where others come for vacation ...
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Remaining days of July are spent in frantic packing, moving, cleaning of the old apartment and slowly unpacking boxes in the new.
Many Thanks to the crane operator at the construction site next door, we're able to move the furniture from our balcony to the car park where Armand the Strong Man with a BIG HEART helps Lukas load it in his van, drive and unload at the new apartment. Claudia invites us for a delicious home cooked dinner 
Danke Schön Armand and Claudia!! We couldn't have done it without you..
We're invited for dinner at Alex (Lukas's brother) and Titzianna(his wife) on Friday night. Alex has cooked the most delicious, all vegetarian, 4 course Italian meal.. I can't help remarking to myself "These Wymann Brothers are such amazing cooks, I got really Lucky here!!"
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After yet another yummy breakfast at Nidwaldnerhof with Ruth and Terry, we bid them a sad goodbye and promises to see each other soon: in Switzerland, London or San Francisco..
Next stop: "Amt für Migration" in Stans to submit paperwork for my residence permit. With a beating heart, we wait for our turn. Lukas has already checked the documents yesterday. We're called and the same kind lady, who had told us in April that the correct way would be to apply for the permit in New York greets us. She checks all our paperwork while conversing in a friendly manner. This is such a sharp contrast to the stern immigration officials in the US.
She takes all our papers and disappears inside. After a few tense minutes, she appears again and says everything is in order and I need to go downstairs for fingerprinting & picture. 
. She also says that the permit should take about 4 weeks.
After picture & fingerprinting, we're on our way home with a joyful heart.. the most difficult part of settling down in Switzerland has been done!!
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We bid a sad goodbye to Lisa in the train to Zurich Airport early in the morning. We spend the rest of the day relaxing with Ruth and Terry: tête-à-tête over Daal-Rice for lunch which continues till coffee break. Ruth enjoys reading her unputdownable novel in the balcony. A short walk through Beckenried, last Gelati at Rössli and a delicious dinner of Brot (Bread), Cheese, Salad and Red Wine..
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Aishna, our li'l sweetheart is leaving today. Lisa stops by in the morning to say goodbye to her. As we drive her to the Zurich airport, to me it feels like just yesterday when we picked her up. It was great to have the smiling, energetic and chirpy soul with us. We will surely MISS her 
The weaving long lines at the baggage drop, give us some extra time with her. As she passes through the security gate, I sure hope that she will come back soon.
In the afternoon, Armand and Lukas drive all of us to Aareschlucht, a walk through the Aare Gorge. The gorge is spectacular - it's drizzling, foggy and misty and we can hear the Aare river roaring deafeningly through the towering narrow walls of the gorge. The total length is 1.4kms, but we take about an hour, stopping frequently to admire and capture Aare River forging it's path through Rock. Coffee and Swiss cookies is the best way to wait out the rain at the east end.