Random exploits and exploitations in CH

Hello everyone!  I have been busy doing many things, random things.  Each of them not really worthy of a blog themselves, but together, they make a rather disjointed one.  lol

So I joined the Professional Women's Group of Zurich and the first meeting that I went to was a guest speaker named Petra Wuest.  She is the author of several books--all in German.  I had my money out to purchase one, but that would have been a dust collector in the bookshelf for sure.

Her message was really interesting.  I found it inspired me to do some thinking about the next phase of my life.  She talked about making a personal brand that was recognizable and would appeal to the senses in a positive way.  Meaning, that when people (your boss, your colleagues, your friends, your associates, etc.) think of you they have a sense of pleasing association.  Further, that when they are thinking of activities and possible work assignments, your name would pop into their minds with a tag of competence and creativity--whatever you have decided to make your brand.

She likened it to Porsche or a local coffee maker called Nespresso.  Whether you ever wanted to own one of these or not, the mental image was one of quality and it carried a message with it--it pleased the senses.

The brand is not something that you can make up off the top of your head.  You have to  ponder and set your aim so that everything you do is geared to enhance this brand.  The power was in being true to your brand, once you set it.

It was really fascinating stuff.  I wanted to offer to be part of the translation team to get her books into English.  In the meantime, I'll have to pore over my notes.

Wild Irish roses

One of the really fun things that the meeting added to my CH experience was a set of Irish gals that I met up with.  I was standing around in the pre-seminar chat and meet and network time as I usually do....feeling like a bit of a wallflower.  I realized I only had myself to blame for that so the next gal that walked past me was going to be greeted and I would begin a conversation.

The next gal to walk toward me was a six-foot lively Irish maid. Her name was Aedin Nic Chonchradha. (How's that for an authentic Irish name?) We hit it off right away and then four or five of her friends showed up and there was an instant party.  We were laughing and clearly the rambunctious group of the professional women gathering.

Aedin is in the red, and the artist is the gal with red hair.

One of the gals was having an opening for her art in a few days.  I was invited, but I had the commitment to the play across the country in Basel and did not make it to the opening.  Plans for future meetings and social events would surely have been set at the opening.  I will have to contact these gals and invite them to join me on a really fun event I have found on the Internet. (I apologize for not naming each of them at this time, but my notes are back in Kloten and I'm in Neuchatel at this time.)

Stay tuned as I either go by myself or talk a few friends into going with me, but I found this guy who conducts a walking Zurich Ghost Tour every Thur, Fri, or Sat night until mid October.  I will have to get busy and get plans made.  :)

Up to my usual mayhem in the kitchen

In preparation for a trip to Neuchatel this weekend, I spent a bit of time in the kitchen today.  Firstly, I had some bananas which were getting a bit brown and that always means....Banana Oatmeal Bread!!!  Yum!  I had my sister, Betty Ruth, go by my house and take a picture of the recipe which she then sent to me.

I went to two different stores to purchase all the ingredients.  The most troubling ones were brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.  At issue is the packaging--it's all in German, French, or Italian.  Not English.

I was rather pleased with myself when I got home because my landlord (who reads German) told me that the items I had purchased were the ones I needed except the sugar.  It wasn't "brown" sugar, it was brown RAW sugar.  I knew that, but the clerk in the grocery store was adamant that it was brown sugar.  And my ability to explain raw, unprocessed sugar to him didn't get us anywhere.  lol  Thankfully, my landlord had a box of brown sugar on hand and was willing to lend me a cup of sugar.  Rather neighborly.  :)

Banana bread got made and I cooked it a little bit under time....like Joe tells me he likes it when I make it.  It's slightly moist in the very center.  The outside edges are very nice and most of the loaf is normal.  It was accidental. I wasn't used to the oven and cooking in CH. Not bad for a first attempt.  :)

 The other item I made this morning was a big bowl of potato salad.  I have been invited to a housewarming BBQ and I offered to bring something.  The hostess suggested a salad and was excited when I offered traditional American potato salad.

It's mostly like I make, but the flavors are a little different.  Mayonnaise, pickles, mustard, etc. are slightly different tasting over here.  And, per my usual, I overcooked the potatoes so it's almost like a mashed potato salad....there are some chunks of potatoes, but some are broken down.  My family always eats it up and there's never any leftover, but I really wanted this potato salad to be great!  I will have to settle for "pleasing for a family gathering."

