I could have equally called this post ‘Tick list? I’ll tick you!’ or ‘Did we really just spend £45 on vegetables?’ or ‘Oh god, horse chimichangas . . .’ or ‘No, we can’t buy a car yet because we have to rent a flat with a parking space first, and to do that we have to get our debt certificate and to do that we have to get our Swiss ID cards and to do that we have to make an appointment to get our biometrics done but they can’t do that till next week so we’ll just live in corporate housing forever.’
But I really should call this, ‘Tober’s home and very little else matters.’ She had a very safe trip and thoroughly enchanted her chauffer, who let her up on the bed with him at night (which has led to a few difficult conversations in the Finch Gnehm household as expectations have been raised). She’s doing zoomies around the flat as we speak.
Week one has been intense. There have appointments to get various legal documents, cards, passes and registrations, all of which have gone smoothly with the support of Jesse’s company’s rehoming assistance but are nerve-racking nonetheless. The corporate flat is clean, centrally located and comfortable, with a washer and dryer and a dishwasher but it is without our stuff except for some clothing - which becomes more annoying day by day.
Finding a flat in Zug is, it turns out, as tough as advertised, and as expensive as vegetables. Unlike the UK, the price is the price, no negotiation, and the flat remains on the market for a specified length of time, after which the landlord/estate office reviews the applications and just makes a choice. Not the highest bidder, not the first people to offer full price . . . I just cannot get my head around it. I can’t control this process in any way, which is chipping away at my patience. I’ve suggested looking in Lucerne, which is stunning, but tax is 33% higher there. Which is apparently a problem.
All that said, Zug is beautiful. The old town, which is small but on the lake front, has lots of lovely allies and corners with restaurants and shops tucked away, and on an evening or weekend the entire town turns out to enjoy a drink or meal at the water front bars and coffee houses. The flower beds are beautiful and filled with tulips and daffodils now. There is a lingering question about how many peeing fountains one town needs, but that is balanced out by a gorgeous farmers market and church bells that seem to ring constantly on no set schedule. And the bread . . . There’s a reasonably good Mexican place (we will not be ordering the chimichangas), but prices here are eye-watering - trying to find a coffee for under £5 is almost impossible, and we just spent £60 on Indian with two entrees and no drinks.
Jesse’s new job starts this week, and for once I think he’s a little nervous about it. He’ll be in the office five days a week to start for the first time in five years, but with a team that lives all over the world. Tie? No tie? Jacket? What do people wear to the office these days? But right now, his biggest concern is that he’s blown one (of two, obviously) tires - and because we don’t know when we’ll get a flat sorted, we don’t know when he’ll have access to a second bike. So he’s currently scrolling through Facebook Marketplace trying to find a new tire we don’t have to sell Tober to pay for. So on both fronts, wish him luck.
Tober! So pleased you are reunited. You international pup ❤️