Friday, September 10, 2010

Things I Love THIS WEEK

Did you catch that? Yes, I decided it's now "Things I Love This Week" because let's be honest, Thursdays are just not working out for me. It's the same idea but now I have the freedom to post on Tuesday or Friday, etc.

Speaking of irregularity, the first thing I'm loving are (1) PRUNES. Or as we in the States call them, plums. We call dried plums prunes but here it's all prunes, fresh or dried. In Switzerland, I am in an area where fresh produce flows in abundance so I have been eating like a queen every day.  We pop over to somebody's farm at least every other day and come back with armloads of prunes, raspberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, etc. There's so much fresh produce, people just leave it on your doorstep. I kid you not, one day we came back from an outing to two plump zucchini propped against the door. Three days later, a man left us a pumpkin. I love these people.

Anyway, prunes. They're not just for old folks anymore. Go get some fresh ones. Just make sure you spit out the stones (or, the pit). And yes, you'll be as regular as the daily mail.

(2) Raspberries - I promise I will not make this about my favorite fruits. Maybe. But today we went raspberry picking today and I just love it. The prickly leaves, finding the plump ripe ones, and fingers stained with bright crimson juice. Feast your eyes:
Ok now stop that. You're drooling on the keyboard.

(3) Lausanne - I talked a little about Lausanne in my last post but this city is so cool. It's not a huge city but large enough to get lost in and large enough to have stores devoted to really specific things like Swedish fireplaces. (Wish I had a picture, that store was really strange.) But it's also small enough to be pretty quiet and pretty clean.  It has strong flavors of France, like the Laduree macaron shop and little corner patisseries, but it's very vibrant with its own unique culture as well. Lausanne is home to the best design school in the world, Ecal, and it shows. Beautiful architecture and really neat design shops all over town. And it's on the lake. It just keeps getting better.
In a few weeks, I will be going into the city at least twice a week for French class. 


Ahhh. 

(4) Antiques - Because I am secret hipster, I love all things old and vintage-y. What's better than vintage? European vintage, of course! Last weekend we went to a giant antiques fair in L'Isle. It was a good thing I left all my ChF (Swiss Francs) at home because otherwise I would have left with three vintage suitcases, a telephone, some spice jars, picture frames, and a samurai sword. Cool, but arguably unnecessary to my life. 
Nevertheless, I pine when I look at the pictures I took.





Short List
  • Getting my train/bus pass - hopefully many weekend trips around Switzerland to come!
  • Beautiful sunny days with no humidity (jealous yet?)
  • Finally figuring out how to tell time in a country where they don't use am/pm
  • Getting a French Bible and Hymn book - sure makes singing easier to have the right words...
  • The kind and patient nature of the Swiss - really helps that they aren't as frustrated as me with my slow and incorrect French
  • Taking the children to the park
  • Poketo for Target - love their pouch collection, perfect for travelling
  • Having a phone
  • Having friends in the same time zone
  • Handmade soap
  • The way Swiss bank notes are pretty enough to be art
  • Making chocolate chip cookies and thinking of home. 
What do you love this week?

7 comments:

  1. Hello miss Ellie!
    I figured I better at least tell you that I am reading your blog ;) - I am the strange girl that you "met" last Sunday when your family called from the Blakeman's! I was lucky enough to see Eva again and get to know your family.Your mom said I should read your blog- So I am! ;) It is really fun to hear about your travels and experiences abroad... except for the fact that you are making me miss it terribly! Thanks for the laughs and letting me live vicariously through you. Take care!

    Amanda

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  2. Ellie! Your commentary could make me slightly vain about my Swiss blood! But I suppose that vein doesn't match the Swiss people and culture! I hope you have a lovely time navigating the arterials of Switzerland. I look forward to reading your updates on whichever day of the week you choose to post them!
    Best wishes! Maureen

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  3. Quite delightful, my dear girl! I love my Poketo pouch, too .... I think of you every time I open my purse. Yes, I am jealous, but also very happy that you are happy. :D
    This week I love:
    1) cool crisp mornings
    2) freshly painted rooms
    3) 2nd grade classrooms
    4) a 7-year-old reading Dr. Suess to me and
    5) ping-pong.
    xoxoxo from avc
    p.s. you should totally buy the samurai sword

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  4. This week I love reading your blog--you're so so so lucky you have the opportunity to be with a family. You are/will see so much cool stuff and have a much more authentic appreciation of the country.

    And I love living Europe again, however vicariously. :)

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  5. this week I love:
    - reading your blog (!)
    - splashing in water
    - cool fall weather
    - listening to the Lord of the Rings Twin Towers soundtrack- I have no idea where it came from- just found it on my external hard drive... but it's great!
    - having a living hope
    - being me
    - living in Europe! Those narrow streets must be a nightmare to drive on...but aren't they gorgeous?!

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  6. Should I, like Amanda P., tell you that I'm one of your lurkers? I forget who shared your blog with me. It doesn't seem all that long ago that you were a little girl living near my parents (Madisonville). I think your family was in Hopkinsville. I'm sharing your blog address with a couple that moved to southern France a few months ago.

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  7. This week I love:
    1) SeaWolf because it makes me think of you.
    2) this Wednesday, because my parents are coming!
    3) Trader Joe's (but let's be honest, I love it every week)
    4) new friends
    5) rook
    6) little boy dress shirts with onesie snaps so they stay tucked in.

    Love you.
    xoxo
    Christina

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I love to hear what you're thinking! Thanks for the comment love. :)

 

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