been looking over some of the e-mails I wrote home while in switzerland. so glad the maternal unit saved that stuff. some of it is pretty funny. lots of things I'd completely forgotten about.


written december 7, 2002
I babysat for Madame's daughter's kid last night. Easiest job ever. He was sick with a fever and in bed, so I sat in the living room doing homework. He was talking and singing to himself for a while, then silent for the rest of the evening. I got chf 20 and chocolate! Tonight I'm going with Madame and Monsieur to a 'soiree' of their grandaughter Johanna's dancing (12 year old next door). Apparently it's for the Swiss Cup - she must be really good...


I can't wait until you come to visit. You won't have time to be jetlagged! But, no offense, I stopped missing you a while ago. I still love you dearly. The only thing I miss is my piano.


written january 5, 2003
Happy New Year!!!


So, since I talked to you last...Tenerife was amazing. We had great weather for the most part. I didn't really do that much swimming on the black sand beach, since it was so incredibly painful. On our second free day, I went with some friends to a beach on the other side of the island, where the swimming is rather like in Destin - lots of waves. Soooooooo much fun!!! I used sunscreen, so I didn't get burned very badly, and I only got the itchy spots on my hands and wrists on the last day. One word of advice for if you ever go to the Canary Islands: DON'T DRINK THE WATER! No further comment necessary (about a third of us were sick).


I loved all of it. Spain is so beautiful will all the palm trees and everything. My favourite was when we went up the mountain in Tenerife (in the bus of course), and it became desert. I took a ton of pictures. Our guide that day (Victor), was a fan of the wide angle lenses. ("Now we take two pictures only, maybe three, no more than four", you get the idea). Our last hotel was ridicuously sweet. It was big and very open, with lots of sitting areas and a beautiful white grand piano. On the day we got there, I played for about ten minutes and no one stopped me, so I went and got my music and played for another hour.


But yeah, if I ever see a bus again... Friday was absolute torture, 12 hours total in the bus and 2 in the plane. Since there were only 15 of us total, the bus dropped us all off at home at the end. I was lucky that I was number 2 on the route - I got home at about 1 am. I had to wake Madame up to let me in, but she was still very glad to see me. I have discovered the secret to comfortable sleeping in buses. But I should have taken a picture of David sleeping across the floor, under the seat.


No Mom, you don't need to remind me to do thank-you notes. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T BRING ME PEANUT BUTTER??????? Carry-on? In disguise??? Si vous plait???? I'm making Kraft dinner for supper tonight, since Madame and Monsieur won't be here - it's Monsieur's mother's 87th birthday. I'm so excited for skiing in Zermatt! Oh yes. Of couse I'm excited to see you too. We just got a fresh falling of snow too... 2 mm of it.


written january 14, 2003
Sorry, didn't get around to checking my e-mail yesterday. Marseille was amazing. We got there at 6 am, and it was about .00000001 degrees celsius and pouring rain. We walked around till we found an open cafe, and waited for the sun to rise. The rain stopped by the afternoon, and Sunday was clear blue skies, so it was all good!! The trip to the Chateau d'If was undoubtably the best part. It wasn't one of those fort tours where you can see a museum exhibit in one room, and are cut off from the rest. We explored the whole thing, and the island too. You get a great view of the city. I had fish soup for supper Saturday, which was really, really good. Other than that, we climbed up to Notre Dame, where we would have had a really good view if it hadn't been pouring rain...but that was fun, since the whole way up/down was literally sheets of ice...


written march 20, 2003
The thought just occured to me that you may like to know what I am doing this weekend. I am going to Lugano, leaving Friday afternoon and returning Sunday night. Madame said it is beautiful there. I am going with Katherine, Ali, and Nadia.


I just thought you might like to know my travel plans.


Love, Laura


P.S. When I told Madame I am playing rugby every Thursday, she said, "Rugby!?! Tu fais du rugby? Oh la la!"


so. this time three years ago I was getting ready for a weekend in normandy, dashing from school to sailing lessons or rugby practice and home for grillade. the vinyards were green, the lake was blue, and hiking home up that goshdarn hill was sweltering hot. has it really been three years?