The Big Event

When I first wrote about my planned trip to Europe, I explained that my reason for going was to attend the 70th birthday party of my Swiss cousin Werner.  My cousin Brigitta, with whom I was staying, is Werner's sister.  So, of course, she and her husband Peter were attending the event.  Around noon on the Saturday of the party, they drove me from Uster, where they live, to Othmarsingen, the ancestral home of the family.  Othmarsingen is about 30 miles to the east, on the other side of Zurich, and the party was going to be at the house that belonged to their parents.

The event was planned to be held in the back yard, and we were all concerned about the weather.  As it turned out, the weather was perfect... warm and sunny.

There were perhaps fifty people at the party.  I did not know some of them, but there were many others, including numerous cousins, that I knew from previous trips.  Most everyone speaks English, so there were plenty of people with whom I could chat.  I did not have a chance to talk at length with Werner since, as the host, he had to mingle with all his guests.  I gave him his birthday gift, which was my original painting which I used to create this year's Christmas cards.

A bar had been set up in the back yard, and there was a food truck which was serving tacos.  I had my doubts as to how authentic the tacos would be, but, other than the fact that they were served on flour tortillas, they were quite good.  They even had cilantro and salsas for garnishing them and lime wedges.  (A squeeze of lime juice is obligatory for an authentic taco.)  I had to chuckle watching some of the guests attempt to eat a taco, and I showed a couple of them how to roll it up.

There was also a band performing throughout the afternoon.

  

Werner, the birthday boy, is to the left, and he is with his brother and sisters.

 

I had brought my luggage with me, because after the party, my cousin Walter and his wife Helen were taking me to their home in Aarau (just nine miles to the east) where I was to stay for the next three nights.