I should have known from her random cutting comment

One task I wanted to get done before heading to the festival and housewarming party was to get a haircut.  My hair was getting a little bushy and didn't curl into it's normal waves anymore due to its length.  Time for a trim.

I know that everything in Zurich is very expensive so I went to two different salons in the neighborhood to check out pricing.  The first one said it would be $57 for just a wash and cut.  Wow.  I went to a second salon.  They were happy to book me an appointment and the price for a wash and a cut at their salon was $84.  Yikes!!!  I skedaddled right out of that salon and was glad I had found the first one.  

Even better news....as I went to pay when the cut was completed, she announced that there is a welcome-to-the-salon discount for first time customers.  I only paid $37 instead of $57.  Nice.

Now the cut....

The hair stylist that was going to cut my hair is the one who had the best English in the salon.  She interviewed me about my haircut and I was able to show her a small film I had from my hair dresser in Arizona which I took so I could show it to someone in CH as I knew I'd be here long enough to need a haircut.

So I showed her the video and we talked.  She said she planned to leave this area long and that long... and ended by saying, "I'm always glad to cut the hair of someone whose hair is short, rather than long.  They are used to a shorter cut and don't get so upset if the cut is short."

How did I know this was some sort of ominous prediction for my future?

Yep, sure enough, when she got finished with her cut, fully half of my hair was on the floor.  There was practically more hair on the floor than there was now still on my head.  lol

Oh well, she was a cute gal and she gave me a $20 discount.  :)

"We're from France."--The Coneheads

"Another opening, another show, in Philly, Boston, or Baltimore, a chance for stage folks to say, 'Hello!' Another opening of another show." from Kiss Me Kate

I was recruited as a volunteer Makeup Assistant and Thursday I went to Basel to the Theatre Arlecchino on Amberbachstrasse to apply makeup to the over 30 actors and actresses who were in an evening of short plays.  

The show was called "Duplicity."  It was actually a collection of six mini plays and several vignettes that took place between each show.  There were a lot of actors involved, hence the need for additional hands doing makeup.

And this was opening night!  I know how it feels on opening night when you don't get any flowers.  If you ever know anyone who is in a play and it's opening night, take some flowers and send them backstage before the show, if you can.  If not, give them to the actor after the show.  Have them delivered to their house or their work during the day.  Just don't let an actor have an opening night without some flowers.

My family takes care of me, usually.  Only one time did I not get opening night flowers.  It was when my family came to my show on the second night. They brought flowers that night, but it was  surprising to notice how much it bummed me out to not have opening night flowers.  Silly, but there it is.

Consequently, I thought it would be a really cool idea to take a flower for every cast and crew member for opening night.  Fortunately for me, the local market had a special on mini roses and I was able to find plenty of my favorite color ones (yellow) to make a little memento for the cast.

I made a little note on my computer and printed out enough for everyone.  I also found an inexpensive roll of organza and being hit with some inspiration from my friend and former teaching colleague Lorelei, I thought the organza would add a tiny touch of elegance to the simple note.  Lorelei is the most creative and froufrou person I know.  She would be proud of me. :)

I gathered all my materials but lacked time to assemble them while in my apartment.  I needed to get on the road since I had a 1.5 hour ride to Basel on the train.  I was thinking that it would make the perfect activity to do while on the train. Mate, Howler, and Heinzee promised to help.  Sure enough, as we were pulling into the station at Basel I was tying the last ribbon onto the last rose.

When I got to the theatre, the cast was pleased with their opening night flowers. One gal was ecstatic.  It was her first EVER show and her first opening night. She really wanted flowers and had no idea how that would ever happen in her world. She didn't know anyone that would give her flowers. Her ear to ear smile made all the time and expense worth the effort.  :)

Notice the chocolate ladybugs

Helen and Carol were the lead makeup experts.  I learned quickly.  I have been in MANY shows, but I have always done my own makeup.  It was really different putting makeup on other people and I got better after I had done a few.  lol  I probably needed to apologize to the first one or two that I did...

Anyways, I must not have done too badly, they invited me to return....

I wanted to mention that there is a little chocolate ladybug here in Switzerland that is given to casts for opening night luck.  The ladybug is a symbol of good luck.  Notice the flyer, the ladybugs and the opening night yellow roses.

Carol Rees

Helen Baldomaro

Carol is a 5th grade teacher and she has been working with Helen doing the makeup for several productions up to now.  These two ladies needed more help due to the large number of cast members in this show.  Forgive me, Helen, I have forgotten what work you do during the day....

