August 16: Switzerland: Saying Goodbye
Some goodbyes are harder than others. With my grandmother being 105 years of age and living an ocean away, I knew when I left this morning that it might be for the last time. I’m so glad that I changed my original plans, turning north from Bulgaria to spend almost a week in Switzerland with her before leaving for Germany and then home. There really isn’t anything more important than loved ones.
My grandmother has been an active part of my life for as early as I can remember even though she’s always lived on a different continent. When I was just a toddler and she visited me and my siblings at our farm in Gilroy, California she would hide presents for us under her bed, allowing us to pull one out at a time each morning of her visit.
She’s such a strong woman and although we sometimes butted heads, I never had any doubt that she loved me. Starting at age five I flew across the sea by myself to visit her, first in London and then later in Switzerland. While at her Lowndes Square flat in London, we played chutes and ladders on the floor, ate popsicles in the park, shopped for clothes, and visited Harrods. During summers in Switzerland, we hiked through villages and vineyards and in wintertime, skied the alps.
I vividly recall when I was in elementary school and broke my only pair of glasses right before visiting her. The stewardess accompanying me asked me how I would be able to pick out my grandmother from the crowd at the arrival gate without being able to see. “That’s easy,” I said. “I’ll hear her footsteps, and she’ll call me ‘darling.’” Grannie always wore high heels and took very short yet firm steps, making a distinctive tap-tap-tap sound as she walked.
Although Grannie’s memory is now impaired and she has lost her sight and most of her hearing, she still had treasured moments of lucidity on this visit where she not only recognized and acknowledged me but also conveyed a positive sentiment. I don’t think I’ll ever be too old to appreciate being called “darling” or hearing how much she loves me, appreciates me, and wants me to live my life to the fullest.
I’ve divided my time during this last visit as in the past, spending the first part of my day hiking or taking a ferry to a favorite lunch spot and then the afternoons and evenings with Grannie. At Creperie d’Yvoire in France, I savored every bite of my spinach crepe with ham, three cheeses, and fresh cream as well as my desert crepe with butter, lemon, and sugar. Both crepes were a little brown and crispy on the outside but tender and moist on the inside, creating a texture in perfect harmony with the fresh burst of flavor in every mouthful. I’ve hiked up the La Dole mountainside from St. Cergue to Restaurant de la Barillette several times to break off pieces of their warm and crusty homemade bread and dip them in the warm creamy vacherin and gruyere cheese fondue mixture.
Although it’s hard to leave, I also know it’s time. My work at West Linn High School is starting in just a few days and I’m looking forward to meeting this year’s students as well as working with my after-school tutoring clients. It’s going to be wonderful to be with friends and family in the US again and to see more of what I have through a lens of gratitude.
