Morning
I was up with Julia around 6:22, then Sara soon after. After breakfast we went to the play area here at the apartment. Around 9:30 Dan got up, then we went across the street to get breakfast at a top-floor cafe together.
We hadn't been there before, and when we got there I wondered why we didn't pop over for breakfast every day. But when 2 coffees, and 3 pastry breads were 16 SF, we knew why eating breakfast out was a treat. We did enjoy it. Sara and Julia were eager eaters, waiting impatiently while we filled their white plates with some tasty breakfast food. Then they were off to play in the play area (inside the restaurant!) and Dan and I got to dine in peace.
For our last day here (we got to Zurich tomorrow) we decided to head to the waterfront. That meant walking down, down, down hill, which we are used to by now. Even Sara and Julia are surely used to the downward tilt of the stroller as we guide it one step at a time down the hill.
The waterfront is calm. Lake Geneva is unspoiled. There are boats that make crossings to the other side, but for the most part the water is clear except for ducks paddling around. Today it was clear enough to see the mountains rising up on the other side. We went through the outside of the Olympic Musuem to enjoy their sculptures (and inside to use their bathrooms) and made our way to the shore side path.
Lake shore fun
Sara and Julia rocketed themselves out of the stroller when we got to the rocky beach. They wanted to play on the shore. They picked a spot and began playing with the rocks. Throwing some, piling some, and showing some pretty ones to me. I found an old jewelry case that shook when I rattled it. What would be inside? An old jewel? We opened it to find a rock. Oh well, our real treasures are Sara and Julia.
While I sat with the girls and played with the rocks on the shores of the lake Dan sat near by. At one point he climbed on some rocks, and Sara joined him. Then it was back to play time before the wind picked up and we got Sara and Julia back into the stroller for the next stop.
We went to a playarea. It was made of wood. Julia went straight for the swings, Sara went for the climbing area. After time of the swings ("weeeee, whooo-hoo!") Julia took me over to the wooden bridge for her to walk across. For the first 3 passes she required to hold my hand ("hand" she says) while I walked with her. Then she did it herself at least 5 times. It was fun to watch her progression of wanting to do it with me, then doing it by herself. She said, "I did it!" in her cute voice to Dan when he saw her do it.
A storm was brewing. We were down by the waterfront when the world grew gray. Remembering our first day (when it rained and hailed) we didn't want to be out in a storm. We walked all the way back up to the apartment, with both kids falling asleep under the nice warm blanket we use to cover them with. (I bought the blanket before Sara was born.)
Lunch/Dinner
Dan made pasta and tomato sauce for Sara and Julia while I caught a quick nap. In the afternoon we watched the rain fall diagonally while we were cozy inside. Then we went to the market to grab some dinner (beef and vegetables). I had to fold the stroller to get it through the check out lane. It is big, but it is helpful for navigating two kids around town.
The evening was simple. Some coloring, some iPad time, and some packing.
Quotes of the day
(after her bath) Julia: "I'm clean!"
--
(at breakfast, Sara hugged me and whispered) Sara: "I wish I could always be with you."
--
(at lunch) Sara: "In the summer we will come back to Switzerland only for one day, go someplace you and Dad have never been, then we will fly back home."
--
END.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Thursday - Kids? Go here. Animal pond area
Day Plan
When we first got here to Lausanne and I asked what we should do with our kids, the tourist information lady suggested we take bus #16 to a pond area with animals. That's all we knew. It seemed like a worthy adventure so we set out to do it today.
Catching the bus
Figuring out a city's bus system can be daunting. Where do you catch the bus? Which bus? Which stop? How do you get a ticket? Which ticket zone? What time does the bus come? Thankfully, it wasn't very hard. Most buses stop in front of St. Francsis, which is easy to find. At first we waited for bus 16 in the wrong direction. Once we crossed the street we were good to go. Naturally, taking the bus meant 100 questions from Sara. Sort of like the questions I put above. She likes to know what is going on. It makes it hard for us to think since we are always answering her questions.
The bus was clean and nice. Julia wanted to sit on my lap, and was yelling 'till she got there. Once she was on my lap, she sat perfectly and quietly. Well almost quietly. She said, "yeah! whooo-hooo! weeee!" like the bus ride was a ride at Disney. She liked each turn, each time we climbed a hill, and she held onto my arm just to make sure she was safe. Even riding a bus is exciting if you are 1 year old. Or if you are 5 years old. They treated the bus ride like it was an adventure - which I guess it was. We went up higher and higher, into the forest.
When we got off we saw the pond/animal thing. There were a few other parents there with their kids. It was basically a small pond with ducks, pigs, chickens, a cow, goats, and paths connecting all of them. Sara said "this is great! I'm so glad we came here!" and Julia didn't stop walking on the paths - well she did stop, to poke the ground with a stick. They were pals and often walked together.
After the animals and paths (where we were trying to keep everyone as clean as possible) we took the bus back to the center of town and to a restaurant. It was our least-best choice of the trip - a pizza and pasta was 43 SF, and it wasn't that wonderful. But I guess of a 5 week trip you are allowed one bum meal, and it was okay just not that great. (It pays to look at the menu first before you sit down, just to make sure you know what you are getting into. We didn't do that this time.)
Afternoon/Dinner
After lunch we napped. Even Sara! She really needed it. After that we were able to take a dinner break (Dan included) where we went to Manor department store for some crepes (ham/cheese) and then we got a whole lot of fruit in the market below. (Sara had requested fruit salad for dinner so we made sure we had a lot of fruit to give her.)
I spent some time packing, as we leave Saturday.
At bedtime I drew with colored pencils with Sara as a quiet activity, then it was off to bed. And I'm heading that way too soon.
Quote of the day:
Sara: "Mom, this year, when we go to camp home, we are taking an airplane. It takes to long to get there when we take our car."
END
When we first got here to Lausanne and I asked what we should do with our kids, the tourist information lady suggested we take bus #16 to a pond area with animals. That's all we knew. It seemed like a worthy adventure so we set out to do it today.
Catching the bus
Figuring out a city's bus system can be daunting. Where do you catch the bus? Which bus? Which stop? How do you get a ticket? Which ticket zone? What time does the bus come? Thankfully, it wasn't very hard. Most buses stop in front of St. Francsis, which is easy to find. At first we waited for bus 16 in the wrong direction. Once we crossed the street we were good to go. Naturally, taking the bus meant 100 questions from Sara. Sort of like the questions I put above. She likes to know what is going on. It makes it hard for us to think since we are always answering her questions.
