Our trip to Switzerland has been a walk down memory lane for me. I lived here in 1969/1970. Yes, a long time ago but my experiences here were to change the direction of my career and establish Em in his career. They were good times and for four days A and I have visited some of the places I loved back then. These few photos are of Zug, the town where Em set up his office in a small apartment. It was a small medieval town then but it has grown into a thriving modern city that at first I did not recognise – until I found the old town – still as it used to be. I was ‘home’.
The restored castle of Zug – an important symbol of this medieval town in central Switzerland. Much of the town is very new, but they have kept the old town in tact.
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In the centre of the old town is this clock tiled in Zug Canton’s colours of blue and white. Just seeing it made me feel ‘at home’.
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We had lunch in the old square where we had eaten so often when we lived here – the tables and chairs are new but the garden salad was just as good as I remembered.
A coincidence! The man in the check shirt was our wonderful waiter on the schiff on Zurich Lake the day before. We had enjoyed his company and it was great to be recognised by someone here in the old town.
One of the two narrow streets that run off the square – some buildings more than 500 years old and still being used as houses or shops. I just love all those flags.
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Just below the square is the lake of Zug – my lake. Blue sky, blue water, lazy days – summer had finally come to Switzerland.
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The promenade along the lake shore that joins old town to the new. Em and I often had our lunch sitting right here under those trees. I would come into town from our village, Walchwil, and he would walk down from the office nearby. Good memories. These paddle boats are new but there were always paddle boats here for hire.
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Seagulls, swans and ducks on the lake are all part of my memories. They provided company in the early days in Zug when I didn’t know anyone – nor did I speak the language. And it was that experience that was the impetus for a change in my career when I finally went home to Australia – from classroom teacher to developing Child Migrant Education and teaching English as a Second language – something Australia did not do at that time.
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From the seats under the trees this is the view down the lake to the Rigi Mountain (Queen of the Mountains) – where our next visit down memory lane would take us.
More photos of this few days in beautiful Switzerland when I get home. Jennie