Living in Zurich Past Blogs
More of Month 5: US Presidential Election and Zurich Oktoberfest
What an exciting and interesting week to be sitting half a world away watching the historical US presidential election take place. Since CNN is only one of two English-speaking TV channels we get, we have heard A LOT about the election over the last six months and Roland has had more than his fill of political experts analyzing every move of the John McCain and Barack Obama campaigns. I, personally, couldn’t get enough. I would get on-line every night just to find out the latest stats and more about their agendas for change. I, for the first time, became a political junkie!
Finally on Tuesday, Nov 4th the big day arrived (although 7pm in the states was 2am for us, so technically we found out Wednesday morning). I was very interested in the outcome, hoping that my overseas absentee ballot actually found its way to some voting center in Kansas City, Missouri. Whether it did or not, the voice of the American people was clear in the popular vote and the electoral college…the face and supporter of change for at least the next four years will be Barack Obama. Wow, wow, wow. I’m still a bit amazed when I think about it.
Watching the videos of Barack’s supporters and the emotions that were being shared at his rally was like something I’ve never seen in a political election. People were fired up, they were overwhelmed, and they were hopeful. And hope, my friends, is a good thing, and voting is a fundamental right that SO MANY Americans exercised this year. Kudos to everyone. For those reasons we all have to be proud of our country, regardless of who you voted for. I know I am!
Apparently Barack’s inspiration is infectious even thousands of miles away. I sat in a meeting Wednesday morning with colleagues from Spain, Switzerland, and the UK – all of whom described the impact and excitement about the election of Barack. Over the last few months I have realized how knowledgeable the Europeans are of international politics. They have more of a holistic view of the world than I could ever imagine. I can barely name a president or prime minister of another country with certainty, and surely can’t tell you what they stand for. Over here, it’s quite different and has encouraged me to involve myself in the broader world and care about the reputation the US has in the world beyond our borders.
So anyway, that’s the political wrap-up from Switzerland! On a less serious note, Roland and the Swiss Re futball team won their last game on Thursday 4-3. Woo hoo! Saturday they celebrated at Zurich’s version of Oktoberfest. It was extremely differently than Munich but still quite fun and memorable. He’s really going to miss those guys.
We’ll be home in 2 weeks, just in time for Thanksgiving. Cheers everyone!
More of Month 5: Paris
Bonjour everyone!! Alright, so we have been busy, but found some way to squeeze in a quick trip to Paris. It was great and historical and then some, plus my cousin Simon and his girlfriend Amber were there.
Paris was beautiful, and big, with a lot of walking. The buildings were amazing and the art was really great. We got in at about noon and found our hotel. We headed straight for the great Notre Dame. In the process we went the wrong direction, got lost and found a different big church, Saint Eustache, with a interesting statue of a giant head and hand in front of it. Finally after miles of walking we found Notre Dame. It was awesome with very gothic architecture. After that we met Simon and Amber at the Louvre, which is the museum in the shape of a glass pyramid. It had all kinds of art including the popular Mona Lisa. We apparently planned this part of our trip well because usually there are very long lines and a lot of people at the Louvre, but at six on a Friday night it wasn’t too bad. The egyptian artifacts and art in the Louvre are really something, so make sure to check the pictures out. During the evening we enjoyed a romantic dinner cruise down the Seine River while seeing the Paris lights. The best part was sitting with my beautiful wife and talking with her.
Saturday was jam-packed with plans. We started with Saint Chapelle, which had amazing stained-glass windows housed within extreme vaulted ceilings. We really enjoyed it. Next was the Orsay museum, which houses artwork by Picasso, Monet, and Van Gogh among others. It is really something seeing the originals by all these artists. After Orsay we met up with Simon, Amber, and Kirstin, the tour guide/good friend living abroad in Paris, and rested our barking dogs at their flat. Once well rested we headed out to see the Arc de Triomphe with them, and while there got to enjoy a parade by led by a military band (or something like that). Arc de Triomphe is really something to see…it’s huge and is the center of the busiest intersection in Paris. For dinner, we ate athentic Chinese food in the chinatown area of Paris! It was actually quite good and the company of Simon, Amber, and Kirstin made it all worth it.
