Zürich Zoo

Our apartment is only 10 minutes by tram to the zoo so today we took a little ride up the hill to check it out. My first impression was WOW! They've thought of everything. A zip line for the kids. Free double strollers. They even have a concession stand that sells only the bare essentials: cervelas (Swiss sausage), bratwurst, water, and brot (bread). Given the prices at local restaurants, this is where Rob and I would come on "date night."

In addition to the great fare, we really enjoyed the exhibits which are designed in such a way that you can get very close to the animals. The monkeys were really a special experience. There was one monkey in particular that made us laugh. He stuck his arm through the fence up to his shoulder and then opened his hand. He was trying to convince another zoo-goer to share his granola bar with him.

The best part, of course, was spending the day with Rob and the girls. We're hiking next weekend. You can't live here and not go hiking. We're also starting to plan our first vacation. Where would you go? I am partial to seeing more of Switzerland.

This restaurant is across the street from the zoo. I thought it was pretty and I miss eating out!

 

 

 

The zip line and Grace on it

 

 

 

 

Eating cervelas. The real reason we moved to Switzerland.

 

Our oldest monkey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family BBQ

Sundays are sacred here and that's something we really love about living in Switzerland. All of the stores are closed and family is the focus. Mowing one's lawn or other excessive noise is not tolerated. Today we spent the afternoon at Ceci's with family. The girls played with their cousins and we feasted on ribs, chicken, and sausages. Ceci's significant other, Pierre, made the delicious desserts. The weather was stunning and the girls had a wonderful time. We look forward to many more Sundays like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food

Mayo and mustard tubes

Milch

 

More milch

cheese

Breadsticks with cream cheese - a favorite snack

Park on Siriusstrasse

This is the park closest to our apartment and we love it. We make it a point to stop by at least once a day. Maybe love is too strong a word here. The girls love it and I'm learning to appreciate it. The climbing objects are wild. There's a rocket that's easily 9ft high. The kids make their way up into the rocket via ladder steps made of rope. Rope! Then they have to slide down a pole that at its highest point is too tall for any parent to be able to reach their child. I always tell Grace I'll catch her if she falls and then I pray she doesn't. And she hasn't. I guess that's the point. I hover. Many of us do, right? I am learning to be more relaxed and more confident in Grace's ability to navigate her surroundings all by herself.

When it comes to navigating this playground, Grace loves this swing. It's a big basket and when we first visited the park, we were the only people there. I thought the kids were supposed to lie down in the basket and an adult was supposed to gently push them. Today we learned how it was meant to be used and again my breath was taken away....but only for a second. By the end of our trip today, Grace had this little girl pushing her in the basket. Then the little girl and her mother pushed Grace while I chased down Ally and her runaway stroller. If the playgrounds are this "exotic," I can't wait to see the zoo. We were told that when the weather is cold enough, the kids can walk WITH the penguins.