Swiss Cemeteries

Look what we found!! We went for a walk the other day and came upon a beautiful and unusual cemetery. Each plot is beautifully decorated with a variety of fall plants, evergreens, candles, and small statuary. We noticed that the dates on the stones went back no further than about 1996.  Our curiosity was peaked so when we got home we did some research...
...and learned that plots are rented for use for only 25 years. After that the graves are dug up and the site is re-used. Sounds unsentimental and shocking but this is a small country where space is at a premium. Family members are responsible for caring for the plot and we anticipate that they will clear out the winter plants and replace them with colorful Summer plants. We will visit again and share more pictures. The Swiss are very orderly....alive and dead!!

Merry Swiss-mas...

...from His house to yours!!

Decking the Halls

Simple was the name of the game when decorating our apartment for Christmas.

Chocolate Ornaments - a "must"

Pringle-can Snowmen

Our Swiss Nativity candle

Our Christmas-y Table

Card, cards and more Cards

Popcorn treats for neighbors

Good Tidings... Glorious Tidings... of Great Joy

Our Christmas wish for you is that your heart will be touched and your eyes will be opened in new ways to the Great Joy that was born on that first Christmas Day.

We understand now more than ever that He brought Love and Light to the earth and that all Good Gifts come from Him.

We invite you to watch, hear and feel that joy in this beautiful 4 minute Christmas Story Video

Merry Christmas!!

Love,

Elder and Sister Sano

More Scenes from Our Swiss Christmas

The Nativity Scene on the lawn of the temple. 

The Ward Christmas Party with a play of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" in German and dinner. 

Advent Sunday Celebration at the Moosner's home. 

A Candlelight Walk in the Woods with the Relief Society Sisters.

Rise and Shine!!

The words to an old campfire song go like this: "You gotta rise and shine and give God your glory, glory..." and that is just what the Bern temple does each day at 5:45 a.m. We snapped these pictures from our apartment window to try to give you a time-lapsed look at this lovely display. It sure pays to wake up early!

Where's the Beef?

Beef exists here in Switzerland but it is not found in our possession! We recently wandered into a lovely store in Old Town Bern that offers quite a large variety of meats... all at staggering prices.

They also cook and sell meals-to-go which gives us a chance to at least enjoy FREE smells of sizzling steak!!!

There are all kinds of schnitzels and sausages and even....

....Pepperoni Santa Clauses!! We will never again complain about what they charge at home after  seeing the prices here!!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire....Jack Frost nipping at your nose...

We highly recommend this delectable delicacy...

which has been memorialized in a favorite Christmas carol!!

 It is so yummy and the perfect street-vendor treat on a very cold and nippy day in Old Town Bern!!

 (Frank is smiling on the inside but can't smile while biting into a delicious chestnut at the same time!)

Chocolate Experts

 Not only are the Swiss EXCELLENT at making DELICIOUS chocolate to eat but....

they also make their chocolate into BEAUTIFUL sculptures to look at!!

Going Hunting

This is how Frank prepares to go "hunting" for bargains! No camouflage or neon orange clothing needed. Just a grocery list, good footwear, coat, hat and gloves for protection from the cold and a backpack and cart to haul home the "kill"!! Together we walk about two miles to our favorite "hunting ground".

Where is Baby Jesus?

The stores here are full of Christmas decorations but sadly it is tough to find any thing that reflects the real Reason for this Season.

      

So we were very happy when this sweet manger scene arrived in the mail. It is a Christmas card that pops-up into a Nativity and sits proudly on our table.

Another simple but beautiful scene is on the lawn next to the temple just outside our apartment window. Finding a lack of Baby Jesus' here gave us a tender reminder that much of the world has forgotten Him. We have a renewed desire to make sure that we find Him a place in our home and heart not just at Christmas, but every day of the year.  

Kicking Off the Christmas Season

A group of very talented LDS young adults put on a wonderful Weinnachtskonzert (Christmas concert) tonight in the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Old Town Bern. The church was build in 1848 and is now the Reformed Catholic Church of Switzerland.  The crypt (yes, people are buried there) in the lower level of the building had great acoustics and made a terrific location for the concert.  Give a listen...

They performed old carols and new ones in German, French and English. What a way to start this "most wonderful time of the year"!!