There are wooden, beach-like chairs all around the restaurant.  Each chair is cushioned and has a small retractable visor and footrest.  You claim a chair and sit for hours, people gazing and being warmed by the sun.  At the foot of the chairs, children busily dig in the snow, some pretending to be shoveling their walkways and some building snow castles.  There is the murmur of adult conversation and the giggles of children running from each other as they attempt a snow ball frenzy.  It feels like a cold-white-winter beach scene!

Children learning how to ski-how cute!!

And believe it or not-it feels warm.  There is this phenomena that when you feel the sun directly on you, you are warm, but the moment you are shaded, the temperature drops.  That is why the skiers begin skiing as early as they can - 8:30AM, because as soon as the sun dips behind the mountain, the temperature drops!  Many ski lifts stop at 4:30PM.

Oh, Tannenbaum!

It was time to get our Christmas Tree, our Tannenbaum!  She was purchased in town at Coop (pronounced 'coop', like where chickens live)....

.....and lovingly carried up the hill.  I am in the process of making our ornaments.

 So this is our Tannenbaum as of today.  More ornaments on the way.

A Cho-Cho Ride

Stay tuned.  On Friday, we are going on a train ride.  A day trip on the Bernina Express.  It's like the Polar Express through the Alps.  From Chur to Tirano, through many tunnels and across many viaducts.  It is supposed to be spectacular!

Liebe zu Ihnen alle.  Frohe Weihnachten! (Love to you all.  Merry Christmas!)

Marybeth

Ready, Set, SKI - or whatever winter sport you like

Swish!

That's the sound heard on top of the mountains now.  It's the sound of all the people whizzing by as they ski and snowboard down the slopes.  Last weekend one of the mountain top ski lifts opened.  The don't all open on the same day.  This weekend, the ski lift that I see directly across the valley from my apartment window will open.

Incline ( in Summer) to top of mountain

There is a 'routine' to going to the slopes.  The skiers gather all their equipment and take an incline train to the top of the mountain.  Once at the top, they ski down to the midpoint of the mountain, where they take a ski lift back to the top and ski again, to the midpoint. They don't ski all the way down to the valley.

In the warm sun, watching skiers

Sitting in the sun, resting, drinking hot chocolate, beer, wine

At the top of the ski run there is a restaurant, where the skiers rest drinking hot chocolate or beer and can get lunch.





Ray and I took the incline up to the top to just be there and enjoy the energy of people out skiing. While it gets colder the higher you go, the sun made it a perfectly warm day to sit outside and watch the people.  Actually it felt hot!  I had to take my scarf off and unzip my coat!










The day was beautiful.  Clear sky, no wind, just sunshine and people having fun.

Ski Poles plunged into the ground while the owners sat at restaurant

Ok...looks like I published a YouTube video of skiing that I had intended to put in this post!!!  Still on a learning curve with blogging.

Little Ones Learn to Ski

In any event,  you can see what a great time everyone has here in the winter wonderland of Davos, Switzerland.  One of the cutest things I saw was the way children learn how to ski.  Lessons begin when children are very little, maybe 6 years old.  They are given a pair of skis, no poles.  They are then attached to long straps - like a leash.  Mom or Dad holds onto the leash and they both ski, the little one ahead of the 'teacher.'  It was so fun to watch.  Remember there are sometimes cliffs on the sides of the slopes!  And no railing.  You have to guide that new skier on a straight path!!!  Or else it's a huge woops!!!

Ok...that's all for now.  Our friends ask us when we will ski...not sure about that.  Maybe snow shoe or cross country.   What would you do??

Hugs from the white spaces of Switzerland,

Marybeth

Skiing in Parsenn!

Preparations for Snowy Days!

Transformations Abound
Remember all that snow I showed you in the last two posts?  Well, it is all gone.  Amazingly, it has evaporated, melted, vanished.  As quickly as it arrived, it departed.  The landscape is as naked now as it was the moments before the slight drizzle transformed into snowflakes.

In the days immediately after the snowfall, I took a trip outside the Davos valley and venture back to the land I came from.  Yes, I had a return trip to the US.  What fun I had!  In the 10 days I was gone, some changes had occurred in Davos.

Preparing for The Snow!

