New Year's Trip to Switzerland

We are back from our second, big out-of-country adventure. We went to Klosters, Switzerland to stay with our friends, the Auf der Mars. They are a Swiss family we got to know while they lived in Portland years ago. They live in Lucerne now and their family owns a home in Klosters, which is far eastern alps, near the Austrian border. Karin and Elmar have Noah (11) Leon (9) and Emma (1). We saw them 2 1/2 years ago when we took our trip to Switzerland/Italy.

Davos/Klosters is an international winter sport community, famous because Prince Charles and his family stay there when they ski. It lies in a sweet valley surrounded by 8-10,000 ft. peaks and offers every sport imagineable within walking distance. It was my first experience in such a place. We enjoyed it not only for the intricate artwork on the swiss chalets, the glorious sun shining every day, the wide array of sports to choose from (winter and summer) but for the outstanding customer service and friendliness of the people in general. Everybody greets you as you pass by on the street, the x-c trail or on the chairlift. Even the waitress in the raodside cafe thanked us and wished us "farewell". That's what we miss here in Denmark - that common everyday connection with people and eye contact. The Swiss like to "greutzi!" each other. Denmark just doesn't have the "greutzi". And, as Craig explained to me, forcing them to make eye contact and greet me would make them uncomfortable. It's just not their custom. It's like forcing Japanese to shake hands instead of bow.

Anyway, our adventure began with a 4 hour car ride to Hamburg, Germany on Tuesday, the 30th. Craig worked that day while (the girls) and I cleaned and packed the car. We left at 3 pm and drove mostly in the dark, stopping at a German autobahn rest-stop for dinner. They "get" car travel here. Rest stops and restaurants are frequent, clean and offer the most beautiful foods and cleanest bathrooms. Craig drove the equivalent of 100 mph, on the average, and cars were passing us like we were standing still. Amazing. Germans do drive fast.

We arrived in Hamburg to the DB autozug train station and got in line to load our car. The car goes onto a 2 level trailer that the train tows behind. Upfront are all the sleeper cars, arranged by class. We found our wagon and compartments. We had booked two 2-person compartments that connect. During the day they each have a bench seat and at night they become bunk beds with lovely mattresses and down comforters. Each compartment has its own closet and sink. After the purser made our beds we changed into pj's, read a bit and shut off the light at 10 pm. The journey was fairly good with the natural rocking of the train and no station stops. With an arrival time of 7 am, the intercom chimed bells and a wake-up announcement at 5:30 am. the purser came in with coffees and hot chocolates at 6 am along with a typcial German boxed breakfast: hard white roll, butter, jam, liverworst, juice and a packaged croissant. We drank the coffee. All-in-all it was a pretty neat travel experience - the stuff movies are made of. Many families with little children travel this way. It's a good way to make distance, and sleep at the same time.

Arriving in Lorrach, Germany, we loaded up our car and were on the road at 7:30 am, crossing the border immediately into Switzerland, near Basel. With our handy navigation system we had no problem driving through Zurich and up to Klosters, taking 2 1/2 hours. They have a very modern condo, set at the base of Parsenn ski area but a 10 minute walk to city center. We spent the first day getting our bearings, kids playing in the snow, a walk to town and visiting. At 4 pm the ski lift behind their house shuts down and they allow sledders down the hill. So 6 of us hiked up hill with our sleds, stopping at the restaurant at the top of the hill for a boozed-up "house coffee" for the adults and sodas for the kids. The ride down was thrilling to say the least. Sledding is a big sport here. People will take the chairlifts up mountains and then take sled runs that go for miles, even with babies in tow.

That night was New Year's Eve and we celebrated with a real Swiss Cheese Fondue dinner and wine. We provided the "crackers" with hats and jokes in Danish, that no one understood. Unfortunately, the night was cut short because Noah had been really sick and it progressed to the point that we called 911 and an EMT team checked him out. His fever was making him delirious and his lungs hurt. They diagnosed him with a bad virus, but no pneumonia. Regardless, everybody went to bed early that night, all pretty exhausted. Parties set off fireworks all around us but most of slept soundly.