On the train ride home that night, I was very tired from standing and doing makeup for several cast members.  Consequently, when there was a man on the train snoring loudly, I could not bear to hear it.  I moved a whole train compartment away, but it was so loud I could still hear it.  For the first time, I pulled out the earbuds and plugged in to my iPad to listen to some Chicago 17.  Love that album.  

I used to power walk around the track at the high school to those songs.  It put me in an energized and happy mood.







Ohh-la-la!!!  I got an invitation to visit France! 

The city of Basel is nestled in the corner of CH where France, Germany, and CH meet.  Carol lives over the border in Leymen, France and knew that I had a long journey home after the play each evening.  She invited me to come to her house and spend Saturday night instead of going all the way home on the late train.

Then, surprise, she had invited many of her friends over for a Sunday brunch the next day.  Arriving at her house in the dark I didn't get to see much.  The next morning revealed the beauty that Carol lives in each day.  Her house (which she had built recently) perches on a hill and overlooks a beautiful scene of rolling hills and greenery and pretty French villas.  (I'm going to call them that.)

France on Sunday morning

Saturday riding in to Basel on the train

So all day Saturday it was rainy and dreary.  (Except for me.  I'm a true Arizona desert rat and that means that weather of any kind is cool.  Even rain.)  Don't get me wrong, it's still CH and the scenery is beautiful, but on the train riding in, the clouds were VERY low on the city.  The weather predicted for Sunday was more clouds.  To our huge delight, the sun poked through and dried up all the clouds.  The weather was outstandingly, stunningly beautiful for the Sunday brunch.  

We even put up the shade.  I am shooting this picture from inside the house looking out onto the balcony.  What a lovely gathering.  What a gorgeous day.

Lolling on my bed Saturday night

Even Carol's cats were enjoying the sun.  The big fellow on the left is called Smudge due to the smudge on his nose and the fellow on the right is Pegasus.  I met Pegasus the night before when he jumped up on my bed and played with me a bit.  (Don't tell Dusty.  She will be jealous.  I am sure I will have broken one of her Dusty Rules.)

Speaking of animals....

Hey Bari!  Pepper is in CH too!  This is the dog that hangs out at an eatery close to the theatre.  I bought a takeaway meal there one evening and he barked at me nonstop while I was waiting for the meal to be prepared.  Great.  Pepper, Pepper, Salt. 
 





A totally unrelated topic

I've been wanting to mention this for a while, but didn't have the space in the previous blogs.

When you see "strasse" or "gasse" on the end of a name, it means "street."  It is really cool how the Swiss name their streets the same thing from town to town so that you always know how to locate certain things you might be looking for.

For example, the train station is called the "bahnhof."   So the street the train station is located on is called the Bahnhofstrasse. In every town.  The church is located on Kirchgasse or church street in every town.  The marketplace is located on Martgasse in every town.  And Dorfstrasse is usually the main street in the town or dorf.

It sure makes it easy to locate items when you are in a town you've never been in before.  Way to  go, Swiss! :)

I am now trained to take a train and I put my training to good use and rode some trains

I set out on Sunday to get to the Matterhorn.  This was my third attempt.  I'd like to say that the third  time was a charm, but it was half a charm.  I'll explain.

It's a four-hour trip by train to get to Zermatt, the city located in the area of the Matterhorn. The legendary Alp mountain is actually a lesser mountain by Swiss standards, but it is huge by American standards--due largely to Walt Disney for featuring its distinctive shape in Disneyland.Think of all the trips have we driven over to Anaheim to keep a look out for the landmark that means you've arrived--the Matterhorn--as it sits hanging out over the freeway.

The elusive REAL Matterhorn is located in the south of Switzerland, very close to the Italian border. It's not like it's in a spot I was likely to hit in passing, as I was headed to some other location.  No....I had to go TO the Matterhorn.  A pointed direction.  :)

I left my apartment at 7 a.m. to begin the journey.  That should have given me a few hours to see all the sights in the vicinity and then get home by night. But....there was a small addition to the itinerary today.  It made my trip to the Matterhorn end much sooner than would have been optimal.



Meanwhile....a factor appears to alter plans

There is an English speaking theatre group in Basel and they have a production opening this week.  They asked on Facebook for volunteers to come and help do the makeup for the show. Seems like they need several makeup people so I sent an email and told them my days of availability.  I had tonight on the list and they wrote me back asking for tonight.  Email arrives, now I am....Double booked.

