Welcome to Ice Hockey Country

It was our first official Secret Date Night, and what did Swiss Mister, all a-twitter (NOTE: not in that way), plan for me?

First he gave me a matchbook from a restaurant in the Hauptbahnof, with "6pm" written on the back. Very spy! After a lovely dinner, he led me to the "Beach Zone: Beach Volleyball" championships, also in the HB (the train station here is full of surprises), but that proved to be a decoy destination! We were off again, scurrying for a train...




Ian was getting increasingly excited as we got off the train and joined the hordes of people streaming (seemingly) into the woods. I started to catch on when I caught sight of several "Jagr" jerseys... Plus, there's a certain import to Switzerland that is unmistakable: the Canadian hoser. Even when wearing a Skoda paper "helmet," this strange animal is easily identifiable, and usually appears for only one reason...

The International Ice Hockey Federation's play-off game
between Canada and the Czech Republic!
Welcome to Ice Hockey Country!

Swiss Mister kept asking me if I was happy with the surprise. In the past he has been burned for buying gifts that are clearly meant for himself, not the gift recipient. (NOTE: if you are a pre-teen boy and you buy your mom a Def Leppard tape for Christmas, the shame stays with you for years.) In this case, though, the gift recipient was very happy! I even got my own Canadian flag for enthusiastic waving purposes! And then there was the amusing Feldschlossen five-pack, a convenient cardboard case to help you carry all your brewskies back to the stands. All very Canadian. Except the bretzels...so very, very Swiss! Also very Swiss is that cow fellow in the picture below (click to embiggen). That's Cooly, the IIHF mascot-thing here in Switzerland, and man, is he giving la vache qui rit a run for his money. Cooly, you'll be pleased to hear, is a non-partisan mascot. He just loves hockey, so he cheers for everybody. Like I said, very Swiss.

Canada 5,
Czech Republic 1.

Laura Yum, Bretzel 0.

That means more Canada next week (was there ever any doubt?). Swiss Mister is trying to get tickets for Monday's game...we liked being in the midst of our hockey-loving countrymen, and we never did get a chance to hug Cooly. Next time, we will make sure our Skoda helmets are waiting for us at the gate.