August 1 - Day 6

Today we celebrated the National Swiss Holiday in what seems to be the Normal Swiss way - "leisurely"! We had a slow, easy morning enjoying the backyard and sun. It seems quite different for me, as back at home, we are always rushing to do something, get somewhere, etc. Here, we get there when we get there....the pace is slower and since I am on vacation, it doesn't bother me.  But on a regular basis - I am not sure I would fit in, as a Bostonian I have been programmed for so many years to rush, rush, rush.

Today's lunch was an omelette which was slightly different that ours, as Rosmarie adds cornmeal to the mix. This made the omelette turn more into a pancake than our typical egg omelette.

In the afternoon we had a special treat. We swam down the Rhine River. The Rhine has a strong current and you can go in the water (68 degrees) with a float and just drift down. You have to be careful in some areas so that you don't end up in the wrong place. It was incredible to float by the old town of Rheinfelden (founded in 1218), look at the people eating in cafes overlooking the river and then maneuver our way under the Rhine bridge. That's where I told Sara to let go of me - she was on her own, as I had to make my own way through the current. What a great mom, huh???? We ended up on the island by the bridge and walked home. What a truly unique experience!

For dinner, I cooked my pesto chicken dish from The Finest Gourmet. It's an easy dish to prepare for a group, consisting of cheese tortellini, sauteed chicken, fresh sauteed vegetables mixed with pesto, chicken broth and grated cheese. I do find cooking here to be a bit challenging. Not so much with this dish, but I also made brownies from a mix I have at the store. Finding the needed ingredients & tools and convering cups to ml was a bit difficult. A simple brownie mix turned into a lot more work than anticipated!

We completed our day sitting by the Rhine watching fireworks over the Rhine bridge. Once again, a memorable day here in Rheinfelden.

July 31st - Day 5

Rheusti and Fried Eggs for Brunch

Today, we spent at home relaxing with family. We had brunch around 11, which consisted of birchemuesli, bread, cheese, rheusti and fried eggs. Rosmarie showed me how she made the rheusti. She cooks the potatoes, whole, in a pressure cooker for about 10 minutes. Then she grates the potatoes - it works best with hard potatoes. She fries some onion in oil and adds the grated potatoes, adds salt and leaves to brown in the pan. She flips the potatoes once or twice. Basically, hash browns!

This afternoon Sara, Thomas and Lucas took a swim in the Rhine. The water was 67 degrees...a lot colder than our pool back at home (it was reading 84 degrees, when I left home). I hope to go in tomorrow - how can I have a chance to swim in the Rhine and not partake? I wonder if the water will warm up tonight at all.....

Tonight we ate a nice dinner consisting of risotto (cooked with apple wine and chicken boullion. Marscarpone and grated cheese added to the mix at the end), beef medallions topped off with proscuitto and salvia, and steamed carrots.

I ended the day with a walk through the quaint town of Rheinfelden. I said "gretzi mitinan" (greetings)  to all that I passed. Not one person looked at me strangely - getting the courage to speak a different language can be daunting. But I'm getting there!

July 30, 2011 - Day 4 in Switzerland

Coffee (notice the ashtray....smoking is very common here)

Today I took a long walk with my cousin, Christoph, along the Rhine River. He showed me their new power plant (powered by the Rhine - a natural resource for both the Swiss town of Rheinfelden and the German town of Rheinfelden). We had a cup of coffee at a local cafe (interesting to see many people bring their dogs with them for breakfast). For lunch we had Teigwarengratin which is a casserole made of pasta, potatoes, small pieces of bacon and eggs, cheese, milk and butter. The favorite part is the crust that is formed on the top from baking.  I find we don't eat much meat here - not anywhere as much as we do in America.

Teigwarengratin and Salad (salad is eaten after the main dish)

Sara and I went grocery shopping - so much fun! We are going to prepare my Pesto Chicken dish for the family on Monday. The grocery store is closed on Sunday and Monday is a holiday. So we are purchasing now. Many of the stores here close on Sundays and most everything closes down around 4:00. p.m. Very different than back at home! We found some strange things at the store - specifically horse meat - UGH. We started our visit with Sara riding a horse. We certainly aren't going to eat one.

Sara and I then went for a bike ride and got ice cream (cost of ice cream was 30.00 Franks - which is roughly $35.00 U.S.) We are going to bring a picnic for now on....



For dinner we had Raclette. We are used to this dinner as we make it at home for a family treat, but those of you who have never had it - think of it like a Taco dinner. Boiled potatoes are placed on your plate and you add melted cheese and whatever else you like to your plate. Typical sides are bacon, thin slices of meat, cut up fruit. There's a raclette seasoning that you sprinkle on top. The raclette maker stays in the middle of the table and you heat the cheese as you need it.



Raclette sides