As I am riding up the side of the mountain to get to all the observation things there are to do at the Matterhorn, I snap this pic.  It's the first view of the peak--just like arriving at Disneyland.

First view of the Matterhorn

I calculate the time frame in order to get back to Basel in time to work on the tech crew for the dress rehearsal.  I realize as I see how slowly the tram is going up the track that there won't be enough time to get to the top and get back to the bottom and still be able to get on board the trains that will take me to Basel and that volunteering commitment I made.

I exit the tram going up the hill at the very next stop and get right back on the tram which is heading down the hill.  I waved to the Matterhorn as I made my way onward.  Maybe I will get back and do the thing right.  I certainly have some available days on my docket.

Bye bye, Matterhorn, catchya later!

More new friends (let me backtrack for a moment)

Matterhorn Day was a very clear and beautiful day.  That means EVERYONE was out enjoying it in the whole country--plus tourists.  Additionally, it's Sunday.  The Swiss get out on Sunday to see their country.  Their families are out doing family things.

The last leg of my journey headed toward the Matterhorn lasted about an hour and the train was PACKED.  There was standing room only.  Literally.  People were standing two-deep in the aisles on every car in 2nd class. They rode that way for about 1.5 hours. Today I was most happy that I had purchased the 1st class Swiss Pass.  The seats were all full in 1st class, but at least I managed to find a seat. And no one was standing in the aisles.

There were four seats facing each other--two sets of two--in the train car.  Two women around my age were in the window seats and I asked if one of the other seats were free. That began the usual exchange, "Do you speak English?"  whereupon I met Brigitta and Madelaine.  We laughed and talked and they brought drinks and a seasoned salami type of meat to enjoy on the ride--obviously making sure to include me in their party.  It was another example of really fun Swiss native citizens I have met.

Brigitta (pronounced Bridget) and Madelaine.

 



Both women are in transition at the moment--moving residences--but in the middle of October we have a plan to meet again for dinner and conversation.  Brigitta is recently divorced and Madelaine  is recently returned from a 3-month stay in Madrid.  They first met in grade school and have been friends ever since.  

They invited me to come with them on their walk along the water through "fairy tale land" as described by Brigitta whose  aunt has a house in the area so she knew it well. I declined since this was my "Matterhorn Day."  We have a plan to meet in the middle of October.

Brigitta told me about a few things to see from the train window that I would never have known if I hadn't met her and Madelaine.

 She said that on this vertical, impossible to reach hillside, there are wild blueberries growing in the grassy areas.  The birds and ants get to enjoy them.




She also pointed out that the roof material on this house and most of the houses in the area is made from thinly cut rock from the quarry in the area.  

She pointed out several houses that were built right next to or right on big rocks.  (My photos didn't turn out.)  The reason for that was to receive coverage or fortification when there was an avalanche.


We came across this field of sheep and there were the cutest baby sheeps.  Two sets of two with the mothers.  Look closely.

Last, but not least, I found this lovely pizzeria and ordered a calzone.  I know many of you are always wanting to know what delights I am finding to fill my tummy with.  









The theatre crowd Switzerland style

After I left my shortened Matterhorn experience, I arrived in Basel and found the theatre with little trouble. The theatre space is a lovely little theatre that is reminiscent of The Black Box Theatre where I have performed in Casa Grande.

I met up with the head of the makeup crew and we took notes as we watched the dress rehearsal.  It was so exciting to be among theatre types.  I haven't met them all, but I will as the production progresses.

A member of the makeup crew invited me to spend one of the nights at her house just over the border in France so I wouldn't have to travel the hour-long journey home after the show.  I think I will take her up on that. That means.....I'm going to France!!! 

I'll keep you posted on that.  More pictures to come.  I didn't take any that night because my phone battery was almost dead.  

One more trip to talk about HERE....not while THERE, that's for sure--no talking allowed


Today, MONDAY 17 Sep., was a long day.  Today, I spent the WHOLE day on trains.  And what's worse than that?  I plan to do it at least one more time.  I gotta be brain damaged.

