We realized that Gstaad is less that 20km from where we were in Zweisimmen so we rearranged our plans for the day and headed there first. I have read about Gstaad in so many books and I was finally going to be there. I didn't care that it was raining--driving in the swiss alps on a rainy, misty morning was somehow to me even more beautiful than being there in the height of the sunny jet set ski season.
Without all the tourists, it could be more mine. As Jeffie drove into town, the welcome round landscaped with flowers, jazz notes and goats welcomed us--where else could you see this combination?
We walked up and down the promenade in the rain:
We stopped for a quick continental breakfast in a little shop. Two gentlemen from Gstaad came in and sat beside us and we of course struck up a conversation. We talked of travel, the education system in Switzerland--all children learn German, French, Italian, English and a smattering of Romany at school-- how awesome is that--the opportunity to learn all these languages from such an early age.
At one point, I looked at the TV screen behind us and gasped--the scroll read that B.B. King had died. This got us on the conversation of music--they love jazz and had seen B.B. King many times. I shared my stories of meeting him when I lived in Japan at the Blue Note.
4 people on a rainy day, in the international playground of Gstaad, speaking in English and German(Jeff is speaking the German with them at times), speaking with love and reverence for a great blues man from the deep American south whose music spoke to each of us, connected us--regardless of cultural, race, languages, or country.
Yes, life is pretty fantastic at times. A lot of the time.
More Switzerland... a quick visit to Interlaken and Lucern and then onto Geneva.
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