Thursday Thoughts

Yes, it is already Thursday and we are only a day and two evenings away from the next part of this travel adventure. Our time in Europe has gone by so quickly. Just a week ago today we arrived. I can hardly believe all we have done since that time. I could have used recovery days in between the days of activity, but we just didn't have enough days here to afford me that luxury - so - if I tend to ramble a bit or seem a little incoherent, you can blame it on my exhaustion level!! Oh well, when we get to Africa, we will have a lot more time to do all of the sightseeing we desire, so we should be able to pace ourselves better.

Today we went to an Alpine village called Appenzell. One thing was great about this place. It was cooler because of its higher elevation. This little village is quite the tourist trap, but we managed to escape with only buying one thing for our granddaughters. I guess I should correct that last statement. We did buy something for ourselves - an almond pastry. My one word description for this is "yummy". We also bought ourselves something when we were out and about yesterday - Swiss chocolate. "Yummy" also describes this! We have been pretty good about eating most of our meals in the apartment, so I guess we deserve a treat now and then!

I think my camera is beginning to wear out from all the pictures we've been taking. I hope it lasts through our time in Kenya. I can't seem to get enough of all the beautiful scenery. It truly is breathtaking. I must have a couple hundred pictures I've taken of flower gardens or window boxes filled with flowers. We have decided to try to create a picture album of just flowers! I wish you could see them in person.

Another photo opportunity we've had a lot of are scenes of churches and steeples. They dot the landscape everywhere. The tiniest of villages always has more than one impressive edifice of worship. Today we went inside a Catholic Church in the village of Appenzell. Ornate does not begin to describe it. What a contrast between the inside of that church and the world outside its doors!

We have one more excursion to make tomorrow. We plan to go to Zurich for a few hours. Zurich was the birthplace of my paternal grandfather so this has special significance for me. I would like to locate a phone book for the city to see how many Maurer's may still be living in the area.

Since the following picture doesn't quite tell the story I'd like to share - here's the explanation. As is usually the case for me when we're traveling, at some point I need to find appropriate facilities when nature calls(especially after a cup or two of coffee!) We came across a great rest stop, so we decided to take advantage of the situation. I was a bit amused when we got in there and discovered that it would cost me a franc (approx. $1.25) to avail myself of the privilege of using the facility. After inserting the coin into the machine, I was able to go through the turnstile to gain access. Only in Europe! One good thing, we didn't have to pay for parking! Until later--------