The bus was clean and nice. Julia wanted to sit on my lap, and was yelling 'till she got there. Once she was on my lap, she sat perfectly and quietly. Well almost quietly. She said, "yeah! whooo-hooo! weeee!" like the bus ride was a ride at Disney. She liked each turn, each time we climbed a hill, and she held onto my arm just to make sure she was safe. Even riding a bus is exciting if you are 1 year old. Or if you are 5 years old. They treated the bus ride like it was an adventure - which I guess it was. We went up higher and higher, into the forest.
When we got off we saw the pond/animal thing. There were a few other parents there with their kids. It was basically a small pond with ducks, pigs, chickens, a cow, goats, and paths connecting all of them. Sara said "this is great! I'm so glad we came here!" and Julia didn't stop walking on the paths - well she did stop, to poke the ground with a stick. They were pals and often walked together.
After the animals and paths (where we were trying to keep everyone as clean as possible) we took the bus back to the center of town and to a restaurant. It was our least-best choice of the trip - a pizza and pasta was 43 SF, and it wasn't that wonderful. But I guess of a 5 week trip you are allowed one bum meal, and it was okay just not that great. (It pays to look at the menu first before you sit down, just to make sure you know what you are getting into. We didn't do that this time.)
Afternoon/Dinner
After lunch we napped. Even Sara! She really needed it. After that we were able to take a dinner break (Dan included) where we went to Manor department store for some crepes (ham/cheese) and then we got a whole lot of fruit in the market below. (Sara had requested fruit salad for dinner so we made sure we had a lot of fruit to give her.)
I spent some time packing, as we leave Saturday.
At bedtime I drew with colored pencils with Sara as a quiet activity, then it was off to bed. And I'm heading that way too soon.
Quote of the day:
Sara: "Mom, this year, when we go to camp home, we are taking an airplane. It takes to long to get there when we take our car."
END
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Wednesday - Market day; Great Lunch; Easy Evening
Morning
We kept the morning easy, I was up at 6:10, Dan got up around 10. Went to the market lining the streets - didn't buy anything. We aren't in buying mode since we are leaving on Saturday. It is just as much fun to look, just stroll, and Sara found it just as much fun to skip between market vendors with the energy provided by her breakfast and her young self. Julia looked around at everything, clutching her favorite minnie mouse doll - and eating pieces of bread. She isn't happy unless she has two pieces of bread, one for each hand.
Lunch
Ever on the look-out for a place to eat, we found several good candidates today. Ended up at a place with "the best pizza in Lausanne." I went in at 11:00 to see if they have a high chair (a necessity for a successful meal) and they did. I asked what time they started serving pizza and she told me 11:45. No language barrier when you gesture and smile.
With about 45 minutes to wander around we found a different part of the market. There are such great cheese stalls here - with more cheese varieties than I can count. I wish I knew more about what to ask for since certainly there are some unique and special cheeses here - if you know what you are buying.
I went into a toy shop (I rarely go into a shop, but I wanted to and Dan toured around a square with the kids - ending up with Sara up on his shoulders). I got the kids a tube with colored pencils inside. It had a built in pencil sharpener. My thought was it would remind us of the trip since so many restaurants gave them colored pencils to draw with while we ate.
Back at the restaurant, they remembered us, gave us a table, a high chair, some kid books, kid forks, kid spoons, kid plates, and it was the most kid friendly meal. We did get pizza. One plain and one had a corn meal crust. Certainly totally home made in then fired in the wood oven. The meal was tasty, friendly, and happy. They have many other things besides pizza. One lady got a quarter pineapple served with a large salad on the side. Looked unique. We may even go back there, just to try something else and have another nice meal together.
Afternoon/Evening
We took it easy. After our day trips and a lot of recent walking we used today to recharge our batteries We went in an arcaded mall, went past St. Francis, and got back here in time to avoid some rain.
Had pork chops, beans, and rice for dinner. Did some play doh. Then went out with Sara and Julia to buy some ice cream. I could not pay 12 SF for a pint, so ended up buying a nice ice cream cake for 5.20 - and it was more fun!
Julia went to sleep in two seconds at bedtime (6:00 PM) and Sara and I did Physics for a while before time for her to sleep. She has been quiet too - we are wearing them out!
Quote of the day
Sara: "Mom, when Grandpa comes to visit, I leave pictures of jet planes around so he will find them and like them."
(I thought that was an interesting thing for her to say!)
--
Sara: "Mom, I love Julia more than I love dandelions."
---
END
Happy Birthday! ;)
We kept the morning easy, I was up at 6:10, Dan got up around 10. Went to the market lining the streets - didn't buy anything. We aren't in buying mode since we are leaving on Saturday. It is just as much fun to look, just stroll, and Sara found it just as much fun to skip between market vendors with the energy provided by her breakfast and her young self. Julia looked around at everything, clutching her favorite minnie mouse doll - and eating pieces of bread. She isn't happy unless she has two pieces of bread, one for each hand.
Lunch
Ever on the look-out for a place to eat, we found several good candidates today. Ended up at a place with "the best pizza in Lausanne." I went in at 11:00 to see if they have a high chair (a necessity for a successful meal) and they did. I asked what time they started serving pizza and she told me 11:45. No language barrier when you gesture and smile.
With about 45 minutes to wander around we found a different part of the market. There are such great cheese stalls here - with more cheese varieties than I can count. I wish I knew more about what to ask for since certainly there are some unique and special cheeses here - if you know what you are buying.
I went into a toy shop (I rarely go into a shop, but I wanted to and Dan toured around a square with the kids - ending up with Sara up on his shoulders). I got the kids a tube with colored pencils inside. It had a built in pencil sharpener. My thought was it would remind us of the trip since so many restaurants gave them colored pencils to draw with while we ate.
Back at the restaurant, they remembered us, gave us a table, a high chair, some kid books, kid forks, kid spoons, kid plates, and it was the most kid friendly meal. We did get pizza. One plain and one had a corn meal crust. Certainly totally home made in then fired in the wood oven. The meal was tasty, friendly, and happy. They have many other things besides pizza. One lady got a quarter pineapple served with a large salad on the side. Looked unique. We may even go back there, just to try something else and have another nice meal together.
Afternoon/Evening
We took it easy. After our day trips and a lot of recent walking we used today to recharge our batteries We went in an arcaded mall, went past St. Francis, and got back here in time to avoid some rain.
Had pork chops, beans, and rice for dinner. Did some play doh. Then went out with Sara and Julia to buy some ice cream. I could not pay 12 SF for a pint, so ended up buying a nice ice cream cake for 5.20 - and it was more fun!
Julia went to sleep in two seconds at bedtime (6:00 PM) and Sara and I did Physics for a while before time for her to sleep. She has been quiet too - we are wearing them out!
Quote of the day
Sara: "Mom, when Grandpa comes to visit, I leave pictures of jet planes around so he will find them and like them."
