So WHAT DID happen you may well ask me that my own husband did not even call me  so I would not worry all alone in a foriegn motel ? Would you believe he DID CALL me several times in fact at the airport and also outside it with the help of locals even and to no avail ? Turns out according to the German folk who tried to help him that this is typical of calls OUTSIDE the city within Germany and especially as much  distance as it was  to Breggins, Switzerland where I was. Phones just are not as good over there as they are here.

 

My hubby found himself between the proverbial "rock and a hard place" ! What to do now! He had no idea when his sister Sandy and niece Stacey would arrive. It was apparent to him and a easy guess they must have missed their flight, been bumped from their flight, had met with airport delays, had run into inclement weather, etc etc.  Dare he leave and return to me and his sister arrive all alone in a foriegn country with her 13 yr old daughter ? Could he count on her to take a German taxi to a motel and settle in till he returned the next day to pick them up? Meanwhile he was also anguishing  over the fact that I was alone in a foriegn country surely by now fearing all kinds of bad things that might of happened to him and sure to contact the police to find him. Yes, what to do he asked himself ? 

 

Finally, he decided he must choose a time to return to me and decided he  would do so  no later then 6PM,  making it fully 6 hrs past Noon when he was to have come back to the motel and me. He felt 6 hrs was long enough to cause me great worry over his welfare. He would leave word with airport officials to let his sister know when she arrived and surely asked after him (he hoped she would anyway). It seemed logical to him that she would do so knowing he had no word and she was very very very late. And as you all know he did get back by 6PM to me  exactly as God had given me a peace  in my heart after praying that I need only wait one more hour and my beloved would be back! Isn't our Father in Heaven amazing !

 

Let me say that it is not always like this in my life. God gets me thru bad times and good to. My peace is knowing I never go it alone but he is always with me. And this was one of those times in my life where he directly let me know. Other times I must have faith and perservere thru troubles and do the logical things needed to deal with life's troubles. But this was a time my Saviour knew I was in great need. So I am thankful for the love of God in  my life. But, now  to return to this adventure !

 

When I opened the door, I fell into my hubby's arms and wept with happiness and we kissed each other holding on tightly to reassure ourselves that yes, we were TOGETHER again in a foriegn country and no longer apart!   Soon Sandy and niece Stacey joined in hugging us and we them to! We were ALL OF US so relieved to have found each other once more!  

 

Now  of course we all sit down to catch our breath and  Sandy began to unfold  her  story of arriving early at the airport and finding out that she and her daughter had been  bumped from their flight !  Next there were flight delays and finally they found another flight to take but had to sit for hours at the  Minneapolis airport waiting for their flight to come in for them. They kept dozing now as it was getting very late. They had arrived origianlly at 10PM and so were quite tired.  They soon learned that Stacey's luggage was not only lost,  but was traveling on the wrong flight !  They were promised it would be returned in time for the wedding. Stacey's dress for Jr. Bridesmaid was in it. And all her clothes as well!

 

The only thing I could think of to help poor Stacey after hearing this,  was to tell her that our daughter's maid of honor and also our son Nicolas's girlfriend Falon were about her size and would surely share clothes with her. The airlines had given Stacey a toothbrush and some simaler items like that deoderant and the like, and a new t-shirt to help her out and that was all she had! The t-shirt was so big it was like a dress on petite Stacey! We all of us felt bad for her and hoped that her luggage would show up soon!

 

Needless to say all of us were hungry. No one had eaten supper. Not I, I had been to concerned about where was my hubby to even feel hungry. Same with my hubby who had worried over his sister and niece and also me to. And of course Sandy and Stacey has not had a chance to eat at all! So off we went in the rental car from Germany  to find a nice resturant for supper. We wanted to eat at one of those quaint little places with tables outdoors like the Europeans are fond of doing. But as luck would have it, it began pouring rain almost as soon as we got into the little village.

 

We drove from one end of the town to the other finding places to eat but never stopping because the little parking the tiny village afforded was full up wherever we went !  Then we found a road leading away and towards the Alps and somehow got stuck on it. We kept looking for a way to turn back as appeared we would soon be doing some Alpine climbing next in the pouring rain. Meanwhile all of are sooo tired besides hungry. It has been a long day and we were suppose to relax at last over good food and laugh now and enjoy Europe! But not yet it seemed!

 

This is now a good time to say that I have acrophobia "fear of heights" and all I can see is we are going up and up and God please help me and get us out of here !!!!  About the time I  thought I was trapped going up a road that was soon to change from a paved road to dirt road and  seem literally to go straight up.....well hubby found a tiny place to turn around in. Probably a spot none of us would normally choose. Nor would you likely either! But in Europe and especially Switzerland where land is minimal and mountains use up terrain, you take what you can get believe me!  So we get turned around and on our way back hubby spies a Italian pizzeria place and we all say lets go for it. Swiss food another day. Lets just go with the flow here and get pizza. Yum for the tum tums! Alright !

