Containing Some Mention of Previously Mentioned Secrets

Hello there! Mouse is contentedly enjoying the last embers of the fire and the moment of silence after everyone has finally gone to bed. A new year! and yet, in some ways, we seem to be stuck in June 2013.

Tigger is most displeased at Mouse's frantic preoccupation with "work" and "students". He wishes to know why there is still a half-completed post unpublished involving the trip from Switzerland onward. (To which Mouse can only ask Tigger to go ask Badger. If he wishes to disturb her in the lab tonight. Mouse would not recommend such an action. Tigger would probably do better to go play with the plushie leukocyte and erythrocyte in Badger's room. Because do you know what happens when you disturb Badger at the lab, Tigger? You get left behind on the next adventure.)

Mouse, however, is of the belief that this delay is for the best. If we hadn't been delayed in such a shameful manner, we would not be able to safely reveal...

... the presents!

More or less.

Okay, not really.

For instance, in Luzern, we spent much of the afternoon here:

where Mouse bought the following items:

[not pictured: toy clocks for sisters (as joke referencing one family vacation when Mouse planned to purchase a clock and sisters latched on to the idea long after sisters' souvenir money was spent)]

[not pictured: silver souvenir spoon for family gift]

[not pictured: small assortments of Swiss chocolate]

Wait, did you think this was an actual purchased item? It is to laugh. Mouse did seriously consider purchasing this for her father in lieu of a knife which he would rarely be able to carry (Mouse's father's job involves regularly passing through the sort of security where any knife is viewed as Extremely Dangerous and To Be Confiscated).  However, it was decided that it would 1) be too bulky for the remainder of the trip; 2) be too difficult to hide during the family portion of the trip, and 3) probably be gleefully received only to remain unused.

So instead, Mouse purchased this:

[not pictured: a smallish sturdy metal flashlight painted to match above bottle and every stereotypical Swiss Army Knife in existence]

By the way? Come Christmas morning, Mouse's father was bemoaning the complete absence of AAA batteries about the house. The flashlight came with three AAA batteries included. So whether or not Mouse's father gets any use out of the flashlight, there was certainly use from the rare, exotic AAA batteries from Switzerland! We are all grateful that the guitar tuner will continue to operate.

Badger, meanwhile, found the perfect gift for the men in her family.

[not pictured: 3 card-sized utility kits much like Swiss army knives, but shaped to fit in one's wallet]

Badger was also able to find the personal souvenir she was most anxious to find: Swiss chocolate.  

Oh, and one more Christmas-relevant thing!

Alert: The following is from back in Scotland, waaaayyyy back on Tuesday the 18th, and not the current point in the blog.

Got that?

Good.

While we were on the Isle of Skye in Port Rìgh/Portree, Mouse and Badger were delighted to find an unusual little shop which we were forced to omit from the Scotland blog for two reasons.

First, we couldn't figure out a way to explain the significance without giving away Christmas gifts.

Second, Internet access and time.

But look!

One would not necessarily expect to see an Indonesian art form highlighted in rural Scotland. But hey, Java, Skye... both islands on the fringes of Eurasia, right? Only about a third of the way around the world.

And oh, the pretties.

And here, the picture we most wanted: the pretty, pretty scarves at great prices that Mouse and Badger purchased in large quantities for the use of various Important Women back home. Important Women such as Badger.