(I thought that was an interesting thing for her to say!)
--
Sara: "Mom, I love Julia more than I love dandelions."
---
END
Happy Birthday! ;)
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Tuesday - Botanical Garden; Awesome Playground; Olympic Museum
Morning
I got up with Julia at 7:09. Sara soon after that. We went to the grocery store and back before Dan got up around 10. Sara and Julia were great at the store, with Sara telling me how to get there. "Mom, it is up this street, turn left, up an elevator, then floor 4."
It was a sunny day, perfect for heading to the botanical gardens. We saw them on the map - down towards the lake - and finding them was easy. After climbing to the top of a hill inside the garden complex we could see forever - across the lake, and even up into the hills of Lausanne. It was neat to be able to see both the cityscape and the lake at the same time. Sara and Julia liked playing in an amphitheater that was up there. They put on a show, which involved lots of running around and singing. (Sara always is putting on shows.)
After climbing up high we returned to the entrance area and discovered the most awesome play area. It had a tree fort, an interactive water area, an interactive dirt area, a self propelled merry go round, swings, and a massage beam-based climbing pyramid. It is beyond discription - all the things were unique - and fostered creativity. Julia said, "wow" "wow" "wooooow" for the whole first minute. Sara didn't wait around to say wow, she started climbing right away. By the time we left an hour or so later, we had dug, climbed, splashed, and had a great family time together.
I had packed a picnic so we grabed a table and ate. Pasta, strawberries, green beans. We ate it all. I sat on one side of the table and Sara, Dan, and Julia were on the other side. At one point they climbed onto his lap together. It was cute.
Gardens
After the play ground we discovered the actual gardens. They had nice paths, nice spring flowers, and were peaceful in the warm sun.
Olympic Museum
The Olympic committee is based here. They call this the Olympic capitol. So the museum is a big deal. It is 18 SF a person to get in (that is expensive for a museum) but I showed our expired "Swiss Pass" and the guy let us all in free, a 36 SF value. Nice. We toured the museum, seeing gold/silver/bronze metals from all the olympics (in a big glass case) and also all the torches they have used. It was neat to see all the different styles. Julia was a bit fussy having not napped, but Sara enjoyed the museum, even if she did get lost from us for a while. When I found her she was watching a movie dipiction of the first games in Greece.
We left the museum around 4 so Dan could get to work. After that the evening went fast. We had beef for dinner, bathtime, then time for bed. Julia didn't want to go to bed, but when I put her in her crib she looked like she was asleep in 1 second. Sara played her Physics game (and she is such a good reader, she reads words I wouldn't guess she'd know) and she is working on getting to sleep now though she has a cough keeping her awake a bit.
Fun day - nearly all outdoors!
Quote of the day
Sara: "Mom, I'm going to wear your clothes one day, so be sure to keep them nice for me."
(I think she said that since I told her Julia will wear her clothes so Sara must assume one day she herself will wear my clothes.)
END
I got up with Julia at 7:09. Sara soon after that. We went to the grocery store and back before Dan got up around 10. Sara and Julia were great at the store, with Sara telling me how to get there. "Mom, it is up this street, turn left, up an elevator, then floor 4."
It was a sunny day, perfect for heading to the botanical gardens. We saw them on the map - down towards the lake - and finding them was easy. After climbing to the top of a hill inside the garden complex we could see forever - across the lake, and even up into the hills of Lausanne. It was neat to be able to see both the cityscape and the lake at the same time. Sara and Julia liked playing in an amphitheater that was up there. They put on a show, which involved lots of running around and singing. (Sara always is putting on shows.)
After climbing up high we returned to the entrance area and discovered the most awesome play area. It had a tree fort, an interactive water area, an interactive dirt area, a self propelled merry go round, swings, and a massage beam-based climbing pyramid. It is beyond discription - all the things were unique - and fostered creativity. Julia said, "wow" "wow" "wooooow" for the whole first minute. Sara didn't wait around to say wow, she started climbing right away. By the time we left an hour or so later, we had dug, climbed, splashed, and had a great family time together.
I had packed a picnic so we grabed a table and ate. Pasta, strawberries, green beans. We ate it all. I sat on one side of the table and Sara, Dan, and Julia were on the other side. At one point they climbed onto his lap together. It was cute.
Gardens
After the play ground we discovered the actual gardens. They had nice paths, nice spring flowers, and were peaceful in the warm sun.
Olympic Museum
The Olympic committee is based here. They call this the Olympic capitol. So the museum is a big deal. It is 18 SF a person to get in (that is expensive for a museum) but I showed our expired "Swiss Pass" and the guy let us all in free, a 36 SF value. Nice. We toured the museum, seeing gold/silver/bronze metals from all the olympics (in a big glass case) and also all the torches they have used. It was neat to see all the different styles. Julia was a bit fussy having not napped, but Sara enjoyed the museum, even if she did get lost from us for a while. When I found her she was watching a movie dipiction of the first games in Greece.
We left the museum around 4 so Dan could get to work. After that the evening went fast. We had beef for dinner, bathtime, then time for bed. Julia didn't want to go to bed, but when I put her in her crib she looked like she was asleep in 1 second. Sara played her Physics game (and she is such a good reader, she reads words I wouldn't guess she'd know) and she is working on getting to sleep now though she has a cough keeping her awake a bit.
Fun day - nearly all outdoors!
Quote of the day
Sara: "Mom, I'm going to wear your clothes one day, so be sure to keep them nice for me."
(I think she said that since I told her Julia will wear her clothes so Sara must assume one day she herself will wear my clothes.)
END
Monday, February 24, 2014
Monday - to Geneva!
Morning
Train station by 9:00 and Geneva by 10:00!
It was the last day our Swiss Pass was valid, so any travel we did today (and museums) were free. We decided to go around the lake to Geneva.
We did zero research, and didn't even have a map, but we went. The train ride was easy. Sara and Julia sit and look out the window like train experts. Three of us fit on two seats, so it usually goes: window, Sara, Julia, then me. Dan sits opposite us on his own seats. If Sara mistakenly sits next to me, she will announce, "I want to sit next to Julia," and she will make me move. I think it is cute.
Stepping into the Geneva train station made us realize that it is a big city. People were every where. And they were walking fast, like people in a city do - since they have places to go. We walked through the dashing people to get outside, then followed the signs to tourist information.
The nice lady gave me a perfect map and some ideas.
We headed across the water (Geneva is on Lake Geneva just like Lausanne is on Lake Geneva) and into the "old" part of town.
Just as the other places we've visited, there was a old, characteristic, strollable part of town. Thankfully, it wasn't as hilly as we are used to. Our stroll lead us to a square by the Palace of Justice, where we found the restaurant recommended to me by the young lady at the tourist office.
