Christmas in 2nd Year of the Pandemic 2021

Penelope ask me to revive this blog and to post lots of pics and stories ... Or at least stories which could be shared.

Early last summer being vaccinated, Covid #'s dropping, we decided to resume our lives making plans to travel to a favorite destination - Adliswil/Summaga. By the time we made plane reservations, Covid was surging. We now have our booster, decided we're tired having our lives on hold. Felt travel to 2 countries was pushing our luck so we settled on Switzerland.

Travel fun begins. Airline international flights were flying mostly empty. We got American business class for a little more than coach. Then American cancelled the flight from Philly to Zurich, routed us thru London. No Thanks. We switched to United, Chicago to Zurich, same class, same price. United cancelled the flight, routing instead Chicago-DC-Zurich. Oh by the way, you'll leave Lexington at 7:30am; have a 7 hr layover in DC, all in all about 24 hrs later arrive in Zurich - we can refund your tickets. (Airlines are again flying full and want those cheap expensive seats back) Not happening.

If we aren't having enough fun, we spend hours on-line, completing Swiss entry forms (which are mostly in German or a difficult translation.) We got a negative PCR test. 72 hrs before the flight we'll be tested again, then spend more hours uploading the results to United and Swiss. (I know the hours involved because friends traveled to Zurich 10 days ago, tell me time/frustration spent uploading brought them both to tears.)

I am mostly packed:

Philip is not:

We're excited with a healthy dose of nervous. As we all are. Chris tells me vax rates in Switzerland are about 60/40 - Kentucky is the same. He also reports ICU's are full - again, same in Kentucky. 

We decided we'll feel as safe in Adliswil as we do in Lexington. We'll continue masking, washing hands, avoid indoors and crowds. We'll laugh, catch up with each other's life's. Antje and I will, maybe, finish our glorious bottle of Scotch Whiskey. Several years ago we went on a search for the perfect bottle of Scotch whiskey. Several shops and tastings later, discovered the perfect whiskey comes at a dear price. We never hesitated, placed our CHF on the counter and vowed to tell No One how much we spent, mostly hysterically giggling all the way home, being ultra cautious not to drop the whiskey - so yeah, we had a few tastings prior to our purchasing. 😄

While I'm anticipating the visit; it will be strange not to have the kids coming and going. Instead, Chris tells me we'll have the downstairs apartment - actually I've been angling for that little haven 12 years. But their kids played like musical beds.  Everytime I was there one moved out and another moved in. They don't take me seriously enough when I say I want to move in. If they next election is a dismal as I think it will be my stay could be permanent.

Ok, next installment, from Adliswil!