Schuetzenmattpark Meet-up

We learned of a meet-up of English speaking kids at Schuetzenmattpark on Tuesday mornings, so that's where he headed today.  Almost immediately we met a British nanny, Tina, and her two charges, Frasier and the older one whose name is escaping me but is something also charmingly British.  The kids got along so great and we now have plans to meet up at Lange Erlen on Thursday.  We stayed at the park for 3 hours, splashing, climbing, picnicking.  Next time we'll be even more prepared with our sidewalk chalk and sand toys.

It's no wonder these kids have been sleeping well at night!

"Mom, can you help me? They live here and I'm shy."

While this trip has already been filled with wonderful, memory-making, cross-cultural experiences, it hasn't been without some bumps.  For each of us, "settling in" has meant something different.

Josh - In some ways our change of locale has been easiest on Josh since he is the least aware of life in general.  Being completely illiterate, he doesn't notice all the strange words all around us.  In other ways it's hardest on him because I can't explain to him why things are different.  And in addition to new foods, places, and people, he has also transitioned to 1) no naps and 2) sleeping in a big boy bed.  For the past few days he has asked about (or whined about) "my big house", meaning our home in Lexington.  It will be interesting to see, as the summer progresses how frequently his comments about "home" occur.

Layla - As explained, we have visited so many different playgrounds and have run across tons of German-speaking children.  To a certain degree, kids know the language of play and Layla can get along with anyone willing to dig in the sand or play tag.  But sometimes I watch her just standing and watching a group of children and I know she wants to join in.  Or she wants to use something that another child is using and doesn't know what to do or say.  She knows how to say, "Ich heisse Layla" but beyond that she is stuck.  She has come to me several times asking for help, explaining that "the other kids live here."  That's her way of saying they're speaking German.  Tomorrow we have plans to try to meet up with an English speaking playgroup so I know that will provide her some amount of relief.

Becky - As basic as my German is, I am very thankful for it about now.  Even if I don't have all the words to speak or to understand, I can at least sound out the words and don't sound like a complete fool.  At least, in my head I don't; I don't know what the Swiss are thinking!  The most difficult thing for me is a combination of not having any time without the kids, trying to feed the kids unfamiliar food, and buying groceries that I am unfamiliar with and must ensure are safe for Layla.  Even back home, I rarely take the kids food shopping with me because they make it so difficult.  Here, it's nearly impossible.  We may try to adjust Chris's work schedule one day a week to allow me to shop one of the bigger stores without the kids.  We're also looking into a babysitter so that I can shop in peace and maybe Chris and I can even have an evening in the city alone.  This trip is great, and I love my kids to pieces, but I won't lie - that week when we get home and they are at school and I have a week to myself - it's going to be amazing!

Chris - I think Chris's adjustment is two-fold.  Back home his work mornings are super busy because his Swiss counterparts have been at work for hours by the time he gets in.  Here, his day is winding down and the Cambridge folk are still going strong. This combines with the stress he feels to ensure that the kids and I are coping well.  While it may be a vacation for the kids and me, nothing at work has let up because Chris is here.  He did get an offer for after-work drinks on the Rhine this week, so I think he'll be ok!

This Place Knows How to do Playgrounds

We have yet to even make it to the two best known parks in town and yet, at every turn it seems we find a new fun playground.  Today on the way to the post office we stumbled upon the park on Claragraben.  Later in the evening, after a walk along the Rhine, we returned to this playground with Daddy.  Everywhere we go, including at 7:30 pm, these parks are in full use. Kids, adults, teens, babies, all sharing common space.  This particular park not only has ping pong tables, but fussball tables, too!

My super trooper adventureres about to head out for the morning.

The Claragraben playground.

Layla calls this the "beehive".

Much concentration.

Josh says that he is like Diego!

Taken during the evening walk along the Klein Basel side of the Rhine.  Josh enjoyed posing next to the dog sign!

