About Mieka Strawhorn

I'm a writer and podcaster living in my hometown of Berkeley, California.

Volunteering on Chios

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Mieka Strawhorn

To friends and family without Facebook, thanks for your patience while waiting for some news about my recent trip to Chios, Greece. While I was on the island I found it easy to shoot-off quick updates on my daily activities but since I’ve been back (one week now) I’ve found it difficult to muster the resources to update my blog on all that’s happened. It has taken me some time to process and organize my thoughts on the experience. The two weeks on Chios went by incredibly fast while at the same time had a timeless quality. Some of us volunteers likened Chios to the island on the TV program Lost. There was a marked surreality about it and our intense work hours and activities made it difficult to tell time, recognize the day of the week or think much about our worlds back at home. At any rate I think a good place to begin here is to tell you a bit about the organizations working to support refugees on Chios and most pressing jobs they performed.

I first learned of the opportunity to volunteer from a fellow spooger, Tracy, who is involved with an organization called Action From Switzerland (AFS). AFS is a local (Zurich) organization dedicated to refugee support locally and internationally. I saw a post from them on Facebook seeking volunteers in support of their efforts on the ground in Chios, Greece. I did some research on the island of Chios and it’s place in the current refugee crisis. Here I present some pertinent background.

The island of Chios sits in the Ageon sea and its eastern shore is a mere 4 nautical miles from Cesme Turkey. Along with Lesvos (which has received a great deal more international attention) and Samos, the Greek island of Chios is an increasingly popular destination for refugees fleeing Syria and Afghanistan primarily (and with other, Middle-Eastern and North African countries represented as well). Crowded (generally 50-100 people) into un-seaworthy inflatable dinghies or other slap-shod vessels disguised as fishing boats , refugees make their way to Greece with the help of smugglers with the hope of finding asylum and/or refuge in Europe.

Action From Switzerland works closely with an group called Chios Eastern Shore Response Team (CESRT). CESRT is a local organization primarily made up of local Greek citizens and independent volunteers from all over the world.

CESRT is a truly grassroots organization which was started by two amazing women named Toula and Eleni. Toula owns a small guest pension called Sun Rooms on the coast in a small town called Agia Ermioni. Once a sleepy fishing village and tourist destination, Agia Ermioni is now ground zero for refugees arriving from Turkey. Toula and Eleni’s compassion and humanity led them to decide that they could not stand aside and do nothing and have dedicated their lives and livelihoods to helping refugees and supporting the locals struggling under this humanitarian crisis. Toula’s guest house is now the epicenter of an inspiring corps of volunteers. In addition to AFS (more on that later), CESRT works closely with a group of Basque rescue divers and medics called Salvamento Maritino Humanitario (SMH).

The main goals of CESRT are to ensure the safe arrival and meet the basic needs of refugees arriving on the eastern shores of Chios. To that end, here is a brief list of the most pressing tasks performed by the volunteers.

Shore patrol and lookout: Patrolling the eastern shore 24/7 on the lookout for approaching refugee boats. Standing lookout at several key spots with good viability and a history of landing. Tracking and reporting location and position using an Alpha system (used internationally for rescue and emergency services)

Organizing emergency services/coordinating landings: Alerting the rescue team (SMH) of boats arriving and contacting appropriate nearby patrol vehicles which are stocked with dry clothing and other basic essentials (blankets, diapers, emergency kits etc).

Greeting and assisting refugees once landed: Once a refugee boat has landed safely (frequently thanks to the amazing SMH team) volunteers rush into action. First volunteers determine who on the boat speaks English (invariably at least one person will) and ask if there are any pressing medical emergencies or issues. If there is an issue volunteers will contact Alpha who will dispatch an ambulance if needed. Volunteers then get to work making sure each person on the boat is out of immediate danger and assists them in changing into dry clothing and distributes blankets, coats, water and food. Alpha then calls for a bus to pick up the refugees and transport them to the refugee registration center on the island. Volunteers stay with the group until all are safely on the bus. Refugees have to pay to take the bus and some people may not have the money. Volunteers often times will pay for bus fare out of their own pocket or negotiate with the driver on behalf of the refugees. Some nights saw as many as 20 landings within a few hours. Other times, especially if the weather is unfavorable, there will be none or just a few.

A typical dingy full of refugees. This was an easy landing, in daylight and assisted into the safety of the port by SMH. Photo credit: Tracy Hope

Harrowing sight of a night landing on an atypical fishing boat. Note how low on the water it sits. Photo credit: CESRT

Clean-up: After a landing it can sometimes look like a bomb has gone off. Discarded life jackets are everywhere. Wet clothes, dirty diapers, food wrappers and water bottles all have to be collected and disposed of. Good quality coats and pants are bagged separately for reuse (see Laundry) and life-jackets are tied together and brought up to the side of the road for disposal (most if not all are fake, more on that later).

