A fashionably fast trip to Milan

Milan Duomo

Last weekend BK and I contemplated a weekend getaway. And of course, when I say weekend getaway, Baby K was invited as well. Nothing too crazy over here, don't worry! BK first suggested that we go into the mountains somewhere. That way we could get out and do active stuff all weekend, hiking and taking in the views. This was a good idea, but then, selfishly, I suggested we go to Milan.

For those of you who don't know, BK's birthday is right around the corner and Baby K and I are getting him some new dress shoes...exciting right? The shopping is not so great in Switzerland, so we thought we would go and see what all the hub-bub was about Milan. Italy is known for leather goods, so we figured, why not? Not to mention that the dollar, euro and Swiss franc have all essentially become equal, which is great news for us!

Milan is a quick three hour (direct!) train from Montreux. We grabbed the train Saturday morning and arrived in Milan just before lunch time. Baby K was great on the train; so great in fact, that BK was able to spend all three hours doing continuing education out of the way, without me getting frustrated at all. If you're a mom, you know what I mean, and how I feel.

One smart thing we did, and I would highly recommend, was buy Baby K her own seat. On Swiss trains you are not required to make a seat reservation, but on Italian trains you are. It was so much better for her to have her own seat. It gave us all a little bit more room to move around, and we controlled the table, so she could color or do whatever we needed her to do.

Statue of Leonardo

It's crazy how much the weather can impact your impression of a city. It was grey, drizzly and chilly all weekend, which wasn't great to walk around in all day. But, as a result of living in Europe, we've learned to adapt, wear proper clothing, and go on about our way. It really reminded us when we went to Paris the first weekend we lived in Europe. I don't know why, but it just makes a difference.

Entrance to our hotel/apartment- a mini door in the door

We stayed at an awesome apartment-hotel type thing called Le Suite de Palazzo Segreti. It is a group of apartments, but run by a hotel, so there is still concierge service to help us around the city, as well as breakfast and some other amenities. We also prefer for Baby K to have her own room when we go somewhere so BK and I can actually interact after 7:30pm when she goes to bed. We also wanted a living room type situation as well so we could watch the Frogs that night too. And yes, we took the AppleTV with us so we could watch American football while in Milan. The place was perfect for us for the weekend!

Living room and hall to bedrooms

I'm sorry to say we did not do so well on the shopping front, as we came home empty handed. We couldn't wrap our minds around how there were possibly enough people in the world to justify the sheer number of luxury stores in Milan. I can't tell you the number of places we passed with shoes that were thousands of dollars. I mean, really? Why? And please know, this was not what we were looking for!

The shopping streets of Milan

After our failed attempts at shopping, we stopped at duomo square to have a quick look around, then headed back to our apartment for the evening. Milan is very easy to get around, with buses, trams and a subway that are easily navigable. Baby K was also dying to get out and run around, so the apartment was ideal for that as well.

The next morning we got up at regular Baby K time (7 to 7:30am), had breakfast, then headed out to go to the duomo. I wish we could have gone to see The Last Supper, but you have to book that months in advance, which obviously we did not do.

Yes we brought the dog- it's how you really get her to go!

Inside the Duomo

Down the center aisle

The Milan duomo is very impressive. One thing that makes it really beautiful is that it appears to have recently been cleaned, so you can see all of the colors in the marble facade. There is still some scaffolding, but compared to the size of the duomo, it seems insignificant. The opulence of Cathedrals in Europe gets me every time, and Milan's duomo was no exception.

Her favorite part of the Duomo

We left Milan around noon, with high hopes that Baby K would nap on the way back home. Unfortunately that did not happen, but she was manageable. Sometimes I get a bit frustrated when things don't go as planned/how they need to go with Baby K, but BK has learned to read my mind and took her to walk around the train when this happened. He's good like that.

That's about it for Milan- honestly, nothing too excited, but actually a nice getaway for us. Baby K napped for almost two hours while we shopped, and it was nice for BK and I to get to wander around chatting, with no real agenda.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we have a couple of celebrations coming up. My sister and her husband also get here on Monday, which I'm super excited about! Then in no time, we'll be back in the US for our Christmas visit! Time flies when you're having fun!

My heart breaks a little bit tonight

Last night I told BK I felt like my heart was breaking a little bit for all the hate in the world. I rarely say anything political on this blog, mostly because my intention with it is to keep our family and friends updated on our life abroad. With that said, you also may know that I'm a social worker, and generally try to be a decent human being, so sometimes things just get to me.

The State of Texas does a lot of stupid things in relation to caring for people- especially when it comes to people who aren't Texans. Putting a stop to resettling Syrian refugees is one of the worst that I've seen yet. I'm embarrassed by this action. It is one of the worst things we could have chosen to do. Compassion at it's finest. Unfortunately, I have come to expect nothing less.

How quickly America forgets that we ultimately are a country of immigrants. Call it what you want, but unless you are 100 percent Native American Indian, your ancestors came from somewhere else, probably fleeing war, poverty, marginalization, hunger, or a number of other things- perhaps simply looking for more opportunity. I guess if you want to discount that, be thankful that the US did not have the same stance they did when your ancestors came over, that we seem to now.