First Weekend

While we have ideas for some big outings in the future, we decided to stay local this weekend.  There was a decent amount of rain predicted for Saturday and I wanted to become more familiar with navigating the city. Saturday morning we did what people the world over frequently do when it rains, we went to the mall.  We caved and got McDonald's for lunch.  The combination of the kids' pickiness and Layla's allergy really does impact our decisions about where and what to feed them.  (It also helps keep our waistlines from expanding too much; I have seen sooo many amazing looking desserts here, but since Layla can't have them, I haven't tried one for myself yet.)  McDonald's was the first place I used one of Layla's allergy cards. The girl behind the counter understood right away, and it was nice that the McDonald's menus actually contain a list of all allergens in their various products.  It may very well be this way in the U.S., too, but we don't do enough fast food at home for me to know.  I am happy to report that a Swiss McDonad's cheeseburger tastes exactly like you would expect it to.

The walk home from the mall includes this:

In the afternoon the kids spent some time riding their bikes and playing with chalk before venturing to the playground next to our complex.  Layla has added a boy Oliver to her list of Switzerland friends, which includes a random boy from the playground on our 2nd day and a girl named Isabel who we met at a restaurant Sunday morning.  Sadly for Layla, she will likely never see these kids again!

Layla demos her bike next to two of the many, many public ping-pong tables in this city.  What?!

Sunday was a much nicer day.  I mentioned previously that our immediate neighborhood didn't have too much to it.  I may have been wrong.  To the right of our building is a large park.  In front of our building is a huge construction area.  I believe they are building the retail site you see in this rendering below.  I think that what you see on the left is the Swiss International School and the building behind the small trees is our complex.  I think.




Kind of right where the grassy park and the dirt lot meet, is a random building with some tables outside but no sign really indicating its use.  We poked our heads in yesterday and found it's an adorable cafe/restaurant/bar called the Bahn Kantine.  We went there for brunch today and will be going back.

We then headed to the world famous Basel Zoo.  I purchased a membership so the kids and I can come back any time.  The zoo is huge, so there are still things we didn't get to see and do, even after a full afternoon there today.

 The kids were beyond excited to find both Dory and Marlin in the same tank!

The penguins from Madagascar!

 Layla was a happy girl viewing her favorite, the flamingos!

 Josh poses with another Swiss Cheese smile :).

Beautiful birds.

Chasing chickens.

Watching the farm animals head in for the night.  These cows were fast!

After a long day at the zoo we headed back to the apartment for dinner and fun in the courtyard.  We met some other children there, including 6 year old Tyler and his 2 year old sister, English speaking kids with no parents to be found. After baths, the kids rounded out their night watching Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith with Chris.  Pretty much a perfect day.

The view from the tram on the way home.

Two tired kids.

More Adventuring!

Today made for a lot of firsts.  Our first trip to see the animals at Lange Erlen Tierpark.  We will be coming back here A LOT!  This place is beautiful and totally free.  There were deer, wild cats, lots of different birds, horses, donkeys, goats, and more.

Our first visit to the Gartenbad Eglisee, our local public swimming pool.  Pics coming later when we actually swim, but this place is amazing.  The woman at the front desk spoke little English but I was able to determine that you can bring your own food in (though there is a restaurant, too), there are lockers, and there is a whole section just for women and young children.  Can't wait to really check it out!

Our first successful visit to the library and the Ludothek, the toy library.  We successfully became library members and we rented balance bikes and some Duplos, that we can keep until we leave!  It is a minor miracle that both children and I all made it home from the Ludothek in one piece, me pushing the stroller and them on their bikes (no helmets), and all of us not fully understanding the rules of the road!

Our first unaccompanied trip on the tram.  We met up with Chris and a coworker at the Novartis campus.  It is a BIG deal to be caught on the tram with no ticket or the wrong ticket, so I have been really paranoid about this.  There is no one on the train that takes your ticket, but once in a blue moon a tram operator might ask to see your pass.  If you don't have the right one then you pay something like 75 CHF.  Starting in July I have a monthly pass, so it will be tough for me to screw up. But until then I have to be super careful that I am doing things correctly.