Stocking/inventory: There are three places on the island that CESRT takes stock from; The main warehouse, Toula’s place (Sun Rooms) and a pair of trucking containers fitted out with solar panels and a small kitchen/bathroom called Kioski. There is also another warehouse at Karfus beach run by an incredible local man named Mr. George and his wife (more on that in another post).

The main warehouse. Most of the inventory here comes from donations. The stock here is used for keeping Sun Rooms and Kioski stocked and also houses goods (clothes, food, shoes, backpacks, blankets, sleeping bags etc) distributed at the refugee camps.

The barely contained chaos that is Run Rooms. Most of the stocking of patrol cars is done from here. There is a constant influx of items being loaded and unloaded from here (often in a rush). There is also new stock always coming in from the laundry or from the main warehouse. Keeping some semblance of order in this area was an ongoing gargantuan task.

Laundry and clothes recycling: Wet but reusable clothes left on the beaches after a landing are collected for washing and redistribution. They are first hung in a drying room and then transported to an apartment in the quaint village of Thimiana. Two washers and two dyers (plus a whole lot of clothes pins) are used daily to keep up with the demand for decent clothes for people to change into and keep upon landing.

Visits and distribution to camps: CESRT volunteer make regular visits to the refugee camps on the island. Each camp has their own set of rules about access and visitation. When I was there there were three main locations: Souda camp (main camp near the port of Chios town), Tabakiki (the registration camp) and Vial (the enormous “hidden away” camp up in the hills out of the public eye). A new camp popped up even closer to the port the last couple of days I was there. I have also just read that yet another camp has gone up since I’ve been back. With the border closing in Macedonia, the situation at the camps is becoming increasingly dire. As I was leaving, CESRT was already pivoting their efforts to address the ever changing situation. Even though the government-funded UNHRC camps are intended to provide basic food and shelter, they are fundamentally ill-equipped to do so. Volunteers regularly cook and provide food (a few groups working independently from CESRT but in close cooperation tackle this feat. More on that later) inside the camps. CESRT volunteers frequently receive calls from refugees reporting a lack of blankets, clothes and other essentials. Volunteers deliver these items from our own warehouse of donated goods. Sometimes volunteers visit camps to check in with particular families, persons or groups that they have made connections with since helping to land their boats. Volunteers also bring tea and snacks, toys and crafts for the children and general good will and friendship.

Port Project: Finally, Action from Switzerland and CERST collaborate on the Port Project. Historically, refugees only spent about 3 days on the island of Chios in total (again, things are changing quickly but this was true for the majority of time I was there) before boarding the ferry to Athens where they will continue their journey. The Port Project provides a snack and warm clothes to refugees as they leave Souda camp and make their way to the ferry. It’s a wonderful opportunity for volunteers to say goodbye to refugees who they may have followed on their entire time on Chios. More than the warmth and sustenance provided, the real value is simply being there to say goodbye. Letting the refugees see smiling and sometimes familiar faces as they set off for the further unknown felt very important to me. As an AFS volunteer I was very involved with this project and will make a separate post about my experiences. Volunteers wait until everybody is aboard the ferry and it takes off. Both as a courtesy and to be there in case there are last minute issues with tickets or departures. Afterwards we clean up any mess left from food wrappers which helps to keep good relations with the Port Authority and the locals.

So, there you have a summation of the main tasks that I and the other volunteers did on Chios. Of course, there is so much more. I have never worked harder in my life and neither have I been a part of a group such as I was. There was always work to do. Tireless volunteers often put in 20+ hour days of hard labor (physically and emotionally). I will update this blog to give more detail on my own personal experiences over the next few weeks. As I write this I am looking forward to an impromptu reunion in London with some of the volunteers I worked with. I am so excited to see them. Though many of us have known each other for a very short period of time, that time spent in the trenches together has bonded us for life.

Fasnacht Carenval

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Mieka Strawhorn

Last week a fellow spoogler posted a little video of a steel drum band dressed up like weird mushroom clowns on Facebook. The caption read ” the Fasnacht fun begins!”. Something like this happening in the streets of Berkeley would be unremarkable but in the usually staid Zurich I was very curious! I looked up “Fasnacht” and found out that it is Switzerland’s version of carnival (think Brazil and New Orleans). A Christian celebration proceeding Lent, Fasncacht incorporates many of the same rituals as those found in other countries. A week of celebration, music and parties are capped with a colorful parade. Just in time I noted that Zurich’s parade would be the on Sunday of that week. Zurich is a bit more secular/Protestant than some of the other more Catholic cites (Basel and Bern really do it up) but still let’s her hair down for the parade.

