Garden Picture Diary January 2017

Since moving house two years ago a new hobby has jumped into my path, and my new best friend is Monty Don, not that he knows it. Yes, I've taken up gardening. The owner's daughter asked if I'd like to take over the care of the garden as it had become much too much for her mother. With the warning that it wouldn't be a perfectly kept Swiss garden, I've never done any gardening in my life, I agreed to give it a go.

14th January 2017

Garden path to road

Front of house, terrace and top of pear tree above the wall.

To the street

My mess behind the house

24th January 2017

Front of house from street

This is the fruit and vegetable garden. Pear tree left of steps, apple tree right of steps. Canes for raspberries, summer and autumn fruiting. Far right of picture are red currant bushes tied up with string to protect them from the snow. Strawberries, cultivated and wild, under the snow.

Garden from street

At the garden gate

Horischlitten Transport

Yes, it is time I posted here again. Been over a year. 

Here we go, especially for you Tim.

The Horischlitten (here from an old photo taken around the 1900, found on the wall at the Jagerstübli in Grindelwald) as you can see is for transporting loads, on snow.

 It is still in use today. I see it often on the Männlichen moving beer containers and bottles from the Gondola to the restaurant. This year in January the Mürren postman used it to deliver post in nearby Gimmelwald. Last year I saw one transporting hay down from Allmend to Wengen.

 However, sixty odd years ago it once carried a more delicate cargo.

Working as a Community Nurse in the Lauterbrunnen Council I visit many elderly people.

One lady, excited about her first great-grandchild, proceeded to tell me of her experience giving birth to her son.

It was in the fifties, January 1st, middle of the night when her waters broke. The midwife, who then lived in the village was called to attend the birth. She unfortunately didn't like how things were progressing, and suggested that hospital would be the best place.

Back then, it seems, there were no stand-by trains during the night and certainly no helicopters either, because her husband readied the Horischlitten for the trip to Lauterbrunnen. A mattress was tied to the Schlitten and this lady was strapped to both.

Husband sitting on the front and father-in-law behind (I'm not clear as to what his job was, it is a downhill journey, maybe walked behind with a rope to help slow everything down). On route they discovered that the snow conditions were far too fast for safety. The husband had to walk back up to his work shed in search of a sturdy chain. This was attached to the front of the Horischlitten, falling underneath thereby slowing it down on the descent.

This unfortunate mother-to-be, travelled down the 700 altitude meters, on a toboggan whilst having contractions; via a winding, switchback mountain track that if misjudged becomes a steep descent ending, rather speedily, on the valley floor. No wonder the baby decided to wait another couple of days before finally arriving on 4th January.

By the way, an ambulance was thankfully waiting for them in Lauterbrunnen to take them to Interlaken.

That baby is now the proud grandfather.

Order your Horischlitten here!

Christmas presents weren't the only 'gifts' I brought back to Switzerland with me after visiting my niece and nephew. Head lice decided to hop on board for a free trip too.
It took five days til I was itching and another five days before I realised what it might be. My sister confirmed that they had also found a louse or two. Then the assault began.
Convinced these critters drown easily, a bath was drawn. Eight drops of essential oils mixed with a little milk (to help disperse the oil) were added and swished well. Lay back, relax, enjoy and submerge the head, are my directions. Make sure all possible air bubbles are released from the hair. Shampoo and submerge again, keeping hair under water for as long as possible. A detailed search of the bath water revealed one tiny young louse. They are so tiny, just a speck of dirt until the magnifying glass reveals the legs! So a few may have carried on down the plug hole unnoticed. To my horror within a couple of hours this little mite was beginning to wiggle it's legs again. I squashed it with a satisfying 'pop'.
A 'google' search revealed that head lice are able to close off their air holes for a few hours unharmed, saving them from baths and swims.
Hot air from the hair dryer kills the nits, apparently, but not the lice. Hair straighteners could therefore also be a tool of attack.  So I made good use of mine the following day.
Each day I am using the nit comb and catching nothing. There is still an itch! Certainly less of an itch but an itch means a louse. A louse means nits, which means more lice. All have to be removed.
Next attack involved olive oil or hair gel smeared all over the hair, paying particular attention that every hair shaft is covered, scalp to end. This clogs the air holes of the lice and after several hours they should be dead. It is advised to do this overnight and use a shower cap.
Olive oil must be horrendous to remove so I decided on a hair product (will be easy to shampoo out, or so I thought) that I mistakenly bought and never use. Four heaped teaspoons of the 'curl creme' were mixed with essential oils of lavender, thyme and eucalyptus, three drops of each. Hair was sectioned, starting at the neck, combed through with the nit comb then smothered in the gunk. Working slowly and meticulously up to the crown until all is covered. Five hours I waited before performing the aforementioned submerging hair wash.

Success, four bodies washed up in the bath water. Here with my nit comb to give an idea of the size. Definitely dead.

The hair product wasn't as easily washed out as hoped, my hair had lots of 'body' to it that evening.
Horror of horrors, overnight there was still an itch.
So the next day the process was repeated with shampoo this time. Essential oils added were rosemary and lavender three drops each. Left on for three hours. I only found one washed up body, also dead. But the itching was no more.
However, in a few days I will need to attack again to catch those nits that have survived the onslaught of hot hair drying and straightening irons.

