Rainy Day Bern Umbrella Blues: Wednesday, October 2nd!

Truth never damages a cause that is just. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948)

Hi Maryam and Stefano! Trust you are both well. I do apologize for not writing sooner to thank you both for your more than generous hospitality and warm friendship. It was a delight to meet you, Maryam, and to get to know you a bit, even if the visit was a short one. 

Of course it was marvellous to see you again, Stefano, and to find David growing into such a handsome young man. We both so enjoyed every minute of our time together, whether on the lovely walk along Lake Zurich or visiting your wonderful new home. The dinner and lunch were absolutely delicious and the wine out of the world! So thanks again for everything and for taking care of us at the station when we arrived and then when we departed.

As things turned out, here in Bern, we are extremely well situated at Fiona's apartment. Arriving a day earlier, we were able to have two dinners with her and so could enjoy very pleasant visits, catching up, etc., before she left for Italy yesterday. Since her flat is quite close to the train station we can walk into the old town in about 15 minutes. Last two days were simply gorgeous so our sight-seeing was made even better. 

We will be quite busy this evening, and on Thursday as well, invited for dinner, both nights, by former boarders and then Nadia's parents. Unfortunately, we won't see her as she is still travelling. Friday will give us a chance to rest and organize for the train ride on Saturday. We booked our passage, on Monday, to leave around noon, to arrive in Geneva around 2:00 pm, so we will have plenty of time to make the connection for Valence, leaving around 4:00 pm. Little bit of drizzle today but we had already planned to visit the Museum of Fine Arts, which again, is only about a ten minute walk from us. I'm sure we can spend two or three hours there before we can no longer absorb what we are seeing! Then plenty of time for a nap before we meet friends, around 6:00 pm, for drinks before dinner.

Must away as Lady Dar is preparing an omelette for breakfast and since there is no barista on staff, I must make my own Café Turk! Again, thank you both for everything. We trust you will, indeed, visit us in Penticton. You are always welcome. Fondestos from Lady Dar, with a hot skillet in her hand, to you both. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! PS: Please give our best wishes to your parents, Stefan, and to your and aunt and uncles. As well, could you send along Maryam's email address, at some point. Thanks. Pics: Life in Zurich!

Hi Nao! Trust you are well and enjoying SF. Hope you might be able to connect with Ayn when you visit LA. I do apologize for not writing sooner to say how much we enjoyed seeing you even if the visit was such a short one. Again, simply wonderful to see you Nao. We trust you will, indeed, visit us in Penticton. You are always welcome. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you. Stay well and Buona Fortuna with finding the next direction your life will take. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Hello Heinz! Trust you and Eveline are well and preparing for your journey to Ticino. I do apologize for not writing sooner to say how very much we enjoyed seeing you, even if the visit was such a relatively short one, and catching up on everyone's busy lives. Of course, it goes without saying, that the lunch was more than marvellous and could only have been better had Eveline been able to join us. Thank you again for extending such generous hospitality in one of your favourite restaurants. 

Again, simply wonderful to see you Heinz. We trust your time in Ticino will be most restful and enable Eveline to recover her strength and health. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you both. Stay well and travel safely. Buona Fortuna and Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: La Dolce Vita in Bern: Verdi, Elevator with a view! Charging station on way back to Fiona's apartment. We'll bring our Kona next time! Lady Dar's hors d'oeuvres before dinner with Fiona!

Holidays are the best! My dearest hosted host parents We enjoy ourselves in cinque terre and I‘m glad you have a splendid time in Bern! Send you much love! Fiona Dearest Fiona! I was just back at your desk, from the kitchen, preparing some of the ingredientes for our lunch, Lady Dar's omelleto, [We are using the leeks and they are wonderful, cut up and fried, for different dishes. She also used lunch meat from Dubrovnik, Flamin'!], when your message arrived! She wanted to go for a stroll in the neighbourhood and we planned to eat when she returns.

 

Of course, it goes without saying, that staying here is more than marvellous and could only be better if you were not in Italy! Thank you again for extending such generous hospitality. Pleased we were able to have two dinners with you and could catch up, etc. Again, simply wonderful to see you, Fiona, and thanks again for allowing us to stay. We trust your time in Cinque Terre will continue to be as enjoyable as your lovely pictures show. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you and Severino. Stay well and travel safely. Buona Fortuna and Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Our Darling Fiona!