I think the other thing that is getting me is the sheer amount of hate, discrimination, stereotyping and every other negative thing that goes on out there in relation to people who are different from "us". But, it's only goes on after a western country is hit with tragedy. Too bad for the middle eastern countries and cities who have seen violence in the days, week, months, and years before with no reaction or care from anyone. Only now, we should stop resettling people, don't let anyone in who doesn't look like us, and turn away anyone who is in need.

The thing that has continuously rolled around in my head has been a song that we used to sing at church camp: They will know we are Christians. Part of the song is: And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes they'll know we are Christians by our love. I can't help but think right now, they'll know Christians by their hate, fear and unwelcoming spirit. Like I said, I feel like it's breaking my heart a little bit.

I saw this little gem earlier today and feel that it's quite fitting: "If only we had a seasonally appropriate story about a middle eastern couple seeking shelter."

Well crap, that's not very convenient, now is it? I can only hope for better times ahead.

And the project goes on...

Lamb with dates, apricots, and saffron over couscous

Ah yes, the cooking project...it still exists. It's just going slowly and I haven't updated you recently. Thanks to the project, I have found a number of recipes that I go to quite often, so haven't tried a lot of new ones lately.

As a review, here's what we've tried so far:

• Traditional Hummus
• Arugula, Grape and Sunflower Seed Salad
• Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwiches
• Sauteed Tuna and Green Onion Stalks on Romaine
• Ma Pa Tofu
• Curried Chicken and Cashews
• Crab Cakes with Roasted Vegetables and Tangy Butter Sauce
• Parmesan and Sage-Crusted Pork Chops
• Prosciutto and Fontina-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
• Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs
• Chicken with Rosemary Dumplings
• Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Rice Noodle Salad
• Classic Meat Loaf
• Italian Meatball Burgers
• Grilled Salmon with Korean Barbeque Glaze
• Greek Lamb and Red Onion Kebabs
• Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney
• Cajun Grilled Corn

Last night I made Lamb with Dates, Apricots, and Saffron over Couscous. It was not BK's favorite, but he did eat it. It was cooked correctly and well, just not his (or my) first choice for something to eat. If you like a middle eastern dish that has similar flavors, you would probably really like this one, but it was just a little too sweet for us. I added some Greek yogurt to add a little tanginess and some garlic naan (Indian flat bread) to try and offset the sweet in the dish. I can't decide how I would rate it. BK gave it a 5, which is essentially a 0 since he doesn't give anything lower than a five.

I want to continue to try recipes, and I'm sure we'll have more of these nights where I cook something that is good, but is not our favorite. I'm not sure what I'll do with those recipes that I know we won't like, i.e. Olive Tapenade, as olives are seriously one of the only things that I am not a fan of. Maybe I'll make it when we have guests and I need an appetizer or something. Like I said, just because it's not our favorite doesn't mean it's not a good recipe or meal.

Our most common repeats are: hummus, pesto chicken sandwiches, seared tuna on salad, spicy honey-brushed chicken thighs, grilled salmon, greek lamb and red onion kebabs, spiced pork chops, and grilled corn. I'm happy to report that my little project has worked, in that, I've incorporated lots of new recipes that have become regulars.

Now that fall has brought cooler temps for us, and winter is just around the corner, I'm looking forward to trying more of the soups and stews for a cozy evening meal. BK is always such a good sport and pretty much willing to try anything I make! I'll keep cooking and will have more updates as we go!

A little bit of Halloween fun

Minnie Mouse was ready to party at playgroup!

I'll admit, seeing and hearing about all the fun people had together on Halloween made me a little envious that we weren't trick or treating with Baby K's cousins in Fort Worth or east Texas, going door to door, stocking up on lots of candy. Halloween is not such a big deal in Switzerland, but you can occasionally find groups of expats, typically mostly Americans, celebrating together.

I'll also admit though, I'm not a big fan of Halloween. In fact, it's pretty much my least favorite holiday, probably due to the fact that I really don't like things in costume- it just kind of weirds me out. But of course, I'm willing to overlook that, and even get excited when it comes to having fun with Baby K. So, we did what we could to celebrate, and out little Minnie Mouse was pretty darn cute!

So we celebrated Halloween on Friday with the playgroup we attend each week. They had a Halloween party for all the kids, and everyone dressed up. There wasn't trick or treating or anything, but Halloween crafts and Halloween themed snacks and decorations to celebrate the day. Minnie was supposed to make another appearance on Halloween, but due to some sleeping issues, had to cancel her appearance. It was really too bad, as I know there was a Sophia the First looking forward to playing!

Meringue ghosts and brownie spiders

My love of baking also outweighs my dislike of Halloween. Couple that with the fact that I like to share a bit of American culture with various groups that I bake for, and that brings me to Halloween baking! I made meringue ghosts and brownie spiders for Baby K's creche.

They didn't have a Halloween party or anything, and there was no dressing up at school, but I was excited they let me bring something for their afternoon snack. When I sent a picture, my sister pointed out that spiders have eight legs. My response was that I'm not sure Baby K even knows what a spider is, so I don't think she (and the other tots) will mind four-legged spiders.

So yeah, that's about it for us and Halloween. We actually went to Basel on Friday afternoon to celebrate a friend's birthday that evening, hung out on Saturday, then had to make an earlier than expected departure back to Montreux on Saturday evening (see above sleeping comment). I won't even try to make an excuse, but everyone in our house was in bed and asleep by around 9pm on Halloween night. Judge if you want, but it was awesome, and totally my kind of Halloween!