35/30 years ago ...

35 years ago on April 30th, 1972 I worked what I hope will have been my last day as a waitress.
I had spent a year in Switzerland at a couple of hotels working in the dining room each time.

First I was in Ennetbaden at the Hotel Hirschen, then went on to do a winter season at the Hotel Hohe Promenade in Arosa.
Hotel Hirschen was a Bad-Hotel, meaning that there were thermal springs and the hotel offered treatments as did most other hotels in the town, which is west of Zurich.

By contrast the Hotel Hohe Promenade is in Arosa, a ski resort, not far from the border with Lichtenstein and Austria.
Here I managed to go skiing only once.
Some days I did get to skate during my two hour afternoon break.
More often though I was laundering my uniform and and starching my aprons.

I worked until 20.00 on 30th April, and left the following day, travelling down to visit friends near Luzern.
That day I seemed to see several seasons, as I went from winter right through to late spring as I descended from the mountains.

Five years later, April 30th 1977 was the last day I worked in Canada, as I worked out my notice as a senior library assistant at Brock University in St.Catharines, Ontario.
Towards the end of May I travelled home to England on a Russian ship out of Montreal.

So at this time of year I always think of the good friends I made during my 5 years in Canada.
I am still in touch with many of them, and am very thankful for the wonders of e-mail.
My erratic blogging helps to keep some of them at least, up to date with some aspects of my life.

Yes this is the time of year for moving on, sometimes ...