With the sun becoming more of a regular fixture in the sky, cinema under the "Starry-Starry-Night" sky offers a tempting option to stay outdoors on these long, warm (or not-so warm) nights, especially if it comes with a view of the lake and the mountains.

I load my folding chair into the trunk & armed with a woolen blanket, I start driving to pick up Vreni. A typical Swiss, she is happy to see me arrive 5 mins early. One of things I've had to adjust to in Swiss is their punctuality, or dare I say - overly punctual. The typical Swiss will ring your doorbell 15 minutes before the expected arrival time.. So you'd better be ready to greet the visitor with a Smile, even though you may be adding the final touches to your dishes -- i usually arrive at the door with fresh coriander pieces stuck in my hands and with the smell of Tadka in my hair! 

We drive on to pick up Martha & then Antonia. The ladies are happy to be driven in my car and as they talk excitedly about it's interiors in Swiss-Deutsch, i must admit that i beam inwardly... Ahhh.. My car -- my precious white Snowflake!

After getting my arm-band, i walk to the grassy beach of Buochs. The weather is lovely and scenic lake is sparkling in the evening sun. People lay on reclining chairs, beanie-bags and sleeping bags and are enjoying ice-cream, popcorn, some reading newspapers.. It has a lazy-easy feel - just like Summer evenings are supposed to be. We setup our chairs in the third row and walk over to grab a bite from the food stalls. After strolling by a bunch of grilled meat sections, I converge on the veggie option @ "African Taste". It comes with a fried banana. uhmmmm.. That was pure delish!!  

After dinner, we take a stroll on the beach.. Meanwhile, the screen has been setup and it's time to get comfy in our chairs. As i snuggle into my blanket.. my mind walks down the memory lane to childhood days.. Friday Night movie in the open-air theatre was a regular fixture @ NGRI. I wasn't a big movie buff those days. In fact i hated them. I would start praying from Wednesday to the Rain Gods. Once in a while, my prayers were answered - much to the disappointment of the rest of the family. Sometimes, i managed to convince my Sister to stay back home with me. Don't remember what i used to bribe her with. And the rest of the times, i went grudgingly... to the open-air-theatre -- a concrete arena. We laid our blankets & cushions on the steps.. And when i couldn't take it anymore, i would turn over & face the wall instead of the screen.. Sometimes there was "Tambola" during the break along with Samosas.

And here I am now, enjoying my first open-air movie experience in Switzerland. The latest version of this old-fashioned, goody-two-shoes tale about a young girl "Heidi" running up & down in the Alps with her initially grumpy grandfather. The Bürgenstock backdrop reflecting the scenes from the movie.

But wait, a cine-experience is never complete without an ice-cream... and the "Pause" is a perfect time to enjoy one.