Reunited in Lausanne

Ashley speaking today:
So, after nearly a week in Lausanne, I have finally made it down to the McDonalds to use the internet and tell you all about my adventures. Jonathan's superior has lent him a car while he is on vacation, and J (which he hates for me to call him) put it to good use by picking me up at the airport the first day. It was frustrating, though, because we could (literally!) see each other through glass doors but had to delay our reunion for about an hour while I registered my lost luggage with British Airways. The new terminal might be very pretty, but my flight was delayed into Heathrow because they couldn't get the tunnel to attach properly to the door. Thus, I arrived in London (after a wait on the plane of 45 minutes or so) in the storied style of all the forties/fifties movie stars-- on a set of metal steps-- and then dashed like crazy up and down stairs, through security again (?why, Britain, why?) and barely onto my next flight. So I guess lost luggage was inevitable. After we were finally reunited, J and I made our way to the new apartment. I know many of you are dying for a glimpse of the apartment, so here are some pictures to tide you over until we get it fully decorated.


The outside of our building:

The kitchen:

The den:

Our venerable front door:

The bakery downstairs (So delicious, I can't even tell you):


Jonathan editorial:

I would not agree that having the bakery (aka boulangerie) on the first floor of our apartment building is a blessing. Everday I wake up around 6:30 AM to the smell of baking pastries and chocolate. Although I don't mind eating the pain au chocolat, which is simply a croissant filled with chocolate and is delicious. Not surprisingly, I wake up hungry everyday; I think I will have to start eating breakfast from now on.

I should also mention that Ashley has been flexible in her demands for living standards. Most notably, she agreed that we didn't have to get a coffee machine. They average several hundred Francs and get up into the thousands. In the electronics stores they offer financing arrangements in order to purchase them. It was not uncommon to see payments of CHF 25 for 48 months...that's CHF +1,100! Instead we got a French press, which is more labor intensive but cheap, and yields results good enough for my tastes.

I must also mention that I think she is happy with my arrangements in her absence. The apartment is in a good location and should have enough room for the two of us (and you, our guests!...at least they should be tolerable for a short period). I knew it would be a tough sell when I told her the moving company was scheduled to show up at 8:00 AM the morning after she arrived. Before she left the US to come join me I told her about the moving company and she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the idea of getting up at 7:30 AM the day after a very long flight. However, I felt strongly that she would rather have her own bed for her 2nd night of sleep instead of waiting for the weekend and spending 3 more nights on a borrowed air mattress. Well, after her first night sleeping on an air mattress on the kitchen floor (more on that in a minute), she was very eager to have the movers come in the morning.

Yes, we had no choice but to put the air mattress on the kitchen floor since it was the only room that had a working light when we moved in (well, except for the bathroom). It is illegal here for the previous tenet to leave lights behind. Even the overhead lights that are mounted on the ceiling have to go. When you take over an apartment the only thing remaining are bare wires where you will install your own lights. Well, now that we've moved in it is becoming increasingly civilized. The first thing we bought was a fan for the bedroom because, although it doesn't get nearly as hot as home it is still uncomfortably warm at nights and there is no A/C.

Back to Ashley's writing...

The first morning, I had barely grabbed a cup of coffee in the boulangerie before the movers arrived with the furniture. For the most part, it was an excellent move. We had only one chair broken (and I can fix it with some wood glue) and we managed to lose the screws to the bed, so we set up the mattresses on the floor. That afternoon and over the next couple days, I was fully occupied en faisant les courses. I shopped and shopped, because we had NOTHING. I was really missing my cleaning supplies (they can't transport volatile chemicals overseas), but after some exploration, I found excellent replacements. I am looking forward to borrowing a vacuum for my rug, too. We are also excellently provisioned with food, now, too. With three boulangeries and two boucheries within a short walk, as well as two supermarkets (one Coop and one Migros), I think shopping may be the easiest part of this move. It's actually easier to buy food here than in the States--no need for a car, and if my bags are too heavy there is a bus stop just in front of not only the apartment but also the grocery stores---although I'd be a pretty poor sport to use them for a grand total of a block!

On Saturday, J and I drove to the IKEA and chose our couch, desk/chair, TV stand, and coffee table to complete the furnishing of the apartment. We also bought curtains and lamps, so we will be sure to post pictures of the completed apartment soon.

Below are pictures from our "Sunday drive" after church to Gruyeres (yes, like the cheese). It was lovely.