Housekeeping, July 28-29

Sorry gang, no photos for this post.  A hinge broke on our home exchange tiny fridge/freezer unit and so we spent the 28th traveling by bus and foot to the outer reaches of Lausanne searching for a part.

These are the suburbs where the equivalent of Home Depot, Lowe’s, Kmarts and other big discount stores reside.  At first, it was amusing going in and out of home improvement/appliance stores with the broken refrigerator-freezer hinge (and its broken parts) in a zip lock baggie and trying to find a replacement.  We were met with either firm no’s, blank stares or disinterested “I can not help you, nor am I interested, Monsieur” shrugs.

We finally came across a small appliance repair place that looked like it may be our salvation, but their repair person had left at 3PM and the counter person wasn’t sure they could fix this hinge.  We came home foot-sore and discouraged, just as anyone in any country would be after a day of going in and out of stores without success – only ours was exasperated by trying to do it all in broken French/English.

Avez-vous des pièces pour cette charniére?  While showing them the hinge…

Ahh mais non, not here — mais there is OBI store — juste 7 kilometers on the bus, then traverse droite through a park and juste la bas, a pont and voila you is there…

Back home, after a restorative glass of wine, we decided because it’s the freezer door part of the unit – and, given they don’t have ice here (small American sigh), we have no need to open the freezer during the rest of our stay.  So we wedged it shut.  Voila  — c’est tout!

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The next morning we woke to rain, and husband, dissatisfied with the wedged freezer door solution, found some tools and McGuyvered a temporary repair on the hinge until our exchange partners return.  I used Google translate to compose a letter of explanation on the situation…and we did a little high five.

As a second part of our housekeeping, the recycling had to be loaded into the trunk of the car and hauled down into town to big barrels in designated parking lots.  Exciting huh?

After that chore was done and despite the rain, we decided to take off on a side trip with the car and ended up having a short walk around a little hillside village — another beautiful stone paved walkway through vineyards and back garden plots.  We  ducked into a little cafe, had a glass of wine, sampled some local cheeses and just watched the rain come down over the lake.

Two days of routine housekeeping in Switzerland was somewhat diverting and allowed us to feel a little bit like locals.  (But then again — who are we kidding?) 

Back to more exciting ventures tomorrow — promise.

 

Vignobles, Lavaux, July 27

Just below us lies Lake Geneva, or Lac Leman as the French speakers call it.  Along this part of the lake is Lavaux, the wine region of Western Switzerland.  Our original plan for today was to visit the old town of Lausanne.

But it was too beautiful a day to be wrangling with buses and the underground metro. Much too pretty outside to be going in and out of old musty cathedrals and buildings.  So we threw our plans to wind and set out to explore along the lake towards Montreaux.  We decided to find the terraced hiking paths which take one through many of the vineyards (vignobles in French) and into the small villages.

All right down the hill from us  –and, as we turn west along the lake, we knew we’d made the right decision — take a look…

Notice in the last photo, a mere four rows of grape vines are planed in the narrow space between the road and the railroad tracks – utilizing every bit of the fertile land.

We climbed up and up into the vineyards to more panoramic views of the lake — even came upon a pretty man-made waterfall diverted from the irrigation canals.

The terraced walkways are paved with stones and are bordered by low stone walls and meander through the vineyards and in and out of the little wine villages — with names such as Epesse, Chexbres. Each village has plaques on the houses proudly designating the inhabitant and their role in the local wine industry.  We did finally stop and have a glass of the local wine and watched the clouds chase each other across the sky.

 What a spectacularly fine day – one to remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zurich to Lausanne, Switzerland: July 24-26

Caught the mid-day train from Zurich to Lausanne.  Pro-tip: always bring ziplock bags to the buffet breakfast in a European hotel.  Especially in the German or Austrian areas, as they love their meat, cheese and bread for breakfast — which in our terms makes a lovely train lunch.  Not to worry, look around the breakfast tables at the hotel, you’ll see others (even the snobby French) doing the same.  Here’s photographic evidence of our crime. (Lest you think we’re gluttons – we ate only a small portion of this haul, saving the rest for later.)