Sunday, our last day, was the Eiffel Tower day. With our train leaving at noon we didn’t have much time and also didn’t get to go up in the tower, but we did get some good pictures in front of it. It too was an amazing sight (especially the night before when it was all lit up)! We both realized that it was a different color than we originally thought….I was guessing dark green and Liza thought it was dark grey or black. In fact, in was tan. :)
Paris, all in all, was a great experience and going in October is a good way to beat the crowds. We walked a ton, and are still feeling it three days later. Probably our favorite part though was the crepes which we ate every morning. One word, deliciousness!
With one month left we have a lot of preparation for going back home. We have an American Halloween/Day of the Dead party this weekend, and I have a season ending (parting of ways) with the football club, which will take place at the Zurich Oktoberfest tent. Before you all know it we will be home pestering all of you with all of our stories in-person, and we can’t wait. It will be so nice to be home and get to see all of YOU (our family and friends) for the holiday season. See you soon, au revoir.
No quotes or quizzes this time but send us some of your favorites if you want.
Month 5: Munich and Greece
Hellloooo everyone. First off thanks to everyone that left a message. Thank you Sara, Sharon, Steve, and Natasha. Congratulations to Tash for winning the chocolate. We will have it at Thanksgiving. I am a little disappointed in everyone over forty, it was Jethro Tull and most of you should know this. I will have another one this time so you all can have another chance, except Tash (sorry).
So over the past month we did some traveling. Took a lot of pictures, so I will go over it really quick like what we did but remeber, “a picture says a thousand words.” I’ll start from the top.
Oktoberfest: This was a great festival for anyone that enjoys beer, which is everyone. The tents that are set up are huge. We are talking about tents that hold about 2000 people, and there were at least 7 of these (all packed). That is a lot of beer. Everything at Oktoberfest is big, giant pretzels, beer only comes in one liter glasses, and the chicken is only served in halves and not pieces (it was sooo good). Another thing that was great, Augustine beer. This was the first beer we had so we really do know how it tasted, and it tasted grrrreat. I think it is hard to find outside of Bavaria though. All and all the atmosphere was like a giant fair dedicated to beer, tons of fun. We definitely want to go back someday and bring all of you with us.
From Munich we went to Santorini. It is hard to describe because everything there is so picturesque. We first stayed on the beach side at Aqua Vatos, the hotel was nice and the owner was really friendly and helpful. On the beach side we rented a quad one day and rode around the whole island. We spent some time an the Red Beach and also tried the black beaches. The water is clear and not super cold and the weather was perfect. The second half of our trip we stayed on the cliff side in Oia (Ia). Oia is Greece. All of the pictures that people see of Greece with the white buildings and different colored dome roofs, marble walkways, blue sky, and blue sea, well there is a good chance they were taken here. It is hard to describe so just check the pics. We did get a room upgrade because Delfini Villas double booked, and the upgraded room was huge with or own giant, private, deck. While there we met a couple, I actually met them on the plane from Athens to Santorini, that were on their honeymoon, Will and Tabby from Chicago, and we had dinner with them a couple of nights. They were very nice and we will have to get hold of them next time we are in Chicago. We also went to Ancient Thira and just relaxed. Ancient Thira was really neat, the ruins were from as far back as 2 AD! Just check the pics and comment, comment, comment please.
So then we flew back to Munich and took a night train home. Since then it has been low key around here except for Saturday the 11th. We had a game and lost 2 to 1, we should have won about 5 to 1, and it was a bad deal (no one was happy). That evening I went to the Swiss national game, a World Cup Qualifier, and went out with some guys from the team.
So now it has calmed down around here. We have our plane tickets for coming home booked, November 25th. Now we just have to figure out about getting the dog back and shipping some things back. We do have a trip to Paris planned to see my cousin Simon on Oct 24th and are also planning on a trip to Poland. Finally I am working on getting a job when we get back, the vacation is over, so if anyone has any connections or knows of anything in the KC area let me know.
Alright, another quiz: Tell me the song and the artist for some Swiss chocolate. Here is a hint; the artist wants to be a member.
“I wanta’ drive a Lincoln, spend my evenings drinkn’, the very best bourbondeee”
Good job Danny! But since you wrote it on Facebook, I will give a runner-up prize.