On Sunday Tyler and I bundled up against the cold and drizzle and headed out to the parade route in the center of the Old City. We had no idea what to expect but it was fun to speculate as other parade watchers began to line the Munsterbruke that connects two of the city’s grandest churches on either side of the Limmat river.

The parade began and the first group was a band of hippes! Huh? Maybe this was Berkeley after all?

Next came a gaggle of witches, the first of many. These witches wore elaborate wooden masks and carried brooms. We soon found out why they had the brooms; they also carried bags and bags of confetti and straw to throw at the spectators. After mercilessly confetti bombing people the witches would comically sweep confetti onto peoples feet or tap people on the bottom with their brooms.

Here’s what happened to me! Check out the lady at the end of the video telling me I need to wipe the confetti from my glasses. No duh, lady. I was totally covered!

The witches were part of a guild as are each parade contingency. They work on their costumes and presentations throughout the year in anticipation of carneval (German spelling) season. There were many bands of witches as well as demonically dressed guilds, politically satirical groups, marching bands and various animals. Here’s a taste:

Throughout there was much joviality and crowd interaction. Colorful confetti throwing was a major component and so was the pulling of pranks on the audience. Many a lady was kissed on the cheek (myself included!) by frightfully masked creatures, some had hats and scarfs stolen (and returned) and lots and lots of candy was thrown to the eager children lining the route.

I was most impressed by the intricate masks that called to mind folklore of old. I’m sure some of these costumes and traditions have been passed drown through many generations.

The tail end of the parade brought the South American contingents. There were representatives from Bolivia, Peru and The Dominican Republic. Those groups wore colorful national costume, danced and played music.

I’m so glad we found out about Fasnacht in time to enjoy the parade! Otherwise we would have missed out on a uniquely Swiss cultural celebration.

Here’s a link to my full photo album.

Now, somebody has to go clean up all that confetti!

Alpine Charm

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Mieka Strawhorn

Tyler had two full weeks off over Christmas and New Years (he had to take the time or lose it). We were on La Palma for just the week of Christmas so the following week we had a staycation. We went to the movies, enjoyed some lovely hikes around town and made a good start on watching the Making of a Murderer documentary on netflix! However, with cabin fever starting to set in, at the last minute we decided to explore a bit further afield.

Since the weather had been so mild I was jonesing to have my Swiss alpine fantasies realized. These fantasies are rooted in my childhood memories of spent at Long Barn (Tuolumune County) or Lake Tahoe. Those were my formative snow experiences. My mom and aunt would, some Christmases, haul us girls and and all of our gifts and embark on a 3 plus hour car ride to the snow so we could have a white Christmas. We’d usually rent a lodge room or a cabin and search out a Charley Brown tree (a fallen pine branch) to decorate with tinsel and a string of colored lights we brought along. Both Long Barn and Tahoe featured lots of faux Swiss chalet chic architecture and decor. Living in Switzerland is weird for me because I understand intellectually that Swiss alpine architecture is not inherently kitschy but it always has the look of artifice to me. I imagine that inside every Heidi looking facade there is a cozy room decorated with birch wood framed cross stitch scenes of bear, fish or moose, vintage snow shoes on the wall and plush shag carpeting underfoot. Traditional Swiss architecture delights me and triggers wonderful memories.

The Hannas at Long Barn

And so with these visions of holidays past I looked for a nearby ski village for us to explore. Since there had been so little snow this year, many of the resort areas were hurting for trade. I figured we could get a good last minute deal. And so we did. I booked us a room at a place called The River House Hotel in the town of Andermatt, about a 2 hour train ride from Zurich for the next night. Not really knowing what to expect we packed an overnight bag and headed to the train station the next morning. To my delight, the weather report said to expect snow overnight and into the next day. Just the frosting on the fantasy I wanted!

There was no snow to be seen for most of the train ride up into the mountains. Not until we changed trains and ascended on small part of the famed Glacier Express route did we see a marked change in the terrain.

We got off at the little train station and walked into town. What a delightful surprise! It was just as I had hoped. Andermatt is a small, high alpine village (population 1,200) in the canton of Uri. A river runs through the center of town which our hotel abutted. The hotel is in a beautifully restored 250 year old house in the village center.

The red building is our hotel.

Our room retained it’s original wood floors and ceilings and even had antique skis on the walls to give it that extra kick of kitsch and nostalgia. Once we arrived we put our things away and went for a short hike around to get our bearings just as a light snow began to fall.

Andermatt from above:

After our walk we had a rest as the snow continued to fall. Before heading out for dinner we stopped in the town’s little museum. We didn’t expect much from the size and description. It seemed very random. Here’s the description: “The museum hosts various permanent exhibitions. These include everyday domestic living during the period 1780/1800, the history of the valley and its culture, the skiing legend Bernhard Russi, tourism, the military, mountain agriculture, Alpine animals, mule transport, and a natural history collection. In addition, temporary exhibitions are displayed in the basement.”

