Zurich from a Riesenrad

They're taking down the ferris wheel this week in Zurich. Christoph and I took a ride on it a few weeks ago on our anniversary. The city was beautiful from up there. I've been meaning to post these pics of that day for a while...

Meeting Baby Eva

A wonderful and surprising thing happened this weekend. Christoph and I were in Germany visiting my pregnant sister-in-law, just one week shy of her due date. As we sat down for dinner she calmly announced that her water had possibly broke. Since this was her second pregancy she was pretty relaxed about it. We fisnished dinner together and then she and her hubby clamly left for the hospital. We stayed behind with Katja, the big-sister-to-be.

Early the next morning, at about 5:30, Christoph and I had a new niece -- Eva. We went to the hospital a few hours later to meet and hold her. It is amazing looking into the eyes of person who is just 7 hours old. I was really overwhelmed actually as she eyed me sideways from her sweet little pink face.

Here are some before and after pictures....

Tarik & Daniel

Tarik and Daniel left Monday. It was great having them around. Unfortunately they were here for the crappiest weather of the summer, so I'm afraid Zurich didn't make such a great impression. (Bad, bad Zurich!) Here we are running around in our rain gear...


I am convinced, by the way, that Daniel and our friend and fellow blogger Sara in Geneva are siblings separated at birth. Both are totally brainy and adorable. Does anyone else see a resemblance?


Peter and Chantal are away too, so we are visitor-less for a little while. I think I have empty nest syndrome. It's too quiet around here.

A few hours at the Street Parade

We hit the Street Parade, Zurich's annual outdoor techno rave, on Saturday. Despite chilly weather and showers, the dance kids were out having a high old time. The procession of "love mobiles," a sort of dance club on wheels, started at around 2:00 PM. We'd had enough of the crowds by 5:00 and took refuge up the hill at the swank Zurichberg Hotel, a great spot for coffee, cake and a view of the lake. Amazingly, we could still hear the bass up there!

I'm sad to report we didn't get too into the groove. Wearing Gortex and clogs doesn't really put you in the mood to dance. So it was all about spectating for us. Here's some of what we saw. Overall, pretty tame by San Francisco standards but possibly the first time I've seen gardening gloves incorporated into a dance costume.

No Badi? Then go to Baden!

We took our friends Tarik and Daniel, who are visiting from Boston, to Baden yesterday. Baden is a sleepy little town about 15 minutes from Zurich that's famous for its thermal baths.

We had planned to take a bike ride around the lake, but that plan got rained out. In fact, it's been raining on and off ever since we returned from Italy two weeks ago (the injustice!). The rain and cool weather has put an end (temporarily, I hope) to Badi season. Badi is the swiss word for swimming area and is definitely the highlight of a Zurich summer.

I'm not ready to pack the swimsuit away for good, so it was off to Baden yesterday to check out the springs. It was 16 francs for 2 hours at the baths and worth every rappen (swiss penny). It has two pools, one indoor and one outdoor, and each has a series of therapeutic jets. As might be expected, there is a strict protocol for using the jets. A buzzer rings every few minutes to indicate it's time to move to the next jet in the series. If you're not paying attention and miss the cue, you might get some dirty looks. At the end is the "cauldron," a little tub within the pool with lots of wonderful bubbles.

The outdoor bath is surrounded by gardens and had views of vineyard covered hills and forests. It started to pour when we were out there, which was fantastic. The sensation of cool rain drops on your head and face while your body is submered in steaming 95 degree water is amazing.


The scene there is very low key with lots of seniors and a couple of little kids with parents. Everyone is pretty quiet, enjoying the jets and blissfully floating around the pool. All in all a very relaxing experience.

The forecast calls for more rain, which could put a damper on the Street Parade, a big outdoor techno party happening today in Zurich. Reports on that to come.

From page 123 of the nearest book in my house....

"What you do not do: Take the drugs that are in your pocket, the Devvies and Sallies in their silver pillbox. She can make it through the day without them. Even bringing them was wrong--another wrong thing."

(from How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer)

Explanation on this random post here.

The Italy Files Part 4: Sicily
We're back in Zurich after 10 days in Sicily with our friends Peter and Chantal. Everyone thought we were crazy for going down there in the peak of summer, but I'd gladly be back there soaking with sweat and sipping an almond granita among the crumbling palazzi of Siracusa. Especially since it's rainy and overcast here.

Christoph and I are already plotting our new life in Siracusa, an enchanting coastal city on the southeast corner of the island. Rents look cheap, and it's got plenty of atmosphere. How can you beat greek ruins and an active volcano? (Don't worry. We did this after Florence too.)

I had been to Sicily once before, 12 years ago, with my parents and my Italian grandma, whose parents were from Villarosa, a village in the middle of the island. We went to Villarosa on that trip and spent an unforgettable day with our Sicilan cousins. But the visit was brief and I always wanted to go back for a longer stay.


So, two weeks ago, when we touched down in Palermo, I thought how strange life is. Who could have guessed, traveling around with my parents and nonna, that I'd be back 12 years later with my husband and friends from San Francisco. I can just hear my grandma saying with wonder in her voice: Imagine that.

Sicily itself is beautiful. It's Italy, but more exotic with its volcanos, neglected monuments (many are undergoing repair), cactus and palms, abandoned stone farmhouses on parched, rolling hills, and, of course, its mafia intrigue. Like I read in a guidebook, you really feel you're on the edge of Europe.

We saw the family again since it was an invitation from cousin Antonello that put the whole trip in motion. Antonello and I are actually third cousins. Our great grandparents on our mothers' sides were siblings.

We stayed in Villarosa for two nights, and it was the highlight of the trip. They fed us non-stop and pulled out old photos, including pictures from our first visit. Most touching, they had saved all the postcards and letters we had ever sent, including several from my grandma, who passed away seven years ago. I got choaked up when I saw them.

The second night the whole family decided to go out for dinner in the country. Gandolfo and Giacomo, Antonello's uncle and his dad, asked me if I liked the "campagna." I responded with great enthusiam but the wives were worried about going too "rustico." We ended up at a nice country retreat where the food never stopped coming and we lingered outside for hours.

It took us several days to recover from all the eating we did in Villarosa, but it was all delicious. I had fresh, raw almonds for the first time at Gandolfo's house. They are wonderful. I stayed away from gelato in a bun though. What is that about?

The trip had so many great moments. These are a few: Getting silly at dinner with Peter and Chantal. During one of these dinners I decided I would open a granita stand at Peter's future very hip, very italiano cafe. One of the flavors will be nagrita, a cross between a granita and a negroni. Don't you want one right now?

Other great moments: Swimming in the sea at Cefalu. You could stay in that water forever. The food, of course! Fish couscous, swordfish kebabs, octopus timballo and Antonello's shrimp pasta were my faves. Piazza San Rocco in Siracusa, the place for an aperatif and excellent people watching. Mt. Etna, in the distance, spewing smoke and ash into the sky. Seeing the church in Villarosa where my great grandparents were married.