So I left my apartment at 8 a.m. and traveled 2.5 hours to catch the special panoramic Glacier Express.  It travels across the lower part of CH through the alps for almost six hours. They jokingly call it the slowest express train in CH.  It pokes along at less than 25 mph in some parts since it is climbing steep inclines.  Half way through the trip they even switch out the train engine for one that has the cog wheel capabilities since that is the only way to negotiate the alp terrain.  The sides and ceiling on the express are all windows.  Panoramic view, get it?

Reservations are required and al seats are booked, even this time of year.  And today was a glorious, clear blue sky day.  Perfect weather.  Not too hot, not too chilly.  No impediments to a perfect experience.

Except for one.  One impediment.

I am a lone traveler, that is true.  When my seat is booked, I am usually sitting within an established group or on the edge of a group.  This group I was smack in the middle of today was no picnic.  My friend Joe told me that I would not enjoy coming to CH since the people were a cold Germanic people who don't like strangers coming among them--like some people in AZ feel toward the snowbirds.  He was right today.  (I am happy to affirm that this is the ONLY time in over a month's time that he got it right about the people.)

I was in a set of four facing seats and I had a window seat.  In the three other seats were two men and a woman.  They were already seated when I got there, but the seats were assigned so they knew whose seat was whose.  I walked up and smiled, pointed to the empty window seat, and said, "That's my seat.  Hello.  Do you speak English?"  The woman looked at me and snapped, "No!"  The two men didn't say much, which was a little odd, I thought. (Later on it came out the men could speak English and handed me a menu, informational flyers, told me about the listening earphones and that English was channel 2.) 

So I took this picture of the three of them, pretending that I was taking a picture of the cabin of the train.  They weren't happy, but what could they say?  They don't speak English, remember???  LOL

Long story short, they were Germans from Germany and I spent the next almost six hours in silence.  No conversation.  Wedged between cold strangers and a cold window glass.  lol  But the scenery was why I was taking the train in the first place so I just focused out the window.  They were a little cool to each other, IMHO.  The man, whom I thought was the woman's husband, ordered a plate of cheeses, cold meats, pickles, olives, etc. and didn't even offer his wife a bite.  He sat and ate the entire plate without an offer to his buddy either.  Neither of the other two ordered a plate of anything.  Odd.



The scenery was beautiful.  I didn't see one single thing that wasn't interesting or beautiful, mostly the latter.  The reason I may repeat this trip is because I am lucky to be in CH when the weather will change and become autumn.  I hear the leaves turning is spectacular, so I may take this panoramic express later on in October.

This is a portion of the vineyards in southern CH.  The blue netting is to keep birds, etc., from eating the grapes.

Once the Glacier Express dropped us off at the final destination, I had a four-hour train ride home.  That's a lot of riding.  



If I wasn't on a train today, I was sitting and waiting to catch my next train.  LOL






 

I went to Semiswald (a small Swiss town) at 7 a.m. and stayed until the cows came home

I really did.  I literally stayed until the cows came home.

It's called Traditional Alpabfahrt and it is the time in the middle of September that the cows which have been up in the alps eating alp grass all summer come down and return to their home farms.  Now this could happen without any fanfare, but traditions are important here.  Keeping reminded of what it is to be Swiss is important here.

In many towns during the past 2-3 days there has been a ceremonial parade of the cows through the town square in joyful return from the alps.  

The cows are dressed in their cow finest.   They have bells around their necks which are 10-20 times larger than the regular bells they wear. The cows don't really care for the heavy bells, but they are proud to be Swiss cows and therefore they understand the importance of the flowers in their hair and the dress-up bells.

On my journey that early morning, once I got outside of the city and out of the morning rush hour, I was often the only person riding in my car on the train.  If any other passenger was around, I checked with them to see if I was on the right train going the right way--even though I had followed all my directions to a "T".  (Ya just don't want to miss an opportunity because you got on the wrong train.)

Anyways, on the last train of my journey, I asked the only other person in my compartment "Do you speak English?"  She answered the same answer I hear all the time, "Not very well."  To which I always respond in Swiss German, "Y veschtoh echli Suisser deutsch." (I understand Swiss German a little bit.)  That made her laugh and, to my delight, she moved her belongings over to my area to sit with me and talk with me.

She was a charming older lady, born and raised in the area.  She was excited for me to come and watch this ceremonial tradition in her town and offered to walk me from the train station to the middle of town, since the bus wouldn't be running yet, due to the early hour. She was returning from a visit with her grandchildren for two days while their parents took a short vacation.  She lived all alone since her husband died six years ago.