Well, this museum turned out to be delightful and excellently curated. The building itself was a marvel; an fine restored house built in 1786. For most of our visit we were the only guests. Each room housed a different type of exhibit and in front of each room was a basket of absurdly large slippers to put on so as not to damage the original parquet floors. And as advertised it had it all; geodes, Olympic medals, arrowheads, army cots and beautiful antiques.

That night we had a splendid dinner at a Ticino restaurant (Ticino being the Italian speaking region of Switzerland which we were bordering). The waiter encouraged us to try the rigatoni with marmot ragout, the chef’s specialty. How could we say no?

The snow kept falling softly through the night.

The next morning we enjoyed breakfast and took one last walk through town (mostly so I could get use of the snow boots I bought but had not yet gotten to use). We also peeked into the big fancy new luxury resort they have on the other side of the village. It was super tacky and oh so “fancy”. A lot of foreign investors wanting to cash in on the ski trade here but it seemed like much of the new construction was vacant. We weren’t sure if the boom was just ramping up or slowing down. At any rate, Switzerland is very protective of it’s heritage so our last impressions of Andermatt were decidedly old fashioned, and romantic. In the case here, the modern resort hotel held all the kitsch and the Heidi alpine chalets of my memories held all the charm.

Island Christmas 2015

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Mieka Strawhorn

Tyler and I have inadvertently begun a tradition of having an island Christmas. It started with the idea of taking a trip somewhere new over the holidays. On our first Christmas trip we went to New Mexico where we had snow, breathtaking scenery and lots and lots of green chilies. The following year we went to The Big Island of Hawaii where we exchanged snow for sand and Portuguese sausage for green chilies (we kept the stunning scenery though). It’s hard to say no to surf and sun so last year found us in the Caribbean on the island of St. John. This year the cold and dark Swiss winter had us googling “sunniest place in Europe December”. The results were The Canary Islands, a place that had been in the back of my mind since my first visit to Spain in 1994. If you don’t know, The Canary Islands have been a part of Spain since the early 1400’s and are located in the Atlantic ocean directly off the coast of Morocco and Western Sahara. After further research we learned that the Canary Islands are a popular tourist destination for British and German tourists and can be a bit of a party scene. There was however one island that stood out from the rest as the quietest and least developed; La Palma. La Palma is known for it’s recent volcanic activity (last eruption was in 1971), unique and diverse geography, agriculture (primarily wine and bananas) and wonderful hiking opportunities. Sold!

We booked a traditional Canarian stone house located in the very small town of Las Indias on the southern tip of the Island.

As you can see we had a lovely sea view and a small vineyard next door. Each evening the workers (usually 3 or 4) would gather for an outdoor meal and to play dominoes.

It was raining when we arrived but we had variable weather throughout the week with some days of perfect, tropical sun and others that were cloudy and overcast. The temperature ranged from low 60’s to high 70’s. The wind was the only constant.

On our first full day we explored the main city of Santa Cruz. It’s known for it’s traditional Canarian architecture, especially for the ornate wooden balconies.

We visited a very good museum (housed in a scale replica of Christopher Columbus’ Santa Maria) which told the maritime history of The Canary Islands. It was fascinating to learn just how important these islands have been throughout history.

We got a two-fer and visited another smaller museum which was just bizarre. It focused on Santa Cruz’ Ascension celebrations held every 5 years. It’s a huge bash that includes lots of historical reenactments and features dancing dwarfs which are the city’s de facto mascots.

The dwarfs appear everywhere from manhole covers to t-shirts to various statues around town.

The following day Tyler and I got up before the sun to catch a cab that would take us to the trail head for a hike along the spine of the island called the Ruta de los Volcanes. It’s a 12 mile journey that is supposed to have extraordinary views but unfortunately for us the weather was not on our side for the first half of the hike. It was cloudy and incredibly windy. Like scary windy. I had to take my glasses off because I was afraid they would blow off my face. We hiked over jagged volcanic rock and up a grueling sandy trail without being able to see more that a few feet in front of us. We made he most of it and were laughing our asses off at the sight of us.

It was literally raining inside of one of my lenses.

Eventually the clouds lifted and we came out of the worst of it and were treated to the spectacular views we were hoping for.

Totally worth it but man we were sore the next day. The second half of the hike was nearly all down a steep rocky grade and our calves got a real work out. The rest of the week found us taking things a bit easier. We took a day trip on an old fishing boat one day and visited a black sand beach another.