 

So we drive around it looking for a parking lot and full up of course. Did I mention this tiny village paradise on a lake next to the alps sported a small college university popular with European youth? And of course  they all like to eat pizza. Naturally !!  Just like Americans do or Canadians etc LOL LLOL But we doggedly continue driving thru what I can only describe is a maze of sorts in this narrow village and all of us trying to keep tabs on turns and buildings so we can find our way to that pizzeria. One good thing now happens for us. The rain stops!  And right then there is a GENUINE 100 %    PARKING SPACE in front of us one block away and we get there before the VW bug car with college teens get a clue it is there! LOL LLLOL

 

Smiles back on our faces  we depart the car rather jovially now, and congratulate one another on getting that parking spot first as we watch the little VW bug car drive down the street looking for another spot. Good luck finding one for those kids we all thought! And we began what turned out to be approximately a 6 or 7 block walk only winding around and around maze like and you have to pay attention where you cross and not get lost etc. But we were  in high spirits now !  After all were hungry and were soon going to eat and the rain was gone. What more could we ask!!! Surprising how thankful you can be just to eat and forget how hard it was to do so! LOL LOL LOL This is also a good time to mention that dogs are popular in Europe and you see them everywhere as they walk about with their masters or lie at their feet in outside cafes. And guess what else you see ! Dog excrement all over. Seems not a big deal if you leave it lay. And I am soooo careful to always pick up my dog's "toostie rolls" wherever I go. It amazed us how this was allowed. And even around important monuments or statues there is no differance. However later in other Swiss towns we see some places where doggy doo doo stations on corners provide bags and slot to stick the "goods" in. Pictures on the outside of these to let you know what they are really "interesting" with dog icon and um "icon poop" falling off back and owner scooping it up. LOL LOL So sorry I did not think to take a pic of this. These things look much like U.S Postal outside free standing drop off stations. Wouldn't it be nice to have these in our country !

 

When we reach the Pizzeria we see the nice tables with umbrellas over them and how the waiters come out to you with menu and think how nice. We are soooo ready to be coddled and waited on now! We had gotten hot and sweaty in the car looking earlier. Had to keep windows up from the rain remember. And hubby did not turn on AC because he said little Stacey was cold in light summer clothes with it. I get hot easy but did not want my niece to suffer so I endured it. So now I see victory in sight! Yes! Supper and I can sit out here like the Europeans do and admire the fine Swiss architecture of buildings while I eat and cool off at last.

 

Then just like that, the "adventure" continues! Alas! It was not to be! Sandy spoke up and said those clouds don't look good to me. Maybe we should eat inside? Of course her brother/my hubby generously said why not eat inside. Probably really neat inside and the atmosphere Italian and all. I swallow my objections that I am hot and would love to eat out here and enjoy the ambiance of the village around me and I don't say a word. I tell myself Sandy has had a hard day and she had her young daughter to think of on top of it earlier today and so I decide that okay I will go along with this. I give one last regretful glance at the outdoor tables with umbrellas to keep rain off you and in we go and I learn right off the bat about what it is like to eat in "nice" resturants in Europe whether Germany or Switzerland.

 

Cigarette and  cigar smoke filled my lungs and I choked on it. We all did ! My eyes felt tears almost immediately trying to adjust as we walked thru a haze of smoke literally!  Oh was the place genuinely Italian with genuine Italians working it ? Yes. Was it nice to look at with old world charm ? Yes.  Could I breathe ? No.  Did I manage ? Yes.  Did they ever open windows to let some fresh air in ? No. But what about the fact there was no AC and it was hot and stuffy ? Were they not hot to ? Apparently not. Were all of us hot or just me ? All of us were hot. Hubby, Sandy, Stacey and me. Did we remain and eat there anyway ? What do you think you would do and considering the hour is late now after well over a hour of driving around in such a small but crowded and compact village? Of course. We stayed and toughed it out.

 

First it took about a hour (the place was hopping busy) before our waiter who apparently worked bottom and second floor where we were arrived with menus. Yupper! I did say second floor and yes it was even  hotter as we all know Science 101 says heat rises ! We all were soon using our cloth napkins to wipe the sweat off our brows and faces and wondering how in the world do they live like this anyway ?  But we persisted and another hour later our pizza arrived on huge Italian pans piping hot and smelling good. By now we had run out of conversation, were getting sleepy but our stomachs immediately growled as our noses inhaled the yummy savory odors of Pizza !!!! We dived in and soon were restored to our original happy selves and finding lots to say now. Like boy this is tasty this special sausage on here and don't you just love the crust to and more such breath taking to us anyway simaler statements! LOL LOLLOL OH yes I can laugh now as everything that happened in Europe was all a part of the adventure of being overseas and living as one of "them".  I will never forget that jam packed smoked filled hot place ! And by the way we sat a hour after we ate before we figured out we were suppose to go down stairs to settle up the bill and the waitor was not going to return to our table for us. LOLLOLL

 

Tune in next week and take that Euro rail Train ride I promised you and the West Indian Dinner Cruise on glacier lake Tuhn surrounded by snow capped alps. Seems just serving up today's installment took more time to tell it them I realized ! LOL LOL

 

Sasha