Toodling around Zurich

Can you believe it has been almost a month since I left Zurich last? My travel schedule slows down considerably in the summer, since I’m not a big fan of the heat (or moving around in the heat). It works out just fine this way, since the summer tends to be when other people want to come visit us. So I’ve been entertaining guests and trying to make Zurich look interesting even in the dreary, rainy weather we have been having (which, for the record, I absolutely love). Here’s a sampling of what we’ve been up to:

• Beer Exhibit at Mühlerama, an old (and still functional) mill in the Seefeld neighborhood of Zurich. The beer exhibit taught me that I’ve got male taste buds. You can pretend you’re a sack of freshly-milled flour and ride down the flour slide. Good times.

• Barefoot bar hopping – it may have been too cold to swim for most of the summer so far, but luckily the Badi (public baths) around Lake Zurich double as hip outdoor bars at night. They are referred to as ‘barefoot’ bars because you aren’t supposed to wear street shoes inside; also you can sit on the edge of the dock and dip your feet in the lake (but no nightswimming allowed).

• Up the Uetliberg – this is obviously more fun in decent weather, but the day we chose to do it was clear enough to have a decent view, and we only got rained on a little bit. At the top there’s a playground, several restaurants with great views, and some hiking trails. Take the S10 from the main station.

• Chilbi – this is the insanely unpronounceable Swiss German word for ‘carnival’ (if I even attempt to say it, I get a sore throat – that initial ‘ch’ requires some effort). Late one evening a friend and I ventured into the one at Bellevueplatz for a quick spin on the big swing ride. Good old-fashioned fun. The roving gangs of teenagers must have been wondering what us old ladies were doing out there in their territory.

• Swimming! The past couple days have actually been hot and summer-like, which is good in a way because it gave us a chance to go for a swim in the lake, one of my favorite activities in Zurich. The scenery is so perfect it looks like a matte painting film backdrop. And the water is so clean and clear that it feels downright healthy to be swimming around in. Or something.