Everyone Gets Swiss Army Knives For Xmas

The party is winding down. On Thursday I got into Geneva early in the morning. I couldn't find an alarm clock to buy (mine had broken) so I stayed up all night watching movies, sleeping the with lights on to stay awake to catch my flight.

What a relief to be back in the cold, meteorologically and culturally. Swiss aren't my type of people, they are reserved and not very straight forward, and are made uncomfortable by a chatty tourist.

And the smell is so much better here. Cold air, fresh water, chopped wood and mulled wine. That and horn players and yodelers. And oddly a metal statue of Freddy Mercury.


Keeping up with seeing castles I visited Chillon castle, but you can't expect great stories from the Swiss either. The castle had no bloody executions, was attacked twice and both times it was short and the occupants fled. Nice place, but pale.

The thrill of the hunt.

Vivianne and I went on a quest to find a two-headed animal display in Laussane, but found it under construction. Now added to my very limited French vocabulary is now two headed lamb.

Let me tell you, hiking here is so boring.

Stupid.

And because my traditional pose was being overplayed:

This was taken from a small car garage. A peasants viewpoint.

One great relief about being in a home is that there are books on shelves, and finally books to read. There is something so secure in having a small library - that grounds you. And it made me nice and limp. Oh baby.

And since I was in Montreux, I had to pop by Nabokovs grave. Not that grave sites ever do much for me, but it was a good thing to do, finally have a semi-physical connection with him. To know where he settled and died. To imagine him in boots and shorts, chasing butterflies in uncharming hats.

Tomorrow I go. An early swim in the lake, and then the airport. Another sleepless night in London, then back to NY. But honestly, I don't think the blog will end there. Because it would be unfair to treat Americans as the norm, and not assess them - if there's any I can muster. Not like I have a changed perspective, but it's fair. Also, because I won't be staying. The trip is ending, but I don't feel bad either way.

I'm trying to convince some girls to go on a date with me to Medieval Times in NJ, but some women just aren't as enthusiastic about jeering on jousts while getting sloppy with mutton. That would be a pure woman.