Bernese Oberland, oh how I will miss you

And now for a more beautiful side of Switzerland... this weekend found us back in one of our favorite destinations, Murren, where we stayed at the Hotel Eiger. We paid a bit extra for a ‘superior’ room, which was superior, I imagine, only in the fact that it came attached to a balcony with a spectacular view of said Eiger (the room itself was fine, but unremarkable). The hotel’s staff was exceedingly friendly and helpful, and we much enjoyed our stay.

Murren is so idyllic it almost makes me weep. There are no cars in this little 400-person village nestled cozily into the side of an Alp, and the only way to arrive is via one of two big ski gondolas. We spent Saturday afternoon wandering around the village and taking pictures, with a brief stop at Coop (yes, even in this remotest of outposts there is a Coop) to stock up on happy hour essentials (i.e., beer and snacks). Then it was back to the hotel to sit on our balcony, consume our consumables, and soak in the view. Next we visited the hotel pool, which was full of various jets and bubbly things to massage and stimulate various parts of your body, and also had a panoramic mountain view. We also popped into the sauna, but given my aversion to heat, my stay didn’t last long.

We watched sunset from the balcony, then headed down to the hotel restaurant for dinner (which wasn’t bad, but I would not recommend the vegetarian cutlet thingies). The next morning we went out for a hike (after a lovely hotel breakfast and another dip in the pool).

We decided that although it’s not quite as perfect as it is during the winter, Murren in the summer is pretty gosh darn lovely, too. More summer Murren pictures here.

Floating through the city

After two years of cancellation, Zurich’s annual Limmat River Swim was finally able to take place yesterday. The weather was gloriously sunny, making us oh-so-excited to jump in the cool water for a leisurely float through the city.

The event was extremely well organized (as we should have expected). We purchased our 27-franc tickets near the start and then went to the Frauenbad to get ready to go. We placed all of our clothes and other belongings into numbered plastic bags; these bags went onto a boat that beat us to the finish line, meaning our things were conveniently waiting for us on arrival. We were also given numbered wristbands (so we could retrieve the correct bags) and round floaty things to take with us on our swim.

There was an MC broadcasting over a loud speaker system, narrating exciting stuff such as ‘the next group is getting ready to go’ and interviewing participants about whether it was their first time ‘dabii’. When it was time for our group to start, we took our floaty things and jumped in. The river gently carried us in the right direction, and we were left to enjoy the effort-free ride.

Several spectators looked on from the river banks and bridges in places, but mostly it was a quiet, tranquil journey through the heart of the city. We floated peacefully past the Grossmunster, the Hauptbahnhof, and all of Zurich’s other landmarks. It was a lot of fun to see the city from a new angle (unfortunately we don’t own a waterproof camera, so no swimmer’s-eye-view pics).

At the end (which came all too soon), we collected our things and changed out of our bathing suits in the makeshift changing rooms (public buses with the windows covered over). Then we went to find out what free stuff was waiting for us – a souvenir glass, a bottle of Rivella, and a veggie burger (or sausage). And as if that wasn’t enough, we got to keep our floaty things, too.

All in all it was a really nice way to spend a sunny afternoon (and I’m not just saying that because there was free stuff). It's definitely something I'd do again.

Zurich: upcoming events

Just in case you find yourself in Zurich in the month of August, I figured I'd share some upcoming events we're looking forward to...

Street Parade - Time to break out the peacock-feather pasties, boys and girls! This coming Saturday, downtown Zurich will turn into one great big techno dance party, with floats, costumes, and music thumping louder than your heartbeat. The people-watching is divine. Some more photos from last year's event to whet your appetite...

Limmat River Swim - this elusive event has been canceled due to inclement weather for the last two years. Given the way this summer has been going, it's hard to count on it happening this year, either, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. From what I hear it's really more floating than swimming, and a whole lot of easy-going summer fun.

Lucerne Festival Street Music - not quite Zurich (but not very far away, either), Lucerne will be filled with free music every evening from Aug 21-26 as the "crème de la crème of the world's buskers" perform. I wonder if there will be any mariachis?

Zurich plagued by underwear-clad teens

The headline on the front page of 20 Minuten this morning announced Zurich's latest crisis - Public baths: trouble due to underwear trend. Naturally I snatched up a paper and began reading furiously, hoping to learn more about this disturbing story. Here is a summary of what I learned.

Apparently, it has become fashionable among teenage boys to wear boxer shorts underneath their shorts-style bathing suits while swimming at the city's numerous badi (public beaches and pools). "Why is this a problem?" you ask? Simply put, "Das ist unhygenisch," at least according to several of the city's bademeister (pool attendants). One bademeister went on to explain, "You never know when those underwear were last in the washing machine." The same boys' ability to keep their bathing suits (or their bodies) clean, however, was not called into question.

Basel is far ahead of Zurich in fighting this hazard, having already instigated a poster campaign against swimming in the boxers + bathing suit combo. The Zurich officials are just not cooperating, laments one local bademeister, who has decided to take the law into his own hands and eject offenders from his pool on the spot (he also makes use of his "good eye" to distinguish today's modern bathing suit styles from actual shorts - not an easy task for the untrained, apparently). Until he has succeeded in eradicating all the offenders, though, I can only beg you, dear readers, to inform yourself of the risks before swimming in the badi of Zurich. Or better yet, head to Basel. It's safer there.