That gentle and kind former grammar school teacher led me up this hill and into the Semiswald city square where crowds had already gathered for the bovine parade home.  She even sat with me for the first farm's returning cows and explained that the local ladies' clubs had made the flower headpieces the cows were wearing. They had come to her house to collect any blossoms that she could donate toward the event. She said she picked off all the flowers that she had and gave them to the ladies.

What a delightful woman and I never would have found the city square on my own for it was a two-mile walk up a very steep hill.  I would have had to wait until the bus started running to be able to get there on my own.  And almost every time when a Swiss person tells me that they don't speak English very well....they are often quite good at speaking English.  They are being modest.

It is the Swiss way, I am discovering.  Even though they are excellent at so many crafts or talents, they will be quite modest about it.  It is not their way to talk about their accomplishments--except in business.  They are quite happy to tell you how well their companies stand in rankings for successful businesses.  :)

I didn't get a picture of my momentary friend and I am sad about that.  It was a beautiful experience meeting her.


Sweet clanging street music

Back to the cows.

The cows and their herders have started the journey home several hours before in order to arrive around 9:30 a.m. for the gathered crowds.  They are grouped according to the farms that the cows belong to.  Sometimes the group of cows is small (10-15) and sometimes the group is large (20-30).  But they are all decked out in the ceremonial large bells and flowers. The herders also wear costumes that are coordinated to represent the individual farms.

When the cows finish the march through town, they go to a parking lot where all the trailers are waiting to transport them back to their home grazing place.  This is their least favorite part of the day.  

This friend was atypically calm.

The do not like to get in the trailers at all.  It often took 3-4 farmers to work together and get the reluctant cows (naked now with the bells and flowers removed) to walk up the small plank incline into the trailer.  I enjoyed that unofficial part of the show as my viewing point for the parade was right by the parking lot ending area.





Once loaded, a tractor or some type of truck drives the trailer and the cows home.

So I stayed until the cows came home.  :)

Then a local directed me to a eatery for lunch which was right up the street and a preferred spot for those living in the area.  When I went in, several tables already had "Reserved" signs on them, waiting for the regulars to come for lunch.  I sat down at one available table and watched the "tea room" (as it was called) fill up.  I had to chuckle as most of the patrons coming in were gray haired.  I thought I had found the Luby's Cafeteria of Switzerland.  lol

But the reserved tables were for the younger set who were working and when they got off work for their lunch break, they just walked in, sat down, and the waitress started bringing their drinks and opening salads before she took their orders--she knew what they were going to regularly have.  :)

I had a lovely fresh piece of fish with a home made tartar sauce.  It was very yummy and it had tiny bits of hard boiled egg in it.  I found that to be an unusual but tasty addition to the tartar sauce.

Of course I had to have my sweet desert and I chose a carmel custard which was very reminiscent of flan.  Nice.
 
It was a really great day.  I enjoyed feeling the heart and soul of Swiss tradition that day.  I could have repeated the experience in numerous towns within a 2-3 day span.

It was also fun to see the after-even cleanup.  Once all the farms had brought their cows home and the crowd had dispersed, out came the water truck with an elongated spraying aparatus on the front that sprayed water over a whole lane of the road at one time.  Washing off the remaining cow deposits so the road was sparkling and shining and "Swiss clean & pretty" once again.

Cow deposits....lol  Well said.  :)

 

I'm proud to be part of the Switzerland jet set

There are a couple of things I really like about my apartment in Kloten (right outside Zurich).  Some might think these two things are deficits.  I really get a kick out of them.  One, is the church bells.  They ring all the time.  I love them.  Some would call that a nuisance.  Me?  Loving it.  :)

This is the church that has the lovely ringing bells.  It is also where one of my buses stop to drop me off.

And the other thing that would annoy probably everybody else, but not me...

Besides the bells, the other "unique" thing about my apartment is that it is only ten minutes from the airport.  That means the apartment is sometimes in the flight path.  LOVE it.  I never tire of going out and watching the airplanes go overhead.  I don't know why. The picture I took is from our kitchen window.  The planes go over the next building, not ours.  

I captured a few times for you as I was out walking.  The planes come through our area only in the evening.  They noise stops at 11 p.m.  None are allowed to disturb the neighborhoods after 11 p.m. 

