Switzerland Travel Journal: Part 3
3-21-06
6:43 am
So, let me finish writing about yesterday before I forget. Just after breakfast, I started talking to the passenger next to me. He was a math major from University of Chicago. He was staying with a friend of the family in Switzerland for a few days, then he was going to Athens to study aboroad. Very cool. His name was Daren.
Our first view of Switzerland out of the plane window was just as you`d expect. Hills dusted with snow and evergreens. In the distance, we could see the Tipps of the alps poking trhough the clouds. Very beautiful.
After we landed we went to baggage claim. Customs consisted of a guy glancing at my passport. No forms, and no stamps. How odd. Barbara was waiting form e at the exit. We had coffee at a cafe while we waited fort he train. We then took the train and walked to Barbara`s appartment. It is small, a kitchen/dining room, bedroom/study/living room, and a bathroom, but Barbara has decorated it beautifully. It has an Asian flavor to it.
After getting in, I put my cloths in a drawer and gave Barbara presents. We then had another coffee and talked. Next, we walked to the main train station to buy me a half fare card for buses and trains. That was a bit expensive, but will save me money in the long run. We also made reservations for the trip to Italy. Next, we went grocery shopping. We got home around 1:30pm. I took a nap while Barbara made dinner. This turned out to be a poor idea because I was so tired durring the meal I hardly ate. Barbara shooed me off to bed at 3pm. She went to work at 4pm.
I just woke up due to hunger and had a yogurt. I may try to go back to sleep until Barbara gets up. Mmmmm sleep is amaying.
12:12 pm
Wow! Sleep is amazing! Barbara woke me up at 10:55 am to eat breakfast. That means I slept 20 hours last night! Wow! My body knows it`s morning though, so hopefully I won`t be terribly jet-lagged from now on. Barbara is researching local history online so we can go sightseeing today. Exciting!
6:05 pm
I just got out of hte shower, and I feel fantastic! Today we walked around Zurich sightseeing. We saw two churches. One was the supposed burial sight (site?) of Carl the Great (Constantine). The other was famous for a set of five windows painted by Marc Chagall in 1970. The windows were amazing. I bought a photograph of the windows, becuase the one I took didn`t turn out very well. We also just walked around looking at buildings. There were several where famous authors had lived.
The city itself is quite facinating. It is very old in some areas. We were mainly in the older part of town, so on the main streets were paved. Most of the ones in the older part of town are narrow and made of brick/ stone. It`s rather uneven and the toes of my shoes kept getting scuffed. The city buses get power from a network of overhead wires. It`s very hilly, and most of the streets are on an incline.
We also saw an ancient (well, maybe not ancient, but certainly very old) Roman wall atop which there was a park of sorts. There were men gathered to play chess on large boards marked on the ground. The large pieces are stored in benches nearby. Barbara says that she`s never seen a woman play, but that it`s very popular amongst men.
There was also, on display, the first sign of Zurich`s existance. It was a Roman toumbstone that mentioned the city (it was called something different tough). We also walked through the old Botanical garden. It was vey pretty and overgrown. I enjoyed it.
11:30 pm
We just got back from dinner with Nino, a friend of Barbara`s. He is in his fourties, though he looks older. He works for a telecommunications company and speaks 5 languages. We ate at a crepe resturaunt. We arrived around 7pm and had kir. Once we finished we ordered "salty" crepes and cider. Mine was a brie, nuts, and grapes crepe. It was very good. After that we ordered water and "sweet" crepes. Mine was chocolate and bananna. Then we just sat and talked for a while. I really enjoyed myself, but every once in a while they`d switch into Swiss-German. That was a bit frustrating.
Tomorrow morning, Barbara has to go to work. We may go see a movie in the afternoon. I`m very tied. Off to bed!
6:43 am
So, let me finish writing about yesterday before I forget. Just after breakfast, I started talking to the passenger next to me. He was a math major from University of Chicago. He was staying with a friend of the family in Switzerland for a few days, then he was going to Athens to study aboroad. Very cool. His name was Daren.
Our first view of Switzerland out of the plane window was just as you`d expect. Hills dusted with snow and evergreens. In the distance, we could see the Tipps of the alps poking trhough the clouds. Very beautiful.
After we landed we went to baggage claim. Customs consisted of a guy glancing at my passport. No forms, and no stamps. How odd. Barbara was waiting form e at the exit. We had coffee at a cafe while we waited fort he train. We then took the train and walked to Barbara`s appartment. It is small, a kitchen/dining room, bedroom/study/living room, and a bathroom, but Barbara has decorated it beautifully. It has an Asian flavor to it.
After getting in, I put my cloths in a drawer and gave Barbara presents. We then had another coffee and talked. Next, we walked to the main train station to buy me a half fare card for buses and trains. That was a bit expensive, but will save me money in the long run. We also made reservations for the trip to Italy. Next, we went grocery shopping. We got home around 1:30pm. I took a nap while Barbara made dinner. This turned out to be a poor idea because I was so tired durring the meal I hardly ate. Barbara shooed me off to bed at 3pm. She went to work at 4pm.
I just woke up due to hunger and had a yogurt. I may try to go back to sleep until Barbara gets up. Mmmmm sleep is amaying.
12:12 pm
Wow! Sleep is amazing! Barbara woke me up at 10:55 am to eat breakfast. That means I slept 20 hours last night! Wow! My body knows it`s morning though, so hopefully I won`t be terribly jet-lagged from now on. Barbara is researching local history online so we can go sightseeing today. Exciting!
6:05 pm
I just got out of hte shower, and I feel fantastic! Today we walked around Zurich sightseeing. We saw two churches. One was the supposed burial sight (site?) of Carl the Great (Constantine). The other was famous for a set of five windows painted by Marc Chagall in 1970. The windows were amazing. I bought a photograph of the windows, becuase the one I took didn`t turn out very well. We also just walked around looking at buildings. There were several where famous authors had lived.
The city itself is quite facinating. It is very old in some areas. We were mainly in the older part of town, so on the main streets were paved. Most of the ones in the older part of town are narrow and made of brick/ stone. It`s rather uneven and the toes of my shoes kept getting scuffed. The city buses get power from a network of overhead wires. It`s very hilly, and most of the streets are on an incline.
We also saw an ancient (well, maybe not ancient, but certainly very old) Roman wall atop which there was a park of sorts. There were men gathered to play chess on large boards marked on the ground. The large pieces are stored in benches nearby. Barbara says that she`s never seen a woman play, but that it`s very popular amongst men.
There was also, on display, the first sign of Zurich`s existance. It was a Roman toumbstone that mentioned the city (it was called something different tough). We also walked through the old Botanical garden. It was vey pretty and overgrown. I enjoyed it.
11:30 pm
We just got back from dinner with Nino, a friend of Barbara`s. He is in his fourties, though he looks older. He works for a telecommunications company and speaks 5 languages. We ate at a crepe resturaunt. We arrived around 7pm and had kir. Once we finished we ordered "salty" crepes and cider. Mine was a brie, nuts, and grapes crepe. It was very good. After that we ordered water and "sweet" crepes. Mine was chocolate and bananna. Then we just sat and talked for a while. I really enjoyed myself, but every once in a while they`d switch into Swiss-German. That was a bit frustrating.
Tomorrow morning, Barbara has to go to work. We may go see a movie in the afternoon. I`m very tied. Off to bed!