All I’ve ever wanted was an honest week’s pay for an honest day’s work.
— Steve Martin
Folk who don’t know why America is the Land of Promise should be here during an election campaign.
— Milton Berle
Week ?? Sept. 12 -Sept. 26
Things around here have slowed down since Liza got back and Mom and Aunt Janie left. The weather has been changing and getting a lot colder. Time to pull the coats out and wrap up with the scarves. We have been getting to know our other expat friends better. Going out for drinks and having them over for dinner. Also the football season is in full stride and we lost our first game. But I suppose I might be getting ahead of myself, so from the top…
Weekend of the 13th & 14th consisted of getting together with Alison and Phil from Kansas City. Then we just took it easy because it really is getting a lot colder, we are trying to adjust.
The next Tuesday evening we went to the Jason Mraz concert. It was good and the venue was really cool. It was pretty small so no matter were one was standing you were close to the stage. Mraz is from Cali and plays kinda chill music so everyone there was nice and just relaxed. Only overheard a couple of Stateys, so the crowd was mainly locals. http://www.jasonmraz.com/
Thursday our team played against the number one team in the league. We should have won but because of a couple of really bad mistakes by yours truly we didn’t. To-date I think I can honestly say that it was in my top three worst games ever. Lost 2-3, nuff said.
The weekend included and outing with some other expat friends from San Fran. A nice couple our age (Shawn and Megan). She works for Google in HR and he is like me…likes beer, bourban, and small bars (love at first sight). Liza and Megan have a lot in common due to the fact that they both work in HR. The rest of the weekend consisted of walking the dog and watching movies.
The past week has gone by fast. Liza has been really REALLY busy at work and I have been training and cooking. Had Shawn, Megan, and Alison over for dinner on Wednesday. I made pulled pork BBQ with the KC Masterpiece that Liza brought from KC. It turned out really well and was a nice treat. I think everyone was really surprised (except of course Liza and Zoey and myself). I don’t even know what cut of meat I am using so I just kinda go for it. I really enjoy cooking now, and eating it afterwards.
Had a game on Thursday. It was a cup game so that means that it was a must win. I played much better, but the pitch was the biggest I have ever played on and was exhausted after playing the total 90 min. I am surprised however that I can go the whole distance almost full throttle. We won 2-0.
On some side notes…We will be going to Greece next week so keep your eyes opened for those pics along with a quick stop-off in Munich (Oktoberfest!); Zurich also has an Oktoberfest after the official one in Munich; I have lost 15lbs (hooray for me) something I have been wanting to do; and we will not be staying any longer than November, period (sorry everyone that wanted us to so they could come visit us in the future).
Finally so to get something out of you people I will give you a quiz. To answer simply click on the COMMENT on the left side of the screen.
A quote from a song: “I may make you feel, but I can’t make you think”
Please give me the group or artist that said this and the song that it comes from. The winner will get some Swiss chocolate either sent to you or hand-delivered during Thanksgiving, depends on who answers. Good luck.
Football’s not a matter of life and death … it’s more important than that.
— Bill Shankly (by “football” of course we mean soccer)
What would men be without women? Scarce, sir, mighty scarce.
- Mark Twain
Week Month 3: August (and a little September)
Ok, so it has been a little while since we typed out a blog, but we have been really busy. Our last blog ended Aug. 11 so this one goes from Aug. 12 through Sept. 11. I will go through this one day at a time so try and keep up. Here we go, weeeeee!!
Aug. 14-15: Liza left to go back to the states for her training class and in the evening my team had our first friendly game. After the game the other team paid for drinks for us at the local pub, we also won. The next day Liza called me to gloat that she had good Mexican food at Mi Ranchito (with Jenny, Joe, Kim & Danno) whilst I am still in Zurich. For those of you that feel sorry for me then feel free to send me an “Ata’ boy” and a pat on the back.
Aug. 16-17: The team had a BBQ with the rest of the Swiss Re Football Club. A little football, free food, and free beer; these are a few of my favorite things… Liza drove to Nebraska with her mom to see Robin, Sarah and her dad, and to cheer on her brother at the racetrack. Apparently he put on quite a show…managing to spin-out three times without hitting another car and getting 7th overall. Liza said it was so great to be back and have a chance to spend some time with her family.