First visit to the Rhine.  We ate at a nice Italian place.  I am pretty sure that Josh thinks we are in Italy; the kid has eaten pizza just about every day of this trip so far!

Can't wait to see what the weekend holds for us.

A Stranger in a Strange Land

I really don't know how people did things before the internet!  Once again, the Yahoo expat lists come through for us.  I posted a message asking how to get somewhere and the next thing you know, 24 hours later the kids and I are touring the city with a perfect stranger.  Danica is a Californian who has been in Basel for 13 years.  She happened to have the morning free and was so gracious in taking us around. Most importantly, she helped me get two bus/tram/train passes that I will need. And bonus - she invited us to her place for a 4th of July bbq.  Using the tram with her was helpful and I am slowly beginning to feel like I might be able to do it on my own!  

Here's a pic of the kids from our journey today.  You can see my reflection in the window and next to me is Danica.  

Say Swiss cheese!

More Exploring

Today was our first full day in Basel.  Chris went to work, which left me to exploring with the kids.  I still haven't tackled the tram and bus system, so for now we just navigated the sites of Kleinbasel.  And it was all about finding more things to entertain the kids.

Stop #1 this morning: the Ludothek Blaesi.  This is a toy library that allows you to rent items from them for a month at a time.  They weren't open when we arrived but we were able to speak with one of the employees. It sounds really promising and we aim to head back on Friday when they are open.

Stop #2: Horburgpark.  This park is kind of spread out and has three different structures you see below.

Climbing structure with web swing (not pictured).

Really cool slides built into the hill.  Somewhat reminiscent of the slides in Arlington.

The kids played with a really friendly Swiss boy here.  We taught him "Ready, Set, Go!"  Chris has warned me that in Swiss culture it's not ok to photograph other people, so you won't see any pics of the little boy...or anyone else, really.

 Here's the final part of the playground.  Lots of fun things to climb in this country!

Stop #3: Back home. In the afternoon the kids and I eagerly awaited our delivery from Coop At Home.  Apparently the Swiss like really large condiments.  Pretty sure we have enough ketchup for a year!  Layla was happy to discover that they still put prizes in their cereal boxes :).

Stop #4: Lange Erlen.  When Chris arrived home and we'd dined on our fine frozen pizza, we found our way to the nearby German rail station to check out the ATM and the almost 24-hour grocery store (the rest close at 5:30!).  From there we continued to the Lange Erlen Tier Park that I mentioned previously.  We couldn't see many of the animals because it was after hours, but I could tell this is going to be a go-to place for us for sure.  The kids we happy to find this shady playground there.

Late here, so signing off.  Kids had a rough night of sleep last night.  Their poor little bodies don't know if they're coming or going and Josh is trying to make the switch to a big boy bed in this strange new land.  He keeps crying out for his "big house."

This link should show you the walking route we took to Lange Erlen.  We went into Germany for about 2 seconds and then back into Switzerland: http://goo.gl/maps/F98zn  If I were a fancy blogger or if it weren't 10:40 pm, I'd have figured out how to put that map right onto this page!

Rain predicted for tomorrow.  That should be interesting!

We Made It!

After a long day of travel, we are safe and sound in Basel.  It's 8:15 Basel time (2:15 pm EST) and the kids are sound asleep.  They were such troopers during the whole journey, however they were up really late on the plane (Josh didn't nod off until almost 1 a.m.!) and up around 5 a.m., so it's no wonder they are zonked! From Zurich we hopped right on a train to Basel.  A coworker of Chris's nicely took time out of her day to pick us up at the train station.  Technically, she picked up me and the luggage.  Chris took the kids on the tram.  After settling in we set out to find a Migros or Coop, the two main grocery stores.  We picked up a few essentials and discovered that while some things are different here (you have to weigh your produce prior to check out...oops), there are other things that are exactly the same (you know those kids' bubble bottles that you're supposed to squeeze to make the wand pop up?....yeah, they are crap here, too!).

