24 & 25 July 2012 - Settling in

Dear Gentle Reader

It is wonderful to see so many of you persisting with my little scratchings.  I will endeavour to keep them interesting and try to turn any frowns upside down.  Although it may appear a little lazy, and some may suggest that I have been bone idle catching up with daytime television (Das Tag de Lebt, Das Oprah, etc) that is far from the truth.  Although I must confess to catching up on MasterChef.  Some addictions you just can't give up.

Anyway, back to me and the "Days of my Life" where the part of me will be played by Ewan McGregor (a boy can dream) or was pointed out by one dear friend, I currently look like Ricky Gervais with the beard.  Not sure what he is up to at the moment so he might be able to play the part.  Hope he can get the accent and all my delightful turns of phrase correct.

Again I digress and have not even put in any photos yet - have I lost anyone?

There you go...nothing to do with Switzerland but keeps the punters happy.  It is actually in Oman, quite beautiful.

So what has the last couple of days entailed?  Very much getting used to my surroundings and having my bottom get used to a bike seat.  You would have thought with the current padding that would not have been an issue! 

Tuesday was cleaning lady day - her name is Hildi but I prefer to call her Heidi as it sounds Swiss and it is the only Swiss name I know.  She seemed lovely and is a beast with the Laurastar ironing system.  She did not speak English and my German is still pretty lean so we communicated through the medium of DANCE....."first when there's nothing, but a slow glowing dream.....".  All I know is that when the window was open, something went "whoosh"....not sure what came in or flew out but it was dramatic. 

Whilst she was doin'her thang, I headed out to the bustling metropolis in search of running shoes and groceries for dinner.

Now I have to take a moment aside to discuss the magic that is the Swiss supermarket.  It is like any new country where such establishments are fascinating and really are an insight into the psyche of the locals -is it just me that thinks that?  There are two in town (Coop and Migros).  The Coop is a bit smaller but definitely has a nice meat section.  My observations are as follows:

• There are many types of bread...excellent, gotta love carbs!
• Cakes are also a big focus...once past the lips, forever on the hips.
• Cheeses, cheeses, cheeses....Jesus!
• Very nice fruit and veg....which you have to weigh and price tag yourself!?!
• Lots of chocolate too...mmmm....happy place.....
• Meat and lots of it.....insert appropriate double entendre now.

Focusing on meat, as I do....they have a lot of salami style and also some unusual cuts from beasts of burden....not sure what they would do with that on MasterChef, I am guessing a big "Neigh!!".

I am having a lot of fun exploring and trying to work out what some things are.  Makes it challenging shopping for specific ingredients but means you get to go up and down all the aisles.  Stay tuned for anything else wacky I may come across.

So what have we been eating?  Since I have found my inner Nigella I have been getting back to basics.  Actually it is probably advanced as basic for me for some time meant popping something in the microwave....and we don't have one here!  It is a slow culinary journey and Stephan is content to be the guinea pig...so far so good I think.  So what have these nimble fingers been dabbling in?  I know you want a blow by blow account and yes, there are even some pictures:

• you will recall the baked salmon with smashed garlic potatoes and honey carrots
• I then went all red light district and made a pasta puttanesca (from scratch, well the sauce anyway....baby steps)
• last night was a rump steak with a mushroom, shallot and thyme sauce with mashed potato - in all my efforts to get the timing right I forgot the broccoli.  Mushroom is a vegetable isn't it? I am annoyed I did not capture its image, it was a good sauce!
• Macerated strawberries in balsamic vinegar and topped with basil and some ice cream

These have been washed down with some delightful drops from the cellar.  We are continuing on our champagne odyssey and mixed it up last night with some red wine.  this was followed by some schnapps which I think did not do much for my little head - ouch.

I will leave you for now to savour all of this...next will be my little bike tour of the area and some picture postcard shots.  I realise that none of them have any people in them.  I will have to fix that!

Until next time, bon apetit (said in Julia Childs' voice).

23 July 2012 - The First Full Day

After a Sunday of arrival (and a beautiful Ruinart Champagne) my first part day was almost done.  I was in pretty good spirits from having a snooze on the jet and we had lunch with some friends of Stephan in Einsiedeln.  So happy that I was perky because as we all know, nobody likes Grumpy Rodney!  That said, I did crash about 9:00 pm on Sunday night and apparently that crash meant I snored like a chainsaw....oh dear!

So, it is now Monday and this will be my first full day in my new town and on my own.  Stephan had to head off to work, the poor love.  As I went to bed early I was able to be that bird that caught the worm (no euphemism intended) and rose (still no euphemism) at about 7:00 am.  This is unusual for me as mornings are not my friend.  I sent Stephan off to work his magic at peddling his wares in the Swiss fashion house of Charles Voegele.  I would like to say that I then went back to bed and lolled around for the day.....not this worm!

