Switzerland

Shall we talk about the weather?

After living through the hottest July EVER in Zurich (since they started keeping records 140 years ago), I have been rewarded with chilly, rainy fall weather since the start of August. Unlike many people here (those who actually like summer), I’m not complaining. It’s so nice to be able to leave the house between 11 … Read more

Alphorns!

Today we checked out the Swiss National Day celebration in downtown Zurich. In addition to food and beverages from various cantons, there was a parade and a cultural program. Somehow we managed to miss the promised yodelling performance, but we did get our fill of Alphorns, accordions, and traditional Swiss singing and dancing. Alongside the … Read more

Alas, no fireworks for Zurich

Despite some last-minute rain, the powers that be decided to ban fireworks for Swiss National Day after all. The ban is in place for almost the entire country and is due to the dangerously dry conditions that exist thanks to a summer of unbearable heat. But never fear, the rest of the celebration will go … Read more

Cinema under the stars

A couple nights ago we went to the Orange Cinema, an open-air movie theater on Lake Zurich that is set up for a month in the summer. A different film is shown every night, and tickets sell out far in advance. (Many thanks to Ali for hitting the ticket office the day they went on … Read more

From Badi to Wurst

(Alternate title: more hot, sweaty summer in Zurich, with guests) The visitor parade is almost over, and none too soon. Don’t get me wrong – I have adored the chance to spend time with each and every one of the dear friends who have come to see us this summer, but I am the worst … Read more

Hergiswhat?

Yesterday we went with some friends to the small Swiss town of Hergiswil to visit the Hergiswil Glasi, a glass production company. There were also a museum, a ‘Phenomenal Glass’ exhibit, two glass shops, a big playground, and a nice lakeside café/restaurant as part of the Glasi complex. The museum, which was free, was more … Read more

Why do all the teams I like suck at penalty shots?

So we watched the last Swiss World Cup game at El Lokal along with a couple hundred other hopeful Swiss fans. Despite Ali’s and my enthusiastic American-style face painting, things did not go well for Schwiiz. They lost to Ukraine in penalty kicks. We were all sad, especially because it meant there would not be … Read more

Just another weekend in the Alps

This weekend we headed to Flims, a small town surrounded by panoramic Alpine views that are snowy in the winter and cowy in the summer (can you believe spell-check doesn’t like the word “cowy”?). There is nothing like a trip to the Romansch-speaking part of the country to suddenly make Swiss German sound familiar and … Read more