 Schaper garden |  Suzanne Schaper's tapestry loom |  Hans in the doorway |  Karl Schaper painting for tapestry |  Hans Schaper |
ISST (the International Society for Sandplay Therapy) meets every two years, alternating venues. This year's conference was in Switzerland, a stroke of fortune for me because not only did I get to meet with colleagues and make new friends, I also got to see friends in Germany and family in France, where my eldest cousin lives and was celebrating her 100th birthday.
Armed with a three-country Eurail pass, I land (by way of Dublin) in Paris, board a train to Braunschweig so I can catch up with Hans and his mother, Suzanne, hang a left to Zurich where I spend a night with Yvonne, high-tail it to the conference, find a train route back to Paris so I can connect with a local train to Fontainbleau where - voila, there's my cousin Helene at the station to whisk me to their home overlooking the Seine in Hericy.
One hundred guests to celebrate 100 years. My cousin's son-in-law and I had traveled the most miles to get to the party, but distance wasn't a factor that affected anyone's good time.
Armed with a three-country Eurail pass, I land (by way of Dublin) in Paris, board a train to Braunschweig so I can catch up with Hans and his mother, Suzanne, hang a left to Zurich where I spend a night with Yvonne, high-tail it to the conference, find a train route back to Paris so I can connect with a local train to Fontainbleau where - voila, there's my cousin Helene at the station to whisk me to their home overlooking the Seine in Hericy.
One hundred guests to celebrate 100 years. My cousin's son-in-law and I had traveled the most miles to get to the party, but distance wasn't a factor that affected anyone's good time.