 

We arrived at the Lausanne train station late afternoon and as pre-arranged, met up with our exchange partners accompanied by their daughter and boyfriend (the latter speak excellent English). We walked over to a little cafe, had a drink, exchanged keys, information, chatted for bit and then our exchange couple dashed for their train to Geneva to fly to San Francisco.  (I think MI5 may not be as adept as the 6 of us were at this involved arrangement.)  The daughter and boyfriend drove us up to our exchange apartment, showed us the appliances (whew what a bonus!) and made sure we felt at home.  We shared a quick glass of wine and swiss cheeses that had been left for us, exchanged contact information and thank you’s and we were all set.

This is a new 5-floor apartment building and the apartment is a great pride of our exchange partners who just purchased it earlier this year.  This is the view of Lake Geneva from the deck:

Just below this spanking new complex is the village of Pully – which we explored the next day (Saturday) so as to test drive our exchange car (photo of car included for you Dad – husband says to tell you it’s an Opal.)  We stopped on the way back up the hill to do some grocery shopping.  Exchange folks left us a lasagna so we got salad makings and a baquette to complete a nice dinner that evening.  Click on photos to view larger.

Sunday was overcast, with a chance of rain (a relief from the 90 degree heat wave Switzerland has suffered for the last 3 weeks) so we drove down the hill to Ouchy area which circumvents the lake.  Parked in a 5 hour permit area and walked down into the town, found a open market and enjoyed our first taste of the Lausanne.   Again, click to view larger.

Showers came just as we were walking back, so we came home only slightly damp…you see we’re already calling it “home”.

 

 

 

The Un-comfort Zone

July 22-23, 2015 – In Transit San Francisco to Zurich

The joy (and the challenge) of travel is often what I call the un-comfort zone.  And the in-transit part really proves that concept.  California to Europe is a gruelling 11-12 hour flight.

At first, one anticipates this time as a delightful sort of  suspended animation — so much time to read. But, by hour 5 you have lost all interest in reading, watching movies or being civil to your travel companion.  By hour 6, you are slipping in and out of sleep in a semi-counscious state.  Hour 8 – and you are ready to admit that traveling is the pits and are considering a second mortgage to upgrade to first class.  By the last two hours you are picking at the in-flight breakfast, looking at your watch and secretly wishing you had stayed home watching The Good Wife.  The flight ends and you glare at the annoying guy in front of you who spent the entire flight with his seat fully reclined into your lap.  And with with crusty eyes and swollen ankles you stumble off the plane.

Then you find your way to the train (let’s see train in German — Bahn?) and check into the budget hotel you found right next to the train station.  Your room overlooks a busy street corner and you wonder how you will sleep.  After quick showers (and figuring out said same shower system) you feel almost human and together you strike out to walk around, get some fresh air, daylight and try to adapt to the new time zone. A light meal is in order so you choose a cute cafe with outdoor seating and order the inevitable room-tempature drinks and an overpriced salad to share. You start to relax – watching the locals come home from work and you sigh with happiness.  The blatt blatt of the European police car in the distance, the striking of the church bells and the surly waiter all secure the fact  — you have arrived.

This is the joy and pain of what I call the un-comfort zone.  One has to embrace the discomfort — because this is what kicks your butt out of your safe, easy and predictable world.  A familiar world where the plumbing is understood, a world with cold drinks and ice, a place where you don’t have to think about every choice — and all in a language you fully comprehend.   You are far away from home —  you have shaken off your soft and cushy comfort zone – but this is why you travel – why you are here.

 

Travel Barmy: Home Exchange

Stay tuned right here as Book Barmy becomes Travel Barmy.  We head off to Switzerland next week and I’ll be posting photos and travel stories if anyone out there is interested.  (You can sign up to get email notices of new postings below on the right.)

Home exchange is our preferred method of travel.  When it comes up in conversation, the reaction is always something along the lines of …”What, you let people stay in your house?”  or “You sleep a stranger’s bed?” “What about your stuff?” “Is it safe?”