Lunch
The restaurant was empty. We usually eat early (like 11:30) so we are kind of used to that. Plus with all the choices in a city like Geneva we didn't expect it to be full of customers. We got the (and I do mean 'the') table by the window (which was great!) and we ordered, got our food, and had a great meal. Minutes after we were seated (I'd say within 10 minutes) the whole restaurant was full. I don't know how it happened that fast. We were glad we got there when we did. It was a long narrow place and being by the window was really desireable.
They specialized in roast chicken. Sara got the chicken kids meal, Dan got the chicken adult meal, and I got the chicken soup. They had fancy names for those things, but that is my own description. It was all good. We ate every last bite. They had colored pencils for the girls to use on their place mats and they even gave us tap water in a carafe for 1 SF. (That isn't much to pay for a liter of water.)
We joked around at the meal and had a nice time together. The sun was shining, and we could see people waiting for a table outside. Imagine that?! I guess we picked a hot-spot and we were glad it was good. It was 38 SF total.
Under Geneva
After eating Julia walked, walked, walked, around a square and up a cobblestone hill. We found a cathedral. We've seen a lot of European cathedrals, but this one had a little sign that said, "archeological dig" with an arrow pointing down. I checked it out. The man at the front desk deep under ground was nice, and it was free with our "Swiss Pass" I went back up to Dan/Sara/Julia and said we should all visit the archeological thing under the cathedral.
It turned out to be one of the best (most interesting) things about our time in Geneva! In brief, they found reminants of buildings and so forth going back to BC (so more than 2,000 years old) and you could walk amongst the old stone walls, see the old wells, and keep in mind that all the while you are actually under an actual cathedral! It was mind blowing really to witness it. We've seen old stuff before, but there was just so much to explore and spanning many centuries. They had to color code it - so yellow was Before Christ, and red was the 13th century and so forth. So you could glance at a stone wall and see the layers of time stacked right up on top of each other! There was a fire in one of the centuries, so in one cross-section you could see charred wood! There was also a skeleton of some ancient chief guy. I didn't think to much about it - but it was a tomb - and even a Roman tomb site also. The area of that church was used for so much! And the church/cathedral was built on top of it all! Imagine finding all that stuff, and then making it so tourists like us could go see it. The girls just liked running around it (we were the only ones in there so it was ok.)
Back into the real world after that archeological dig we strolled the main "shopping" street (with Rolex, Cartier, etc.), then headed for the water front. We were going to take a boat across the water but Julia was sleeping and didn't want to wake her, so we just walked across the water on the bridge and got back to the train station. From there, we took the train back here. The train ride was nice. Sara and Julia sat in their seats eating pretzels and French bread.
I left out a lot of details about today, but bascially we toured Geneva for a few hours. It was a bright sunny day. We were all happy - and had a nice time.
Quote of the day:
(we had just saw an old leather purse from 50 BC with 210 coins in it that I found interesting, Sara, on the other hand looked at it and said:)
Sara: "Mom, that's nice. Let's go look at some other old stuff. This way."
(she liked exploring the metal pathways of the archeological dig more than she liked looking at the displays)
END :)
Train station by 9:00 and Geneva by 10:00!
It was the last day our Swiss Pass was valid, so any travel we did today (and museums) were free. We decided to go around the lake to Geneva.
We did zero research, and didn't even have a map, but we went. The train ride was easy. Sara and Julia sit and look out the window like train experts. Three of us fit on two seats, so it usually goes: window, Sara, Julia, then me. Dan sits opposite us on his own seats. If Sara mistakenly sits next to me, she will announce, "I want to sit next to Julia," and she will make me move. I think it is cute.
Stepping into the Geneva train station made us realize that it is a big city. People were every where. And they were walking fast, like people in a city do - since they have places to go. We walked through the dashing people to get outside, then followed the signs to tourist information.
The nice lady gave me a perfect map and some ideas.
We headed across the water (Geneva is on Lake Geneva just like Lausanne is on Lake Geneva) and into the "old" part of town.
Just as the other places we've visited, there was a old, characteristic, strollable part of town. Thankfully, it wasn't as hilly as we are used to. Our stroll lead us to a square by the Palace of Justice, where we found the restaurant recommended to me by the young lady at the tourist office.
Lunch
The restaurant was empty. We usually eat early (like 11:30) so we are kind of used to that. Plus with all the choices in a city like Geneva we didn't expect it to be full of customers. We got the (and I do mean 'the') table by the window (which was great!) and we ordered, got our food, and had a great meal. Minutes after we were seated (I'd say within 10 minutes) the whole restaurant was full. I don't know how it happened that fast. We were glad we got there when we did. It was a long narrow place and being by the window was really desireable.
They specialized in roast chicken. Sara got the chicken kids meal, Dan got the chicken adult meal, and I got the chicken soup. They had fancy names for those things, but that is my own description. It was all good. We ate every last bite. They had colored pencils for the girls to use on their place mats and they even gave us tap water in a carafe for 1 SF. (That isn't much to pay for a liter of water.)
We joked around at the meal and had a nice time together. The sun was shining, and we could see people waiting for a table outside. Imagine that?! I guess we picked a hot-spot and we were glad it was good. It was 38 SF total.
Under Geneva
After eating Julia walked, walked, walked, around a square and up a cobblestone hill. We found a cathedral. We've seen a lot of European cathedrals, but this one had a little sign that said, "archeological dig" with an arrow pointing down. I checked it out. The man at the front desk deep under ground was nice, and it was free with our "Swiss Pass" I went back up to Dan/Sara/Julia and said we should all visit the archeological thing under the cathedral.
It turned out to be one of the best (most interesting) things about our time in Geneva! In brief, they found reminants of buildings and so forth going back to BC (so more than 2,000 years old) and you could walk amongst the old stone walls, see the old wells, and keep in mind that all the while you are actually under an actual cathedral! It was mind blowing really to witness it. We've seen old stuff before, but there was just so much to explore and spanning many centuries. They had to color code it - so yellow was Before Christ, and red was the 13th century and so forth. So you could glance at a stone wall and see the layers of time stacked right up on top of each other! There was a fire in one of the centuries, so in one cross-section you could see charred wood! There was also a skeleton of some ancient chief guy. I didn't think to much about it - but it was a tomb - and even a Roman tomb site also. The area of that church was used for so much! And the church/cathedral was built on top of it all! Imagine finding all that stuff, and then making it so tourists like us could go see it. The girls just liked running around it (we were the only ones in there so it was ok.)
