Back in the West

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Once again, thanks for checking in.

We made it.

Lela and I flew out of India on Monday. The relief we both felt was fantastic. India is an incredible place to visit and Im so glad to have been able go get there in this lifetime. AND....I am so grateful to be back in the West. The clean water, the coolness in the air...everything is so clean and so modern in comparison. We both seemed to breath out a breath that we'd been holding for a long time. And of course, Switzerland takes the cake for "clean and modern" as well. What a contrast.

We spent a day at Lela's mothers place and then drove up into the Alps yesterday. After having a very light winter, it snowed a meter over 24 hours while we were there. We couldnt even see the mountains we were driving through. And today, much the same with some "whiteouts" at times. Closed ski lifts due to avalanche warnings. Too bad, eh?


Today we are in Luzern just walking around the old streets. While Germany was mostly rebuilt after WWII, (and has very few "old neighborhoods" Switzerland remains, in many parts, unchanged for hundreds of years. Aside from the modern conveniences, the architecture is hundreds of years old. The pride they take in their buildings is obvious when one sees how well taken care of everything is. In Canada, they put up a house and hope that it will withstand about 50 years. Here, they plan for the house to stand for 500 years. It is like walking through a living museum. And still very alive and lived in.

But all they seem to eat here is bread and cheese. Theres a sausage or two thrown in here and there...and some chocolate...but mostly its pastries and cheeses that people eat. How they survive without more vegetables, these things my mother told me were so important for health and long life, I dont know. Last night for dinner at a fancy restaurant, we had what largely amounted to macaroni and cheese.

Internet is expensive once again...a bit more than the 50 cents per hour in India. So I sign off. Also, the German keyboard differences are making me a bit mental.

Back in Canada on the 24th. And then back to work on the 26th. Do I even remember what my job is? It feels like a lifetime that Ive been away.

With much love,

Dave

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