Day of Surprises

 

What a wonderful surprise the postman brought yesterday, and this below few paragraphs, is more or less my letter of thanks to the Tourist Office at St Moritz.

I had written to say how sad we were to have missed our traditional winter holiday there. I had included one of my poems about the Lake there and its process of slowly freezing over as winter encroaches. In return the office sent us a set of old-time postcards and a little book, which we were completely bowled over with.

 We were thrilled to ribbons with the gift and thank you and the St Moritz tourist office from the bottom of our hearts. My husband has already set about putting most of the super-duper tradition postcards into a big frame together, almost ready to hang on the wall, where we do our triathlon workouts in winter on turbo trainers. Sometimes we watch one of the winter sports events that Stephen, my husband records just them for this purpose. We are big winter fans, so sometimes it is Skiing, Biathlon, or Bobsleigh events. We have watched the Bob events more often than some have had hot dinners! When he was younger Stephen ventured onto the Cresta Run a number of times which he loved. We have both taken the guest bob at St Moritz too. We love the town and the amazing atmosphere there, especially during the Polo on the Lake; how marvellous that is.

 Having looked through the delightful postcards, many of which we have seen on the walls of the big escalator down to the lake area. You really got us reminiscing about so many happy times spent in the town. Just in five minutes while we drank coffee, we thought of as many places that we have stayed in for our holidays as possible, just in a blink of an eye:

Hotels.

Carlton (our very first stay), Hotel Schweizerhof, we did a rock n roll course haha! Then Cresta Place, Monopol, Crystal, Steffani, and Regina Victoria opposite the Ovaverva. Also we stayed a few years ago in the chic little hotel at the Maloja end of the valley, is that also called the Schweizerhof?

Then many more times we have taken an apartment: Au Reduit most of all, maybe 10?  Other apartments in Sils Maria, Samedan, Celerina, and a nice house near the airport at least three times bringing family and friends. One close to the pharmacy at the bottom roundabout, Champfer, lots of others but most memorable was the traditional Swiss Sea House directly overlooking the lake, marvellous. The last time we stayed in the Caspar Badrutt apartments. Favourite meal is the Hot Piatta evenings with music in the Hotel Hauser where we have also stayed, such fun and yummiest exotic choices.

These and many more. We have had marvellous times there in winter. Marvellous. We have even had our stays scuppered by the Maloja Snake, that stopped the major Ski event that had we made a trip specially to watch. It was worth it to meet the mysterious Maloja Snake though.

Well, sorry to go on at such length, but we so miss not being there this winter, we know every church, every shop, every tea shop.

That brings me to another of my many poems: Tea at Hanselmann’s, attached.

 

Tea at Hanselmann’s

 

A winter ritual when to the snow we flee

Shared between my dear husband and me

When meeting at Hanselmann’s for tea.

 

With every imaginable tart and cake

Not waistline watching for heaven’s sake

A plate of sweet tasty morsels we take.

 

We’ve supped tea there thirty-plus years

Stepping back in time as waitress appears

Picture window over the frozen lake cheers.

 

The menu follows a quite traditional tack

Of the tasty savoury cheese and bacon snack

Artery clogging joy, threatening heart attack.

 

There shows a whole page for ice cream

Sorbets and sundaes, each one a dream

But allowed on holiday are such extremes.

 

The walls are panelled entirely in oak

Art on the walls by some of the local folk

The atmosphere will times of old evoke.

 

Accommodation is on two equal floors

Equal views of the lake and distant shores

Pure nostalgia here that gives one pause.

 

Seated in polished dated wooden chairs

The extensive menu boasts the wares

To ancient service it very well compares.

 

Trees stand outside dripping fresh snow

Nothing encourages the spoilt guests to go

Outside into temperatures sliding so low.

 

In St Moritz it may well be oldest café

We take the time to go and enjoy our stay

Departure time eases a while in delay.

 

Stop on the way out before going home late

Buy some marzipan fruit or dark chocolate

A present for those at home to whom you relate.

 

                                               By Daphne Belt

 

 

The second surprise was that I managed to get my Covid vaccine jab yesterday too. It was very well managed at a Westcourt Medical Centre in the neighbouring village of Rustington since our usual surgery was deemed not to be big enough to cope with such an operation. There were marshals in the car park on arrival to help with parking and who advised not to join the socially distanced queue to go inside but to sit in your car until five minutes before your appointments. It was a busy place but people were all very sensible, and I should hope so, being the over 80-year-old group. All keep apart well and wore masks as requested. It was quite a lengthy procedure and must have take nearly an hour from taking your place in the queue, moving along two metres at a time, it was some time until we were even inside which was one of the reasons given not to go early since you would have a wait outside for a while.

Next came a reception post to check who was who etc, then we were moved on 2 mtrs at a time all the way. Then directed to one of the rooms where the jabs were being given and a pile more questions again, until finally getting jabbed which wasn’t bad at all. Each patient given a booklet and a card to say which vaccine you had been given. Then each person was herded to the observation station in another part of the centre. There again there were chairs but this time with plastic barriers between seats. We had been issued with a little sticky badge to say when we could get up and leave, after watching the seconds tick away on a huge digital clock. It was all very politely and kindly done and even at the last moment as you got up to leave at your own allotted time, a helper on the staff walked you to the exit door singing…… So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu! Bet she doesn’t keep that up until July when they say most people will have had both shots, but if she does what a Saint!