Geneva!

I have had a great week! First of all, Hanukkah is really nice here. People put Menorahs in their windows and outside of their homes and it is beautiful to see. I have a picture of a public bus that says happy holidays on the front. The first night of Hanukkah I went out with the girls from my house. The girl from Finland was returning home so we all went out for dinner and walked around the German quarter. It was nice being with everyone.

The next morning I took the bus to the airport to meet Zach in Geneva. He was flying from Newark to London and then on to Geneva. I was literally on the jetway stepping on to the plane when he called me to tell me that his flight to Geneva was cancelled because of snow and he was not sure when or if he could get out of London. He and his friend were scouring the Internet to find a flight or train to Geneva. So, I boarded the plane not sure if I was going to be spending the weekend in Geneva alone or not. What a time I had on the flight! First, it was the first full day of Hanukkah and, unlike in the US, the children have Hanukkah vacation, not Christmas vacation. It was like being on a flight to Disney. I really do believe that there were more children on the plane then adults. I saw 2 families with 9 children each. What a commotion. Add to that, a 3 hour delay and only 1 working bathroom on the plane and you can just imagine. I ended up sitting between a husband and wife and their 2 children across the aisle. They played musical chairs all flight and I spent a good deal of time passing lasagna, sandwiches, sliced tomatoes and assorted drinks back and forth. There was a family in front of me and there was some turbulance. The mother was vomiting and one of the kids had a nosebleed. I could not wait to get off the plane. With the help of some kind strangers, I managed to get to the hotel with little trouble. I checked in and went across the street for some crepes. It was nice but I was sorry that Zach was stuck in London.

Zach managed to find a flight out the next afternoon so I amused myself by doing some of the things that I knew would be of no interest to him. I shopped and I went to the Red Cross Museum (everything you've always wanted to know about Florence Nightingdale, and Clara Barton). Shopping in Geneva is really an experience. I have never seen things so expensive. Vinyl boots $350, T shirts $65, cartigan sweaters $500. Really crazy so needless to say, I bought nothing but it was fun to look around. I couldn't understand how everyone is not naked and barefoot. I was finally talking to someone who told me that they go to the French side of Lake Geneva to shop where prices are much less.

So Zach finally arrived and we went out for Fondue for dinner. The hotel was nicely situated and we could walk to many places. The buses and trains within the city were free and ran frequently which made getting around easy.

Saturday we took the train around Lake Geneva and got off in several quaint cities. Montreux was having a Christmas market with many crafts and local artists and merchants. We wandered around there and then had lunch at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the lake with the Alps as a backdrop.

Sunday we went back to the old city of Geneva and wandered around, had coffee with the locals and relaxed. It was very nice spending time together and seeing a great city. I found myself slightly off balance having just adjusted to Israel, the celebration of Hanukkah, the currency and the language. I was always calculating between dollars, shekels and Swiff francs. I never knew if I should say "thank you", "toda" or "merci". I was confused as to the time in Switzerland, Israel and the US. It was odd going from Hanukkah to Christmas so abruptly but these are the things that keep life interesting.

I returned to Israel today. As many of you have heard, there was a national tragedy while I was gone. A fire took the lives of 41 people. For a country this small, the pain is felt throughout and it has dominated the news. There is an investigation that is brewing about the adequacy of the fire departments here and I am sure there will be changes.

A friend from home (Jackie) is in town this week and I am having dinner with her and her daughter tomorrow night. A co-worker has invited me for a Hanukkah dinner at her house Wednesday night and I am spending Shabbat with my family here so I am busy, safe and happy. I hope everyone at home is well too and look forward to hearing from my friends and family!