[Culturechat] Fond memory of the Heartland - Old friends and new friends
Bill Kover
ShutterbugBill@att.net
Fri, 7 Nov 2003 19:55:38 -0500
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It was a cold overcast Sunday. In two days we would be returning home. =
Luzern seemed like a good place to spend the day. It would be good to =
take one last stroll around this beautiful city, and enjoy a nice fondue =
in a cozy restaurant. Unfortunately, we found out that most restaurants =
were closed. Things did not look good. The first open restaurant we =
could find was the Goldener Lowen, a distinctly touristy establishment. =
Naturally it was crowded. It seemed like half the place was occupied by =
Americans. There wasn't an open table to be found. The waitress seemed =
frazzled, cranky, and was determined to ignore us. Then, just as our =
morale was at its lowest, the numerous Americans turned out to be a one =
big family who graciously rearranged their seating so that we could have =
a table for our meal. We thanked them for their kindness. As we were =
reviewing the menu, the other end of our table became free. That is =
when we noticed a man and two women standing at the entrance looking for =
a place to sit down. We motioned for them to share our table. There in =
the middle of a touristy restaurant on a cold cloudy day, we got the =
moment we were looking for. The three some consisted of a married =
couple from Annapolis, Maryland, and a Swiss lady from Rotkreuz. The =
two women had gone to school together in Switzerland when they were =
young. They hadn't seen each other in over 25 years. We became part of =
their reunion. We had our cheese fondue, followed by chocolate fondue =
for dessert. The shared reunion lasted for 2 1/2 hours. We had never =
met these three people before. The only thing we had in common was the =
table we were sitting at. But for at least 2 1/2 hours we felt like we =
were with best friends. I think the happiness was contagious. Even our =
attempts to speak to the waitress in German had a positive effect on her =
disposition. All in all, the day turned out to be a pretty heart =
warming one. The next time we're blessed with a cold cloudy day in a =
country far from home, we will again go searching for that special =
moment that all real travellers look for.=20
Bill Kover
Piscataway, New Jersey
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It was a cold =
overcast Sunday. In two=20
days we would be returning home. Luzern seemed like a good place =
to spend=20
the day. It would be good to take one last stroll around =
this=20
beautiful city, and enjoy a nice fondue in a cozy restaurant. =20
Unfortunately, we found out that most restaurants were =
closed. Things=20
did not look good. The first open restaurant we could find =
was the=20
Goldener Lowen, a distinctly touristy establishment. Naturally it =
was=20
crowded. It seemed like half the place was occupied by =
Americans. =20
There wasn't an open table to be found. The waitress seemed =
frazzled,=20
cranky, and was determined to ignore us. Then, just as our =
morale was=20
at its lowest, the numerous Americans turned out to be a one big =
family who=20
graciously rearranged their seating so that we could have a table for =
our=20
meal. We thanked them for their kindness. =
As we=20
were reviewing the menu, the other end of our table became free. =
That is=20
when we noticed a man and two women standing at the entrance looking for =
a place=20
to sit down. We motioned for them to share our table. There =
in the=20
middle of a touristy restaurant on a cold cloudy day, we got the =
moment we=20
were looking for. The three some consisted of a married couple =
from=20
Annapolis, Maryland, and a Swiss lady from Rotkreuz. The two =
women=20
had gone to school together in Switzerland when they were young. =
They=20
hadn't seen each other in over 25 years. We became part of=20
their reunion. We had our cheese fondue,=20
followed by chocolate fondue for dessert. The shared =
reunion=20
lasted for 2 1/2 hours. We had never met these three people =
before. =20
The only thing we had in common was the table we were sitting at. =
But for=20
at least 2 1/2 hours we felt like we were with best friends. I =
think the=20
happiness was contagious. Even our attempts to speak to the =
waitress in=20
German had a positive effect on her disposition. All in =
all, the=20
day turned out to be a pretty heart warming one. The next =
time we're=20
blessed with a cold cloudy day in a country far from home, we will again =
go=20
searching for that special moment that all real travellers look for.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bill Kover</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Piscataway, New=20
Jersey</FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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