Spitex Lauterbrunnental has a car.  

A 1992 Fiat, with only 67,000 on the clock, (kms I presume)

 hardly used, kept in a garage, one careful lady owner!

What a delight, especially on those rainy and cold days, of which we had many last summer. Now the 12 km round trip to Stechelberg is a doddle instead of a pedal.

 Yes, I had to drive down that 'walking path' to my next visit. So pleased I didn't meet a tractor or hiker!

Parking and maneuvering is a bit of a challenge in these narrow roads.

But the car is a success. Has cut my travelling time by about a third.

Of course that is only possible along the valley, I still have to catch either a cable car or mountain railway most days.

Mountain Village District Nurse part 2

On Saturday 6th April 2014 I said goodbye to my last ski guests of the winter. Had the Sunday off, of course I went skiing, then started my brand new position as District Nurse on the Monday. Well, not quite brand new as I'd been helping out occasionally since August.

In my experience here in Wengen, every business takes their workers out to dinner twice a year, once in winter and then again in summer. The Hotel Baren took us to Europa Park in 2010, (it's a funfair park with big rides, in Germany), then to Paris last month. Some places really like to give their staff a treat.

The Spitex (District Nurse Organisation) ladies wanted to go to Ballenberg (Outdoor Swiss Life Museum near Brienz) for dinner in August 2013. However, there were a few clients who required help, up in Wengen in the evenings. Hence my rather sudden jump into a job that wasn't to start officially for another nine months.

The Works Vehicle and me at work!

I've been working for Spitex a whole month now. It's not full time, more like 40% - 50%. Mostly mornings, finished by about 13.00. They've agreed to allow me to continue with the ski teaching, I'm not yet ready to give up that fantastic job just yet. Of course, my regular private guests are very happy about that, and so am I.

These last two weeks I've been allowed out on my own. What a stress to begin with! I'm used to having my patients all in one place. Here they are spread out between seven villages. Not only have I to learn about each individual, but also where to find them. Which chalet? Which appartment? Where they keep the key in emergences!  There are no road names only areas and each chalet has a name rather than a number.

Gimmelwald

Today, for instance, I had to visit a lady in Gimmelwald whom I'd never met before. We'll call her Frau Graf (not her real name, but a very typical local name instead). My colleague couldn't tell me the name of the house only how to find it. I couldn't find Fr Graf in the telephone book but luckily I was given her number.

Gimmelwald

 I followed the instructions to the letter. Found the house, went round to the right hand valley side and up the steps. Rang the goat bells, knocked on the door. No response. Well, this lady is expecting me, now what?

Something might have happened to her, maybe she is lying on the floor having fallen over and can't get to the door. So I opened the front door, it wasn't locked. Everyone is so trusting here, which is really lovely. Although I will point out that I was watched very closely by a neighbour sitting on her balcony not far away.

Gimmelwald

I opened the door a crack, 'ooo oooo'd' my hello, it's a multi-lingual greeting! And saw the post on the kitchen table. All addressed to a Herr von Allmen (again not the real name but another typical local one). I was in the wrong house!

Mountain Village District Nurse

Back almost eighteen months now a local lady stopped me in the street.  I was on my way to meet my guests, skis on shoulder, dressed for a cold day on the mountain. This lady explained briefly that due to retirement, eighteen months hence, her job would be available and would I be interested?

Now, in my experience, it has been those jobs that landed in my lap that have been the most enjoyable and long lasting. Ski School Wengen asked me if I'd like to join them back in 1990. I've now just completed my 23rd season full time ski teaching. Met some wonderful people and made many life long friends.

Class 1 February 1995, back in the days when anything up to 18 people in a class was acceptable.

Kids Class 4 February 2000

Private Guest  Dr Kenyon 2004

Whilst getting on the train in Wengen, back in 1992, the train driver called me up to the front. I knew him to be a saxophonist in the Lauterbrunnen marching band I had recently joined. It turned out he also conducted the Youth Band in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. There were four girls who wished to learn to play the flute, would I be interested in teaching them? Well, that grew to become twenty-one pupils in 2002. I had to pull out of the Youth Music Scheme then in order to concentrate on working my dissertation and studying for a BSc Hons degree in Phytotherapy. But still to this day have a couple of students who have lessons occasionally.

I'm playing piccolo, Wengen Marching Band circa 1998

Then there is the Hotel Baren here in Wengen who approached me in 1999 to help out with the waitressing as they were short on manpower. This turned into a regular summer position serving breakfast a few mornings a week. Even now, with my new position we'll see if I can fit in a morning or so a week.

 I have now joined the District Nursing Team, Lauterbrunnen Valley. How will this job turn out? Only time will tell.

Easter Skiing in Wengen

We skied until the very Easter end of winter, yes in Wengen. Okay, we couldn't quite get back to the village but it was well worth making it down to Allmend to sit on the big sofas, sipping a cool coke, topping up the tan whilst waiting for the train.

 Okay.....not quite the cool coke, but at least beer and Bergfrauen Kaffee contain 8 teaspoons less sugar!

There was a little bit of walking to get to the bar, hence the celebration at the end.

However, the skiing at the top was fabulous. With beautiful off piste runs.

Looking to First with the Wetterhorn.

Grindelwald in the green!

Spring skiing with a successful Gallery jump or two, one fell, and one opted out.