Mark Twain

Speaking of gas, we then proceeded to lunch in the manicured little suburb of Arlesheim, eating al fresco at the Roessli (Little Horse) Trattoria, and enjoying the crisp and limpid air as elderly Swiss ladies and their visiting sons dined together. Beside us sat a Swiss couple of abdominous hauteur who reminded me of Mark Twain’s description of the audience that greeted the Jubilee Singers at a beer hall in Lucerne. The Swiss audience sat “at round tables with their beer mugs in front of them -- self-contained and unimpressionable looking people, indifferent and unposted and disheartened.” Debbie has noticed that if someone stands in the way of a Swiss or leaves their bag on a neighboring seat when someone is standing the offended Swiss makes no noise – no clearing of the throat, no “excuse me,” no requesting them to move their asses or their bags. They simply stand there in silent, stony reproach until the offending party gets the message.