Evendays

Switzerland played the gracious host and was the first of 16 teams to be eliminated from advancement into the next round of the European Cup, leaving the spot in their group to either Turkey or Czech Republic. Portugal has already won the group.

Wife and I went to a tent where about 300 gathered in the name of UEFA for the first part of last night’s match. It was noisy, smoky, hot, hard to understand the speaker… A lot like church. I felt strange chanting “Hopp Suisse” for a team that was 140 miles away, but what the heck, we yelled anyway and were encouraged when the Turko-Swiss YAKIM scored a go-ahead goal against Turkey. Other chances passed by, but we finished the first 45 minutes ahead. For good, we hoped.

We biked home and watched the second half in the quiet of our own home with Son 1 and Daughter. We saw our lead disappear, then we fell behind in the final minutes. Commentators complained. We wept. (Well, sort of…)

Now, since that stress is over, the kids only have to worry about final exams (a different stress). And they still have another team in the tournament: Whoever is playing against France.

There are two big supermarket chains in Switzerland. One is COOP (pronounced COE-OPE). The other is Migros. Both have big, orange logos. Both offer bargain lines of products, from cell phones to nights at the club to credit cards. The two companies fight it out every year for the hearts of Swiss residents.

Migros (pronounced ME-Grow — I know, really bad grammar) has worked out a deal with an up-and-coming rock group to host a 40,000 seat concert. The only way you can attend the concert is to win a lottery. And the only way you can win the lottery is if you have a Migros fidelity card. They will be “giving” away the 40,000 seats to 20,000 winners.

This is quite a coup. For the afore-mentioned rock group is non other than the Stones. Yes, that mossy, wrinkly, Super Bowl halftime entertainment band will be making a stop in Lausanne. Hosted by the biggest grocery store chain in Switzerland.

Just imagine if Costco brought you the Eagles… If Walmart presented Genesis… If Kmart sponsored Kiss… Makes me want to stay home and order from Amazon.

This last Christmas, the kids gave us tickets to the Mummenschanz show in Bern. So two days after our wedding anniversary, Wife and I drove to the Swiss capital, found a restaurant that served onion rings and burgers, then slipped into the theater to enjoy the show.

If you’re a Muppet fan, you may be familiar with Mummenschanz. They had a show in New York in the 70’s that ran for 3 years and they also appeared with Kermit in the Muppets’ first season. There is no dialogue, no music, no “people”… Just shapes and hands and eyes and very creative stuff going on. Amazing how a “tube” could show so much expression when it was playing catch with members of the audience.

The show we saw was a review of the first 11 years. The audience was filled with people OUR age, though there were a few 20 somethings lost in the Swiss German crowd (and I think even they enjoyed it).

Check out their web site (and enjoy the samples on the intro page)… Then come see the show!