Strange, but True

Between the fact that we don't own a car so I have to carry home whatever I buy and the fact that our refrigerator is about half the size of a US fridge, I grocery shop often. Since Monday I have been grocery shopping twice, with a third trip planned for later today because we need milk. (A particular growing teenager is keeping the Swiss milk producers in business.)

Our freezer is the size of a bread box!

For the most part, food is food no matter where you live. Meat, vegetables, breads are all pretty much the same the world over. But there are a few items I've seen in the grocery store here that have caused me to do a double take (and pull out my camera in the store and take a picture).

For example, one of my favorite things to eat here is:

But Joe can not get over the name "dinkel" (think like a 12 y/o boy and you will understand). Literally translated, these are 'spelt waffles'. Basically, they are wheat cakes (like rice cakes, but made with wheat) and are delicious smeared with peanut butter.

Which brings me to the subject of peanut butter. Apparently, the Swiss (and other European countries) are not big on peanut butter. This is the only brand and size of 'real' peanut butter I can find at my local grocery store (imported from the US)

The pencil is to show the scale - it's a tiny jar!

Nutella and Biscoff brand spreads are big here, but both taste like dessert. Hazelnuts are popular, but not so much peanuts.

Next, I found this particular brand of oil on the shelf:

I didn't buy it, I just took a picture of it, much to the chagrin of the elderly Swiss woman looking incredulously at me.

And finally I saw this laundry detergent - should I send some to the T who shall not be named?

You can't make this stuff up!

As a bonus, here is a coffee choice in a vending machine at the bahnhof:

Again, Joe's inner 12 y/o found this hilarious.

My poem is dedicated to the lovely woman I met in aisle three:
my camera poised
I block the aisle
to a passing harrumph
I weakly smile
©2017, Bridget Magee. All Rights Reserved.