July, 2021
Liebi Laura,
Phew! We’ve made it through the end of school chaos and are now well and truly in relaxation mode. Ah, the joys of six weeks of school holidays without any schedules! Where do I find you this month? Enjoying a staycation in Geneva, exploring Switzerland or venturing further afield?
I am currently in the middle of a two-week visit to the canton of Graubünden. We are camping near the Swiss National Park, and next week we will return to Flims. I remember you were there last year too, no? We wanted an easy-going holiday this year, so returning to Flims and the same apartment we stayed in last year was a stress-free choice. Plus, we only really touched the surface on our previous visit: a visit to the Rheinschlucht and Restaurant Conn, a hike to Segnesboden and of course a swim in the famous Caumasee. So this year, we want to explore a little more and eat at a few restaurants we missed last time too. Before we get there, though, we are camping for a week near Pontresina, and I am secretly hoping that we will see Edelweiss in the wild on our visit to the national park. I’ve only ever seen Edelweiss at a garden centre.
Little Z has been counting down to this trip since back in February when she asked if we could visit the Swiss National Park one day. We have the book character Globi to blame for this. She has listened to the audiobook of “Globi in the swiss national park”, many many times. Do you know Globi the talking parrot, or is he purely a character from a swiss-german childhood? He has lots of different stories from all over Switzerland as well as the world. He even recently released a book about him and Roger Federer.
I have also never seen Narcissi fields like in your last letter either. The photo took my breath away, and I can imagine a photograph can only really capture a part of its magical beauty. So I’ve put it on my mental swiss bucket list and hope I can one day convince my kids it is worth powering through their springtime allergies to see them. But the allergies seem to be slowly letting up now that we have moved into (a very wet) summer.
Speaking of Summer, I never would have classed Geneva as a great place to visit this time of year. But of course, you have the lake right there! Your photos have even motivated me to turn our day trip to renew my daughter’s passport in early August into an overnighter. So please do share with me what you think would make for the perfect summers visit! I am sorry that our paths will not cross, though. One day!
But I don’t think it is just me who ignorantly dismisses Switzerland as a great summer destination. Sure we don’t have an ocean, nor is the weather reliable, but with over 1500 lakes, it really is a lovely country to explore when the sun shines. Plus, when it gets hot, there is always a mountain close by to escape up and find cooler temperatures!
Is Lake Geneva your go-to place to cool down with your family? Or do you also go to a public pool? We are fortunate to live within walking distance of the lake of Zug and so don’t often go exploring further afield. It’s a shame, actually, as just down the road from us, there is an excellent Badi set in between the Rigi and Mythen mountains. I pass it almost weekly on my way to grocery shop but never think to stop for a dip. It is funny how we often get set in our routines.
Your comment about why certain regions become famous for specific fruits has also got me thinking. After all, Thurgau has its apples, Wallis its apricots and vineyards, and Zug has its cherries. Am I missing any? I had ignorantly assumed regions specialise due to ideal growing conditions. Like our village, thanks to its southerly aspect is a great place to grow chestnut trees. Mother nature for sure has a significant influence. But maybe it has to do with migration too? I am reading an excellent book about the history of food which mention Apples originally come from China – I wonder how they made it to Switzerland?
Mother Nature has for sure been showing it’s strength over the past weeks – have you also had some big storms? Our unique position protected by the mountain Rigi actually saved us, and while other villages down the road suffered day after day of damaging hail storms, we came off with just a few gusts of wind and some rain. Did you see the centre of Zug turn into a raging river? Someone even canoed through the old town. There was so much hail that roads were blocked, cars damaged, roofs broken, and even our beloved cherries got caught up in the damage. Although, not all! We’ve still managed to sit down to a punnet or four! I love cherry season.
Well, I hope wherever my letter finds you this month, you are enjoying a relaxing start to the summer. I am very much looking forward to hearing about your exploring adventures!
Liebe Grüsse
Kristin
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