We also ate a lot. Typical Canarian food is simple. A grilled meat or fish served with “papas arrugadas” or wrinkly potatoes. These are small waxy potatoes cooked in heavily salted water (sometimes sea water is used) until it evaporates and served whole in their skin. They also make a lot of goat cheese and this is served fried or baked until brown on the outside and topped with either red or green mojo sauce and perhaps some local honey. Mojos are ubiquitous and served with every meal. The most unique national dish is gofio and is really only eaten in The Canary Islands. It is a hold over from the native tribes and is a toasted grain meal to which hot broth is added. It looks like refried beans but is very thick and starchy in texture. It took some getting used to but we really enjoyed it!

gofio with green mojo sauce.

I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to visit this unique place. Back in 1994 when I had first heard of The Canary Islands it seemed incredibly exotic, far-flung and out of reach. Now that we are living in Europe we are able to explore these types of places with surprising ease: A direct flight from Zurich to Madrid and then a short jump from there to La Palma. Everything was relatively inexpensive, including the flights (of course compared to Zurich, anything seems inexpensive!). Even so, it still has the charm of the exotic and remote. The day before we left all flights off of La Palma were grounded because high winds in Western Sahara were blowing too much sand in the air. What a world!

*For those interested, here is a link to my full album of photos from La Palma. Enjoy!

Let it Snow!

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Mieka Strawhorn

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Tyler and I have been sadly distracted since our return from Rome with a very sick kitty. Our sweet Willie decided to stop eating a few weeks ago and lost a massive amount of weight in a very short period of time. All his body fat (and if you’ve met him, you know that’s a lot) was directed to his liver causing it to shut down. He was diagnosed with hepatic lipidosis and has advanced stage liver disease. He spent a week in the vet hospital getting fluids and food and we are happy to report that he’s back home with us and starting to improve. It will be a long road to recovery but we’re hopeful and pleased with his progress so far. He’s starting eating a bit on his own but still requires hand/force feeding three times a day. He’s a tough cookie and hope he’s got a few more lives left; he’s only used up about 3 (that we KNOW of) so far!

In more exciting news, the season changed seemingly overnight! Last Friday it looked like this out.

20151118_110022 This morning we woke up to this!

Zurich loves Christmas. Since there is no Thanksgiving, the holiday season has reigned unchecked for the the entire month of November. The department stores are fully stocked and decorated. There are two Christmas markets, one open air at the opera plaza and a covered one at the main train station. At the Christmas markets you’ll find food stalls of all kinds (from your typical bratwursts to American style BBQ and Himalayan food). There are also crafts and gifts stalls, a skating rink and at the train station, a giant Christmas tree decorated with Swarovski crystals. And all around the city you can find mulled wine kiosks on many street corners. I will visit the markets at night to get some pictures but here is the main shopping street, the Bahnhofstrasse the other night all lit up.

And here are some Santas outside of a sporting goods store giving out cured meats and cheese.

With the change in weather, Tyler and I are exploring some indoor activities. Last weekend we went to the wonderful Kunsthaus Museum. We went to check out a special exhibit of Spanish Surrealist painter Joan Miro. We decided while we were there to check out their permanent collection and were floored by the quality and breadth. There we saw masterworks by Picasso, Degas, Chagall, Monet, van Gogh, Pissaro, Rousseau, Munch, Mondrian, the Dutch masters and many more. Even better was the fact that there were no lines or crowds. It was mostly just us and a few starry eyed art students. At one point we found ourselves in a room with three wall sized waterlillies paintings by Monet and not another sole besides us and one girl quietly sketching in the corner. It was amazing, especially having just come from Rome where we viewed the Sistine Chapel with hundreds of other visitors being shushed and reprimanded for taking photos by armed guards. The Kunsthaus Museum is now high on our list of places to take visiting guests! We were there for several hours and still didn’t see everything and they have special shows and collections regularly throughout the year.

Our holiday travel plans are somewhat up in the air at this time as we’re waiting to see how Willie recovers. In the meantime we’re enjoying the hush of the snow and the the beauty of the Swiss holiday season. We’re looking forward to breaking in our snowboots and taking some more hikes and exploring other trappings of the season. On Thanksgiving we have reservations for a Raclette restaurant (raclette, not fondue, being the actual Swiss national dish) and on Saturday we will entertain our first ever guests as my friend Ellie and her husband Brian are coming over for dinner. I wish everybody a wonderful Thanksgiving. It’s so hard to be away from my family on this holiday in particular and I’m missing them very much but am feeling so very thankful to be have this opportunity to experience and explore this part of the world with the love of my life.

