The girls slept in while our host Antje took her daughter Navina to school. When Antje came back a little after 9am she had stopped at a bakery, and laid out a big breakfast for us.
Fruit, yougurt, cereal, cheese, and a variety of breads.
Antje had some errands to run but planned to be back at the house by 11:45 to take the girls and me to pick up Navina from her school. We had a little less than 2 hours to do some exploring, so we decided to walk to the Wilderness Park nearby. This park has no entrance fee and features animals native to Switzerland. The animals roam freely in large forested and meadow areas, and people can walk through on miles of hiking trails.
Above are just a few of the animals that one could see. Set up more as an animal preserve, there was no guarantee you'd see anything from the trail, as the animals had lots of natural cover in which to hide. Although there were some elevated overlooks, it wasn't a zoo where the animals are corralled for human enjoyment.
The trail system was well signed and of course a train stop was close by, so anyone could get there easily without a car. That's one thing I love about Switzerland: no car necessary. You can get just about anywhere using public transit. If a train doesn't go there, shuttle buses that connect with trains will take you there.
We were lucky enough to see the wolves up close.
Like all European parks, there was a great children's playground and a thriving cafe serving delicious looking food (we didn't have any as we were still full from breakfast).
We also saw the red deer. They were huge, and the adults were spotted as well as the fawns. Their antlers were all velvety with new growth.
On our hike back down to Antje's home we took a steeper pathway. These tree roots were woven together, naturally holding back the hillside.
Daddy's knee was starting to really throb, so we thought about throwing him on the back of this tractor, but it passed by us too quickly.
Here we are back at Antje's. It is a building of 6 units. To the left is the entrance to the garage, which extends back under the building. It holds cars, an area for bicycles, 6 large storage rooms containing each unit's own washer and dryer, and as required by building code, a large "safe room" in case of war.
Antje's unit is half of the first level, so she has access to (and responsibility for maintaining) the outdoor garden area. Facing less restrictions than a condo in the US, she was able to design the garden and plant whatever she wanted.
Along the fence are roses, raspberries, and currants. On the other side of the fence are the neighbor's sheep!
Here's Anjte in a shot I took looking out from the patio. She's returning to the house with hand fulls of fresh-picked berries. Behind her is a cherry tree, and an herb and vegetable garden. Things are a little overgrown this year because in addition to being a single mother, she also takes care of her elderly father, and works part time as a tour guide. Her life is very busy right now, and we were amazed at her energy and insistence at hosting us despite all that is going on for her.
A little after noon we arrived at Navina's school. She spent 7 years at this private Montessori housed in a beautiful old building in Zurich. Next month she will take the train by herself to a different location and will begin what we consider "middle school," where the academics are much more rigorous and although still a Montessori, it will be more structured and demanding.
The girls and I were curious to see inside, and Navina was happy to give us a tour.
This is one of the classrooms Navina had been in. Having attended every year, she had been in every room of the school.
After lunch the children have to brush their teeth. Each child has a toothbrush and paste in a cup, waiting for them in the bathroom.
Every child also has a full set of rain gear and solid rubber boots for playing outdoors in all weather. Rain and snow is no excuse for staying indoors.
Since much of Montessori learning takes place while sitting on the floor instead of at a desk, children take off their shoes and wear slippers in the classroom to keep the carpets clean. In the bin above you can see the orange reflective sashes that all Swiss children wear when walking to and from school, or out on field trips.
Here two teachers are enjoying a quiet lunch while the children play outside. One of the teachers brings his dog to work. The school employs a full-time chef who prepares snacks and a hot lunch (and sometimes breakfast) for the children and staff everyday. This includes fresh baked bread, lots of vegetables, fruit, hearty entrees, and made-from-scratch soups. Antje tells me it is a required part of the tuition to pay for the meals, and it is not cheap, but the food is extraordinarily high quality. The school believes that children who are not fed an abundance of nutritious foods don't learn as well, so they take control of this and provide meals.
A look down on the play area from one of the balconies.
Navina outside of her school where she has just one more day to attend before moving on to a new school. In this school she was in classes of under 10 students, and in addition to Swiss German, she also received instruction in English and French. She had a lot of freedom to learn at her own pace, and follow her interests. Aubrietta and Kelsey were really impressed and wished they could have experienced such a school. How different from the large public school they've known.
Back at home we sat down for a late lunch of Canapes (open face sandwiches), salad, and cut veggies. We also tried a soda called "Sinalco." Each meal (except breakfast) Antje wanted to introduce us to a different European soda we hadn't tried. This one was mineral water with real orange juice, so different from the artificial sodas of the United States.
It was a lovely afternoon for lunch outside.
After lunch the girls had their first taste of "Spitzbuben," a jam filled butter cookie. They're often in the shape of a smiley face, though they can also feature other cutout designs. You can find the recipe here.
After lunch we went with Antje and Navina to the big Migros grocery store in Adliswil, while Daddy stayed back at home and took a nap. Variety is something the Swiss are known for, and three large freezer cases were filled with every kind of frozen treat you could dream of. The girls found these Popsicles in the shape of pineapples and watermelon slices.
In the produce department you weigh and label everything yourself, so it is ready to scan at the checkout.
Meat is big in Switzerland, and here Aubrietta finds bacon-wrapped hot dogs. We didn't buy them, but they looked interesting.
Fresh pasta is more popular than dried, and we discovered shapes and flavors we never knew existed.
Cheese! Not only are there hundreds of varieties, but dozens of ways to serve cheese. Here, this cheese is shaved into thin ribbons called "Rosettes."
Cheese can come studded with dried fruit and nuts.
Here's another cheese sliced thinly and rolled, perfect for snacking.
Ready-to-bake pizzas are hung for display, and feature everything from whole strips of bacon to pickled vegetables.
Despite all the boutique coffeehouses in Europe, Starbucks cold coffees are available in nearly every food store. I admit to buying a few of these during our 6 weeks abroad, though I also tried local brands (just barely visible on the lower shelf in the photo).
And chocolate. This was just part of 2 aisles of chocolates and candy. I thought we Americans had an obsession with sweets. At least here in Switzerland most everything looked to be high quality, not loaded with artificial flavors, colors, fillers, and chemicals. I could pick up a bar, flip it over, and just a few ingredients were listed, and even though it was in Swiss German, French, and Italian, I could pretty well understand what they were.
Leaving the Migros with frozen treats in hand!
Next we took Navina to her dance class and the girls watched from the balcony. We left them there and Antje and I headed to the Lindt Chocolate factory.
I was pretty good at restraining myself because I don't care for milk chocolate, and that's the Swiss specialty. They did have plenty of dark chocolate for me, though, so I didn't escape unscathed.
They had samples of their new summer flavors, which included panna cotta, strawberry, summer berries, and coconut. None were with dark chocolate, so I was safe.
Back at the house the girls played "Rummikub" while Antje prepared for a traditional Raclette dinner. Small potatoes are boiled and special Raclette cheese is thinly sliced. Above you can see the Raclette grill, which contains little pans into which the cheese slice is slid under the broiler, and melted to a bubbly goodness. The top of the grill is for toasting bread and sausages.
Getting ready. Daddy and Antje's papa look hungry, the girls grin with anticipation. In the left corner you can see Antje's foot as she approaches the table with more food. She was constantly in motion, making every meal a feast and memorably delicious.
Dinner in progress -- here you can see the array of food typical of a Raclette meal. The melted cheese and potatoes are just a small part of a colorful combination.
We stayed up late talking and headed to bed after 23:00. It was a great first day in Switzerland for us. Thank you, Antje!
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