I’ll take a moment here to explain how much we benefit from exchanging homes.  When we first started, I did a great deal of research, talked to other  exchangers and over the last seven years of exchanging — have found that the following factors makes home exchange successful (for us anyway).

No money is exchanged – this is not Air B&B.  The exchange is based on trust, honesty and mutual respect.  You are in their homes — they are in yours.  You care for their things just as you know they are caring for yours.  We have never had a serious problem – a broken wine glass once (like that’s never happened before).  We always come home to a spotlessly clean house, some great food or wine in the fridge and often a lovely gift.

Sometimes you meet in person, sometimes not.  We have done exchanges both ways.  When we do meet the people, it’s usually the day before, we spend the night in their guest room and then take them to airport in the morning. When you don’t meet – you arrange for house keys to be exchanged.

No Craig’s List.  We use a reputable membership-based home exchange website where for ~ $100 per year, you list your home with photos, your preferences (i.e. no pets, no kids, no smoking), and you send/receive exchange requests through the website.  You don’t exchange personal contact information (email address, phone numbers) until you have agreed to an exchange.  By the time we actually exchange, we’ve usually sent additional photos, heard about the grandchildren, traded local travel tips – and become new best friends.  There are many great sites.  These are our two favorites: Home Link and Home Exchange.

You can exchange anywhere.  We’ve been to the Netherlands, Croatia, Venice, Santa Fe, France, Sedona, Seattle, and Santa Barbara – all on home exchanges.  We’ve experienced the local neighborhoods, met the neighbors, bought groceries in their little shops and patronized their local cafes. We pack light because we have a clothes washing machine.  We prepare breakfast and pack a lunch for the day in their kitchen. With the vast amount money we save – we are able to stay longer (usually 3-4 weeks internationally), eat in good restaurants and take side trips staying in B&B’s or inns that strike our fancy.  No group tours, pricey hotels or whirlwind visits for us.  We take our time, get to know the culture, eat with the locals, visit the things we want — when we want  — all while having a comfortable and usually beautiful house to call home (not stuck in a dinky hotel room). We always feel safer knowing someone is living in our home — coming and going — and watering our house plants.  Many families with children find exchanging with other families a perfect solution (homes already set up for children and they can share the toys)  and there are exchangers who exchange pet care.  So almost anything is possible.

What about valuables?  We don’t own anything that valuable and we now realize no one is going to travel 5,000 miles to steal our flat screen TV.  (Remember, we know where they live).  We have a locking closet in our den where we put a set of wooden steak knives I don’t want put in the dishwasher, a fragile beloved native-American pot and the financial papers from our desk – not that anyone would go snooping (again that mutual respect thing is key) but just in case.  Otherwise we don’t worry about valuables.  Again, we worry more when our house is left empty.

Isn’t it alot of work getting your house ready?  Yes, getting the house ready for the first couple of exchanges was exhausting.  But I kept lists of things that need doing and it has now evolved to an almost brainless effort.  One must clean out a closet and a couple of dresser drawers for them.  Make sure the fridge is cleaned out except for some basic food for your exchange partners.  Clear up the clutter, clean, dust, and the morning you depart change beds with clean sheets and put out clean towels. A “house book” is a must – it tells your exchange partners all about your house – again my has evolved over time – how to work the heat, where the iron and ironing board are located, quirks of the house, etc..  I also leave a plastic folder with all the appliance manuals and a big basket of San Francisco guide books, maps, and transit information.  All in all – it’s a great motivator for getting those pesky little chores done around the house — that old light switch plate or the hard-to-reach window that needs washing.

Are you right for home exchange?  The answer is no if you are bothered by coming back to things not exactly in place in the kitchen or to find your CD’s out of order. To be a good home exchanger you have to be adaptable, relaxed and flexible (characteristics necessary for any type of travel).  It’s a unique, yet fascinating way to travel.  Inevitably, you’ll be perplexed by the foreign home appliances and the nuances of the local trash collection — but for us, that’s part of the fun.  It helps that we live in San Francisco, a top tourist destination – but any location will work as people often want to exchange to visit family.  (We did an exchange last year to a big house near my parents so the whole family could be together for their 60th wedding anniversary -a lovely time.)

