The Röstigraben Letters – February 2021

February 2021

Happy February Laura!

We are currently on our annual week away to the village of Scuol, and we’ve had all matter of weather. We started off the week with -17 C, I cannot remember the last time it was this cold, and finishing off with mild spring-like temps having me wishing for my spring-like clothing back at home. We have been coming here to Scuol for our February “Sports Ferien” for many years, always renting out the same apartment just a little bit out of the village. It’s a simple apartment, with just enough room for all five of us and the mountains of luggage a ski holiday requires but has a real home-away-from-home feeling that I just love. I don’t ski, so spend a lot of my time in here, reading, enjoying the view and going on photo walks while the rest of the family carve up the slopes. Are you also on school holidays? And does your side call them “sports” holidays too? Leave it to Switzerland to have holidays dedicated to sports :-).

This week is actually our second week of “sports holiday”, with the first one spent at home getting a few odds and ends done. We got haircuts, renewed passports and painted some walls. However, in non-corona time, the first week would have seen the older two spending the first week away on ski camp, and the younger one doing fun things like swimming and ice skating – all organised by their school. But of course, all those exciting things have been cancelled this year. But the school was still able to put on a special programme within each class. Little Z spent a few days dancing, painting and playing in the newly fallen snow and The Teen joined in on some games.

Speaking of games, we have a big pile with us here that we play each evening after dinner. A sort of holiday tradition we don’t just adhere to during winter. Rummikub, Brändidog and Jass cards always come with us. Is it called Jass on your side too? Do you play? I took a class with a local lady a few years ago, finally getting my head around this very traditional swiss card game. However, even after all that practise, everyone else in the family is infinitely better than me. I guess, just like my skiing ability; learning something later in life makes grasping it all the more of a challenge. I just don’t have the intuition to choose the right card to play, something even Little Z is getting the hang of. We always have a pack of cards with us though, me in my camera bag, Rolf in his ski jacket pocket, so there is no excuse to not practice, especially with the weather outside.

But I am all for forgetting that this spring-like weather can turn back to winter at any moment, and instead am dreaming of rays of sunshine and our summer plans. We are undecided if we should rent an apartment or go somewhere with our van. But your mentioning of new places to swim brought back fond memories of our time swimming in the turquoise waters of the Caumasee near Flims – it was heavenly! You visited last summer too, right? While I am not usually a fan of popular destinations, I was pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed our day at Caumasee. Once we figured out the trick for avoiding the crowds (i.e. get there early and using the guest card) we had a magical time dipping in and out of the water. I am still dreaming of the most amazing Capuns I had there, a total surprise for a restaurant serving the usual fried fare. Have you tried it before? I can’t say no to any dish that combines cream and salty meats and carbs! Wrap it in a leafy green and bake it till bubbling and you have me sold. However, I have never dared to cook it at home and leave it as an indulgent treat whenever we are in Graubünden.

Which reminds me, I must see if any local restaurants here are serving Capuns Takeaway before we leave on Saturday. Not that we haven’t already had our fair share of indulgence while here in Scuol, mostly in the form of melted cheese. We’ve had an easy raclette, with boiled potatoes and bacon on the top grill too. We keep the sides simple, gherkins and pickled onions, as well as the honey-flavoured gherkins’ for their touch of sweetness. When it is just the five of us, we rarely turn it into a full-blown Tisch Grill situation by grilling more than bacon. But I have recently started adding steaming broccoli for my conscious, adding some steamed veg whenever we have fondue too (or some roasted brussel sprouts) While not at all traditional – my husband and his cheesemaker dad think I am crazy and prefer to stick to just bread – I feel better getting some much-needed greens, especially with all the carb-loaded food we have been eating.

We return home to Zug tomorrow via the Vereina Tunnel, with a car full of sleepy kids and piles of dirty washing. It is about a 3-hour drive if we catch the train without having to wait too long. On Sunday, our Teen was supposed to re-pack her bag and head down your way for a French exchange trip. It is such a shame it has had to be postponed because of Corona. French is taught from fifth grade here in Canton Zug (they start with English in 3rd), and in their final year of high school (Secondarschule) they have the opportunity to spend a week in the French side of the country. Fingers crossed spring brings relief to the covid numbers, and they can find another date before the school year finishes. The end of school will be here before we know it.

I hope my letter finds you and the family healthy and enjoying the last bit of winter.

Liebe Grüsse

Kristin

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