Red Snow Pole

Blue/Yellow Snow Pole

Snow is a thing big thing here in Davos Platz. People talk about it and anticipate it with great glee. What I didn't realize was the way the town prepared for it. The first thing I noticed when I arrived back in Davos was there were now 'poles' lining all the streets, parking lots and mountain pathways. These poles surround the perimeters of the parks and walkways up to front doors. Some of the poles have blue paint at the top, while some have red.  We have not figured out what the different colors represent, but we smiled when we realized the true meaning of the poles.  These are the markers for the snow plows to know where the edges of the streets are when the real snow, the permanent white stuff arrives and show us how deep the snow will be.  Woah.

Red Snow Poles on the Street up to our Apartment Building

Sleeping Trees

I am familiar with snow.  I grew up in New Jersey and lived in Cincinnati where snow happens each year.  Sometimes it lingers and most times it melts in a few weeks.  In Davos, Switzerland the amount of snow and length of time is stays in more, more and more.  Not only are the streets prepared for the amount of snow, the young trees are, too.

Evergreen outside our Apartment

The small, delicate trees of Davos are wrapped and sheltered in preparation of the weight of the anticipated snow. These two evergreen trees are outside our apartment building. 

Smallest Evergreen outside Apartment Building

All the young shrubs around the town are bundled in winter cocoons.  Like bears going to sleep for a long winters nap, these trees and shrubs will be awakened and unwrapped in the spring when the threat of heavy snow ends.

Where Did All the People Go?

One of the first things I had to do when I returned home, was head to Coop (the grocery store).  As I walked along the street, it was eerily quiet.  I looked around and suddenly realized that I was the only person walking in the town!  Many restaurants and a number of retail stores were closed.  What was going on?  

I walked up to a restaurant that had been open and bustling with patrons before I left and read a sign (I am learning some German), Closed Until November 22.  Apparently from October 31 until November 21-22 is considered 'down time'.  Too chilly for the hiking tourist and devoid of snow for the skiers.  The town shuts down creating it's own 'resting time' waiting for the whiteness to arrive and with it the throngs of tourists.  We are told over and over that from December through the middle of March this small mountain town will be transformed into a traffic jam of cars, pedestrians, hikers, skiers, snowboarders, skaters, sleigh riders (now THAT sounds like fun), tobogganers and Swiss who just want to be in the most amazing mountain town for the holidays and ski season.  We'll see.  Right now it is quiet.  Even quieter than it was when I arrived at the end of July.  Remember this is the Swiss Mountains - it is naturally quiet, but right now - well, it is asleep.

Morphing Our Shoes

One more note:  This is snow related, but foot focused.  We live on the top of a very steep hill; the side of a mountain actually.  We have been informed (many times with a smile) that we will need 'spikes' on the bottom of our shoes when the snow and ice arrive in order to walk up the street to get home.  (Did I forget to mention that we do not have a car here?)  Spikes on our shoes?  

Spikes on the bottom of sneakers

Well, today as we were walking through town there was a sporting goods store open.  We went inside to check it out and lo and behold they sell spikes that you put on the bottom of your shoes to prevent you from slipping on the snow and ice!  Remember the people here LOVE the ice and snow.  They hike in it, run in it and play in it.  So, they have created a cover for their shoe that help them stay snow bound in all conditions.  The 'spikes' are pulled over shoes like a rain boot is pulled over shoes.  It was quite a surprise for us to actually see these 'spikes' for sale.  Now we know that people weren't joking.  We didn't buy any yet.  I think we are putting off the inevitable. 

Knowing There is Always the Unknown

I never know what unexpected thing I will see or experience here in my new life in Switzerland.  From street poles to cocoon trees; a sleeping town to spiky shoes.  Whether we realize it or not, our lives offer the answer to questions we have had, maybe for a long time.  When I was a child, I always had questions - how does that work? Where does that go?  You see, I always wanted to know-not anything in particular, everything in general.  My experience here is offering me the answers the the many questions I have had, maybe without even realizing on a conscious level about how other people live.  Not only that, but I have created an experience where I actually get to live with another culture.  What questions did you have as a child?  How has your life offered you the answers?

Utto---I better hurry up and post this.  I feel a snow storm brewing.

Genießen Sie das Leben

Enjoy Life!

Marybeth