I had to unpack and generally turn Stephan's apartment upside down to suit my tastes.....just kidding, about the unpacking.  Seriously I think poor S was a little concerned to find the furniture moved, the cutlery all facing north and all the paintings on the wall replaced with some modern art.  S had kindly cleared some space for my couture and model planes and little trinkets.  I only brought about about 10% of the aircraft collection.  There are some more in transit but most have gone to storage.  All it means is that I can buy more planes!  I already have another six to buy from new planes I have been on. recently  Goodness my life is complex and full.  In case you are wondering, the glasses were my "gift" from Finnair.  So generous those Finns. I thought I would also add a little photo with my Swiss mug and the view from where I write my blog.  The town is surrounded by hills and mountains.  Brace yourself for more such photos!

Thought it was about time I left the house and go for a bit of an explore on my own and deal with a number of important matters.  Firstly buy a Milk Frother for my Nespresso machine
(that was one thing that was sacrificed in my packing to make way for, who knows, my Aesop toiletries most likely!) and some groceries for dinner.

Whilst I was wandering the streets minding my own business, who did I spy?  Had she escaped from the abbey? Did she come to see the local nuns?  Did she want to fill the hills with the sound of music?  I am not sure but that ensemble certainly has a look of curtains about it....you be the judge....

After that encounter "I had confidence in sunshine..." and was content to head home with my shopping and edelweiss. 

Memory escapes me but I think I had time for a doze...S came home early which was great and I then got all enthusiastic and suggested a bike ride.  I had the perfect ensemble, black pants, black and white striped shirt, a jaunty beret and some onions....wait, that is my Paris outfit! Well will have to resort to comfortable sportswear.  So off we tootled into the great beyond.  Of course I was "sans" camera and could not take shots of the surroundings.  Never fear, I will take it next time!

The surrounding country side is beautiful and like a postcard.  The houses look like they have just come out of a Swiss village which is lucky for them and the cows and goats all have bells on them.  If I was a cow that would drive me nuts - the constant clanging...the voices in my head are bad enough!  The other thing I had forgotten is how sensitive one's bottom is to a new bike seat.....

Anyway, after that it was time to go all Masterchef (which is the closest I have got to cooking in a long time).  So I prepared a delicious baked salmon with dill and butter and smashed potatoes and honey carrots.  The judges were kind and said that the salmon was "cooked perfectly" but possibly a little overseasoned and the potatoes were "beautiful" and the carrots needed some work.  Overall a good dish and I was through to the next round.  Phew!  As an aside it was all washed down with a Dom Perignon 2003.

Well, there ends another day in my little Swiss chalet....stay tuned for Wednesday's instalment.

21 July 2012 - Departure

So the day has finally arrived and I am all packed and ready to go.  As you can imagine this was no mean feat.  I very closely reviewed my luggage allowance which was three bags of no more than 23 kg each....I had to get value out of that, I had a lot of hat boxes and trinkets to transport.  I had already shown Stephan the amount of luggage I had as I was a little concerned about it all fitting into the darling SLK.  Believe it or not I did need to take those model planes and the Nespresso machine.  Some things you just cannot live without or so I kept telling myself.

The lovely Mark and Stephen hosted my last three days in Melbourne and we had a lovely farewell dinner at their home with my dearest friend Kate. Also managed to squeeze in a final breakfast with the Melbourne Brekky Boys.

It was time to bid all farewell and I took the hire car (a mighty white Holden Caprice - I did a couple of weddings and airport transfers in the last few days - I am unemployed after all). back to Tullamarine, one of the world's airports. 

The lovely people from Qantas First Host rang me the day before to confirm my arrival (to have red carpet and champagne at the ready and to avert any media attention), the number of bags and my seat number).  Bless them and all that fly in them.  Was also able to drop the bags off and then return the hire car...lovely service.  Did all of that to return and be told by "Chanelle" that there was a problem with the bags....were they not of high enough quality? No, their system showed that although I was well within the QF limits, as I was transferring to a Finnair flight (more on that later of course) they only allowed two bags.  Hooray for technology and the trusty interweb as I was able to show the team that three bags was just fine and meant I did not have to pay $200! Phew!

Dear Kate came and saw me off and we shared a champagne at one of the pre-departure bars.  Then it was time to proceed airside through the colour and light that is Duty Free and then to the Qantas First Lounge.  The frosted doors opened for my arrival and the two ladies at the desk rose (truly they did) to greet me.  They kindly told me that I had missed my spa treatment by they moved it to a later timeslot - can't board the jet with clogged pores, that just won't do.  Had time for a champagne before the facial and then it was boarding time (after another champagne of course).  I am nothing if not predictable.

It was then off to the luxury A380 and QF 9 to take my rightful position in First Class in seat 2A.  Not 1A I hear you cry, do they know who you are? Did it feel like you were sitting in economy as you were so far from the front?  The trials I have to endure I tell you.  I could have had 1K but on a whim thought I would try something new...let my hair down and go wild.

