Missing life in Luzern

My things are packed, the apartment (almost) clean and ready for handover.  I have been reflecting on what I am about to leave behind - not just the place but the lifestyle.  I feel truly lucky to have lived this life in this place and hope that I'm able to carry some of this back with me to combat the hustle and bustle of US life.  At the risk of changing my mind here are some things I will miss about my life here in Luzern:

* Walking to the corner bakery (and there is one on every corner) for a fresh bit of something something for breakfast

* Getting a spontaneous call from a friend to meet up for a drink in 10 minutes

* Sitting at outdoor cafes

* The 22% tax rate

* Farmers market twice per week

* Stunning views of an Alp ringed lake outside my office window

* My 10 minute walking commute to work

* My clean happy white loft apartment and it's fab roofdeck

* Church bells marking the hour

* Sundays where you are forced to just enjoy yourself because nothing is open except above mentioned outdoor cafes

* Good yogurt

* Good jam

* Having a working wood fireplace

* Walking on cobblestones every day
* Being surrounded by 400 year old painted buildings

 

* Christmas market
* Hearing alpenhorns and yodeling in one of the old plazas

* Pretzel bread

* Being no more than a 2 hour flight from all the most interesting places in Europe

* Being free of the hassles of car ownership

* Experiencing winter without wind chill factors or snow boots

* Catching sight of the little old lady in the red Pope car
* Summer festivals - especially Blue Balls

* Witnessing Fasnacht (but once is enough)

* And soaking in the natural beauty all around me every day.  When I moved here I promised myself I would never take it for granted.  And I never did.

Volcanic ash issues - just another day at the office

I am back and forth to Boston about every 6 weeks or so but this week was a little bizarre.  A volcanic eruption in Iceland has spewed so much ash in the air that so far there have been 17,000 flights grounded across Europe.  I'm sitting right now at Zurich airport where we are reassured that our flight is going to take off just fine in about 2 hours.  Meanwhile the ash has come as far south as Paris closing airports there and in Amsterdam, Germany and everyplace else north of that.  My guess is that this same flight tomorrow won't be going.

Not only does this affect me but it creates a small work emergency as it is leaving au pairs stranded both in Europe heading to the US and those that have finished their year in the US and need to head home.

It seems slightly bizarre to me that today's major challenge for work involve a volcano in Iceland.  Go figure.

Hey you! Get on the road and travel in 2010

Many of the fellow Americans that I meet hear about my life and job and sigh, "Oh I wish I could go to some of those places."  Guess what?  You can.  Really. I know the thought of international travel can be somewhat daunting but believe it or not - it's actually pretty easy.  I'm going to lay out here some of my favorite travel tips and will pro-actively answer some of your travel concerns. I am hoping to convince you to get on the road and go someplace cool in 2010.  The world is out here waiting for you!

"I don't speak any language but English. How will I get around in another language?"
I speak English and Spanish.  But I've gotten along quite well in places from Thailand to Russia to Brazil.  English is spoken pretty much everywhere.  Even when there is a language barrier you'd be surprised how far a smile and charades will get you.

"Airfare is really expensive"
Yes, that can be true.  But you can get great deals on cheap flights.  Some tips: Travel in the spring or fall - not in the summer which is peak season and the most expensive for flights (it's also nicer in those season in most places).  Check sites like www.kayak.com or www.expedia.com.  Sign up on a few airlines for special deal alerts. Try flying out and back on mid-week.  Sometimes weekday travel is cheaper than weekend.  Also, if you want to be adventurous and just go somewhere, I recommend just checking some random yet common destinations.  Today I saw a flight for $519 round trip to Iceland in May for instance.

My best tip is to get a credit card that builds up frequent flyer miles and put your groceries, gas, etc on it and pay it off each month.  I've gotten 6 round trip flights just doing that in the past 5 years.

"I wouldn't know the first thing about where to stay and am afraid I'd end up someplace yucky"
Nothing is worse than finding out the snazzy hotel you saw on a website bears no relation to the drab place you find upon check in.  My absolute favorite website is www.tripadvisor.com.  It's a website where travelers rate hotels (and restaurants, etc) based on their own experience.  They upload their own photos and give a true idea of what the place is like.  The site rates hotels as well as B&Bs for instance.

"I heard Europe is really expensive and we don't have tons of money"
You can easily drop $300 for a hotel night in Europe but I never do.  In most places, you can get a decent clean hotel for about $120/night.  In many countries (Italy is one example) they also have great B&Bs which are usually much cheaper.  If you can budget on about $100-130/night and are comfortable with a nice clean basic place to lay your head, you'll be fine.

One great thing about Europe is there is so much to see that doesn't cost you a thing.  Wandering around the streets in Paris, gazing at the Eiffel Tower or wandering into St. Peter's in Rome - there are so many things that you can do for free.

How about a freshly baked croissant for breakfast for $1.50?  A fabulous freshly made crepe for lunch for $6?