The apartment is in Klein Basel, on the other side of the Rhein from the main part of the city.  The neighborhood doesn't offer a ton of go-to spots, but there is a nice courtyard with some playground equipment and another playground just around the corner.  We could sense Layla's disappointment when she was trying to get in with the other kids.  First she didn't get a window seat on the plane and now she can't talk to the kids!  I think she'll deal, though!  We haven't spotted them yet, but I know we are a walk or a short ride away from the Lange Erlen Animal Park and also a public pool.  Guess I need to figure out which bus/tram pass I'm getting!

Here are some pics of the apartment, as well as a couple of exhausted children!


                                 Kitchen, sans just about everything you need to actually use a kitchen!

                                                                 Balcony off the kitchen

                                                    View of courtyard from the balcony.

                                                                       Living space

                                                                     Kids' room

                                                                          Master
                                      

                                                              One of two bathrooms

                                                               8:15 Basel time.  Time for bed!

T - 24 hours

At this time tomorrow night, assuming all goes as planned, we will be at the airport with two excited, yet tired, kids.  Hopefully shortly after our 9:45 departure, they will nod off, and so will we!  92 and mostly sunny in Boston when we leave (well, by evening, 78)....64 and showers in Basel when we land.  Made sure to pack the raincoats in our carry-ons, as our checked baggage will be arriving later in the day than we do.  We fly direct to Zurich and then take an hour train ride to Basel.  Bags will be put on a train to Basel, guaranteed to arrive by 5pm.  So, raincoats and epi pens in the carry-ons.  Check!

Next post will be from Basel.  Stay tuned.

Until then, some fun Swiss German phrases for you!

I Have Found Our Castle!

Thank you, this time, to the Basel expats group on Yahoo.  I have identified what I believe to be the perfect castle for us!  The Lenzburg Castle includes a museum, an armory, and a children's museum where, according to a Yahoo list member, "children can dress up in medieval costumes or make their own swords and shields."  Sounds about right!

Schloss Lenzburg

For those of you whose German is better than mine, this site includes a video tour of the castle.

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau

One outing I am planning for us is a visit to a castle.  I am still searching for just the right castle to visit.  One that is accessible by public transport from Basel, one that is kid friendly, and most important of all, one that looks like a real castle....something that will impress the 2 and 4 year old!

This Swiss tourism site, which includes an interactive map of all the castles in Switzerland, should get me started with the planning!

I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand. - Coldplay

Swiss Labeling

I have stated that what stresses me most about this adventure is safely dealing with Layla's allergies.  One more reason to love the internet....I emailed the aha! Swiss Allergy Centre (not sure why the interesting name) to ask about how food products are labeled.  I had noticed "may contain" statements on products from Coop's online store, and this prompt response from aha! clarifies things a bit.  I am so grateful to be able to connect with folks half a world away with such ease.

Dear Mrs. Farnham,

Thank you for your question. The Swiss legislation regulates the declaration of tree nuts and peanuts as follows:

-       Tree nuts (hazelnut, almond, walnut etc.) and peanuts must be listed in the ingredients list in any case if they are added to the food.

-       In Switzerland, unintended contamination with peanuts or tree nuts must be declared as well, if they (could) exceed a ratio of 1 g perkg. Contamination of less than 1 g per kg should be labeled the same way. You will then find the following note on the packaging: “Kann Nüsse enthalten” (may contains tree nuts) or “Kann Spuren von Nüssen enthalten” (may contains traces of nuts).

On products from Coop you’ll see the allergens labeled in a green box. If you wish to see the labeling of products from Migros as well (the other supermarket in Switzerland), you can find them on www.le-shop.ch. On any food product you can find a phone number to call and ask, if the product does not contain tree nuts or peanuts.

