money, money, must be sunny, in a rich man's land

It's not always roses in Switzerland

     First off, things are expensive.
     Gas is 1.80 a liter.  There are about four liters to a gallon....so that is about 7.20 a gallon.  Which explains why people drive smaller cars and use more public transportation.
     I just bought some bread, freshly baked baguette from the patisserie up the hill.....3.90.  OK, I have to admit, it was worth it.
     But housing is the killer.
     Julia lives in an apartment, pays rent, like hundreds of other Swiss people do.  She would like a house, not an apartment, but a single stand by itself house.
     She will need a minimum 200,000 franc for a down payment, because you have to put down 20 percent.  Roughly speaking, a basic house is about 1,000,000 franc.  Houses that meet all my criteria are about 1.8 million...to start.
     My criteria: a house with entry from the garage to a living space, something like a studio apartment.  Then with stairs up to a second floor with additional living space, kitchen,  2 bedrooms, living room. dining area.  And a view.
     That way when we come visit, we have a little place to stay and it might be easier for Jackie to get around.  Plus it is space for other people to stay when they visit.
     Which means, I have to win the freakin lottery when I get back to the states!!
     Anyway, I have a few pictures and comments from the last couple of days.....

Looks like garbage left on the street, but au contraire!  Recycling is huge in Switzerland.  This is compost waste.  Commune employees pick up newspapers once  every two weeks, compost material, I think also every two weeks.  All sorts of buckets and containers, with apples, banana peels, spoiled vegetables, are put out on the street for pickup

 The red dots indicate wave caves....places were wine is made and sold.  There are quite a few to choose.  By the way, Julia lives close to the 10.

      Found this interesting.  It is posted on city hall and shows the police and fire activity for July. Ambulance calls are broken down into the type...heart attacks were third highest.  Accidents were top.

This is the fallout shelter door in Julia's basement.  All the older Swiss buildings have these shelters and they are mandated in newer dwellings as well.

     A Swiss clothes drier.  This is a gas unit.  Set the temp, turn on the timer, close the doors and your clothes eventually dry.

     And no Beth, that is not my underwear.  I only wear thongs now.  Very European.

     Oh, while I was at the patisserie, I opted for a little afternoon delight...double creme!