Aug. 18: Zoey and I went for a hike. Originally the hike was planned for a two day adventure with a stay in a mountain house, but we kinda got a late start. We didn’t leave Zurich till noon and got to Kinderstag at 14:30, where our hike started. Once there we started toward the mountain lake, which wasn’t too bad of a hike, but discovered that the mountain house was over 7 hours away. Two and a half hours in we noticed the temperature going down and the clouds rolling in, so we high-tailed it back to the train, bought some beer and took the night train home. Good day.
Aug. 21: Went to Newcastle, England (on a plane) and Zoey stayed with a friend from the team back in Zurich.
Aug. 22 thru 26: Newcastle with Dan and Danielle… I had a great weekend with my good friend that I haven’t seen for over two years. The first day (Friday) we went out into the country and got to see the beautiful country side, it is really green with lots of sheep (cue ’sheep’ jokes). Friday night I went out for real Indian food (from India) with Dan, Danielle, Dan’s sis, gram, and mum and Danielle’s mum and dad. The food was great, but by the next day my stomache let me know that it wasn’t happy with me. Saturday I finally got to attend a Premiership match. Before going to the match we saw the Angel of the North (largest sculpture in England) and went to the largest indoor mall in England. After that Danielle dropped us off and we went to a local pub for some beers before the match and then walk to St. James Park (the stadium). The match was great - Newcastle won 1-0, and Dan and I got on t.v. (kinda). Danielle had prepared a great dinner and then we went to a local pub that had a really good live band and a couple fights…leave it to the Jordies to not disappoint. Sunday was family day and we had lunch at Dan’s gran’s house and drinks and snacks at Danielle’s gran’s house. The family was very nice to visit with. Monday we went to the North Sea and had some of the best fish and chips in England, they were brilliant. We also saw some ruins and met some more family. On Tuesday I left. It really was a lot of fun and great to see everyone. Hopefully I will get to see both Dan and Danielle in Jan. or Feb. because they might be coming to the states. Thanks for taking care of me guys.
Aug. 30: Liza, Mom, and Janie got in to Zurich at 7:30 in the morning and I met them at the airport. I was very happy to see all of them. That afternoon we had our first league match and we won 8-1 and all of the girls (including Zoey) came to watch. After the game we walked around Old Town and had some official Swiss food, and then we all came back the girls took a nap (to catch up with the jet-lag). I then fixed them dinner…my famous blue-beef enchiladas.
Aug. 31: We caught a boat at the top of lake Zurich to Rappersville, and cruised along for the 2 1/2 hour ride. It was a very nice trip and before Rappersville we got off on an island that had a church that was built like 2 thousand years ago, a great vineyard, a few donkeys and a restaurant with some good wine. We then got back on the boat to Rappersville and had a chance to visit the Polish museum (of course). We had a very nice outdoor lunch and celebrated mom’s birthday over some truffles and other great desserts.
Sept. 1: Liza went to work and the rest of us, Zoey included, went to Rhinefalls and Uetliberg. The girls really liked it but unfortunately it was a little cloudy so the mountains weren’t really viewable. For dinner we had some more athentic Swiss food (sausages, wiener schnitzel, rossti, etc.) at Zeughauskeller.
Sept. 2: We started out early on our way to Lucerne and Mt. Pilatus. Once in Lucerne we walked across the oldest wooden bridge in Europe and around the classic city of Lucerne. Once I was able to drag them away from the shopping (Steve, you will thank me later) we headed up to Mt. Pilatus. Again it was a little cloudy, but this was an amazing trip.
Sept. 3: Mom and Janie went to Ireland. If you want to know what they did ask them, this is the Liza and Roland blog, sorry. :) They did however have a really great time.
Sept. 5 & 6: We met some friends out for drinks and pool and met another expat couple from K.C. that just moved here with KPMG. The next day I had to get up bright and early to play a match Saturday morning. The drinks the night before then became a bad idea, but I played really well and we won 4-0. That evening we saw The Dark Knight, which was a good flick.
Sept. 7: Girls got back from Ireland and we decided to stay in and have dinner at home.
