Some more pics from the flat
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Monday, February 06, 2006
Can you imagine that the language they speak is not written!? In Switzerland, they speak Swiss-German which the "real" Germans call more of a throat desease than a language. While you couldn't prove it by me, SG is quite different from high German. Yet there is no accepted spelling for SG. So at some point, they all learn to read in High German which is the language of newspapers, books and magazines, but they really don't like to speak it. Language schools here teach you high German. Every direction manual you get for things like cell phones, house phones and appliances has its cover in English and its contents in four languages--not one of which is English! Maybe that why when we dial the cell phone our range heats up and when we touch off the microwave Linda's mother answers the phone in Tulsa.
This is the country of absolutes (well, with the exception of the Vodka). On Sundays and after 10, its absolute quiet. The only sound allowed on Sunday is that of peeling church bells which starts at around 10 and continues all day. It is illegal to work on Sundays unless you and your employer have a permit. Most apartment flats have noise restrictions preventing you from nailing pictures onto the walls on Sunday. They also rather expect that life remains quiet around lunch time so that Pensioners (that's me) and babies can have a quiet rest period. I was hoping the reg would pertain to Pensioners and Babes--that too would involve quiet time, unfortunately. They said the Swiss go to bed after 10 and get all hung up with noise. In some of the older apartment house contracts (those with thin walls apparently) it was requested that men sit while urinating after 10 pm.
Our mover joking told us that in Switzerland, the best way to meet your neighbor is with your attorney. We haven't found that but have heard that it is not unusual to invite your neighbors to your party only to have them call the police and complain about the noise once they have drunk your booze, eaten your food and gone home for their early-to-bed.
We do know that this is the most recycled country in the world. Cans must have all wrappings removed, their top and bottom taken off and be crushed flat and then returned to the right drop center (we don't know where yet). Aluminum cans must pass the non magnetic test before they hit their special bins and glass, divided into three colors, can not be deposited in their special recepticals on Sunday (because they make too much noise when they hit the others).
We all have our idiosynchrasies, of course. An our observations are given with a smile. You can get pretty accustomed to these nice little habits. We are just starting our cruise through the plethora of Swiss wines and cheeses. We both thought that Swiss cheese was Swiss cheese and Swiss wines must amount to a 10 acre plot. What a couple of hicks that showed us to be. Attached are some pictures from the flat.
This is the country of absolutes (well, with the exception of the Vodka). On Sundays and after 10, its absolute quiet. The only sound allowed on Sunday is that of peeling church bells which starts at around 10 and continues all day. It is illegal to work on Sundays unless you and your employer have a permit. Most apartment flats have noise restrictions preventing you from nailing pictures onto the walls on Sunday. They also rather expect that life remains quiet around lunch time so that Pensioners (that's me) and babies can have a quiet rest period. I was hoping the reg would pertain to Pensioners and Babes--that too would involve quiet time, unfortunately. They said the Swiss go to bed after 10 and get all hung up with noise. In some of the older apartment house contracts (those with thin walls apparently) it was requested that men sit while urinating after 10 pm.
Our mover joking told us that in Switzerland, the best way to meet your neighbor is with your attorney. We haven't found that but have heard that it is not unusual to invite your neighbors to your party only to have them call the police and complain about the noise once they have drunk your booze, eaten your food and gone home for their early-to-bed.
We do know that this is the most recycled country in the world. Cans must have all wrappings removed, their top and bottom taken off and be crushed flat and then returned to the right drop center (we don't know where yet). Aluminum cans must pass the non magnetic test before they hit their special bins and glass, divided into three colors, can not be deposited in their special recepticals on Sunday (because they make too much noise when they hit the others).
We all have our idiosynchrasies, of course. An our observations are given with a smile. You can get pretty accustomed to these nice little habits. We are just starting our cruise through the plethora of Swiss wines and cheeses. We both thought that Swiss cheese was Swiss cheese and Swiss wines must amount to a 10 acre plot. What a couple of hicks that showed us to be. Attached are some pictures from the flat.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
We are on the move
We are on the move!
The packers arrive on Tuesday, the movers on Wednesday and Barbara, the lady that keeps us clean and neat, on Thursday. So we are getting to the final throes—all too soon. Gary will be doing the necessary pre packing to make sure that we save those items we need for the move and can find the necessary items after we arrive in Zurich.
