Final post on Swiss trip

We've been back in Montana a few days now - finally getting over jet lag (we think).

Our last night in Switzerland was filled with a rain storm. All in all we can't complain about the weather since really the only part of our trip where the weather interfered with our plans is these last 2 days in Luzern. It did hold until dinner which was good. The Hugulets said the trip up the mountain and on the mountain was beautiful and they had great clear views.

Dinner was good despite the rain. The little cafe was full of ambience and the food was good. We all got to have one of the traditional Swiss dishes which was a nice end to our trip. We did laugh at the fact that we thought the prices were "reasonable" when they were the same as what seemed so high when we started this adventure!

The Bed and Breakfast had prepared an early breakfast for us - it was a wonderful place to stay and they made us feel so welcome. The trip to Zurich was uneventful although it took every bit of the 2 hrs and 15 minutes we had at the airport to get through customs etc so we were unable to spend the last of our Swiss money as we had all hoped. Saying goodbye in Philidelphia we were all filled with emotion about the wonderful experience we were able to share with each other. We were again reminded of how lucky we are to have such a great family.

It's great to be home and see our family, pets, and friends but a part of me remains in Switzerland just as a part of Switzerland will always be with me here.

Some random thoughts and impressions:
-- Both small towns and cities had stalls of fresh fruit and fresh flowers. It was beautiful to see all the colors.
-- It was more humid than I expected but not a heavy humidity like New York.
-- There were snails EVERYWHERE!! They were small and big and multiple colors.
-- Rushing through the train stations with all 10 of us hurrying along. I think we did very well for a group of people with very little experience!
-- The trains flying by us as we stood on the train platform.
-- Several of us at seperate times talked in stilted English to someone, asking for information or assistance, to find out that they were also traveling Americans!
-- They really don't bring you the bill until you ask -- you could stay there for hours ordering nothing new and they would just let you sit there.
-- We met only 3 or 4 grouchy people our whole trip.
-- We heard only 3 or 4 children crying/screaming.
-- As much as we love each other, we occasionally frustrate each other, but we always find a reason to laugh with each other.
-- The Swiss will tell you everything is either a "5 minute walk" or a "20 minute walk" --- but they take us 15 minutes and 45 minutes.
-- Swiss people eat a LOT. But they somehow remain slim.
-- We walked and walked and walked and walked ...
-- At dinner at Valerie's house we got into a short conversation about politics. They were obviously uncomfortable talking politics and told us they usually do not talk politics. It was a good conversation.
-- People did seem to like Americans. This was nice to see as so many times we hear that is not the case.
-- The Swiss train system is SO efficient. We did wonder what would happen if we kept pushing the button to keep the door open until it made the train late. I suspect it might be treated as an act of terrorism. Tami said that she heard a woman tell someone who was pushing the button that "The Train WILL close and leave".
-- I was surpised by the amount of graffite on the walls.
-- The area around Chur looks a LOT like Montana.
-- The area high in the mountains that the Glacier Express went through had rock houses instead of wooden houses.
-- There are so many Church steeples -- I don't know the demographics around religion in Switzerland but it seemed like every tiny village had at least one Church steeple.
-- In Lauterbrunned we saw a guy get out of a car and go to the trunk and remove a big rifle, say good bye to the driver and take off with the rifle over his shoulder. I wonder - was he a hunter or was he coming back from one of the required military exercises they must do?
-- We saw several people in kayaks and rubber rafts in the rivers in the Eastern part of the country. We had seen people swimming in the other parts of the country.
-- By the last 5-6 days we all felt like we had gotten our "train legs" under us and were able to stand on a moving train without losing our balance.
-- We saw people haying which was interesting to compare to the haying we see in Montana.
-- We didn't really see horses until we were in the Maeinfeld area. We also say a few mules in that area.
-- Somehow the industrial areas look "wrong" in this setting.
-- We saw a few campgrounds with campers.
-- The mountains in Switzerland are AMAZING -- pictures don't do them justice and they make our mountains look smaller. But they don't have the same kind of wilderness and vast open spaces we have.
-- Way back when what made them think to build their villages on these steep mountain sides instead of in the valleys?
-- The doors had a "lip" that covered the opening between door and wall when it was closed. This probably helps to keep the air out.
-- Toilets have 2 flushes on them -- one with more water than the other.
-- The doors of most of our rooms used skeleton keys.
-- They still trust you - when you check into the rooms you didn't have to give them anything or prove who you were. You paid when you checked out. The same at bars - you didn't pay each time you got a drink but you also didn't have to give a card to run a tab.
-- Condiments came in tubes like toothpaste.

I'm sure there are more thoughts and impressions that will come to us as we go about our lives. I know I'm repeating myself many times over but I have to say again that this was the trip of a lifetime!