Making a List

We have a growing list of things that we'd like to see, do and accomplish while living here in Switzerland.  Some activities on the list are vacation places that we'd like to visit, such as London, Lisbon and Prague.  We also want to make a point to visit Bob's maternal grandparents' birthplace in northern Italy.  Other things to do on the list are for the boys: for example, Landon would love to ride on a double-decker train. And some things are just for the thrill of the hunt, like getting a picture of the elusive "piggy" tram.  The tram car is an advertisement for a bank (modeled like a piggy bank, and on the piggy back), and we've only seen it in passing a couple of times. We caught a picture of it on Friday night and  we all were excited to se it!  It's especially funny when Willem calls it "Piddy"!

Check out Landon's haircut in the photo.  The boys got their first "Euro" cuts this week! Willem said "nein" to the gel, but Landon loved it!

The Herbstmesse (Autumn Fair) wraps up this weekend which is a must-do in Basel. It's been fun visiting the different areas of the fair, and seeing the lights at night.  The rides are surreal next to various landmarks of the city.  The Ferris Wheel sat in the Münsterplatz, with the Münster in the background.  It offered a towering view of the city, and Landon and Bob got to take a ride.

Of course, some of the things on our list are about trying local food specialties. This week, I tried Rivella, a carbonated drink that is similar to Fresca.  You wouldn't be able to taste it, but it's made with 35% milk serum, or whey. I thought it was okay -- I may grow to like the taste more. The brand was created back in 1952, and claims that it is healthy. Another way to look at it -- Bob says that it makes good use of a wastestream when making cheese. Good point.

I also tried "bierradisch" this week. It is a very large white radish, about the size of a large sweet potato. According to my friend Amy who formerly lived in Munich, the best way to eat it is sliced thin with salt on top. I thought it was a great pairing with a light beer.

And one of my foremost goals while I'm here is to feel comfortable with the language. I would love to be able to have an intelligent conversation in Swiss-German with my neighbors. Or not worry that I'm getting charged too much for something because I don't understand. I'm taking online German classes to start, and it's a slow process. I learned how to order food in class this week, and I was so focused on ordering while out to eat on Friday, that I didn't notice my menu in the flame of the candle on our table.  It's a work in progress (and good thing the menu was covered in plastic).