Bella Roma

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Mieka Strawhorn

Just a short post to update everybody on our trip to Rome. We had a fabulous time exploring the city and the sights. Even better, we had the opportunity to reunite with my dear friends Pam and Kim and meet their dad and step-mom. Tyler and I stayed in the Campo de Fiori neighborhood and walked our butts off seeing all the Rome biggies (Vatican, Colosseum, The Forum, the Parthanon, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps etc). Of course we also ate amazing food. Hello truffle rigatoni carbonara, will you marry us!?

Here are a few shots from our trip and a link to my photo album!

Our super cozy rental.

Dinner with friends!

St. Peter’s Basilica

At the newly (2 year project finished just a week ago) restored Trevi Fountain.

ARE YOU NOT AMUSED?

Drooooooooooooollll.

On a more somber note, the terror attacks in Paris occurred during our stay. Tyler and I were out walking around the city when they happened. We had no idea until I read about it on Facebook the next morning. Our rental was located next to the French Embassy and we watched the flowers, candles, notes and outpouring of support grow throughout the day and into the next night. I was deeply moved.

Our trip back to Zurich was uneventful (though the airport security was marginally beefed up). Not really knowing any Swiss people here yet it’s hard to gauge the effects of that act of terror on the local population. It still feels incredibly safe here despite our proximity to France and Belgium; a benefit of strident neutrality I guess.

Weekend Away

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Mieka Strawhorn

Yesterday was Tyler’s birthday. He spent it in an airplane flying to The Bay Area for work. But before that, we did something just a little special. We celebrated by having a short one night getaway to Lucerne. Turns our this famous little city is only an hour away from Zurich by train. We left on Friday evening after Tyler got home from work and hopped on a train for a bit of adventure. I had booked us a room at the very old and unique Hotel Winden Mann that started as a tavern in 1517. After checking in we walked the old town and had dinner in a classic French brasserie. Here are some shots of Lucerne. I’m going to link the entire photo album from this trip at the end so these are just a taster.

Lucerne at night.

Stairway kdjfkdjkfdfin Wilden Mann hotel.

This outdoor restaurant had a rack of fur coats for guests to use.

The next morning we decided to take a hike to one the alpine mountain areas near Lucerne. We didn’t really do any research before we left so we were winging it. We decided to try Mount Pilatius mainly because we could start and end our journey at the main train station where I wanted to leave my luggage. We took a bus to the outskirts of town and were then told we had to take a gondola up and then a different type of gondola to the summit. Like I said, we really knew nothing about what we were going to see. We just went with it. The weather was not great but it wasn’t raining. Visibility was quite limited and it was very foggy. The first gondola ride took us up over many green pastures and wooded areas. Then we started to see some snow on the ground. When we reached the end of that gondola line we were flabbergasted to see the snowy expanse we had entered. This is us at the (almost) top.

The second conveyance was called a aerial cableway. They look like this.

Pilatus Bahnen AG | Switzerland

We piled on with about 40 Korean tourists and were stunned as we rose into the white, snow bound void. We were literally in the clouds and then all of a sudden we were at the top of a huge mountain with expansive views of the alps. It was incredible. Awe inspiring. Breathtaking. Humbling. And it was COLD! It was snowing and windy as hell. We walked through a cave that had icicles hanging from the ceiling. We came out the other side of the mountain and were treated to even more mind-boggling vistas. We hiked about 40 minutes along the ridge of the mountain and hiked back, all the while marveling at what we had stumbled upon. Here is a glimpse.

The pictures really don’t do the scale justice. It was something I will remember forever. I said “OMG, we really DO live in Switzerland!”. I can’t wait to take visitors here and share with them this special, special experience. And there is so much more to explore! This trip was a last minute whim that came up with huge rewards. If we continue to experience extreme moments of grace like this my heart may explode.

Here is my photo album of this trip. Enjoy!

Lucerne & Mount Pilatus

Falling in Love

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Mieka Strawhorn

I have been so distracted by Autumn that I have not posted in far too long. This being my first time living outside of California, I’m experiencing my first real fall complete with bursting colors and air cracking with a crystalline chill. It’s so cool, you guys! Over the past few weeks I’ve watched the leaves light themselves on fire, burn out to a dark and rusty ember and cascade to the ground. Each day I watch the subtle changes in the trees outside our windows. Tyler and I have also gone on some stunning hikes, the longest being a 5 hour romp through the wooded paths, farms, lakes and towns in the hills above the city. Here are some photos I’ve taken on hikes over the past few weeks.

As a fall treat, my friend Ellie and I decided to check out the Dolder Grand Hotel. It was recently voted the best hotel in Switzerland and happens to be within walking distance to our house. We wondered all around and checked out their impressive pop art collection and had hot cocoa on the terrace. It’s a grand hotel indeed. It reminded me a bit of the Overlook hotel from The Shining because of its grandeur and remote (seeming) location. It’s really not that remote at all (like I said, it’s practically in our backyard) but I can imagine what it will look like if we get snow. I hope there is no murderous topiary!

