OMG the Heat and Humidity!!!

No, it's nothing like the southwest - no, not, nada. But ... most places in Zurich don't have air conditioning. Certainly the very little at the Zurich airport was useless. After the 15 min walk, tram ride to Passport Control, I could barely breathe, my head was soaked - i wondered why I didn't get a buzz cut instead of a trim when I had the chance.

Reality check, high temperature was 86*, humidity 41%, altitude 1339' BUT THERE IS NO AIR CONDITIONING. I'm from Kentucky, we sit in 78* rooms with the HVAC sucking out the humidity. Ceiling fans in every room.

I'm trying not to visualize Saturday when the festivities start about 10AM and go until ???? My initial expectation was men in suits and women in long flowy dresses. That plan died with the heat and the early morning start. I  didn't see PB dragging a suit (which he'd have to buy - come on, we're retired!) in his newly purchased 21incher. Mikki and I both agreed, long flowy dress was out until evening. Daytime, hopping on and off trams, in and out of cars; flowy loose pants will be fine.

Oh by the way ... I'm not the only one exclaiming about PB's new suitcase. Both Antje and Mikki immediately noticed it. I heard a "oh Phillip, how cute!" Seriously, they never met him without his trunk. On the flip side, there's no more carrying the American grocery store across the pond. He's honored the "could you bring" request more times than I can count.

OK, enough whining about the heat. The trip was smooth. Swiss Air took care of the passengers, very attentive. Tho I'm always puzzled why a large meal is served at 8:30-9pm. I can easily sleep on a plane, sometimes I'm asleep while we're taxing. There's a 6 hr jet lag, knowing we'd have to hit the ground running, I only wanted to sleep.

OK sounds like more whining...

Antje met our plane, saving us at least an hour checking tram/train schedules reaching our apartment in Seefeld, schlepping our suitcases, backpacks behind us. I also had a full sized quilt made by my granother, being gifted to Mikki. 

Luck would have it, Mikki and Gio's plane arrived 30 mins after ours. We had an ecstatic reunion. When Mikki and I said goodbye in Bordeaux 4 yrs ago, we never dreamed Pandemic would hit. Before then, I'd visited at her farm the past 20 years. We came to Zurich 2021, with plans to visit Mikki but many Covid restricts were still in place. Even the Zurich visit was tense with the constant need proving to authorities we were Covid free.

Our apartment is great. 1 bedroom, all rooms are large and airy. There's tram stops to and from city center either right in front or a 2 block walk. 

Tomorrow we have a family dinner at Chris and Antje's. Gwen's husband  arrived from Ireland. Connal is a meteorologist for Ireland's weather service. Killian will miss the dinner as he arrives Friday.

So ends our 1st day - hugs and laughter so outweigh the weather shock.