It’s off to Oslo for Xmas with Scott and family on Thursday, back to Stockholm on Monday night and probably down the road to Zurich on Friday morning or so. Linda wants to finish the year end closing at Nordic Processor to make sure corporate doesn’t slip too many of those year end adjustments into her P & L. We still have to plan the route and stops.
We get to sample the wonderful little Inn just down the street from us: Clos pa Hornet (house on the corner) at which we have dined frequently. Scott, Deb, Nadean and John stayed there when they visited last summer, but we’ve not had the opportunity until now. Where we stay for the last few days of our Swedish stay is still in the planning.
We are guessing on three days driving to Zurich and then we have to hook up with keys to the flat and our goods. Linda will then disappear to her new office and Gary will be left to find the toilet paper, coffee pot and scotch.
The packers arrive on Tuesday, the movers on Wednesday and Barbara, the lady that keeps us clean and neat, on Thursday. So we are getting to the final throes—all too soon. Gary will be doing the necessary pre packing to make sure that we save those items we need for the move and can find the necessary items after we arrive in Zurich.
It’s off to Oslo for Xmas with Scott and family on Thursday, back to Stockholm on Monday night and probably down the road to Zurich on Friday morning or so. Linda wants to finish the year end closing at Nordic Processor to make sure corporate doesn’t slip too many of those year end adjustments into her P & L. We still have to plan the route and stops.
We get to sample the wonderful little Inn just down the street from us: Clos pa Hornet (house on the corner) at which we have dined frequently. Scott, Deb, Nadean and John stayed there when they visited last summer, but we’ve not had the opportunity until now. Where we stay for the last few days of our Swedish stay is still in the planning.
We are guessing on three days driving to Zurich and then we have to hook up with keys to the flat and our goods. Linda will then disappear to her new office and Gary will be left to find the toilet paper, coffee pot and scotch.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
It's Decided--Zurich
It has finally been decided: we are moving to Zurich, Switzerland toward the end of the month and should be formally in residence on January 1! Our new address is Kapfsteig 44, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
The apartment lease arrived this afternoon and should be on its way back to the attorneys tonight. Now, we just hope that the flat is the one that we remember. After looking at so many over a two day period, it is always possible that we have mixed and matched the details of the various ones we saw. But as we remember it, it has two complete bathrooms, a nice kitchen a fairly large living room, ample dining room and a huge rap around deck that will provide a lot of outdoor living. It also comes with a full two car garage, additional parking for two more cars off the street and ample storage rooms.
Of course life would not be without a hitches. The application for visa requires a copy of our wedding certificate. That is, of course the one document that we did not bring with us to Sweden. Linda is now hoping that the local office of IBM kept a copy for their files. Oh well.
The apartment lease arrived this afternoon and should be on its way back to the attorneys tonight. Now, we just hope that the flat is the one that we remember. After looking at so many over a two day period, it is always possible that we have mixed and matched the details of the various ones we saw. But as we remember it, it has two complete bathrooms, a nice kitchen a fairly large living room, ample dining room and a huge rap around deck that will provide a lot of outdoor living. It also comes with a full two car garage, additional parking for two more cars off the street and ample storage rooms.
Of course life would not be without a hitches. The application for visa requires a copy of our wedding certificate. That is, of course the one document that we did not bring with us to Sweden. Linda is now hoping that the local office of IBM kept a copy for their files. Oh well.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
The next move is still in the talking stages, but Zurich, Switzerland looks like a possibility for a year. Linda needs to have a few details like actual duties and expectations, authority, pay and allowances to be nailed down. Gary is concerned that there is a place large enough within the allowance into which to move all this stuff from Stockholm.
The move would solve the problem of selling the car--we wouldn't have to and let us enjoy Europe for a bit longer. However, Gary still needs to get back to the States for house maintenance and body maintenance duties.
Does anyone have any comments on Zurich?
The move would solve the problem of selling the car--we wouldn't have to and let us enjoy Europe for a bit longer. However, Gary still needs to get back to the States for house maintenance and body maintenance duties.
Does anyone have any comments on Zurich?
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