Sept. 8: The girls and myself went shopping in old town (Steve, you won’t thank me later). They really like all the designer clothes and the fashion, but the prices left much to be desired. For dinner, Blue Monkey (Liza’s favorite Thai restaurant).
Sept. 9: The girls did some more shopping, for other people, and then got to see where Liza works and where I go for soccer training. We took a cable car up to the mountains and had a great lunch overlooking Lake Zurich. The weather was the best so far with extremely clear skies so the girls got a great view of the Alps. In the evening, mom made us a nice dinner (in our very small kitchen) and they packed everything to go home.
Sept. 10: Mom and Janie went back to Kansas. This was a sad day because we really enjoyed our time together and it was so nice to share this amazing place with them.
Sept. 11: Happy birthday Zella (Shelli’s little girl turned 1 year old)! We tied our match 1-1 that night. The team didn’t play as well as we could, but I though I did pretty well.
So, as you can see we have been really busy, but now that you are up to date with us drop us a line and let us know how you are doing. There are a lot of pics, so enjoy.
Week 9 Aug. 1st-11th: Playing foolball and Street Parade
This week started out with the Swiss Independence day. The day was suppose to include fireworks and friends, but it happened to rain so the fireworks were canceled but we still went out to a couple of really trendy places with Jeff (on the football team). The next day (Saturday) Liza, Zoey, and I went on a long walk where I was able to show Liza the neat trail that Zoey and I walk on. After the three hour walk I went to shoot pool with Keith and Kyle and then Liza met us to play games at Keith’s house.
The rest of the week was nothing special. We had a match on Thursday (it rained) and won. Other than that it was pretty hum-drum.
The last weekend was something different. Saturday was the Street Parade that takes place in Zurich every year. This non-stop, techno/dance music, rave made Mardi Gras look like bingo night at the ORV. The parade started at 3:00 (but people were dressed up and partying well before that). It consist of floats with people dancing all over them, being followed by people dancing, and surrounded by people dancing. Basically it is a lot of people dancing (about 800,000 to be exact). Street Parade is all above love, friendship, music, and crazy outfits. I could go on but a picture speake a thousand words. Also, if you dare, check out www.streetparade.ch for some pictures and a little about the history.
I finished out the week getting a hair cut and typing this out. If you haven’t had a chance drop us a line we would love to hear you guys out there. Liza will be back in Kansas for two weeks starting Thursday and I will be left here with the dog and some new friends.
Till next time “ So long farewell, auf weidersehen goodnight;
I leave and heave a sigh and say good bye - goodbyyyyyyeeeee!”
Week 8 July 21-31 Rhinefalls and Meeting Americans
Well this week was really busy. Liza and I hardly saw each other all week, but we had a nice relaxing weekend together. For the first part of the week Liza had many work dinners and I had soccer. Thursday we were invited to an expat dinner at the Swiss Re Mythenquai office/restaurant called K2. It’s known as one of the nicest restaurants in Zurich with almost 5-star quality food. We met a few other people from the states and we’re given a gourmet cookbook as a gift. The focus of it is on the importance of the presentation of food and it teaches you how to make the ‘froth bubbles’ that seem to be proudly displayed on every dish.
The weekend brought us great weather for getting out. On Saturday we took a train to Rhinefalls, which is a waterfall and a castle overlooking the waterfall. It only took an hour to get there and the three of us really enjoyed it. Zoey does very well on the trains nowadays. Saturday night we had authentic German fondue and then went to a Thai restaurant called the Blue Monkey. While there we met Dan and Danielle, two Americans from Florida who were passing thru town on their way to Austria. We had a great time and ended up at a seedy/fun little piano bar. The night went a little later than planned and we realized that the trams quit running at about midnight so we had a long walk home.
Sunday was greatly toned down, but Zoey and I did find a really neat trail that goes into the hills on our side of the lake. It took us about three hours to find it, but it was worth it. I will try and take some pics of it soon.
Till next time “Good night and good luck”.
