Our next adventure to add to our collection involves Marissa and Alta. These girls won us over from the very first moment we had an online call with them to discuss how things would unfold.
It was a seamless transition from Pirat and Bo in France. Since we were driving, it was straightforward, and I was so eager to explore Switzerland. It’s not a “cheap” country to travel to, so this felt like a truly fantastic adventure we wanted to be a part of.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet Marissa because she was already on a work trip when we arrived at her place. They lived in a beautiful location by Lake Zurich with a view directly onto it. Marissa left us details on where she left the keys and how to find Alta, who was already eagerly waiting for us.
We entered the apartment, not large but with a beautiful window directly facing the lake. The place was cozy and had all sorts of clever innovations, which we’ll tell you about later.
Alta – The Energizer Bunny?
Awaiting us was the adorable Alta with beautiful eyes, giving us kisses from the first moment. She was genuinely happy to see us, and we became fast friends. Ivana even performed some of her dance moves on the very first day 🙂
Alta was a very energetic little dog because her breed was historically used for herding sheep. What did that mean for us? Alta was used to having two long walks a day. That meant we had to adapt our schedule and work around it. We walked with her early in the morning and tried to finish before 3:00 PM while the sun was still up.
If any of you have been to Zurich, you know there are numerous hills with significant elevation, so every walk was a real workout for us. Because when Alta set the pace, whether uphill, on flat ground, or downhill, she just went. We didn’t want to let her off the leash because we weren’t sure if she would understand our commands. Alta communicated in French, and her commands were in French too. Let’s be honest; our French was at sub-zero levels, and our accents were something else. So, we preferred to keep her on the leash and tried to keep up with her pace. Thanks to that, we discovered the surrounding forests and the countryside. We found out that a lot of people go for walks like this during the day, which was amazing 🙂
Only a few times did we genuinely, but truly manage to tire her out so that she’d fall asleep and be calm. But every evening, we cuddled on the couch and in bed, and I must say she really loved it. She regularly went around asking for pets.
Alta shed a lot, so her mom had a special vacuum cleaner that efficiently cleaned the fur.
Marissa is a very active “parent,” and her apartment reflected that. She used a walking machine while working. She also had an adjustable desk, an amazing bike for connecting to online workouts, and an excellent vacuum cleaner for cleaning furniture whenever Alta did something messy 🙂
And most importantly, both of them showered us with love and trust, which was beautiful for us. We felt at home. We had time for our own desires – exploring the surrounding areas. We lacked nothing, and we would repeat it anytime.
Unveiling Household Gems
Discoveries for Pet Parents in the Kitchen
Aarke - Carbonator
I fell in love with this bubble-making miracle on the very first day. And as soon as I got back home to Prague, I bought one for myself too :). Water prepared this way tastes amazing, and besides, this Aarke carbonator is a superior piece of design. It looks luxurious, is made from high-quality and sturdy materials, easy to operate, and came in incredibly beautiful packaging
Eletric wine opener
Well, what an amateur I am to discover that opening wine can be this easy just now? It’s like discovering hot water! Just place it, press the button, and voila! Wine opened without a fuss. Now I just hope I discover other revolutionary things in life, like how to cook pasta effortlessly.
Domestic Magic
Steam Cleaner
Well, we have to admit that sometimes a bad thing happens, whether it’s due to our own clumsiness or not, it’s always good to have a reliable stain remover at hand. Before this trip, I didn’t even know that something like that exists, and I must say, I’ve cleaned everything, even spilled wine :).
Pet Paradise Hacks
Hands Free Dog Leash
This was our everyday routine. Walks with such an active dog like Alta can be challenging sometimes, even for your hands. With this, you have everything under control, including your hands :).