The next morning Noah went to the doctor who did diagnose pneumonia and started him right away on antibiotics. He was so sick he could barely open his eyes, let alone walk or eat. Later that day Craig, Elmar and I skate-skiied along a trail, back into the forest, to the end of the valley. Skate skiing is similar to x-country, however the skis are different and are meant to push off laterally, like skating. You push off in the back with your arms, rather than in front. It takes every muscle in your body and is one of the most aerobic sports that exists. Needless to say, it kicked our butts. I've done it a couple of times over the last 12 years so I'm familiar with the technique. We had almost all uphill the first 1 1/2 hours, then mostly downhill the last 40 minutes. Elmar is about 6 ft. 5 with a strong, lean physique so we worked to keep up with him. it was a beautiful experience though, out in the woods, looking up to extraordinary, sunny peaks.

Another trip sledding trip (minus the "house coffee"), dinner with wine, the chocolate game for dessert and we were all in bed again at 9:30 pm, to prepare for the next adventure: downhill skiing. We rented our gear (not enough room in our car to bring) the night before and got to the base of Madrisa at 8:30 am. We took 4 person gondolas up to the main area. The elevation is so high, they get sun from first light, til sundown. It was a gorgeous day with no wind, views of dozens of snow-covered peaks in every direction and the best powder, both groomed and freshy-fresh on the sides. Madrisa, like many ski areas only has t-bars, which we've never experienced before. You lean back and rest against the bar, you skis simming the ground all the way to the top. We all had our awkward moments getting off and on and Molly and I each fell off once. The runs are wide open, no trees or rocks, and long. Making telemark turns was tiring to say the least.

On the 3rd run Maya fell and twisted her knee. She was in severe pain. We guided her down, Karin holding her between her legs. She made it to the first-aid room so they could check her out. With very little English they exlpained it was bad enough to get her to the doctor for x-rays. So they bundled her onto a board and into the gondola for the ride down and into the ambulance. She was scared and crying. Craig accompanied her while I stayed with Molly. Within an hour Craig called to say it was a medium sprain and no real damage, possible a strained ligament. He got her home and came back to join us. (Nice, being so close to a ski area, huh?) We all skied until we were tired and starting to make mistakes. We rode the gondola down, while Leon and Karin skiied down to the bottom. Except for Maya's incident, it was a fantastic day, including the lunch of brots and pommes frittes in the chalet sundeck, overlooking the Swiss Alps. I had to keep pinching myself that I was actually there.

That night I baked my traditional roast chickens and potatoes, with green salad. We played games and enjoyed Noah's company who was finally perking up from the antibiotics. The last day Elmar and Leon skiied while the rest of us cleaned the house, Noah went back to the doctor and the Cohens attempted a short hike in the valley. The girls were tired. It was cold too, -15 degrees C. We packed up, only after shopping in the local grocery store, stocking up on 12 cans of refried beans that we can't find anywhere in Denmark and some decent sponges. After our good-byes we drove back to Lorrach, had dinner at a fantastic Italian restuarant right by the train station and boarded the train at 7:45 pm.

We had a different kind of sleeper car on the way back, since the other kind was all booked. A couchette has bench seats that face each other during the day (picture the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter movies) and fold into bunk beds at night. You can sleep 5 people total in a very small space. Couchettes are the equivalent of coach on airplanes - less frills, less comfort, more noise, more light. What's ironic is the couchette was higher priced, since we were traveling on the weekend, peak time. With another 6 am wak-up call, we slowly arose, got our same boxed breakfast and were ready to disembark at 7:20 am. By the time we got in the car and drove away it was 8 am. Having rested, Craig drove us the last 4 hours home to Copenhagen. We read hans Christian Anderson stories and the girls watched a movie and I read articles from Rolling Stone magazine dedicated to Barack Obama (thanks Joe!)

We like the autozug and look forward to using it again this summer when we travel to France. It's a great way to get to other countries and have your car where you need to go, without having to rent one, or deal with the hassle of airports. Even though driving is cheaper, it's a lot less than flying and is more enjoyable for the whole family, especially Maya who hates to fly.

Now, back at home, Craig left immediately work. He had a nice nap, shower, re-packed and drove 3 hours to Aarhus where he will be for the next 3 nights. He just hired a controller and will work with him as well as dealing with year-end inventory. The girls go back to school on the 7th and I will join them going back to Danish class on the same day. We are experiencing sun and very cold temperatures, 20's F with a wind chill. We may have a little snow this week and then by Friday back to 40's and rain/clouds. Back to the grind. At least for a month, then we have another week off in mid-February. Don't know where we'll go, but it will be without Craig. Then home to Portland the first week of April. Yahoo! 3 months and counting.

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this record-long posting was powered by 2 strong cups of coffee...