The Last Supper
08.30.2011 - 08.30.2011
I don't think it could have been avoided. Any way you sliced it - the tears were bound to fall at dinner. Our newfound friend Robert seated us at our regularly reserved table in the cozy corner of the restaurant on the first floor of our hotel, looking out toward the Alps. He lit the candles and teased the kids as they accidentally thanked him in Italian and he gave them their "you're welcome" in German (one of his 7 languages). They laughed, shook, their heads, and quickly tossed a "danke!!" (German thank you) back at him. He brought a hearty mug of beer for Luke and a cappuccino for me.
It started with Justice. She tried her best to put on a brave smile and browse her menu, but it was too late. Her eyes were wet. Jaden took one look at her and his eyes welled up quickly with tears too. This is it. Six weeks and it's almost over. Our last meal in Switzerland and nobody wanted to leave. If they hadn't started the tears, I would have been able to hold it together a bit longer, but I had felt the overwhelming emotions all day. It was only a matter of time for me. Luke threatened us all, telling us that if we didn't stop, he and Robert (bartender/waiter) would probably start too. We have found a sense of home here similar to that in Austria.
Our experiences here have been unique and memorable - scenery and people alike. How about this accidental run-in with a waterfall... Picture the Grand Canyon standing on end. You know how year after year the water cuts deeper into the ground? This has run a similar pattern, only vertically. The water is 2 degrees above freezing and comes raging down the mountain at 20,000 gallons per second draining from three glaciers. Over time, it has cut deeper into the mountain, forming a crevasse. An elevator shaft and man-made cavern have been carved deep into the mountain, allowing the grayish-white glacier water to be viewed in 10 different places as it comes barreling down the mountain.
Travel here meets the Crayola standards for colorful. There are greens everywhere - 'Forest Green', 'Lime Green', and Granny Smith Green'. The sky comes in various shades of Crayola's blues, all of which I'm convinced originated from 'Indigo' and are mixed with the 'White' used to frost the Alps and make the clouds. There is a dusting of copper that can be seen in the evening, reflecting off the snow as the sun sets its final light on the mountain. It's picturesque. I'm certain that I've got at least 600 photos from here alone as a reminder. I suppose the pictures will have to hold us for now. We have bags to pack and a plane to catch. There's more of the world yet to see, but we'll put this one on the "do again and do longer" list.
The Sound of Music continues to play in my head as I prepare to drift off to sleep...
"Raindrops from waterfalls and Swiss Alps with white snow,
Cows all have cowbells and I just don't wanna go,
The food and the Alps and the trains make me sing;
These are a few of my fav-oh-riiiite things..."
Posted by akgearhard 08.30.2011 00:51 Archived in Switzerland