Back into the real world after that archeological dig we strolled the main "shopping" street (with Rolex, Cartier, etc.), then headed for the water front. We were going to take a boat across the water but Julia was sleeping and didn't want to wake her, so we just walked across the water on the bridge and got back to the train station. From there, we took the train back here. The train ride was nice. Sara and Julia sat in their seats eating pretzels and French bread.
I left out a lot of details about today, but bascially we toured Geneva for a few hours. It was a bright sunny day. We were all happy - and had a nice time.
Quote of the day:
(we had just saw an old leather purse from 50 BC with 210 coins in it that I found interesting, Sara, on the other hand looked at it and said:)
Sara: "Mom, that's nice. Let's go look at some other old stuff. This way."
(she liked exploring the metal pathways of the archeological dig more than she liked looking at the displays)
END :)
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Sunday - Day trip to "Neuchatel"
Morning
I got to sleep in while Dan got up with the kids! It is bliss to wake up and hear their morning noises and realize everyone is up, happy, and I wasn't up at the crack of dawn. (SAra is sitting next to me reading this out loud! She is to smart for her own good. She just read that too! She is reading each word as I type it. Even that! She is looking at me and is very proud of her self.)
Our "Swiss Card" expires tomorrow. It has 2 days of travel and is a "half fare" card while it is valid. So we went on a day trip today to use our last day of "half fare" prices and also since it is Sunday we didn't have to get home at any particular time for Dan to start working. (Sara is literally sitting next to me reading this outloud word for word as I type.)
Trip to Neuchatel
Dan took the kids to our apartment buildings play ground while I packed up my backpack. Then I took the bob-double-stroller and a very full backpack outside to meet them. Sara and Julia said, "Mom!" and came running to me with open arms. Sara reached me first and nearly knocked me over with a hug. Julia reached me next, her hug was softer and she wrapped her arms all the way around me. What a greeting! (After 10 minutes of being away from me too!)
The train ride was easy. About 45 minutes. Sara and Julia sat together on one bench seat of a family travel seat (that means two benches facing each other with a table in between). They ate pretzels, muffins, and drank water -- all while looking out the window at the scenery every once in a while. They are such good train travelers that Dan and I could relax and just look out the window too!
What now?
Arriving in a new place on Sunday, knowing nothing about it, can make you ask "what now?" We headed down hill towards the lake. A twisty route, past stone buildings and several trees.
When we got to the lake (not our lake, which is Lake Geneva, but Lake Neuchatel) it was pretty, but kind of grey. Even the sky was grey. We saw some play grounds, though we didn't stop. Not knowing what direction to walk, we wandered to the right.
Good choice. We found the old town of Neuchatel. Lovely.
The tourist office was closed (Sunday) and all the shops were closed (Sunday) but there were one or two restaurants open. (I do mean one or two.) Even though things were closed you could tell it must normally be bustling, since there were many strollable streets with shops. There weren't cars - it was a nice pedestrian area.
Our eyes guided us. We saw a large clock up on a tower and walked to get a closer look. It was up a cobblestone street (everything is cobblestone here). Then, once we were close to the tower, we saw a set of stairs to a church, so we went to get a closer look at that. And wow! That brought us to the top of town!
At the top we could see forever - and we found the castle connected to the church!
http://www.swisscastles.ch/Neuchatel/neuchatel.html
We stayed to explore that area once we found it. Sara and I went into the church. (A huge cathedral.) It was a huge, heavy, door. As the door banged shut behind us we found ourselves void of light. It was dim. The only light that greeted our eyes was the light filtering in from the stained glass windows. We were quiet. Not knowing what we were getting ourselves in to. Was there a sermon in session? Was the church closed? And what was that music? Organ music filled the light-less air with sound. It was creepy. Sara and I didn't talk; we stayed close.
Sara walked forward into the church. She sat in a pew. I was thankful she did that. She seemed to sense that we should be quiet. We sat together listening to the man play the pipe organ. We were getting a private concert! It was no longer creepy. Once we sat for a while we felt at home. The sounds filled the air with enough fodder for the mind to make its own light, and we settled into the wooden pew in the stone cathedral.
Turns out there was one man in the church other than the organist. The organ was massive, huge pipes up to the soaring domed roof of the church/cathedral. Sara sat for longer than I thought her 5 year old self would, then we walked around the church to admire it, then we left out the same huge door.
Back outside it was sunny. The grey day was gone. Sun! It made you want to dance. And being up on the top of the world magnified that feeling! Oh, and how cool that around the corner was an actual castle. We took some time to explore, catching up with Julia and Dan.
I let Julia out of the stroller (upon her fervent demand) and we went walking together. She, Sara and I went to a stone doorway and went through it. Where would it lead? Well, Dan went first and he took us up some narrow stone steps that went straight up to some awesome stone ramparts - that the girls ran around. It was magnificant! A castle just for us to explore! I love traveling in February, this treasure was ours to see and discover -- it was magical. Add the sunny day to the picture and it was just plain grand. We did take a few family pictures - to remember just how fun it was.
We continued walking around the church/cathedral/castle complex. Not only was the place itself cool, but the view of the lake was a silver shimmery molten smear that lasted for miles. I took Julia into the church, twice, she liked it so much the first time that she pulled on my arm 'till I took her in again. She listened to the music just like Sara did and she liked walking in the aisle. They are good kids.
Reluctenly we left our perch. We were glad that we found it on our own - with no map - we just found the castle complex by following our eyes. It made it more exciting. For lunch we stopped at the only open restaurant on the main square.
Lunch
Dan got the kids situated at a table while I stayed outside to fold up the stroller then I joined them. They looked so sweet, coloring with colored pencils on the placemat they provided.
By mistake we ordered 2 kid pizzas. It was fine, they ate them both. I had a hamburger (I know sounds boring, but it is what I wanted), and Dan had a calzone. It was 60 SF, so our most expensive meal of the trip, but it filled us up with even a bit of left overs - and the server and spot were nice.
Julia hit naptime. She is such a good kid, but when it is her naptime she is *really*ready for sleep. I walked around on the lake side promenade (a happening, bustleing, wonderful place on a sunny Sunday afternoon) with her and Sara 'till Julia slept, then Dan played with Sara in some pastel play areas while I kept sleeping Julia company in the shade of a tree.
We wanted to take the 4:35 train back. It was easy to catch it, we went up hill. Up, up, up, up, hill so steep that my heart was pounding with the effort. (My pedometer says I went up 45 flights of stairs today, and took 17,727 steps or 7.78 miles)
Train home
Sara and Julia were perfect on the train ride back here. Sara snuggled with Dan and Julia sat on my lap. It was the Norman Rockwell version of how family train trips should be. They could have taken our picture and used it for a brocure. Sara was gazing out the window while resting on her Dad's shoulder, and Julia's little 1 year old self was perfectly cupped into my arms. It even lasted the whole journey. Amazing.