 

Dearest Monica and Max! Thank you, Max, for the lovely note and wonderful pictures. [I apologize for not replying sooner.] Of course, it goes without saying, that staying here, in Fiona's apartment, is more than marvellous and could only be better if you two were not in Corsica! We continue to enjoy her generous hospitality and were very pleased that we were able to have two dinners with her and could catch up, etc. Again, simply wonderful to see Fiona, if not her parents! We trust your time in Corsica will continue to be as enjoyable as your lovely pictures show. Fond regards from Lady Dar to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Hello Patrick and Corinne Unfortunately I have to work tonight till 20:30 and as I don’t live in Bern anymore I can not join you afterwards! I would have loved to see you again tonight or during your stay but you are leaving on saturday and I am going to Italy tomorrow till monday! I hope your trip has been great so far and you will have an excellent dinner tonight! Hope to see you soon somewhere in Canada or Switzerland again! Michèle  Hello Michèle! Thank you for the note. Trust you are well. While we are disappointed not to see you, we understand completely. Is everybody going to Italy? Again, sorry we will miss seeing you, Michèle! Now it is up to you to visit us in Penticton and come wine-tasting in the Okanagan! We trust your time in Italy will be most enjoyable. Fondestos from Corinne, to you. Stay well and travel safely. Buona Fortuna and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Thanks Patrick for your e-mail! Next Time you have to visit my place as well. As you can see on the picture below its very nice and I also have a bed for you and Corinne:) Actually I‘m plannig to go mountainbiking in Whistler, Squamish and Kamloops and then I will for sure come and visit you. Enjoy the last days here Hi Michele, Sorry we can’t see you this trip. But I’m excited to hear that you are planning a trip to our area. Kamloops is 2 hours from Penticton. We would love to see you and welcome as well whoever you might be traveling with. Where exactly are you living right now? It looks very beautiful. Hugs for now, Corinne

As it turned out we decided not to visit the Museum of Fine Arts today. It was raining pretty heavily, on and off, by mid-morning and we were just as happy to stay inside, Lady Dar to read while I digitated and then did my shouldares, listening to classical music on BBC 3. 
 

I had a quick shower around 5:00 pm and then we headed out to Nicole's place, just ten minutes away, stopping at Migros, en route to buy a bottle of wine. It was raining quite heavily so we were very pleased to have had the use of two of Fiona's umbrellas. At one point the rain was bouncing off the sidewalks and road, gutters were small creeks. Fortunately heaviest downpour stopped while I was inside the store so rest of the walk was pleasant.

Once Nicole buzzed us inside we took the elevator to the fifth floor where she and Mario live in an extremely spacious, very comfortable and well appointed apartment, bounded on both sides with extremely large decks. The views, out over the rooftops of the city, are lovely and the considerable outside space really enlarges their living area. Roland, Nicole's father, was already there so we enjoyed seeing him again. Last time was in 2010 when we had visited Bern with Flamin' and Sarge. 
 

We sat around their dining room table and enjoyed a delicious Swiss white, nibbling tasty cheese, cashews, grapes and sliced pear. Then switched to the red we'd brought, quite a nice drop, from Minervois, so I was pleased as didn't know label but rather the region, [neighbouring department to Languedoc-Rousillon], which we'd driven through, en route to Carcassone, back in 2013. Had about an hour to chat before we took the bus, right across the street, into the old town, to a restaurant, Kloetzlikeller, suggested to Nicole, by Roland. Anna Maria Tremonte and Rudi Ruddenheimer were already there when we arrived so after everyone was introduced we seated ourselves and the fun began. 

The restaurant is below ground so one enters down a fairly steep set of stairs from street level, into a large, open cellar with vaulted brick ceiling. Very clean, modern lighting and furnishings, both chairs and tables, but work surfaces as well. 

Had just finished ordering our food and were in the process of polishing off a bottle of white when Nikolevitch arrived. Nicole had sent him the name and address of the place so he made his way there after taking the train from Zurich. Great to see him again since Lady Dar had not seen him for many, may years, (fifteen!), back in 2004 when he lived with us at Harbour Terrace while taking an ESL course. Chloë and I had seen him in 2007 when he took us on a tour of the Faculty of Architecture, at ETH Zurich, the science, technology, engineering and mathematics university where he was studying at the time. We'd missed him in 2010 so it was wonderful to reconnect this time.

Food was delicious, [I had decided to order W I L D - B R A T W U R S T, Wildrahmsauce ▪ Saisongemüse ▪ Quark-Spätzli], and the two bottles of red Lady Dar selected went extremely well with all the other dishes. 
 

No dessert for anyone but I forced myself to have an espresso and a glass of Kirsch, wonderfully smooth and much appreciated by those who took a sip. Although we tried to pay for our share our generous hosts would not let us and we were treated to the remarkable dinner. Roland, having farther to travel than anyone, left first and then we all made our way outside. We had agreed to return to N's/M's apartment for a nightcap so we drove with AMT/RR while the kids took the bus. Only ten minutes away, and we had just parked the car when the other three alighted from the bus.