You can travel on the cheap if you want to and, as they say, the experience is priceless.

"I don't have much vacation and can't be away for more than a week"
No problem.  Don't let it stop you if you don't have 2-3 weeks to travel.  You can do Paris or London in 4 days.  Depart Thursday night, arrive Friday morning, stay Saturday, Sunday and Monday and fly home Tuesday.  Voila.  I'll do your itinerary.  Email me.

Of course if you have a week, that's great.  Two weeks is a dream.  But you can do many places on a week or less if you have to.  

"Is it safe?"
Honestly, if you'd go to New York City, you'll be fine in almost any city you'd want to visit.  As long as you keep your head about you and have good common sense you'll be a-ok.  Guess what?  The US is one of the most violent countries in the Western world.  It's not even legal to own a gun in many other countries.  You're much more likely to be a victim of violent crime where you live than in many common tourist destinations (including pretty much all of Europe).

"I don't even have a passport"
No big deal.  Get an application form at your post office, dig up a copy of your certified birth certificate, get a couple of photos, your driver's license and $75 and head to North Station area to wait in line for a bit at the Passport Agency in Boston.

Even though I've focused here more on Europe, there are hundreds of fascinating countries around the world.  Latin America is great and has many destinations a short flight away.  Prices for hotels here tend to be lower than Europe.  At the moment, you can get all inclusive resort stays for almost nothing in Mexico.  A deep recession is a fabulous budget traveler's dream if you're employed and have a bit of money for travel.

Hopefully I've convinced you to make a plan.  You're not getting any younger and you're probably not going to get any richer.  Tell your kids and your grandkids that you rode a camel at the pyramids, walked through the ancient streets of Jerusalem, imagined gladiators at the Colosseum, or saw a kangaroo cross a road in Australia.

Here's what I always consider: am I going to regret it more if I don't or if I do?  Where travel is concerned, you'll regret it if you don't.  Life's too short.  There's so much out there to see.  So why wait?

An old fashioned lifestyle

During our fairly routine Sunday gathering, one of my friends here in Luzern commented that we get together more often than we did with friends in our own countries (we're all ex pax). It's quite common here to go to a friend's house on a Sunday afternoon or weeknight to make a fire, play cards, crotchet (well, ok maybe only we do that), or watch a movie. We often get together for an impromptu lunch or drink or just meet up for coffee. One of us will text the other "coffee this afternoon?" and the answer is usually "yes!". To me, it's probably what life was like in small towns in the US back in the 1950s - or so I imagine. And it's lovely.

There are more elements of my life here that are very much similar to times gone by. Here are some of the highlights, some of which show up in a slightly different format on my Pros and Cons list on an earlier post.

Workdays
My house is less than a 10 minute walk from work. All of my shopping needs, social needs, etc. are within a 15 minute walk from my house. So, I don't have a car. My walk to work connects me to my community better than a drive-by would. I stop in the bakery on the corner to get a roll for breakfast, or Starbucks on the river. Fairly often my "commute" features a beautiful view of the sun coming up and the sky lightening over snow capped peaks. On more than one occasion I've had to pull out my camera or cell phone to take a picture of the view. Not something I would notice zipping by in a car necessarily.

On most weeknights, stores close at 6:30pm. This includes grocery stores so you need to plan your food shopping for sure. On Thursdays they do have extended shopping hours till about 9pm.

Weekends
On the weekends, stores are open only on Saturday. Even on Saturday they close at 4pm. Nothing but restaurants, cafes and the train station is open on Sunday. Some people complain about the lack of convenience that comes from working around these limited hours. I say, convenience can also be called "life clutter". I had no idea how much of my time was spent running to Walgreens, Home Depot, Target, etc. just because they are "easy" to get to and always open. When everything is closed you are forced to interact and live a real life. Go for a walk or a hike. Meet up with friends. Laze around in a cafe with a book. My fellow Americans, when was the last time you lazed in a cafe with a book? I hope it was recently but fear you won't be able to even remember.

Local shops
Here the idea of the small local specialty store still exists. There are bakeries on every corner here. There is a candy shop. There are shops that sell only pretzel-based sandwiches. There are no stores with the word "Super" in them. When all the stores you need are within a 10 minute walking radius, it doesn't add to your shopping time. And I'll use the word lovely again here.

Interaction
People here walk around, say hello and generally interact. We have a farmer's market that takes up most of the riverwalk twice a week. You'll see regular customers chatting it up with the farm stand staff and people greeting each other while passing. The guy at the coffee shop remembers my order even if I don't go every day.

Outdoor living
The Swiss are very outdoorsy and it rubs off on those of us who moved here. While I haven't taken up downhill skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing I have tried cross-country skiing and have done my share of hiking. You'd be amazed how many people just walk around with their family, friends or significant other on a weekend day. On a nice day in Luzern there are hundreds of people out for a stroll around town or by the lake.