Dinner
I gave Sara and Julia play-doh and some Disney dolls to play with and they were entertained for 45 mintues while we took care of making dinner and a few things around the apartment. Then we ate our meatballs, broccoli, and rice. The sun set. It turned the sky pink. Then the twinkling lights came out across the lake. Time for bed. It took 1 minute to get Julia to bed (no fuss) and about 10 minutes to get Sara to bed (a bit more fuss, but she is a good kid).
Quote of the day
(on the train) Sara: "Look Dad! Five airplanes making trails in the sky!"
---
(after lunch we got a receipt that was all curled up)
Sara: "What did you do with the receipt?"
Me: "I tossed it."
Sara: "I was going to use that as a telescope to explore space with Julia."
--
END. Great day trip.
I got to sleep in while Dan got up with the kids! It is bliss to wake up and hear their morning noises and realize everyone is up, happy, and I wasn't up at the crack of dawn. (SAra is sitting next to me reading this out loud! She is to smart for her own good. She just read that too! She is reading each word as I type it. Even that! She is looking at me and is very proud of her self.)
Our "Swiss Card" expires tomorrow. It has 2 days of travel and is a "half fare" card while it is valid. So we went on a day trip today to use our last day of "half fare" prices and also since it is Sunday we didn't have to get home at any particular time for Dan to start working. (Sara is literally sitting next to me reading this outloud word for word as I type.)
Trip to Neuchatel
Dan took the kids to our apartment buildings play ground while I packed up my backpack. Then I took the bob-double-stroller and a very full backpack outside to meet them. Sara and Julia said, "Mom!" and came running to me with open arms. Sara reached me first and nearly knocked me over with a hug. Julia reached me next, her hug was softer and she wrapped her arms all the way around me. What a greeting! (After 10 minutes of being away from me too!)
The train ride was easy. About 45 minutes. Sara and Julia sat together on one bench seat of a family travel seat (that means two benches facing each other with a table in between). They ate pretzels, muffins, and drank water -- all while looking out the window at the scenery every once in a while. They are such good train travelers that Dan and I could relax and just look out the window too!
What now?
Arriving in a new place on Sunday, knowing nothing about it, can make you ask "what now?" We headed down hill towards the lake. A twisty route, past stone buildings and several trees.
When we got to the lake (not our lake, which is Lake Geneva, but Lake Neuchatel) it was pretty, but kind of grey. Even the sky was grey. We saw some play grounds, though we didn't stop. Not knowing what direction to walk, we wandered to the right.
Good choice. We found the old town of Neuchatel. Lovely.
The tourist office was closed (Sunday) and all the shops were closed (Sunday) but there were one or two restaurants open. (I do mean one or two.) Even though things were closed you could tell it must normally be bustling, since there were many strollable streets with shops. There weren't cars - it was a nice pedestrian area.
Our eyes guided us. We saw a large clock up on a tower and walked to get a closer look. It was up a cobblestone street (everything is cobblestone here). Then, once we were close to the tower, we saw a set of stairs to a church, so we went to get a closer look at that. And wow! That brought us to the top of town!
At the top we could see forever - and we found the castle connected to the church!
http://www.swisscastles.ch/Neuchatel/neuchatel.html
We stayed to explore that area once we found it. Sara and I went into the church. (A huge cathedral.) It was a huge, heavy, door. As the door banged shut behind us we found ourselves void of light. It was dim. The only light that greeted our eyes was the light filtering in from the stained glass windows. We were quiet. Not knowing what we were getting ourselves in to. Was there a sermon in session? Was the church closed? And what was that music? Organ music filled the light-less air with sound. It was creepy. Sara and I didn't talk; we stayed close.
Sara walked forward into the church. She sat in a pew. I was thankful she did that. She seemed to sense that we should be quiet. We sat together listening to the man play the pipe organ. We were getting a private concert! It was no longer creepy. Once we sat for a while we felt at home. The sounds filled the air with enough fodder for the mind to make its own light, and we settled into the wooden pew in the stone cathedral.
Turns out there was one man in the church other than the organist. The organ was massive, huge pipes up to the soaring domed roof of the church/cathedral. Sara sat for longer than I thought her 5 year old self would, then we walked around the church to admire it, then we left out the same huge door.
Back outside it was sunny. The grey day was gone. Sun! It made you want to dance. And being up on the top of the world magnified that feeling! Oh, and how cool that around the corner was an actual castle. We took some time to explore, catching up with Julia and Dan.
I let Julia out of the stroller (upon her fervent demand) and we went walking together. She, Sara and I went to a stone doorway and went through it. Where would it lead? Well, Dan went first and he took us up some narrow stone steps that went straight up to some awesome stone ramparts - that the girls ran around. It was magnificant! A castle just for us to explore! I love traveling in February, this treasure was ours to see and discover -- it was magical. Add the sunny day to the picture and it was just plain grand. We did take a few family pictures - to remember just how fun it was.
We continued walking around the church/cathedral/castle complex. Not only was the place itself cool, but the view of the lake was a silver shimmery molten smear that lasted for miles. I took Julia into the church, twice, she liked it so much the first time that she pulled on my arm 'till I took her in again. She listened to the music just like Sara did and she liked walking in the aisle. They are good kids.
Reluctenly we left our perch. We were glad that we found it on our own - with no map - we just found the castle complex by following our eyes. It made it more exciting. For lunch we stopped at the only open restaurant on the main square.
Lunch
Dan got the kids situated at a table while I stayed outside to fold up the stroller then I joined them. They looked so sweet, coloring with colored pencils on the placemat they provided.
By mistake we ordered 2 kid pizzas. It was fine, they ate them both. I had a hamburger (I know sounds boring, but it is what I wanted), and Dan had a calzone. It was 60 SF, so our most expensive meal of the trip, but it filled us up with even a bit of left overs - and the server and spot were nice.
Julia hit naptime. She is such a good kid, but when it is her naptime she is *really*ready for sleep. I walked around on the lake side promenade (a happening, bustleing, wonderful place on a sunny Sunday afternoon) with her and Sara 'till Julia slept, then Dan played with Sara in some pastel play areas while I kept sleeping Julia company in the shade of a tree.
We wanted to take the 4:35 train back. It was easy to catch it, we went up hill. Up, up, up, up, hill so steep that my heart was pounding with the effort. (My pedometer says I went up 45 flights of stairs today, and took 17,727 steps or 7.78 miles)
Train home
Sara and Julia were perfect on the train ride back here. Sara snuggled with Dan and Julia sat on my lap. It was the Norman Rockwell version of how family train trips should be. They could have taken our picture and used it for a brocure. Sara was gazing out the window while resting on her Dad's shoulder, and Julia's little 1 year old self was perfectly cupped into my arms. It even lasted the whole journey. Amazing.