I’ve really been enjoying the season. We had butternut squash soup for dinner recently, there are wonderful wild mushrooms to be had at the farmer’s market, I treated myself to a fancy European lady scarf and have started wearing gloves! I know it’s not that exotic to most but this California girl having a blast.

British Birthday Bash (part 2)!

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Mieka Strawhorn

After a cozy (if short) night’s sleep at The Draycott hotel I headed out at 7:00 to catch my train to Glasgow scheduled to leave at 7:40. I wrongly thought 40 minutes would be enough time but it turns out I had to hustle all the way, picking up tickets at one station and leaving from another. I made it to my train and found my seat with just 5 minutes to spare! Since it was my birthday, I decided to treat myself to a first class coach for the 5 hour journey so I was served a full English breakfast as I trundled through the English countryside.

As I rode I fondly remembered riding the train to Scotland with my mom, nerdily excited to be passing through York, the home of my then favorite author James Harriot of All Creatures Great and Small fame.

After changing trains in Edinburgh I finally arrived in Glasgow and made my way to the ultra hip and modern CitizenM hotel where I met up with my friend Monica.

We had early dinner reservations at a restaurant called Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery (not related to the TV show). Another grand old room, the Buttery is one of the oldest restaurants in Scotland. And yes, our host was wearing a kilt.

After dinner we had a really lovely sunset stroll through the city. Glasgow has a very distinct mixture of architectural styles from medieval, Victorian, Beaux-Arts and Art Deco. Afterfreshening up in our room (and playing with all the cool lights and gadgets in there) we headed out to Glasgow’s premiere karaoke bar because, as you know, I just can’t get enough! I try to karaoke wherever I go. We quickly found out that Glaswegians are some of the friendliest people in the world! I don’t know if it was because Monica and I, being African Americans in Scotland, were so rare and exotic or if it was because I was killing it on the mic, or a combination of both but we had so many people who wanted to kick it with us. We stayed up late and had loads of fun. What a great way to spend my birthday!

The next day Monica and I took a little day tour. We met our small bus (there were about 15 people total) downtown and headed to Loch Lomond. You are probably familiar with the song The Bonnie Banks of Lock Lomond (I’ll take the high road and you’ll take the low …) but if you’re like me you never really knew what the song was about. Well our tour guide (who naturally, wore a kilt) told us the sad, sad truth of it. Apparently a common interpretation is that it was about two brothers, Scottish Jacobites, who were captured by the British. They were told that one of them would be set free and the other would hang and it was up to them to decide which would live. The elder brother sacrificed himself. The high road refers to the physical route to their home on Loch Lomand. The low road is the spirit world, the road of the dead. The brother who was to die would arrive in his beloved Loch Lomand first because his soul would be spirited there immediately while his brother would travel the long way through the temporal world. Our guide played us a beautifully sung rendition of the song and my face started to leak. Gah! Here are some shots from Loch Lomand and the village of Luss.

Our tour next took us to Castle Doune. If it looks familiar to you it may be because it’s a movie star! It was the primary shooting location fro Monty Python and the Holy Grail and has been featured in the Outlander series. It was also the setting for Winterfell in the first season of Game of Thrones. The audio guide to Castle Doune is narrated by Monty Python’s own Terry Jones. It was super fun and a great, majestic piece of business (the castle, not the narration. That was silly yet informative). The setting was also spectacular. I’m going to have to come back because the whole time I was there I was thinking “Tyler has GOT to come here”. The Holy Grail is one of his all time favorite movies.

We then went on to another castle, Sterling castle. Where Castle Doune was raw and untouched by time, Sterling castle had a bit of a Disneyfied vibe to it. You both enter and exit through the gift shop at this castle. Many of the chambers were redone to represent how they might have looked and there were costumed actors/docents in many of the rooms. Mary of Guise (mother to Mary Queen of Scots) had a really appalling French accent and it was all Monica and I could do to keep from having giggle fits every 5 minutes. They also had a lot of period mannequins which we had fun posing with. While we had a great time playing around Stirling castle, I’ll take my castles crumbling and haunted thank you very much.

After we got off our bus in the city center and thanked our tour guide we found ourselves in the midst of a rally in support of an independent Scotland. People everywhere were waving flags (both what would be the new Scottish flag as well as Catalonia flags as they are allies, wanting independence from Spain), had their faces painted, raised signs and sang. There was a big stage which was projected on a large screen and a man was singing The Impossible Dream in a lovely tenor voice. What a great moment to witness!

