4 More Days...

We just spent our last weekend in Switzerland, and so far, it's not hitting me.  There's still too much to do... moving quotes are coming in twice as much as were estimated, which sends me into a panic of phone calls, online estimates, emails, and frantic messages to Ryan.  People are coming to get furniture, so the place is pretty empty.  This picture was taken yesterday... now, there's no coffee table (and tomorrow there will be no sofa).   I used to sit comfortably in this apartment, and get very sad about the idea of leaving it.  Now, I'm just ready.

Boxes are being packed, moving vans are being rented (in both continents), and the leftover items in our pantry are being eaten.  Exhibit A: a falafel sandwich on wheat bread with pickles, and a block of cheese.

We also started saying our goodbyes.  Sunday was our last at church, which was difficult.  The people there make us feel at home, and added a familial element to our experience in Lugano.  We've really loved our time at St. Edwards, and leaving it makes leaving Lugano more difficult.   

We got together with our school friends one last time.

We had our last Chinese/Japanese dinner in Italy.  We got fans this time instead of keychains.  

Ryan went on his last bike ride.  

Notice the new gear.  We met a friend recently that engineers apparel for North Face.  He's also a big cyclist, and he and Ryan have been making treks around the lake and up the mountains.  He introduced us to a brand called Assos (it's Swiss), and basically said there was nothing like it on the market.  So, off to Assos we went!  I don't know what we were expecting, but it wasn't this.  The top floor is a show room only... if you want to shop, you are escorted to a lower floor, and waited on hand and foot.  The dressing rooms were behind hidden panels (I had no idea where Ryan went).  I managed to take this picture when our personal salesperson went behind another hidden panel to grab a different size.    

So, that's our last weekend in a nutshell.  We enjoyed it... it was both relaxing and memorable, which was just what I wanted.  The calm before the storm of trying to get out of here.  And so far, I'm not too sad... really ready to be home, actually.  I'll post on exactly what home will be later.  It's kind of a fun story (for those who haven't heard it). 

Here are some extra pictures I couldn't quite fit in... 

My favorite dessert... homemade yogurt with cream topped with berry sauce.  YUM!

Grabbing a slice of pizza in the center. 

Cooking our last good meal, with the best Burrata cheese. 

Ryan's riding buddies took this picture of him at the top of Bre.  

Us at our bus stop in front of the apartment.  

Last trip to my university. 

Walking along the lake, clutching the new bike swag.  

Our train ride home from the restaurant in Italy. 

I Think They Want Us Gone

This is the latest in a string of anti-immigration signs we've seen over the past two years.  Thanks, Switzerland, we get the hint... we'll be out of your hair by Friday.   

Lake Day

Last, last weekend, we were fortunate enough to get invited to a really special birthday party.  It was for a work friend of Ryan's, and was held at her grandmother's house on the lake of Lugano.  It was in a town about 30 minutes away, and gave us views of different mountains and a different part of the lake.

It was an all day thing.  Ryan went skiing...

 
And canoeing...

And swimming...

The party continued through lunch, dinner, and well into the night.  I love that we are invited to be a part of these authentic, local experiences.  We're not the easiest guests... the language is a bit awkward, we don't have a car so we needed a ride, we don't typically do things with this couple, and yet, they extended the invitation.  It's nice, and gives us a window into a world here that we wouldn't be able to see on our own.

This swan kept diving, wiggling it's tail feathers and paddling its feet until it got what it was diving for.    

This was our grill for the night. 

This picture below is part of what makes these experiences so special.  We were obviously the only Americans at the party.  So the grandmother decides we should have something to remember our time by, and gives us this postcard.  The picture is of their house, their view and their old sailboat, and was taken 40 years ago.  They weren't aware of its existence until stumbling upon it in a local shop.  Since then, they've been trying to collect as many possible... the total, at the moment, is ten.  And they gave us one.  We didn't want them to, but they insisted.  I think they thought it was cool knowing it would end up in America.  This is what happens... not only do we get to see these intimate gatherings, ones we could never create for ourselves as tourists, but we get treated like special guests.  And it all amounts to feeling very, very grateful for what people have done for use here.  We're leaving with some amazing memories, this being one.  

Sister Week - Day 7

We didn't know it at the time, but all the sister days were leading up to this one, phenomenal, last day.  This is going to be a long one (we took over 700 pictures).

DAY 7 - MONTE TAMARO

We took a bus, a short train and a scenic funicolare up to Monte Tamaro for a day of hiking.  The weather was clear, so I was hoping the views would be spectacular.  I never imagined this...

And the cows!  I had heard there'd be cows, and we were determined to find them.  We followed the sounds of their bells, which led to this... the cows were resting just beyond a roped off area that Bizzy was set on crossing.  She did, but I wouldn't let her get too close.  I assumed we should keep our distance.

    

We found more, though, right on the walking path.  They were next to people, completely unfazed, so this time, we got as close as we felt comfortable.  Note how loud their bells are... we could easily locate the cows.      

We really, really wanted to touch them, but chickened out at the last minute.  

Until we saw this little Swiss girl (complete with Heidi braids) walk right up to a giant cow and pat it roughly on the head.    

We felt like idiots, and wasted no time petting cows.  And goats!  The goats came after lunch, when we realized they had moved into a big, previously vacant field.  They not only tolerated pats on the head, they walked right up to us to get them.

Aside from the hiking, we rode a roller coaster (the English translation was actually a coaster bob), and Bizzy did the zip line.

This was by far the best day.  We leisurely walked over little waterfalls, down mountains trails, around grazing animals, with the sounds of their bells in the background.  The weather was amazing, and the visibility was so high you could see layers upon layers of mountain ranges.  It felt purely Swiss, and gave us the "last summer here" experience we were looking for.  It really could not have been better, and we loved every minute of it.