I conquer the Zürichsee and ridicule Swiss 'Mexican' food (again)

On Friday afternoon I finally got to swim across the lake (that's me in the picture, which was taken from the boat by my shark-attack-fearing husband). Unlike the day of our first attempt, the weather was gorgeous and there was not a cloud in the sky. We could see all the way to the snow-covered Alps. At 18˚ c, the water was a little, um, chilly, but the experience was still enjoyable.

After the swim, we went back to the Züricher Theater Spektakel for dinner. Although it was a fun place to sit, drink, and enjoy the evening, I was less than thrilled to be faced with the same food choices. But swimming across a lake can leave a gal so hungry that she’ll eat almost anything, so it worked out just fine.

Still, there’s something disturbing about a burrito topped with about a half a bottle of ranch dressing (which the Swiss seemed to have confused with sour cream). Our Swiss friends didn’t understand my objections to the dressing-drenched spice-free creation until I found an analogy for them: this was like them visiting us in the US and us bringing them to a restaurant which made fondue using bright orange American cheese. That seemed to drive the point home.

Needless to say, eating Mexican food still tops my list of things I’m looking forward to doing on my next trip back to the US.

More pictures from the day here.

I get let down by both the sun and a Swiss boatman

Despite the cold and rain, a small group of us would-be swimmers gathered at the lakeside yesterday afternoon, determined to take the plunge.

Unfortunately for us, the boatman who had been contracted to accompany us didn’t think we’d show, and rather than contacting us to find out, he just closed up shop early for the day and went home.

Unable to find another boat on such short notice, we considered the option of swimming even without a boat. It’s probably a good idea that this idea was shot down in the end, given that (1) not everyone considered themselves to be expert swimmers, (2) the wind and rain were making the water choppy and leaving boaters with low visibility and (3) as the proud holder of lifeguard certification that expired over 10 years ago, I was the one who was most qualified to come to the aid of anyone in distress.

On one hand I was relieved not to have to face the possibility of hauling a six-foot-tall unconscious man 500 meters back to shore, but on the other hand I was quite disappointed that I wasn’t going to get to swim across the lake after all, especially since I had spent the entire day talking myself into believe that it was going to be an amazingly fabulous experience.

So over dinner at the grounds of the Züricher Theater Spektakel, I convinced my fellow would-be swimmers that we should give it another go. We are scheduled to try again tomorrow. Did you hear that, Sun? I’m giving you a second chance to prove your usefulness…

Hello, Sun? I’m ready to make friends…

After spending most of the summer cursing the sun, today I find myself rooting the temperature up for once. With a predicted high of 12˚ c (54˚ f), it’s not looking so good.

This afternoon we are scheduled to swim across the lake. In 19˚ c water. I’m not exactly sure how cold 19-degree water will feel, but it seems to be too cold for most mortals to handle, given that events such as the Limmat River Swim are being cancelled left and right these days.

Today’s Seeüberquerung, however, is still on. Meaning if I want to get out of it, I have to actually choose to chicken out myself. But when will I get another chance to do this? It’s not like you can just swim across the lake whenever the mood strikes you – there are giant ferry boats and such to dodge. Much safer to go with an organized group, especially one with little boats full of life preservers that accompany you across in case your muscles stop working due to their being frozen. Right?

I’ll let you know what happens. That is, if my fingers don’t freeze off and I’m still able to type upon my return. So no promises.

Anyone want to lend me a wetsuit?

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 and 5 without being attacked by oppressive sun and heat. It’s wonderful to be able to do light housework without sweating. And it’s downright fabulous to be able to walk through the grocery store without smelling the horrendous b.o. of your fellow shoppers (that used to linger in the aisles long after the offending shopper was gone).

My what-to-make-for-dinner choices just expanded greatly, now that it’s cool enough to use not only the stove, but even *gasp* the oven. I was even considering making fondue, but I should probably hold out for another month or two on that.

I took my first hot shower in months the other day, and it felt great. It reminded me how much I am looking forward to winter. But wait, isn’t it just the beginning of August? Shouldn’t the worst of summer still be in front of us? The forecast is calling for rainy and cool for the next couple weeks, at least. Sounds good to me!

We do, however, have a couple events planned for the end of August that actually require warm (if not hot) weather, as they involve swimming outside. I think I’m going to hold off on buying tickets for the Zürcher Limmatschwimmen (Limmat River Swim), just in case it ends up being too cold to enjoy. It was cancelled last year, due to high water, so we were really looking forward to getting to do it this year. For those who are interested, it will take place on August 26th, costs CHF 22 (CHF 27 the day of), and tickets can be purchased in advance here. [UPDATE 23-8-06: the Limmat River Swim has been cancelled due to the low water temperatures. Guess we'll have to wait another year...]