Week 6 & 7…July 8-20 Freitag and American food/games
So we missed a week of blogging because we had a little family miscommunication…I thought Roland was in charge of writing it, apparently he thought Zoey was, and Zoey thought I was. Anyway, here we are on a rainy Sunday night trying to remember all of the exciting things we’ve been up to. :)
The highlights included the following:
- having our first guests (Crystal and Kyle) over to our place for a delicious mexican dinner Roland cooked for us
- last weekend we caught up on all our American movies due to the rain (thanks to City Video that’s less than a block away)
- we checked out an awesome sushi restaurant called Ginger just down the street
- yesterday we took the train a couple stops away to a very cool place called “Freitag” that sells recycled bags made of old truck tarps and seatbelts. their original store is here in Zurich and it’s built out of truck containers - it’s so crazy looking. we ended up buying a one-of-a-kind messenger bag with some resemblance of an “s” on it that’s neutral enough for either of us to use. Roland calls it his “man purse”. check out the website www.freitag.ch or http://www.petefreitag.com/item/588.cfm
- we also went to an American-type pub near my work in Adliswil called Pot Belly’s and for the first time since arriving in Zurich we got to play some pool and “what’s the difference?” (the German translation for photo hunt). we were pretty excited. we wrapped up the day playing Guitar Hero and Dance Revolution at Kyle and Crystal’s. ha. it was quite a random game-playing day.
- today Roland tried his hand at tennis at the Swiss Re Sports Complex. apparently he enjoyed himself and thought it was good exercise, but am not sure he’ll be joining the US Open anytime soon.
Other than that, work has been good and challenging as usual. We have had quite a few HR organization changes going on over the last few weeks, so that’s made the environment interesting and hard for some. Roland and I are invited to a ”Welcome to Zurich” dinner with other Swiss Re IA’s on Thursday night so that should be fun to meet some new people. Our personal laptop is finally fixed so we will get it in the next few weeks (thanks Mom) and will be back on Skype so we can see all your pretty faces!
Week 5…July 1-7 Birthdays, the 4th and the Park
This week started out with Roland playing in a pick-up soccer game on Tuesday. On Wednesday we celebrated Liza’s birthday. Roland made an icecream cake for Liza and put some cute candles on it. For dinner they went to eat out, Italian, once again leaving me at home. It must have been good because they brought home left-overs. Roland also got Liza some pretty flowers, they smell really good too. Thursday was the best day yet. Roland took me to the park and let me off the leash and I got to run all over the place. Eventually I had to go back to Roland, he was yelling but I wasn’t listening, and he was not happy. After that we went to a store with all sorts of treats to smell, but I couldn’t have any. Roland got a really long leash for me and told me that I would never be off the leash again. On Friday the folks went to Gay’s house for the 4th of July with lots of other American expats living in Zurich and had pizza and beer. They must of had fun watching fireworks because they got home late.
The weekend was nice. On Saturday we all went to the lake and hung out for a while. It was fun but a little hot, and I got to meet a little dog and play with it. The long leash isn’t too bad though, because I can play fetch and not get into trouble. After the lake Liza cooked Roland his birthday dinner and he thought it was delicious (so did I). Saturday night they went out with some friends (Kyle and Crystal) to some pubs and again were out late. On Sunday the folks went to see the SwissRe sportshall and had brunch. They now think that they will take up tennis…I guess I could be the ball-dog.
Monday wasn’t anything too special. We did go to the small park and play fetch. Roland apperently is going to “test me” and take me out on the long leash everyday now. Well I guess that is all I have to say/bark.
… rule # 6, do not sit in the corner and sulk, it draws attention to you in a negative way, draw attention to yourself, but on your own terms …
……………………………………………….
Week 4…June 23-30 Trip to Lucerne
The past week was pretty toned down. We stayed in throughout the first half of the week and simply relaxed. During the day Roland went out on his regular outings with Zoey and found a really neat park that had trails going through the mountains. For the first time since our arrival Zoey was able to be off the leash (for those of you that know, this was a big accomplishment). Wednesday was a semifinal match between Turkey and Germany, and after being around football/soccer for a month straight, I have actually realized why it is so popular. It really just might be the greatest sport ever! Thursday we met some new “friends” that Roland met through the expat on-line group for dinner at a mexican restaurant (Iroquois) during the Spain-Russia match. And yes…we know, we’re in Europe with all kinds of wonderful food and we’re still obsessed with finding a good mexican restaurant. :)
The weekend was interesting. On Saturday Roland took off in the morning in search of a used bike and found what he was looking for across town. It is a little old school, but suits him well. In the evening he and I went to dinner with some colleagues to another mexican restaurant (Pacifico) in Lucerne which is only about an hour drive from Zurich. The food was really good but even better was the entertainment. While we were there we discovered that Lucerne was hosting the once-every-four-year Yodeling event. This event really pointed out to us what is important to the people of Switzerland, and that would be yodeling! Everywhere one looked ther were masses of people and yodelers to be found. The outfits were fabulous and the yodeling was that of heavenly angels! It was actually a fun and unique experience.
