The transition from Tunisa to Switzerland seemed unreal, something akin to intergalactic travel. The culture, the languages, the dress, the wealth, the weather, and most of all, the scenery. And after 4 months in Africa we are more than ready for a change. We landed in Geneva but spent the night in nearby France, where prices are more reasonable. This morning we drove through Switzerland and into Germany. In one day we used three different currencies – Swiss Francs, Euros and US dollars – and spoke three different languages, two of them poorly.
They say that as long as you have your health, nothing else matters. Having access to healthcare on US military bases makes staying healthy possible for us, which is why we are spending a few days at the magnificent facilities on Ramstein Air Force Base. Our ninth-floor suite overlooks the runway and the mezzanine houses an entire mall right out of the US with an extensive food court, a Chilli’s and a Macaroni Grill Restaurant. The nutrition-conscious may scoff, but those of you who have spent a lot of time in remote places will understand how much we looked forward to eating food we recognized. And craved. Yummy!
It's wonderful, It's marvelous, Trier
But we aren’t ones to sit around waiting for our doctors appointments, especially over this Veteran’s Day weekend, so Connie plotted out some day trips to give us a taste of what is to come. We braved today's rain and drove to Luxembourg, country #100 for John. Luxembourg Ville is a wonderful city where German and French are used interchangeably and most people also speak English. When the cold and wet finally got to our tropically adjusted bones, we drove back into Germany to the World Heritage town of Trier. From the Roman gate to the cathedral, this is what Europe should be, a town right out of a fairy tale. And it isn’t even decorated for Christmas! It was wonderful to walk on the wide, cobbled streets among the medieval buildings. Such a change from Africa.