Of course, there are negative hold overs to the 1950s here - everyone smokes like a chimney and they have pretty archaic ideas about the role of women but all in all, I'm very grateful to have experienced this kind of lifestyle and hope I remember to carry it back a bit more whenever the time comes to leave.

Pros and cons of living in Switzerland

While it's a great life here it isn't perfect. So, here are the pros and cons of living here in the Alps:

Pros

Everything’s clean and everything works

You live in postcard-like beauty

You can walk everywhere but the airport, and for that there is a direct train

The food is fresh, locally grown and delicious

It doesn’t get as cold as a Boston winter or as hot as a Boston summer (usually anyway)

You can get to most any European city within 1.5 hrs by plane

Hop on the train and go 2 hours west and you’re hearing French, south and your hearing Italian

Within a 10 minute walk you can be on a beautiful nature hike

It’s a much more relaxed lifestyle than in the US. Low on errands and high on family/friend time

Low taxes and everyone has health care

Cons

An American size M is an XL in Switzerland (no joke)

If you cross the street before the walk sign is lighted you’re likely to get yelled at by old ladies

A take out order or pad thai will set you back $16

You can’t get Light beer

The sky is gray from November thru March

Swiss old people blow past you walking on the uphill hiking trails

There are no Dunkin Donuts

Men with mullets abound

Everyone smokes

Time on a plane

One of the questions I get asked most is - how can you stand to do so much flying? Truth is I probably am on a long haul (6+ hrs) flight every 3-4 weeks minimum. Best stretch so far this year: fly from Boston to Zurich on a Monday (8 hrs), Friday Zurich to Buenos Aires (13 hours), Wednesday Buenos Aires to Santiago (ok, only 2), Monday Santiago to Zurich via Sao Paolo (roughly 2 and then 11 or so).

Yesterday I complained on FB because I was flying thru Heathrow with an hour and 45 min to connect which in almost any other airport is no problem. But not Heathrow. Sure enough, missed my connection, managed to get on standby for the last flight to Boston and made it. Thank god. But luggage did not share in my luck unfortunately. In the last 2 years or so I think my luggage has gone missing about 6 times. :(

But all in all I actually don't mind flying - I bring a book (now a Kindle), crotcheting (don't laugh), a few snacks, gossipy mags and look at it as a time to catch up on movies I haven't seen. Most long flights I'm in business also which is like being on vacation.

But the best part of flying is the fun stuff at the other end. A new destination, or peaceful Switzerland or best of all - family time!

A perfect Sunday

After a night of Eurovision (see previous post), I clearly needed to recharge my batteries. I had a nice late sleep, finished cleaning the apartment and headed up to the roof deck with my radio and a stack of old home decor magazines to flip through. It was a perfect sunny day - probably 75 and not a cloud in the sky. Over the course of a few lazy hours I got relaxed and tanned and ready for some company.

My friends Jess and Chris came over for what was supposed to be an early dinner on the BBQ. I have had a bottle of raspberry vodka gathering dust for the past 2 years unopened so decided to break it out. I mixed it with Diet 7up and with some limes and ice it tastes exactly like a raspberry lime rickey from when we were kids. I mean, you could NOT taste the alcohol at all. Well, 6 hours and lots of food later we wrapped up with about an inch left in the bottle of vodka. Good food, fun company and a hell of a new drink that is officially my summer drink of 2009.

This wraps up what is basically an ideal Sunday in my world.

Getting ready to flip to US

I spent most of this weekend cleaning and getting organized because my aunts are coming to visit in Switzerland at the end of the month and I'll be in Boston most of the time in between. Does it make sense to clean when you're leaving for 2+ weeks?? We'll see what mayhem the dust bunnies can get up to while I'm away.

So, I'm planning projects (of course) for my time in the Melrose house. For sure I need to paint the peninsula cabinets since the buttercup yellow doesn't go with the new granite. So those will go a deep grayish brown to complement the granite and create a little drama. I'm hoping to get away without painting the kitchen walls since I need to stay with white anyway.

The dining room needs some major help. I'm really struggling with how to get that room looking settled. It's such a huge room and the color is awful. I'm hoping to just rearrange and maybe add a ladder bookshelf and display my vases and some more art and call it done for now. I've told my sister we're painting the room which almost made her faint but I'd love to avoid it if possible. I ordered new drapes since the 84" just isn't cutting it and will mount them higher and wider to take up more space.

Living room is getting a bit more accessorizing with color since it's awfully brown right now. But I'm happy with that room.

Ordered sheer curtains for the little downstairs sitting room I painted last time. Love that room now!

I think my bedroom is going to get some rearrangement as well and I think it's time to finally pull the trigger and get some nightstands and finally hang some of my art for that room.

As usual in the week before I go home there has been a flurry of online shopping and boxes arriving to the house to get ready for my "szushing" to come. I've been spending lots of time on hgtv looking at the rate my space section and taking mental notes. :) I would love to take a design course. How fun would that be??