Tidiness Study (continued)

"Sadly, your loved one has somehow left something."
How covert can a sign get?

Flowers and Flying Away

The flowers in St.Moritz are astonishingly delicate and actually courageous. To think that when the lake freezes over, they make an ice track and host"Feuer und Eis" horse races. Ahhhh, those jet setters! I'd come back to watch the horses and people any Winter. Or bike, ski, hike, check out art in Basel, eat chocolate, or just relax in a Swiss Minute!!

You will notice...

There are Martini glasses on the trail markers. Those are the ones we followed.

We were also told to look for the symbol indicating "granny time" for various hikes. Never saw one, but we added at least 20% by stopping to look at and identify flowers, adjust poles, packs and hats, apply sunscreen or sip water (maybe) in the shade.

There was lunch at every summit and for "Maggie Bolonese" there was spaghetti at nearly every meal. Vodka and lemon, NOT schnapps and sorbet or grappa cake, was the preferred end-of-day celebratory libation. After all the hiking statistics (16,769 iPhone app steps with elevations noted in terms of building heights vs. pedometer readings vs. personal anecdotal experiences) were calibrated, temperatures converted to Fahrenheit (double the C degrees and add 32), franc and Euro exchange rate discussed, new German or Swiss words reviewed with a Deputy Dawg accent, hearing aids adjusted and tales told and retold, we ended every day satisfied and virtuous. In reflection, some of the conversations should have been transcribed into an art piece entitled Symphony in Siren Speak. Would be very popular with ADD audiences.

Zuoz (pronounced Zoo-ots)

Accent on the OTTS...
An undiscovered 14th Century village north of St. Moritz is simply charming. Impeccably clean streets, immaculately clean buildings decorated in scraffetto with window baskets of fresh flowers. The perfect cycling destination! Especially since there is a train car dedicated solely to cyclists.

St. Moritz

The lakes, streams and woods of St. Moritz were surprisingly peaceful sans jet setters, iPads and selfie sticks. But we almost got clobbered by the Polo Horses mega trailer. It's our last day in the Alps. Zurich tomorrow.

Top of the World

While the Jungfrau makes a claim and has branded itself "Top of the World" the Muotas Muragl is absolutely breathtaking! There is an art installation of a drop of water in various forms by Timo Linder and a series cairns contributed by intrepid climbers.
We were so exhilarated by the hike (and lunch) that we overshot our village on the way home.

Confusion at the table

Some Swiss serve bread on their table in a woolen slipper (normally, one puts these on over shoes when entering a house so not to scratch the floor) and other food folk make sure the peas stay in line on the plate. Lots of rules.
This is way too confusing.

Drive to St.Moritz

Passing by Lago Maggiore up to Lake Como then through Italy, back into Switzerland, we caught sight of windsurfers and zillions of kite surfers. We climbed 1500 feet in breath-taking 30 minutes around 15 hairpin curves. Hottest summer on record.

Weather today and Clarke sighting

Glad we are high in the mountains and not in Rome!

Did you notice the William Tell apple?

NOT SO TIDY

Cocktail hour planning

Before dinner, six of the eight Shade-loving Sierra Sirens (Jean, Jacqueline, Midge, Betsy, Helen and Eva) behold the plan for tomorrow's trip to Lugano. We leave the muggy, 93 degrees "tropical" Locarno in the morning. Hard to believe it's Switzerland: gelato, Italian fashions and people strolling by the lake mumbling "Buona Serra."

Sunday: scarpe, salumi e formaggi

The Italian market in Cannobio on the shore of Lago Maggiore has scarves, saddles and shoes, everything leather and THE most friendly vendors of cheeses, fruits and salumi (horse, donkey, boar, truffle, etc). We ate ourselves silly on samples then finished the visual and gastronomic feast with a gelato sampling back in Locarno, Switzerland.

SCH

Nearly every Swiss adjective ends in SCH, so we headed off in our turquoisesch shirts with enthusiastisch optimism down the steepisch hill to the largish ferry that zipped us down Lago Maggiore, across the invisiblisch border to Cannobio, Italy for the chaotisch Sunday market.

RE: Swiss Tidiness

LOL...so funny!
I LOVE that anal-retentive crap!!!! Especially the fan-shaped toiled paper
(how perfectly anal is that?! )
Please take a pic of how that gizmo works ok -- once Mama's MCT is raking in
millions, the fan shaped toilet paper dispenser is next!
Hope your trip is as great as the pics -- can't wait to hear all about it
XO!

-----Original Message-----
From: Tina Hittenberger [mailto:freckle469@comcast.net]
Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2015 12:46 PM
To: Tina's Blog; Clarke Selman; Lisa Cralle; <pat@rybovichbook.com>; Chuck
Pyle
Subject: Swiss Tidiness

A few examples:
1. Special tool to crack a soft boiled egg so you don't leave any unsightly
she'll pieces on the saucer 2. Enclosed village garbage dump where all items
are sorted and carefully labeled 3. Perfectly fan-shaped folds at the edge
of toilet paper rolls 4. Edge-of-village waterfall 5. Inner-city river bed

Swiss Tidiness

A few examples:
1. Special tool to crack a soft boiled egg so you don't leave any unsightly she'll pieces on the saucer
2. Enclosed village garbage dump where all items are sorted and carefully labeled
3. Perfectly fan-shaped folds at the edge of toilet paper rolls
4. Edge-of-village waterfall
5. Inner-city river bed