SCHWEIZ is Twice as Nice

After a veritable whirlwind, I arrived in Zurich at 7:30 am Friday morning, local time. I had not slept the night before (my flight out of PHX was at 6am, which made for interesting banter at 4am with the cab driver—why did I use the word “adroit” to describe taxi drivers in NYC? At that hour? He did not understand, and being from Back East himself I believe he took offense) and thanks to a poor crying babe who did not relent from Atlanta until we were somewhere over Newfoundland, I did not sleep much on the plane. Whatever hours I did get, I thank Ambien and EAB. All this really did not matter, because I got a tremendous burst of energy when I got a glimpse at the amazingly beautiful country of Switzerland.

We dropped my bags off at Sarah and Christoph's flat and caught a train to Luzerne. We had great weather, and we explored all over the city. The first thing we did was sit at a cafe along the lake where I had my first of many cappuccinos. We walked across the famous Chapel Bridge, and scaled up and down the clock towers along the old city wall and wandered into many fantastically ornate churches where pipe organs were blaring their best and most haunting compositions. Lunch was wurst, sauerkraut and a deliciously opaque local beer. Bliss.

                    Christoph at the cafe. Oh, hello Alps.

                    Sarah on top of the Old City Wall.

                    Lake Luzerne. Awk tourist shot, yesiree.

                   Lake Luzerne is famously beautiful, and there are swans floating all over. The seagulls are  hanging out at the less pretty lakes, no doubt.

I'm so happy to be here! My sister and her husband Christoph live in a delightful little town called Urdorf just 15 minutes outside of Zurich by train. It's quaint and beautiful.

 
                    They live to the right from this picture.

My visit has the unfortunate purpose of attending to Sarah who needed surgery to remove fibroids. She went under yesterday and has begun her recovery. Everything went successfully! She is such a trooper. She has a really cute doctor, which amuses us both. I ran into him today, though rain and haste caused me to have a most unfortunate outfit. I mean bad. Something I imagine Billy Chrystal would wear.

The hospital where she is at is less than a 10 minute bike ride away, so I am able to pop over easily. Visiting hours do not begin until 1:30 in the afternoon (13:30!), so I always have my mornings to explore the numerous trails in the woods behind their flat, go to the bakery, have one more espresso at the cafe, try and get into the Dickens I brought— and tomorrow, I will be catching a train to Basel.

Being out in nature is so good for my soul. I never realize how much I miss it until I'm back in it again. I was on a trail run yesterday and Hoppípolla by Sigur Ros came on my Ipod on random. I was so overwhelmed with beauty in each of my senses—I could have burst. I ran fast and hard up and down hills, surrounded by bright emerald—so much so that my tongue went numb, a strange and alarming sensation that I have not experienced since my High School Track days. Ha, but don't be alarmed both lady and tongue are quite well now.

From my walk today. I found myself taking pictured of things like leaves and bark?

                   Christoph says that you can tell by their color where they are from. These are German cows.

                        Real Talk.

    I see remnants of WWII in the woods that look straight out of Lost. It's fascinating. Here are blocks to stop a hypothetical tank invasion.

And I love traveling—and anyone who knows me knows that I always wish to do more of it.

One of my favorite aspects of traveling, there are many that I love, is food. (duhh) There is a completely different attitude about food and health here that I find amazingly refreshing. This is my third time spending an extended amount of time in Europe, but this is the first time I've really comprehended the difference in attitude towards eating and bodies. Bread, dairy and chocolate are ubiquitous. The biggest meal is lunch, the equivalent of our dinner. It's a great big break in the day, and it's a great big meal. Dinner is light, just bread, meat cuts, butter, and cheese (yes please). Alarms were going off in my head initially, I should not be eating this much bread and cheese! And then dessert came, I should not be eating my second dessert of the day! BUT I feel that if I am not eating, I am exercising. I'm walking or biking to get to where I need to go, or I am hiking off in the woods. The food is all local and natural. I have so much energy. It just works, and people are generally slim here, where low-carb and low-fat products seem asinine. You really don't hear anyone talking about their special diets and such. People just eat well and then move. I almost got outrun by a man who appeared to be in his 70's on the trail yesterday. I did a serious double take.

So, there is butter on everything, Glory Alleluia. And there are cows everywhere. I see the delightful connection.

                       The sweet source of all things good and delicious.

I was reading Newsweek today and it mentioned that one method of decreasing Methane flatulence out by cattle is by putting curry or oregano in their food (because you and I were both so curious). I though it was so interesting, so I told this to Christoph, and he laughed. It would ruin the milk! He says he can tell the difference in taste of cows milk that has eaten hay from one that has been out to pasture. He claims that he can even tell the difference in taste between the season, as the cow is eating different things at different times of the year. So interesting.

                    A cappuccino enjoyed at Bremgarten after our hike along the river on Sunday.

More to come! Tschüss!