Dinner
I gave Sara and Julia play-doh and some Disney dolls to play with and they were entertained for 45 mintues while we took care of making dinner and a few things around the apartment. Then we ate our meatballs, broccoli, and rice. The sun set. It turned the sky pink. Then the twinkling lights came out across the lake. Time for bed. It took 1 minute to get Julia to bed (no fuss) and about 10 minutes to get Sara to bed (a bit more fuss, but she is a good kid).
Quote of the day
(on the train) Sara: "Look Dad! Five airplanes making trails in the sky!"
---
(after lunch we got a receipt that was all curled up)
Sara: "What did you do with the receipt?"
Me: "I tossed it."
Sara: "I was going to use that as a telescope to explore space with Julia."
--
END. Great day trip.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Saturday: All better; Market Day; Explore
Morning
When I cracked my eyes open in the morning I felt fine. Unlike the day prior where I felt like glue dumped out of a bottle, I was able to get up, hug my little daughter, smile at my big daughter, and greet the day.
It was still dim over Lake Geneva. Our windows provide a panoramic view across to the other side, up to the mountains, and into the clouds.
As we ate breakfast of eggs, cereal, and berries the sky grew bright, the sun came out, and I felt strong. I was thankful for that.
I took a much needed shower. The clothes I wore when I was sick walked themselves to the clothes-washer for a much needed washing. Sara took care of Julia while I showered (about 10 feet away) and one time Julia called for something, I said, "I'll be right there honey" and Sara said, "that's okay Mom, you can do it after you finish your shower." That sounded so mature of Sara. And I appreciated her giving me the time to become me again.
Market Day (Saturday)
Today's market was similar to Wednesdays, but more crowded. On Wednesday we could stroll along the market. Today, when Sara leaped out of the double-stroller to walk, she got swallowed into the crowd. Not to worry. She looked over her shoulder to keep an eye on us. She picked out many things to buy. Including radishes.
We also bought some pink primroses. Buying things at market is a dance. First you look, bending over the display to study the item you are contemplating. Then you show interest, enough to draw the market proprietor over to you. Finally, you smile and point, while digging into your pocket for the right coins to buy the item. These days Sara does these steps like a pro - leaving us to watch her and enjoying seeing her be so grown up.
Strolling, Buying, Eating
The architecture here leaves me wishing I knew more about the cupola shaped spires, slate roofs, gothic arches, and medieval hodge-podge. That's my favorite: the crooked lanes with houses slapped around like someone 400 years ago had fun with timber and brick. They aren't uniform, they aren't tall, they are like something you'd see in a story book. And here in Lausanne, old-stuff mingles with sleek modern bridges, glass shopping centers, and museums. Very cool for walking around!
Lunch
We got one pizza and a huge plate of asian food at a top floor restaurant. It was reasonable at 27 SF total, even enough to have left overs.
After lunch we found a new park with the Palace of Justice, a big green open space, and an elevated sweeping view of the Lake. Sara and Julia focused on a mud puddle in the middle of it all. "Mom, how about we make it shaped like Antarctica?" Sara said, beginning to shape the mud puddle into Antarctica with her foot. Julia decided to step in the puddle and walk in circles. Sara dropped her Antarctica idea, and joined Julia in making circles with the muddy water. They gleefully ran around and around together 'till the muddy puddle was transformed to a muddy puzzle of foot prints. All the while they laughed, held hands, and sang songs with lyrics only they understand.
While Julia and Sara played (the 'mud puddle' was actually in a dry fountain) I sat on a rock seat to watch. They were having so much fun I relaxed, closing my eyes and lifting my head up to enjoy the sun, breathing deep the clean air, and letting my eyes take their time looking at the lake and mountain view. Dan wandered around the grounds, exploring a bit.
Then, Sara ran like lightning slipped and fell. She didn't yell. Thankfully. I'm glad that she can fall and not yell these days. She fell hard. She was cold and wet. Julia busied herself going up and down stone steps while I got Sara into dry clothes. Dan returned from his explorations and we soon decided it was time to leave the park - Julia had other ideas. While Sara climbed into the stroller ready for a break, Julia took off towards another area. (We were in a park, so it was okay.) I stayed with her, jogging a bit to keep up with her. She lead us to a building that is in the tourist guidebook, so it was nice we got to see it, even though Julia didn't look at the building, she just sat down to play with the stones surrounding it. She yelled when I put her in the stroller, then she was quiet after a minute. That is common with her. She'll yell in complaint about being put in the stroller (who can blame her) but then she has fun looking around and accepts her seat. We let her walk as much as possible, but it isn't practical time-wise or safety-wise to have her out sometimes.
Afternoon/Evening
At 4:00 we were in one of the main squares in town. It is where several of the pedestrian streets converge. There is a fountain there (dry now in Winter) and there is a clock that is animated on the hour. We watched it at noon today and now also at 4:00. When we watched it at noon it was during the market (markets are only in the morning 'till about 1:00 or so) and Sara and Julia watched with many other kids sitting on a stone step. Actually it was cute. At noon, Sara sat with a whole line of kids on a stone step and I was holding Julia. Julia wiggled out of my arms, went over to Sara, poked Sara, and Sara said, "this is my little sister Julia" and then Sara gave Julia her seat on the stone step. (I was so proud.) Then Sara sat right on the step below, and I knelt down to be by Julia. Julia reached up to me, took my hand, and held my hand while the clock did its animation. Now that it was 4:00 Sara and Julia were the only kids on the step. They looked up at the clock with fixated eyes, and enjoyed the mini-show.
Time for a treat. We stopped in a "tea room" which is basically a bakery/confectionary that serves hot/cold drinks. (They are all over town and are kind of like our Starbucks but totally different. But they are a place you can relax, stay as long as you want, and chat. They have table service for the drink, and you get your bakery/confectionary stuff at the glass counter.) Dan got the treats while I went to the bathroom. He got 4! We each had our own treat, wow. I guess Sara picked out one for Julia. He had a beer and I had a coffee. We ate our treats. I had Julia on my lap (no high chairs were around) and our girls were a hit with two ladies sitting near by who kept watching them and smiling.
Soon it was time to go, so we walked back to the apartment (I have 12,000 steps on my pedometer, 5.24 miles, 23 flights of steps), stopping first at the store to buy diapers and a few other things (most stores are closed Sunday so we planned a head) and Dan made dinner while I gave SAra and Julia a bath.