In terms of sleeping in other peoples beds – what do you think you do when you stay in a hotel?  We have a full mattress cover/pillow covers (I put away my favorite pillow – my own little quirkiness).

Insider pro-tip. Never mention home exchange to an insurance agent, their heads will spin. If you have universal coverage you’re covered as your exchange partners are considered guests in your home.  And yes, we also exchange cars – exchange partners are “permissive drivers”.  (Check with your own insurance agent on coverage for house guests and automobile permissive drivers.)  Both websites offer an exchange agreement – but we’ve only used it once at the others request – it is not a legal document, just a letter of understanding. Again, the trust and honor thing is the only binding agreement we need.

So that’s how we travel folks, and although you may still find it weird, we find it works for us.  Our experiences have been extraordinary because of the personal connections with our exchangers and living in their homes.

Home exchange also serves to reassure us that most people, most of the time and in most of the world are overwhelmingly kind, honest and respectful.

Not a bad way to think about the world in these days.

 

 

Memoirs as Salvation

~~First an apology for the radio silence. I’ve been neglecting Book Barmy lately.  Last minute travel preparations dominate right now, as we prepare to leave on a grand trip next week.  As a result, my reading has dwindled to a few pages at night- (sometimes the same pages from the night before) until I can’t keep my eyes open. Stay tuned for more on our travel excitement in an upcoming post. ~~

What is it about memoirs?  I gravitate toward them in anxious times and decided it was because I’m a bit of a guilty voyeur combined with a dash of schadenfreude.   I seem to gain solace from dipping into the disastrous lives of others.   So when I came across this wonderful Mary Karr essay HERE , I knew I had a chum — another memoir lover out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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One of my all time favorites is Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert.  Read this memoir for it’s depiction of a trip of a lifetime and Ms. Gilbert’s personal journey.  Rediscovering joy, peace and love while gaining friends, insights and few extra pounds along the way.  It’s really not as sappy as I just made it sound – honestly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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And now for something similar yet completely different … Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs.  Once again we witness a nightmarish youth and the reparations, but in this case Mr. Burroughs tells his tale in such a way that it is both entertaining and outrageous.  So entertaining, in fact that some studio attempted to make a film based on the book. Just terrible, give it a miss – the film that is – not the book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I was recently reminded of the classic Testament of Youth –  an autobiography of a independent woman who volunteers as a nurse during WWI. I missed many a wild club scene evening buried in its pages back in the 80’s. It’s been adapted into what looks to be a promising film (trailer HERE).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The other evening I started this unique memoir.  Grieving over the unexpected death of her father, Helen MacDonald rediscovers her love of falconry with a prickly and murderous goshawk —  named Mabel.  I’m only a few chapters in and it’s riveting (at least for as long as I’m able to stay awake these recent nights).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not forgetting the other memoirs here on Book Barmy –THIS or THIS

What are your favorite memoirs or autobiographies?

When life gives you zucchini & leftovers

Here at Book Barmy -husband puts together breakfast and I make dinner..we’re on our own for lunches (remember the saying? for better or worse but not for lunch – so true).

I cook most every night and usually relish the time in the kitchen, the soothing chopping, dicing and listening to NPR while I cook.  But sometimes I loose my mojo and stare dejectedly at what faces me in the fridge.

Yesterday it was zucchini and one leftover lamb chop.  Who doesn’t have zucchini this time of year especially my friends with gardens?  There’s the old joke that the only time New Englanders lock their houses (or cars) is during summer- otherwise neighbors surreptitiously leave bags of zucchini from their gardens

So I consulted my cookbook shelves – yes I still collect cookbooks – despite the wealth of recipes online -opened The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and found

Zucchini Ribbons with Almond Pesto