Mother's Day(s) Out

June 8, 2008

We were so lucky to be able to be back home for a short visit last month.  Had such a good time visiting most of the family in Kansas City.

Of course, what would a visit be without a trip to our favorite places.  Bingo with Dad, Bar-b-q and real Mexican at Margarita's.    

That is not to say the food here in Switzerland isn't especially good.  Quite the contrary.  We've found very wonderful restaurants and some very good food.

However, the selections here are significantly more European than American, as one would expect.  Those dishes, such as hamburgers, often come with unusual side dishes or loaded with sauces we don't see in the states.     

We also haven't found much in the way of good Mexican or TexMex food.  On the other hand, the Italian, Chinese and other types of cuisine are many and well done.    

Beer rules the day, or so we found so far.  Any number of excellent brews.  No real hardship there, as Homer (Simpson, not the poet) might have said.  

One of the things we miss is the bar games we were hooked on in the states.  We recently found a couple machines at a bar called Pot Belly's.  Not exactly the same, but a little touch of home I guess.  We also got to play  some pool there, it is fairly close to the flat and the dogs are welcome.     

It may be just coincidence but we seem to leave something there every time we go to Pot Belly´s.  We've left any number of personal  items, including umbrellas and phones.  Well, the latter is not quite true.  Let me explain further.

Relative to the phone incident, Teri and I had bicycled to the bar earlier (Tara was home with Justin and Julie).  On the way, we crossed over the railroad tracks just before the train came through.  Truth be known, we started across the tracks when the crossing arms came down.  Teri slowed one of them down with her nose while I zigged and zagged between them in a panic.   

Having finally arrived without further incident (lucky for us the tracks in question were only 30 feet from the entrance) we sat down to play games and ordered Screwdrivers.  After explaining the complexities involved to the bartender, we had something which resembled the asked for drinks.     

Trying our luck again, we next ordered a couple Martinis.  I should have suspected something when the bar tender asked if I wanted these on the rocks.  Not knowing exactly what it was we got, we quickly switched to Coronas.

The rest of the evening went pleasantly enough.  When we left, it was raining quite hard so we hopped on a train with our bikes in tow. Hop is not the right word as the steps into the train were pretty steep. 

As we headed toward the central station in Zurich, we discovered we left our helmets behind.  We decided that this could wait until the next day.  However, Teri could also not find her company phone, so we headed back on the next train out. 

 A call to the bar on the way gave no comfort.  Upon leaving the train a half our later, skillfully avoiding the crossing arms,  we searched the area where the bikes had been parked, but to no avail.  Teri went back to the bar and frantically searched the floor and the girl´s powder room whilst I stayed with the bikes. 

On a hunch, I abandoned the bikes and gave a closer look along the tracks.  Happily, I espied Teri´s Blackberry sitting wet and evidently undamaged on the tracks a few feet below the platform where we had originally got on the train. Heroically, unselfishly disregarding my own personal safety in the interests of preserving Teri´s sanity, not to mention her continued employment, I retrieved the aforementioned phone.        

As Teri came tearfully out of the bar, her spirits immediately rose when she saw me, or rather her phone.  The remainder of the evening went without further incident and actually ended on a higher note.  We found ourselves, after again taking a train back to the city center, biking through the streets of Zurich.  We discovered an open Movenpick.  For those of you unfamiliar, this is the Nirvana of ice cream.      

  

All of which goes to prove that all´s well that ends well.

Hope all is well with each and all.

Bob