This national drink makes me thirsty

One of the things I have discovered is this Swiss drink called Rivella.  It is sold everywhere.  I wondered about it for a couple of weeks and then I asked a Swiss young woman about it.  She said it's a national beverage and everybody drinks it.  I asked her what it tasted like and she said that it was like an energy drink taste, without the energy so that little kids could drink it too. 

Rivella, Howler, Mate, & Heinzee

I tasted it.  It's a bit citrus-y and I could develop a taste for it, but it made me really thirsty.  I wanted a big drink of water after I drank some Rivella.  I don't think that's supposed to happen.  

While Mate and his friends drink Rivella, I'll probably stay with water.  Btw, Mate and Howler met up with a Swiss friend and invited her to join them on the adventure.  Heinzee is her name.  She LOVES Rivella because she is Swiss.

A leisurely day spent in Zurich

So there are two different types of boats to go cruising around the lake in Zurich.  One is a regular type cruiser which stops at various docks along the route (like a bus stops) and there are two routes.  One is a 4-hour route and one is a 1.5-hour route.  I took the latter.

Mate, Howler, and Heinzee enjoyed a Fanta Orange while they watched the view.

Along the route I saw loads of swans.  That's because I brought some rolls I bought just to feed them.  As soon as I started throwing out the bread to the beautiful swans, here came the ducks AND seagulls.  They swooped in and took a lot.  Check out the seagulls swimming in the water like ducks or swans.  They're trying to fake me out.  Get out!  This is for the swans!

Then, there was another type of boat that you could cruise from stop to stop on.  It was low and was able to go right under the very low bridges.  It was cool!

After riding on the low, flat boat, I took a walk down the small, cobblestone street.  It was tiny and curved.  Charming.  So European.  I found a lovely Italian restaurant and enjoyed lunch sitting outside in a beautiful location.  The weather was balmy and cool.  The food was delicious!

I had the pasta and the carpaccio.  That's steak tartar.  For the uninformed, that's raw beef sliced really thin with olive oil and spices.  Yum!  My friend had the pizza and the beer.  :)

While I was at this restaurant, I had to use the ladies' room.  Guess which door was the right one for ladies and which was the one for the men?  LOL

In Europe, they are more relaxed with nudity.  I forgot to mention that the boats passed this dock for ladies who were sunbathing.  It was for ladies only.  And many were sunbathing topless.  

The VIEW was for anyone interested, I suppose.  lol

It was all downhill from here

Goofy smile alert!  This next activity I was so excited to do ever since I left America.  I had been searching for fun things to do in Switzerland and when I found this activity, I was hooked.  I found a webpage for a Segeway tour in Zurich.  Check it out!

There was a group of about a dozen of us riders.  The tour began with a 30-minute training session.  I was really tentative at first, but then I got comfortable and confident.

This is Rolfe.  He owned the segeways and was the tour guide.  When we started out, he told me to ride right behind him.  I thought he was wanting to get to know me better.  Others might say that I was the remedial rider of the group.  I'm not owning that title.  :)

However, thank goodness Rolfe put me in that position because when we went down a hill, my segeway took on a mind of its own and speeded up.  I was able to do a soft crash at the bottom of the hill (didn't even fall down, just off of the segeway) and Rolfe was right there to stop me.  It took a moment for me to get my confidence back again and the rest of the group enjoyed an extra 10-minute rest until I was comfortable again.  

The tour was a complete blast.  I would do one again in a second.  One of the tour members from the UK was really impressed with the segeways.  Unfortunately, they are not street legal in the UK just yet so his plans for getting one may be delayed. We looked like an impressive sight as we rolled along in a line touring.  Many tourists grabbed their cameras and were snapping pictures of us.  

Since the segeway is controlled by your balance and you use your legs and feet, by the end of the tour, my feet were toast.  I had to sit for a bit and let them recuperate. 





But we saw some great sights.  

Opera House

We saw the opera house, the Swiss National Bank (their Fort Knox or Gringots), and the church where there is a special placque commemorating Winston Churchill.



There was one more adventure for me today









While I was walking on the sweet cobblestone street, my eye caught a sign which advertised some wonderful item I dearly love.  I made a goal to go back another day and get one.



There were many flavors of boba to pick from.  There were fruit flavored like mango boba or strawberry boba.  The little pearls.  I ordered a kaffee bubble tea with the regular boba.  It wasn't exactly like what I was used to, but it was a nice taste to remind me of good times with nieces and loved ones.


 
 

NOTE:  If you are the one coming to pick me up from the airport when I get home, please bring a boba.   lol