Sunday was a beautiful day so the three of us went down to the lake for some afternoon sun. After realizing that the whole town goes to the lake on nice days, and not being able to find anyplace to sit or relax, we decided to head back home and rest up for the final match later in the evening. Yes the final has finally arrived and since I have followed the match thus far, we went to enjoy the game and some beers out with the rest of Zurich in Old Town. Germany vs. Spain, it was a some-what expected final, but there was still drama to be had during the match. Once Spain claimed the championship with a 1-0 win we headed home. Now that soccer is over I’m not sure what we’re going to watch now.
Monday started a new week with Roland finding a pick-up game to play in just a few blocks away and also joining the Swiss Re soccer/fusball team for the corporate league. Is this good that he will be representing my company? Anyway, we will be posting some new pics under EuroCup, and of all the crowds we partook in. Until next week “You stay classy San Diego.” :)
Week 3…June 15-22 Trip to Venice
The beginning part of our week was pretty low-key…just the normal everyday happenings. Thursday we tried another mexican restaurant called “Tres Kilo’s” which was just a couple of tram stops down the street. It had great/strong margaritas and nachos. We sat outside and we were asked to have our picture taken for their weekly website “gallery”. Check us out below! :)
http://www.treskilos.ch/index2.cfm?Page=E10
Roland met me at the office after work on Friday with Miss Zoey so that we could introduce her to her new ‘dogsitter’ for the weekend - my colleague, Hatice. She seemed to be quite excited to be meeting someone new (since she spends 24/7 with us), so after a good pet-down and hugs, we sent her on her way and we headed home to grab our bags for Venice. Before we left we got the best email & poem ever from our buddy and fellow Rum Runner, Aaron Nichols. It was funny and touching and a little crude…but what else would we expect from such a cool dude! Ok, so that doesn’t even compare, but it was our best try! :)
We took the 9pm night train out of Zurich to Bologna, Italy, where we changed trains at 5:30am and got on our final train to Venice. We shared a sleeping car with two strangers - both very nice, in their 60’s and on their way to a Neil Young concert in Florence. After a couple hours of chatting, they got into the top bunks and we were on the bottom for the rest of the ride.
When we arrived at Venice it was 8:00am and the weather was absolutely beautiful…bright blue skies and 80 degrees. The Grand Canal and the gondolas were viewable immediately from the train station. The multi-colored buildings and architecture was like something we’ve never seen…saying it looked like a postcard is an understatement.
With our Rick Steve’s Europe Guidebook in-hand, we decided to ‘get lost’ in Venice as he suggested and experienced the many canals and side streets. We did just that (circling around our own path a few times), but ended up stumbling upon the huge Friar church. We were lucky that most of the tourists didn’t start arriving until 10am, so we had a couple hours to experience the city when it was quite and peaceful. It was so amazing!
We eventually found our quaint little hotel, Casa Cosmo, and were very pleased with the central location and the nice family who ran it. We ended up exploring more of Venice…taking it all in and visiting the famous Rialto bridge and unbelievable St. Mark’s Square. We came across at least 15 different churches and hundreds of little shops and restaurants. After awhile we started to realize how different it was to not hear the noise of traffic and city life, and rather see the streets be made of water and all the cars be replaced by boats - it was a Rum Runners paradise. :)
Saturday evening we had dinner along side the Canal and then splurged for a romantic evening gondola ride. It was a little cheesy, but definitely worth it! We ended finding a little Irish Pub to watch the end of an exciting Russia/Netherlands soccer game, and then headed back to our room to rest our feet and get some zzz’s. Sunday we had a relaxing, yet hot 95 degree day, walking around. We were able to cool off a bit when we visited Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs…which lead to the prison grounds. It was again an amazing site.