Considering our age and the late night we had previously Monica and I stayed in for the evening after getting some scrumptious fish and chips at a place called The Chippy Doon the Lane. We watched a bonkers movie, The Guest starring an unrecognizable Matthew Crowley from Down Abbey, and called it a night. It was the perfect end to a perfect birthday weekend. The next morning Monica left for an early flight and I enjoyed my last full English breakfast at the hotel before heading for my train to London and then on to Heathrow. I am so blessed to have been able to travel so much in the past few months. It was so great to see an old friend (two actually!), enjoy great food, outstanding theater and explore (or re-explore) this beautiful world. I sometimes have to pinch myself. If my mom were here she would be so thrilled and I feel as though she’s with me. Happy birthday to me, indeed!

British Birthday Bash (Part 1)!

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Mieka Strawhorn

Last year on my birthday I was in Iceland. This year I decided to make a birthday trip a new tradition when my friend of 20+ years Monica told me she was having a work conference in Glasgow over my birthday weekend. Since I don’t currently have a job and a flight from Zurich to London is a mere 1 hour 20 minutes it was an easy decision to join her Friday (my b-day) for the weekend! And since I love musical theater so much, I also chose to sneak in single evening in London to see a West End Show.

I left Zurich on Thursday afternoon and arrived at my hotel in London at about 2:30. I booked early so I got a great rate at the extremely quaint and very London Draycott Hotel in the Kensington neighborhood. My room was the J.M. Barrie room and was decorated in a Peter Pan theme.

After freshening up I set out to walk to the Savoy Theater to pick up my tickets for Gypsy starring Imelda Staunton. I also had made a reservation to eat at Rules, London’s oldest restaurant, before the show. On my walk from the hotel to the theater I passed through some of London’s most famous sites; Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abby, Big Ben and the London Eye.

Before I left I took a picture of a picture of my mom and I in London in 1981 in front of the houses of parliament. As part of a long term project, I plan on trying to revisit as many places around Europe from previous trips as I can. I want to do a photo series of before and afters. The trips I took to Europe with my mom are some of the most precious memories I have. For this short trip, this is the spot and photo I sought out.

Thursday night at rush hour along the Thames was crazy busy! The streets were thronged with tourists and business people alternately standing dumbly or rushing from place to place. But I found the spot! Unfortunately in these post 911 days of heightened security they have build a high and imposing fence around the perimeter of the buildings. You can’t really tell I’m in the same spot until you get across the street. Even if the photo didn’t turn out, it was a great opportunity to revisit and remember walking with my mom, in awe of London, both of us seeing it for the first time.

Moving on I made my way to the box office and my 5:30 dinner reservation. Rules was a very unique dining experience. Pretty stuffy and formal but with a little imagination I could picture sitting across from a drunken Oscar Wilde exchanging barbs or belling up to the bar to eavesdrop on Dickens telling funny stories to a rapt audience. The room is that old and looks as if it hasn’t changed in a century. I ordered wild pheasant since it was in season (and was warned to watch out for buckshot) and it was pretty tasty if a bit dry. I was seated next to two American women, a mother and daughter who were there to celebrate the mom’s 80th birthday and we chatted throughout most of the meal.

After bidding adieu I headed to the historic Savoy Theater to see Gypsy!

I’ve never seen the show before, not even the movie musical starring Rosalind Russell and Natalie Woods. The music is by Jules Styne and the lyrics by Sondheim so I couldn’t go wrong. There were so many fantastic numbers I recognized and Imelda Staunton was incredible! What an amazing show.

The cherry on top of my amazing day was that I was able to meet up with my very old friend Polly. Polly and her family moved to Berkeley from London when I was nine and we became fast friends. She only stayed one year and I was heartbroken when they moved back. During that 1981 trip with my mom I got to visit and stay with her for a few days. That is the last time we had seen each other. Through the magic of Facebook we reconnected a few years ago. When she saw that I was going to be in London she asked if I’d like to get together. She met me for a drink after the show and we were able to spend an hour or so catching up on the past 30 odd years. Here’s a picture of us on Walker Street.

I’ll have to get her to send the one the waiter took of us at the bar. Polly had a Polaroid of this same photo plus a couple I hadn’t seen before with her. She also had a copy of a the children’s novels (The Story of the Treasure Seekers: Being the Adventures of the Bastable Children in Search of a Fortune) by British author E. Nesbit that I had inscribed and given to her as a gift. Her 9 year old daughter is currently reading it. Polly is working as the head of communications in the UK for Medecins Sans Frontieres. I also learned that her father, an environmental economist, shares a Nobel Peace prize!

We stayed later than the Underground ran so I hopped in a cab back to my hotel. I had an early morning train to catch to Glasgow the next morning so I went straight to bed, being sure to lock my window in case Peter Pan decided to sneak in and ask me to fly off with him. AS IF!

BabyChoby

By Mieka Strawhorn

Author Archives: Mieka Strawhorn