 

Upstairs we sat in the living room and enjoyed a number of shots of Ingwerer, 24%: A spicy ginger liqueur locally produced in the Bern Lorraine area, made from organic ginger, apple juice, sugar and spices. Each bottle contains 90 grams of ginger when shaken its flavor intensifies. One drinks it chilled, by itself, in a cocktail or adding a dash to a beer or a glass of sparkling wine. Since I love ginger in all its forms I was quite taken with the taste, [particularly the fiery throat-feel of the likeable aftertaste], but Lady Dar found it too, too pungent for her delicate palette.

 

It was well after 11:00 pm when we thanked our hosts, making arrangements to see Nicole and Mario for java on Friday morning. We walked AMT/RR to their car and agreed they would collect us at 1:30 pm, on the morrow, to spend the day with them, and then we walked back to Fiona's place. Nikolevitch was going to spend the night there so once up the 68 stairs we repaired to the kitchen to visit over shots of Yeni Raki, 45%, a licorice flavoured spirit from Turkey, purloined from Fiona's liquor cabinet. It was far smoother than the Raki I'd had in Turkey in 2003 so I trust she will not mind that we, [Lady Dar would have no part in this foolishness!], finished off the last little bit in the probably expensive bottle before bidding Nicolas goodnight. By this time it was 12:30 am so everyone was ready to sleep. Hi Dave, I just realized that I might be seeing you again at the Tuesday coffee place. Mainly, always nice to say hello -they have great avocado toast- I know I say this every time I happen to see you but your reading list launched me onto a alot of books when I was keen, so I will always appreciate that despite not having had you as a Pen Hi instructor.
 

But back to the subject of how my uncle- James- is related to your family.... I can keep some info with me and potentially help answer this question that has been unanswered for a lot of years . Genealogy is great hobby; this may be something I pursue further with years. Cheers, see you again I hope at the best place downtown. ttys Bob My mother, a Sutherland, from Gilbert Plains had a cousin whose father David Sutherland had a store in Dauphin. Sutherland & Steick Hardware est. 1898, My guess is David's grand daughter married a Love ..I am forwarding this email to a friend with a LOVE connection from the Dauphin, Manitoba area. Hello Corinne and Patrick..DBJS

Who is this Bob Love ? When we lived in Dauphin the Sutherland name Was no longer on the store, just Stelks Hardware, that is where Jim my Brother worked before he joined up Sounds like you are having a great trip, lucky you had all those Swiss Boarders, very wet here, Rain, Rain, Rain!!!! The farmers can’t even get their crops off, we still have the flower garden To clean & potatoes to dig Stuart & Wendy coming out for a visit today
Clara

Hi Corinne, Sorry to not have replied sooner to your nice note. I finally found a quiet few minutes on a BC Ferry ride to Tsawassen (yes, we Islanders have to ride ferries sometimes!) Your European travels sound fabulous. I hope you’re keeping Patrick out of hospitals this year.

We’re still adjusting to life in a small space, gradually adding furniture and getting storage organized. The jury is still out on the living space, but we really love the location. We live on a nice quiet street, right across from Beacon Hill Park, yet only 15 minutes’ walk from the Inner Harbour and downtown Victoria. Just two short blocks, 3 minutes’ walk, in the other direction is Cook Street Village, a stretch of 3 blocks with pretty well everything we need – grocery stores, meat market, delis, pharmacy, many restaurants and pubs, liquor store, seniors center, doctor, dentist, chiropractor, etc., etc. 

We still don’t have our guest bedroom organized so you’ll have to hold off until next year for a visit. Lynne has joined the “Y” which is about a 15 minute walk, and she goes 3 to 5 days a week and really enjoys the classes. I’ve joined a golf club on a trial basis (I’m trialing the club, not them trialing me!). Just like Penticton, my frequent absences don’t help my game. I also bought an electric bike which is great for zipping up the hills in Victoria. 

Next week I’m off for 10 days for my annual Madagascar trip, after which Lynne and I depart on October 25 for our tour of Lima, Cusco, Machu Pichu, Quito, the Galapagos and finally the Peruvian Amazon. After a few days at home, I’m back to Brazil in late November and then Cuba in the second week of December. We’ll be spending the holiday season here in Victoria. Lynne will be looking forward to the sunshine in Palm Desert. We’re heading there mid-January through mid-March. We hope you’ll come and stay for a few days while you’re in California.

You mentioned that Chloe is in her new place. Did she sell the other place? Pretty exciting about the new baby – I’m sure it will keep you busy too. Stay healthy, have a great time with your travels, Peter

Hi all, It is official. Nobody came forward to take on the leadership of a hike tomorrow. So, there isn’t one. Hopefully next week……..Cheers, Jim