Living juicy

So M & I were invited to help chaperone 16 middle school kids on a Thanksgiving weekend ski trip to Zermatt, and the Matterhorn didn't disappoint. It's one of those Surreal Things that you know about throughout your life (like Venice, or the Eiffel Tower, or the Taj Mahal) and when you see it you've got to pinch yourself. It is a majestic sight, curling out of the Alps into the sunshine. Gorgeous.

Some teachers loathe middle school; I love them. The boys are dorky and goofy, the girls are desperate to kiss the boys and are just beginning to discover how nasty girls can be to one another (though they hold no grudges). They're awkward, silly, fun, desperate for freedom but long to be entertained. It's my very favorite age.

Zermatt is a charming little village with the typical chalets one associates with the country. Everything is immaculate, well-run, sophisticated, and I found myself wondering how much more efficient the world would be if Switzerland was in charge. This, of course, reminded me of a t-shirt sold in a restaurant in Stresa, on Lago Maggiore:

In heaven, the cops are British, the lovers are French, the food is Italian, the cars are German, and the whole thing is run by the Swiss. In hell, the cops are German, the lovers are Swiss, the food is British, the cars are French, and the whole thing is run by the Italians. Touche.

Living as juicily as possible...off to Edinburgh and Glasgow for the next few days to take in some Christmas cheer. Slainte!