Aarau, Switzerland

We made it to Europe! Andreas and I both appreciate the cleanliness, no honking, great public transport, walking on sidewalks, not being asked where we are from, blending in, modern buildings, and the cleanliness (yes, I know I wrote cleanliness twice)!

Our first stop was Aarau, Switzerland to visit Andreas' uncle Thomas, his girlfriend Pia, and their three cats. It was so wonderful to be in a home with family. After washing everything we own, we watched the last three episodes of Stranger Things 2 on Netflix. It was pure bliss. We had two traditional Swiss meals with Thomas and Pia; Cervela (Swiss sausage) roasted over an outdoor fire, and raclette - thick melted cheese over potatoes and vegetables... YUM!

On Christmas Eve, the four of us drove to Schmitten, Switzerland to visit Andreas' aunt Fran and her girlfriend Susan. On the way we dropped into Zuchwil to visit Andreas' grandparents' grave and light a candle for them. This was a very important event for Andreas, especially to pay his respects on Christmas Eve. At Fran's we had a great time decorating the tree, dancing to Christmas music, drinking wine, feasting, and opening presents. After dinner we took a long walk around Fran's neighborhood and had a protracted snowball fight in the streets that lasted the entire walk. It was an evening full of magic. The next morning we woke up to a traditional Swiss breakfast of homemade bread and cheese before heading out on the train to see our friends Monica and Rory!Read more