So do I just be happy the heat wave is over, or do I hope for it to get warm again so we can do more swimming? This is a very important dilemma, as we all know I control the weather with my thoughts. What to do, what to do…

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 warm-weather tour guide ever. When the temperatures soar, all I want to do is hide from the sun. Not easy to do when you’re out walking around the city all day.

Kesha compared me to some creature on a sci-fi show that can’t go in the light and just slinks along from shadow to shadow; this basically sums up how I move around in the summer, if I have to move around at all.

Even so, we’ve managed to have a little bit of fun here and there. Boat rides across Lake Zurich are cool and breezy, as long as you are on a big boat and not one of those small, stuffy glass-topped things. The Kunsthaus café is cool and relaxing, even if the top floors of the museum could use some air-conditioning. And if you go to dinner late enough, and sit outside, you might just be able to enjoy a nice meal without having the seat stick to the back of your legs.

Even better than riding a boat across the lake is actually swimming in the lake. While Badi abound on Zurich’s lake and rivers (which charge around CHF 6 admission and provide useful facilities like changing rooms), my new favorite spot to swim is in the park at Zürichhorn, which can be reached by boat, bus, or tram. The grassy areas are packed full of sunbathers in the afternoon, but there’s always room in the water.



The restaurants that have been the biggest hits with our guests (who were almost all disappointed to learn that summer is not exactly fondue season) are listed below. All offer outdoor seating and menus in English (although the daily specials are only listed in German. I am getting good at translating food, even though I still don’t have a clue what most of the meats are).



Zeughauskeller is awfully proud of its extensive Wurst menu (see picture), but also offers a couple options for us vegetarians, as well as plenty of meats of the non-encased variety.

Linde Oberstrass offers big salads and Fladenbrot (sort of like a thin-crust pizza, but swissified), which make good summer foods, along with pastas and a bunch of typical Swiss meat-and-potatoes dishes.

Crazy Cow has traditional Swiss food that tends to be on the heavy side, so save this one for a really cool evening, or better yet, the winter.

Hiltl combines two of my favorite things: a huge variety of delicious vegetarian food, and air-conditioning that you can actually feel. The special summer ginger shandy I had there was pretty yummy, too.

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To all our summertime visitors: please do come back to see us in winter. You will find me a changed person. I love winter, and winter in Switzerland is hard to beat. Snow-covered Alps, Christmas markets, skiing, Glühwein, sledding, fondue, raclette… I will be so freakin’ enthusiastic you won’t even recognize me.

Summer in zee City

Remember how June started with below-freezing temperatures in Zurich? I miss that. I really do. As far as I am concerned, we could skip the rest of summer and go straight to ski season right now. But, alas, I don’t control the seasons (at least not yet), so I continue to suffer along in heat that makes me wish I were sitting in the middle of an over-air-conditioned American theater sucking icy cold ice water through a straw. Our teeny-tiny European freezer doesn’t hold enough ice to get me through the day, and of course our apartment is un-air-conditioned. This is about as close as I get to homesick.

As tempted as I am to just go into hibernation until the temperature drops, life keeps pulling me out of bed, luring me with riverside beer gardens, weekend trips to snowy mountains, and non-stop soccer on TV.

I am thoroughly grateful for the entertainment provided by the World Cup this month. We entered lotteries for tickets to a couple matches, but I have recently found myself thinking that it’s much more pleasant to watch them from my couch (with an icy cold drink) than it would be to sit in the sunny, hot stands drinking lukewarm beer. Needless to say, I won’t be too disappointed if we don’t actually get any tickets.

Despite my whining, I am actually trying to make the best of this heat wave. In addition to watching several World Cup matches in various fan-packed bars are restaurants around town, I have been busy sampling other aspects of Zurich’s summertime offerings. One of my favorite activities (if sitting and drinking counts as an ‘activity’) has become gathering up a couple friends and spending the afternoon at one of Zurich’s many waterfront drinking establishments. A favorite is the cool and convenient Bauschänzli, a large beer garden in the middle of the Limmat River in downtown Zurich. With shade provided by giant trees, and a cool breeze off the water, this is a lovely place to escape the heat.

Swimming is another fun pastime for when the temperatures soar. Even on the hottest days, the water in the Limmat and Lake Zurich is cool and invigorating. One can go to one of the various public baths around the city, or just hop in at the many less formal swimming areas. The Frauenbad is right next to the Bauschänzli and offers a pool as well as an enclosed area for swimming in the river itself surrounded by a deck for sunbathing. As its name implies, the Frauenbad is only for women, but there is also a Männerbad in the city, as well as a couple co-ed baths.

Another good swimming area is right next to the Wollishofen boat stop on the lake. The boat to get here is part of the city’s public transportation network, and is free for holders of day, month, or year passes. A short walk down the shore is the Rote Fabrik, a graffiti-covered converted brick factory that contains a restaurant, exhibition space, and a night club, among other things.

While I won’t be turning into a sun-worshipper anytime soon, I am starting to look at the positives. At the very least, Zurich is a whole lot better place to spend summer than Milan (our previous home) was. Not only is Milan a whole lot hotter and muggier, but it has no body of water to speak of (half-dried-up canals don’t count). Hooray for the lake.