If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Karin Stalder

Deputy Head Specialist Team

aha! Allergiezentrum Schweiz

aha! Swiss Allergy Centre

Neutrality

It's less than 24 hours since the double bomb attack just 12 miles from our home.  Words can't really describe the mix of emotions running through this city today.  The world we live in is crazy.  I think that 8 weeks in the island of neutrality that is Switzerland will be good for us.  We're not running away, because we will be back and we will continue to help the Greater Boston area move forward.  Not that crazy can't happen in Switzerland.  Like I said, the world is a crazy place.

                                       

In an effort to continue life as normal, I am doing what I can now to prepare for June.  It's my school vacation week and the kids are at daycare. These 4 days could be just about the only large chunk of time that I have to plan and to organize.  I have purchased tons of personal care items that we will need and also new over the counter medications that could come in handy.  The last thing I want is to have an ill child and be confused over medication dosing because I am unfamiliar with the product and/or I can't read the label.  I've also been thinking about how to entertain the kids on the plane and also in the apartment, since we won't have all of their toys.  I've visited a few of our local toy stores (Henry Bear's Park and Tweet Tweet Toy Shop) and I've purchased some fun items that should be new and interesting for the kids.  I picked up some ever-popular Wikki Stix; it's been years since Layla has seen them and they'll be new to Josh.  I also picked up some new compact games similar to this Caterpillar game by Haba that we already owned.  Layla already has a backpack that she will bring on the plane, but I purchased this shark one for Josh.  I can't wait until he sees it! Between new toys and the iPad/Kindle/LeapPad, these kids are destined to have the most fun plane ride ever!

Toy Library

I am posting this link here because there is nothing "pinnable" on the page.  I need to find out more info, but this appears to be a list of toy libraries; there are two listed for Basel.  Sounds promising!

http://toy-net.ch/ludothek/ludotheken.htm

This time it's for real!

Here we go again.  We have been approved (really, actually, officially approved!) for a summer in Basel.  I am picking up right where we left off with our planning last year.  My Basel board on Pinterest is full of fun places to visit in the area and I am connecting with folks in CH through a variety of Yahoo lists and message boards. 

Since last year, we have become more informed (and alarmed) about Layla's peanut/tree nut allergy.  This is the biggest source of my stress in terms of planning for the trip.  Forget about whether or not Josh will still  be using a binky or whether or not he'll be potty trained (I do not know where the public toilets are in Basel!), I worry most about how to keep Layla safe while we are on our adventure.  Food allergies are not nearly as common in CH as they are in the US, so the society in general is not too well informed about them.  Plus, there are 4 national languages in CH and I speak none of them (sorry, Herrs Aust and Rausch!).  This will make reading labels and communicating to restaurant staff quite difficult.  I have "met" some expat moms online whose children do have allergies and lots of the info I have gained from them has helped to ease some of my worries.  One of the moms keeps a blog about living in CH with an allergic child.  Others have pointed me to certain brands of food.  I'm particularly in love with the JaMaDu brand that is available at the COOP grocery stores. Being able to scan the aisles of the grocery store without really being there is so amazingly helpful.  Not only does JaMaDu make chicken nuggets and frozen meatballs, but they also make teddy bear-shaped pasta.  Seriously, how did we all get by before the internet?! 

Auf Wiedersehen, Basel!

We are sad to announce that our trip has been canceled. It's a complicated story of budgets and bureaucracy. Chris and I, and even Layla, had really begun to live this dream and it's a sad loss to recognize that it's not going to happen. We are hopeful that some day we will travel overseas as a family as more than just tourists on a whirlwind trip.

Trying to look at the bright side. Here are some good things to come of this:

1. I can enroll Layla in the "Teddy Bear Picnic" camp at the Lex Res.

2. I can get back to the gym. Put the kids in the gym daycare and work my butt off.

3. We will be able to visit grandparents in Maine and maybe even meet our new cousin, Liam.

4. We can focus on finishing the basement and maybe even enjoying it this summer.

5. Layla no longer has to worry that Josh is going to "fall out of the sky" if he isn't buckled into a carseat.

So, to the two of you out there reading this (hi, Mom!), Auf Wiederluege, and until next time!