Small is Beautiful: Swiss engineering

Switzerland is known for its engineering prowess, a natural development, given the need to overcome many natural obstacles (mountains) by forging, tunneling, and linking villages by constructing elaborate road, train, telephone, & water/power infrastructure. High levels of learning, supported by Swiss neutrality - non-participation in WWII - allowed for the unbroken creation of a small, educated society of precise workers.

In that vein, public art focuses on the theme of cranks & gears.

Incidentally, in terms of watchmaking, Switzerland's reputation was a response to competition abroad, as earlier timepieces from America were superior.

All this to say we have a better appreciation for that Swiss-built aerial tramway we rode to some lookout point in northern CA's redwood forest, as well as for other foreigners, like the Italian masons who built vista house on the Columbia gorge outside of Portland.
The cable cars of San Francisco were engineered by a Swiss immigrant, as well. For a tiny country, these guys get around, perpetuating their own national version of small is beautiful.

Lazy Sunday: Scooters & Merguez

This Migros scooter won "toy of the year"; the traditional 2 rear wheels were moved in front, stabilizing the forward-leaning child, and allowing a leg to kick freely. Michael and Jack's progress took a leap forward, sliding down this mild slope near the fountains. The boys are hooked: Jack kept saying, "Scooter, daddy. Scooter," for days.

Ouchy has a mild Venice Beach feel to it; chaotic traffic of poseurs, exhibitionists, children, lovers, tourists, etc amid food vendors and a range of classy hotel patrons - all coming to the water for a good and anonymous time together. Comparison: the more restrained Vevey waterfront, where you conform to the slower pace of the aristocratic community.

This lady was attached to her doll, which she lovingly cradled everywhere.

Another lady decked out in brilliant red.

For a quick lunch, I had a merguez/frites/pepper sandwich that was incredible. Merguez are spicy African sausages made of lamb & beef and are really, really good - I will definitely be searching for these back home. They go great in Italian red sauces! I mean, GREAT.
Springtime has brought outdoor grilling possibilities shops are stocking up on traditional Swiss sausages, too. Larger ones come coiled like garden hoses for placing directly on the fire. Greasy but tasty; these are respectable foods here; free of all the familiar, back home suspicion of hooves, sawdust, etc.

Brittany & Rachelle

Tacoma friends, Brittany and Rachelle, hailed from Aix-en-Provence, France, where they are spending a year studying French. With the French Alps as dramatic backdrop, they (pictured at the rear) caught a boat to Bouveret, then walked from the docks to the mini-trains.
We ate panini from a stand at Vevey's waterfront - the best food deal in town; freshly sliced beef off a roast topped with marinated peppers and eggplant, stuffed in a tasty roll, then ironed flat into a toasted sandwich - all for 8 francs! I resisted the panini craze back in the States; my own post-George Foreman grill syndrome.
I first met Rachelle's folks many years ago in Switzerland; Brittany's folks are FFTs (friends from Tacoma), but it seems we were all in the area in the early '80s? Anyway, B was scouting for her dad, Doug, who is organizing a group trip here next summer, commemorating the 500th anniversary of John Calvin - perhaps best understood as the theorist of the Reformation - whom you either really love or really hate.

At Ouchy (below Lausanne), Michael and Jack tried out their new scooters after a ride on the merry-go-round. Brittany remarked, "This is a kid's paradise."

It's a kids' parents' paradise, too.

Final week

Hectic and difficult were the last days, as students wrapped-up 6 months of intensive living in Lausanne; more than ready to return home but, sad, as well. Michael was being an absolute pill - I think he realized this way of life was coming to an end.
The last meal at St Gery was a beefy hamburger with fries - along with party hats and banquet seating. Here are Joanne and Brittany, who kindly picked-up Michael and Jack from school every Tuesday. Thank-you!
The guys invited me out for a beer afterwards (Helvetica needs help with its brew!); we walked home in pouring rain.
The farewell banquet was held (once again) at the upstairs of Charlie's Place, a tight space reflecting the intersecting streets of the old city. The evening's festivities did double-duty for Jack, who was turning 3 that Saturday.
Carolyn's father and sister, Ev, were also in town, and helped out crafting thank-you cards for all the students, who were big brothers & sisters for our boys all year.
Cecily painted a tree on a large wall downstairs, inviting students to leave parting thoughts and photos; Liz helped Michael and Jack leave their handprints.

