Back in Saas-Fee

 

R, S, and T's room.

We are back in Saas-Fee, and it feels like we never left. T and L seem to feel the same way. As soon as we arrived at the Alphubel they were clamboring to go down to the kids club. It isn't open on weekends, so they had to make do with the game room, which has been improved since Christmas. There is a new pool table, the air hockey is working, ping pong balls are well stocked, etc.

We are in the same rooms, which makes us happy. There was one change, though. Last time L slept in a bed that folds down from the wall, like in a train sleeper compartment, with crib bar attachments. Someone else must be using the attachments, though, because this time L is in a pack and play crib. She loves it because it has zippers on the side and she can get in and out by herself. She has been gettting out of the crib at home, too, but that can be risky. If she can reach the desk chair she pulls it over to the crib and then tumbles into it. Sometimes, though, the chair rolls away and she tumbles to the floor instead. The pack and play was made up like a little bed with a chocolate on the pillow. L had lots of fun tucking in Baby. (We didn't think she could go a week without Baby. Unfortunately, we didn't realize that if she had Baby T would want his Bruce.)

The door between the rooms is in constant use. Notice the Olympics on tv. 

R pointed out that she and S watched the last winter Olympics from Stockholm.

She says that is when she got into curling.

There really isn't much to say about Saturday, since we spent most of it travelling. We got off to a slightly late start because T needed a haircut. His Grandpa has asked about his hair the last few times we spoke on the phone and we finally took the hint! We had gotten so used to it shaggy that we forgot how much better it looks short. Usually T likes having his haircut, but like last time he was suspicious because "this is not my guy!" Once it was done, though, he was strutting around happily.

Again E planned it so we took a train from Zurich to Visp without having to change in Bern. Very nice, since the train was packed. We always manage to get seats, though, thanks to R. (I don't know if I've written about this before. If so, sorry!) The family cars with the playgrounds are usually at the end of the train. The trouble is there's often no way to know whether it will be at the front or the back of the train, or the train arrives while we are still walking toward the end of the track. That is when R goes into action. She runs and slips through the crowd like an eel so she is one of the first on the family car and she grabs a block of seats for us. It was a big win yesterday since many people had to stand for two hours in the aisles and by the doors.

From Visp we take a bus to Saas-Fee. It winds and twists along the mountain road with cliffs on one side. Occasionally we go through tunnels, but not really tunnels through or under something - just avalanche tunnels - stretches of road with a roof over them. When we do that the bus has to blow its horn due to bad visibility around the curves. The horn would make a good ringtone for my Dad, who likes his phone loud enough to startle people. It's enough to make us all car sick. On the plus side, it is a pretty ride and L is always rocked to sleep.

http://www.postbus.ch/pag-startseite/pag-ueberuns/pag-portrait/pag-posthorn/pag-posthorn-klingelton.mp3

Yesterday we were sitting across from a British man who kept making anti-American comments. A few teenaged girls in his party were being very loud and obnoxious in the back seat. Instead of handling it he just yelled back to them not to say "Eeeewww" because it makes them sound like Americans. He also commented on a weather story on the bus television, saying that, "Now the Americans won't believe in global warming." It wasn't worth saying anything. He tried to be friendly with us later. I think he must have realized we were American and was mortified. But it upset the girls because they have had enough of American stereotypes from the kids at school. They have been told that Americans are fat, aggressively Christian, and gun crazy. R wonders how Americans can be the gun crazy ones when every Swiss home is required to have a gun. I told her I think it has to do with the type of gun and how many.

We had a wonderful dinner, but it lasted longer than T's patience, and he didn't care for the food. (salad and beef tartar, pepper soup, veal in mushroom sauce with noodles, and cinnamon mousse - Eeeewww!) So we had to take turns with him upstairs. Starting Monday, though, he will eat the earlier kids dinner. That will work out perfectly. Tonight won't be a problem because I think it is meat fondue night. T absolutely loved that last time!