May Princess

I recently received word that Friend B, currently living in Lausanne, had given birth to a little girl earlier this week. Brand-new Princess R was a complete surprise to her parents - who had not wanted to know their child's gender before her birth, but who were nonetheless convinced that the little-one-to-be would be another little boy and a companion to Big Bro Prince M. They were most delighted by Princess R's arrival. Here is the first photo that I received of the newborn, sweetly sleeping peacefully after entry into this world.

Today, I took the train to Lausanne to visit Sweet Momma B and Princess R, both of whom will remain in the clinic for a few more days. In Switzerland, mothers and newborn babes are routinely kept in the clinic for about a week, especially when a C-section has been performed, which was the case with Friend B. The treatment that one gets in clinics here is outstanding. Although my days of giving birth were long behind me before I ever arrived here, I have spent enough time in Swiss hospitals to know that everything from gourmet-caliber meals to PT sessions there is superior to anything I ever experienced in hospitals elsewhere. Interestingly, while hospital treatment is not inexpensive, it is not that much more expensive than medical treatment in the US. But one gets value for the money here along with lots of plain-old cosseting.

From the Lausanne CFF station, I made my way to the hospital, aka the Clinique Cecil, which looks at first glance like one of the five-star hotels that liberally dot the Swiss side of Lake Geneva from Lausanne to Montreux.

I had to walk around the building because the entrance was at the rear, although it was hardly less glamorous.

Once I had checked in with the reception to discover where Sweet Momma B and Baby Princess R were staying, I made my way to their room to discover that both had a superb view of Lake Geneva looking towards the French Alps, as here

and here.

Little Princess R and Proud Mom B both posed for a quick photo. As can be seen more clearly here, Princess R's ebony locks are almost as thick as those of my own grandsons.

May Baby Princess R and her family enjoy all the sweetness of life!