At 6:00 Julia was in dreamland after a quick dance on my shoulder to a lullaby. By 6:30 Sara was in dreamland after I went into Julia's room, swiped her doll, and gave it to Sara who said she wanted a doll.
Quote of the day
(at the market) Sara: "Let's get radishes for our feast!"
Me: "Are you going to eat them?"
Sara: "No, they are for you and Papa to share."
----
(at the park) Sara: "Mom, how about we name bouncy things. I'll start: Pogo-stick."
----
(at the park) Sara: "Julia is fine Mom. I'm taking care of her."
----
END of a beautiful day.
When I cracked my eyes open in the morning I felt fine. Unlike the day prior where I felt like glue dumped out of a bottle, I was able to get up, hug my little daughter, smile at my big daughter, and greet the day.
It was still dim over Lake Geneva. Our windows provide a panoramic view across to the other side, up to the mountains, and into the clouds.
As we ate breakfast of eggs, cereal, and berries the sky grew bright, the sun came out, and I felt strong. I was thankful for that.
I took a much needed shower. The clothes I wore when I was sick walked themselves to the clothes-washer for a much needed washing. Sara took care of Julia while I showered (about 10 feet away) and one time Julia called for something, I said, "I'll be right there honey" and Sara said, "that's okay Mom, you can do it after you finish your shower." That sounded so mature of Sara. And I appreciated her giving me the time to become me again.
Market Day (Saturday)
Today's market was similar to Wednesdays, but more crowded. On Wednesday we could stroll along the market. Today, when Sara leaped out of the double-stroller to walk, she got swallowed into the crowd. Not to worry. She looked over her shoulder to keep an eye on us. She picked out many things to buy. Including radishes.
We also bought some pink primroses. Buying things at market is a dance. First you look, bending over the display to study the item you are contemplating. Then you show interest, enough to draw the market proprietor over to you. Finally, you smile and point, while digging into your pocket for the right coins to buy the item. These days Sara does these steps like a pro - leaving us to watch her and enjoying seeing her be so grown up.
Strolling, Buying, Eating
The architecture here leaves me wishing I knew more about the cupola shaped spires, slate roofs, gothic arches, and medieval hodge-podge. That's my favorite: the crooked lanes with houses slapped around like someone 400 years ago had fun with timber and brick. They aren't uniform, they aren't tall, they are like something you'd see in a story book. And here in Lausanne, old-stuff mingles with sleek modern bridges, glass shopping centers, and museums. Very cool for walking around!
Lunch
We got one pizza and a huge plate of asian food at a top floor restaurant. It was reasonable at 27 SF total, even enough to have left overs.
After lunch we found a new park with the Palace of Justice, a big green open space, and an elevated sweeping view of the Lake. Sara and Julia focused on a mud puddle in the middle of it all. "Mom, how about we make it shaped like Antarctica?" Sara said, beginning to shape the mud puddle into Antarctica with her foot. Julia decided to step in the puddle and walk in circles. Sara dropped her Antarctica idea, and joined Julia in making circles with the muddy water. They gleefully ran around and around together 'till the muddy puddle was transformed to a muddy puzzle of foot prints. All the while they laughed, held hands, and sang songs with lyrics only they understand.
While Julia and Sara played (the 'mud puddle' was actually in a dry fountain) I sat on a rock seat to watch. They were having so much fun I relaxed, closing my eyes and lifting my head up to enjoy the sun, breathing deep the clean air, and letting my eyes take their time looking at the lake and mountain view. Dan wandered around the grounds, exploring a bit.
Then, Sara ran like lightning slipped and fell. She didn't yell. Thankfully. I'm glad that she can fall and not yell these days. She fell hard. She was cold and wet. Julia busied herself going up and down stone steps while I got Sara into dry clothes. Dan returned from his explorations and we soon decided it was time to leave the park - Julia had other ideas. While Sara climbed into the stroller ready for a break, Julia took off towards another area. (We were in a park, so it was okay.) I stayed with her, jogging a bit to keep up with her. She lead us to a building that is in the tourist guidebook, so it was nice we got to see it, even though Julia didn't look at the building, she just sat down to play with the stones surrounding it. She yelled when I put her in the stroller, then she was quiet after a minute. That is common with her. She'll yell in complaint about being put in the stroller (who can blame her) but then she has fun looking around and accepts her seat. We let her walk as much as possible, but it isn't practical time-wise or safety-wise to have her out sometimes.
Afternoon/Evening
At 4:00 we were in one of the main squares in town. It is where several of the pedestrian streets converge. There is a fountain there (dry now in Winter) and there is a clock that is animated on the hour. We watched it at noon today and now also at 4:00. When we watched it at noon it was during the market (markets are only in the morning 'till about 1:00 or so) and Sara and Julia watched with many other kids sitting on a stone step. Actually it was cute. At noon, Sara sat with a whole line of kids on a stone step and I was holding Julia. Julia wiggled out of my arms, went over to Sara, poked Sara, and Sara said, "this is my little sister Julia" and then Sara gave Julia her seat on the stone step. (I was so proud.) Then Sara sat right on the step below, and I knelt down to be by Julia. Julia reached up to me, took my hand, and held my hand while the clock did its animation. Now that it was 4:00 Sara and Julia were the only kids on the step. They looked up at the clock with fixated eyes, and enjoyed the mini-show.
Time for a treat. We stopped in a "tea room" which is basically a bakery/confectionary that serves hot/cold drinks. (They are all over town and are kind of like our Starbucks but totally different. But they are a place you can relax, stay as long as you want, and chat. They have table service for the drink, and you get your bakery/confectionary stuff at the glass counter.) Dan got the treats while I went to the bathroom. He got 4! We each had our own treat, wow. I guess Sara picked out one for Julia. He had a beer and I had a coffee. We ate our treats. I had Julia on my lap (no high chairs were around) and our girls were a hit with two ladies sitting near by who kept watching them and smiling.
Soon it was time to go, so we walked back to the apartment (I have 12,000 steps on my pedometer, 5.24 miles, 23 flights of steps), stopping first at the store to buy diapers and a few other things (most stores are closed Sunday so we planned a head) and Dan made dinner while I gave SAra and Julia a bath.
At 6:00 Julia was in dreamland after a quick dance on my shoulder to a lullaby. By 6:30 Sara was in dreamland after I went into Julia's room, swiped her doll, and gave it to Sara who said she wanted a doll.
Quote of the day
(at the market) Sara: "Let's get radishes for our feast!"
Me: "Are you going to eat them?"
Sara: "No, they are for you and Papa to share."
----
(at the park) Sara: "Mom, how about we name bouncy things. I'll start: Pogo-stick."
----
(at the park) Sara: "Julia is fine Mom. I'm taking care of her."
----
END of a beautiful day.
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