This 7 month experiment worked out amazingly well, as 5o plus college students lovingly shared their affection and time with us; yet allowing us to remain a family. The program will need to grow in order to pay the rent, so I'm not sure how much of the life we knew will remain. Kinda had the run of a big space. Pepperdine's other popular programs - Heidelberg, London, Florence - are in beautiful old villas, so Lausanne's appeal is a matter of taste: old houses with character versus the newer institution with better facilities.

We will remain in Switzerland until July 29th, staying in the hotel until early May. We move to the nearby town of Pully, from which Michael will ride the bus to continue school. We'll do some serious travel, mainly in France and Italy, but maybe also England, where Carolyn has some relatives.

A lot can happen when you live in a community setting in a foreign land - almost every day brings something new; each week presents a challenge, becomes an adventure. Makes for good blogging, but it's also unrealistic. On a somber note, I'm also very aware, as I turn five-zero this fall, that things are slipping away, and photographs take on, as one critic put it, the "quality of a corpse" - little memorials that stop time. This has been a good period for me to take a fresh look at priorities, reevaluate the life of teaching & research. Nothing sure for now, except for the good-byes.

See some of you back on campus.

Planting a Rainbow!

Forsythia are fading now, but magnolias are in full bloom; all the public gardens are refilled with pansies, tulips, daffodils. Migros market was handing-out mini-daffodils at the checkout.
This is a charming little book about gardening and colors that Michael loved.
And now Jack is learning to say, if not recognize:

phlox

morning glory

zinnia

aster

cornflower

marigold

daisy

Finals

Well, this is it. Classes over, we are in finals week. Final everything, actually. Carolyn and I had our final "house church" - a Sunday evening gathering in our apartment that has a folksy, non-institutional ring to it, to the liking of those who think of the early church as primitive, ie congregating in homes. Home meetings occurred, but the larger, public venues - synagogues with a liturgical heritage - seemed primary.

Anyway, I decided to try some new items. Strawberries from Spain were available (only last a day) and a marble pound cake with ice-cream and chocolate sauce.

These handsome gold-foiled wafers boast a 70% cocoa content and surround mini-chocolate, scalloped cups that I filled with custard and raspberries, then poured a Cointreau/raspberry syrup over just before serving. I will miss these classy little shells. Thursday is the final banquet. Friday early morning group departure.

Michael has been acting-up a LOT today; I suspect he's feeling the loss already.

Oban visit

Here are much nicer pictures of Steve & Laurie's visit (compliments Steve & Laurie). The Hotel du Lac:

Against the lavendar flowers of the 13th century castle wall - now a toy museum. You can rent this facility for receptions; I helped cater a wedding there years ago. The round tower was a perfect setting for a dessert table.

Climbed the top of the tower.

Back at the apartment for a raclette supper of grilled cheese & potato. Peasant food dominates the traditional Swiss dishes, ie wine, cheese, bread, & potato combinations. Although now famous for cuisine & dining, the European diet was pretty stark (oatmeal, potato etc) before discovering the varieties of vegetables and grain in the New World.

Spring!

Spring and daylight savings hit Switzerland in a big way, so we took a drive through the vineyards to take in the views, and to try out panorama software.
This is near the villages of Grandvaux and Epesses, about 10 minutes east of Lausanne, where the scenery gets spectacular.

Michael and Jack discovered another winner park - this one had a rocky hill that you scaled to slide down the tunnels.They played downstairs, too, with Latishea.

We still have memories of last week's snow though. I took M&J into the cathedral district for some hot chocolate, while watching the big snowflakes fly.
Spring also brought our first visitors, Uncle Steve & Auntie Laurie, who brought Babar stories to read.
After church, we went to brunch at the Hotel du Lac, taking advantage of the warmer weather...
to ride in a 19th century paddleboats, cruising at the time set for Anita Brookner's novel of the same name. Henry James used the Three Crowns hotel next door as a backdrop for Daisy Miller. The region has been a favorite among English aristocrats and literati for over almost 200 years, leaving their mark in the area's tearooms, boarding schools, and churches, but also a wider group of Europeans, from Doystoevsky to Chaplin. We disembarked at Vevey, where the boys could have a hot dog, which is fitted into a hole into a small baguette. They have also taken a liking to crepes; preferring chocolate (although Swiss alcoholics get their liquor-buzz with Grand Marnier) filling.

Machines with rods toast the bun inside out and the ketchup gets inserted, too. Tasty, but missing the onions, relish, sauerkraut (for some) and grilled peppers (for others).

A rare family pic.

Today was the last day of class; finals next week. Final banquet Thursday. Early morning departure for the students on Friday. We just crossed the 8 month mark.