Lovely greeting from the crew and of course enjoyed a couple of glasses of champagne - lovely Tattinger.

As they say in the classics, it was now time to "sit back, relax and enjoy the Qantas service".  Had time for a light dinner and a movie about Sarah Palin and a documentary on a koala hospital, washed down with a Henschke shiraz. 

Had a nice wander around the big jet to see what everyone else was doing and to show off in my First Class pyjamas...I am a tool!  All to soon this part of the jet ride was over but after landing I was able to head on into the cockpit and see the staff rest area (all above board even if it was below deck!) - gotta love a private tour. 

It was time for a little more lounging and then a new adventure on a new airline, the mystical Finnair on an Airbus A340.  Never having flown them it means a whole raft of more photos and of course another model plane to collect!  My expectations were not that high as I had heard mixed reports.  In for a penny as they say!

This was to be my seat for the next 12 hours in this ex-Air France jet.  Was looking a little old and not the most modern of products.  I was the only person in this mini-cabin and meant I had my own personal emergency demo from Sven (no idea what his name was but he knew how to pull a toggle on a life jacket!!).  I was also looked after by the purser which was lovely.

Had another champagne tipple before take-off in some of the coolest glassware I have seen.  Three of them were "gifted" to me - how kind.  I am loving mid-century Scandinavian design at the moment.  The paper back, which could be mistaken for a sick bag, was in fact the amenity kit - very poor but kind to trees....

Was then time to sample some fine Finnish cuisine.  With expectations of reindeer and lashings of herring I was sorely disappointed with what can only be described as looking like a meal from economy!  I know they get a lot of snow, but can a meal tray really be this white? I did see the trays they had behind the curtain and they were very meagre, cost cutting on the big AY. The crew also got very excited to use rubber gloves for clearing the cabin...I think some of those boys may take a few off the aircraft for personal use.....naughty, dirty boys.

It was then time to arrive into Helsinki.  I did manage about six hours of sleep which was great for all around me the next day!

Helsinki Airport as you would expect is very Finnish...lots of white, pine and funky furniture.  It is a very easy airport to transit through.  I had a nice little stopover in the lounge and then it was on to an Airbus A321 for my final leg to Stephan.  Business Class in Europe is nothing much to write home about (even though that is what I am doing now - I am so funny).  It is essentially an economy seat with the centre seat left empty.  Meals are also at about the same level as domestic economy in Australia.  Overall it was fine but I was looking forward to arrival by this stage.







After 22 hours of flying I finally arrived.  Was elated to see Stephan and then all three bags!  By some miracle of spacial judgement we managed to fit the bags into the boot and then it was off to my new home of Einsiedeln.

Preface

Dear Gentle Reader

It has been some time since I sent my last epistle, travelogue, diatribe - call it what you will.  I thought I would join the modern age and try this whole BLOG concept.  It is what all the cool kids are doing.

So why this blog? Why this title? Why now?  So many questions, and guess what I have so much time to answer them.  Yes, be afraid, be very afraid! 

As most of you know my tenure at that time honoured corner electrical store (Retravision) came to an end at the end of June 2012. It was not a shock (OK, it was when I was told in December 2011) but I and the team had pretty much come to terms with the fact our time was up.  Then tragedy struck and the company was placed into Administration.  So what is a boy to do?

Not really a difficult question.  Stephan and I had been discussing me heading over to the land of Lindt, alps, yodelling and fine watches (Switzerland for those who have not worked it out from those clues) for some time.  Everything fell into place and I could shut up shop (ha! ha!) and leave Oz behind.

I had been in Melbourne for almost 18 months and was loving it.  What a great city to live in (I even liked the weather) and what a wonderful group of friends and work colleagues I had there.  But all good things sometimes come to an end.  So I gave notice on my little apartment, organised packers and movers and sent the Audi to Ma and Pa in the wild west.

So I finished up work on 6 July and became a lady of leisure!  I headed back to Perth for a few days and caught up with family and friends.  Then headed back to Melbourne to finish up all those pesky remaining tasks.  I was ably assisted to distraction by Brett who came over to Melbourne on the same flight and hung out for a few days.  We had a ball on the Virgin Australia flight and of course I have to share some photos from the trip.  We mostly focused on the drinks part of the offerings....

The festivities of food and wine continued until departure which was 21 July 2012.

So there you have it, the reason for this blog....essentially I am living with Stephan (poor boy, what has he got himself into!!!!), unemployed, with lots of travel plans and surprises (courtesy of the lovely Stephan) and time to write!

So, as always, brace yourself for a series of airline insights, catering ups and downs, restaurant reviews, my insights on the world and culture and any other drivel I deem to share (which is dependant on alcohol consumption).

So sit back, make sure the leg rest and tray table are in a comfortable position (preferably in 1A of course), exits secured, babies quietened (or in cargo) and enjoy this inflight entertainment......SWISS-BATICAL (***yodel-ey-hee-hoo***).