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!"
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(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."
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END. Great day trip.
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