Celebrating Thanksgiving (11/22/1981)

Sunday, November 22, 1981

Photographed the sunrise.

Sunrise from Personalhaus

Went to the old town and an Asian Indian gentleman carrying a briefcase hailed me. Since I already had the experience of businessmen asking me directions to the train station, I obligingly stopped. But this one wanted someone to show him the sights. I was too busy, but then the fellow wanted to meet up with me in the evening and perhaps I knew where to go dancing. I certainly couldn’t help him with that! I doubt that I was the kind of guide he really wanted. He gave me his business card and promised me jewelry made with his company’s machines, and he did get where I worked out of me. (He did call the hospital on Monday asking for me when I had already turned in my beeper, and because he spoke English he was referred to Jan. She could honestly say she did not know of my whereabouts! Hopefully this is the end of that story!)

Business card of Asian Indian

I continued to Confiserie Progin downtown. This confectionary was Biel’s version of Sprüngli where I bought a braided loaf of bread and a gift box of truffles. After lunch I went to Jan and Kirby’s to help prepare our Thanksgiving meal. Kirby had been up since 6:30 to cook the turkey. I helped peel the boiled chestnuts, and read some of the narrative chapters in their book, “The Swiss Cookbook,” about cheese, chocolate, holidays, cantons, trains, etc.

Thanksgiving place card

At about 17:00, Jan & Kirby’s friends arrived; Heidi with dessert and Christian with some bottles of wine. I tried a sip of the sweet Rhine wine. We served ourselves from the platter of turkey and stuffing that was garnished with grapes, peach halves with cream, glazed chestnuts and chestnut paste. There were sweet potatoes (from Long Island) and cranberry sauce (from Upstate New York). The turkey was from Virginia and weighed about 10 k/22 pounds. It cost about $10 per pound!

Heidi and me

The meal was excellent and we switched to a Swiss wine that I did not like at all! There was a lively discussion/demonstration on the proper way to eat seeded grapes. We Americans spit out the seeds and the Swiss swallow them whole. Christian will even swallow the entire grape whole! We saw photos of Jan & Kirby and Heidi’s trip to Ticino. After washing dishes, we had the dessert of a chocolate nut cake and orange-flavored “crème” (like a soft pudding?) During clean up, I mistakenly threw out the turkey juices which were still viable…