We grabbed the train around 3pm and headed back to Zurich. The ride home was delayed and much more crowded and hot than Friday, but that’s apparently what happens when you visit a famous place in the Mediterranean in the middle of ‘tourist season’. We got over it and finally found a little more comfort on our connecting train from Milan. It was overall an unforgettable experience and we can’t wait to share our pictures and memories with you.
Take your time to look through the plethora of pictures that we took in Venice.
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Week 2…June 8-14
We had a nice and relaxing week. On Tuesday, Silvio and Manuela - a colleague of mine and his wife - invited us over for a BBQ in Adliswil. We had some great kinds of bratwurst and brewskis. Roland went out to watch the evening Swiss soccer game mid-week in the fan-zone and got soaked by an unexpected thunderstorm halfway through the game. Apparently he thinks it was worth it!
Thursday Roland and Zoey walked all over Old Town during the day and then met me and Tiffany (a colleague/friend in town from KC) at the Mexicano restaurant. The food was ok, but didn’t really give us our mexican ‘fix’. We miss our ”traditional” white cheese dip and salsa! :) I got the best news ever on Friday - my lost luggage was found and sent to the Zurich airport. From what we can tell the zipper had busted and at some point everything must have fell out (due to the black tire marks on many of my clothes). BUT most everything was in there so that’s better than never finding it at all!
We went to a great Italian restaurant just a few blocks from our flat called Capri’s later in the week. It was delicioso! Today, Saturday, the three of us took the train to Uetilberg, the highest point in Zurich. We went on a nice hike and saw some amazing panoramic views!
Uetilberg: http://www.zuerich.com/en/offer.cfm?category=ZurichZH&subcat=Vantage_points&id=113245
We were excited to have such a nice day…sunny and upper 60’s…because most of the week has still been a little more rainy and cold than normal. We guess it’s been the same in the midwest…actually even worse in Manhattan from what we’ve heard and seen. The tornado that ripped through town destroyed our friend Nick’s house that he and some buddies were renting for the last few years. Most of his stuff is gone, but we are so happy to know he was not there at the time. Our thoughts go out to him and everyone else who was impacted.
This next week we’re going to look into planning a trip to Venice, Italy. Since we can’t be on the Missouri river canoeing with the rest of the Rum Runners, being in a gondola on the Grand Canal will just have to do! Have a fun and safe time next weekend Rum Runners!! We’ll be there next year for sure!
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Week 1…June 1-7
First off, a big thanks goes out to Natasha for showing us how to create this webpage and blog! We hope everyone is able to check it out from time-to-time and keep up-to-date on our European adventures.
So, back to our first week here - we stayed at the Sheraton in Sihl City (www.sihlcity.ch) for the first few days. Living together in one room with 7 pieces of luggage and Zoey was quite cozy, but definitely made us appreciate our new flat we moved into on Monday. It’s a nice size and in a great area of town called Seefeld, only a few blocks from Lake Zurich (www.zuerich.com). Unfortunately it’s been rainy for the last week, which is very unusual for this time of year. It’s suppose to warm up and dry out this coming week, finally! Check out this live webcam site… http://euro.zuerich.com/en/page.cfm/webcam
Liza went to work on Tuesday and managed to figure out the transportation routes (Tram 2, to Tram 4, and the Train to Adliswil). She swears she hasn’t missed having a car! With the gas prices going up I haven’t either. I have spent my days wondering around, getting groceries, and watching CNN and tennis (the only channels in English). I am up to date on my world news.
Zoey and I explored the city and went looking for a bicycle shop. No luck on finding a used bike yet, but we did get to see the huge Letzigrund Stadium where the EuroCup soccer/football tournament is being held(http://www.stadionletzigrund.ch). Zurich is hosting the EuroCup here during the month of June and it has turned the city upside down! I’m in heaven. The fan headquarters is just a few blocks away and it’s a crazy experience and site. Beer and food vendors for a solid mile. Best of all there are no public intoxication laws, so you can buy beer at any store and walk all over town with it.
Things we’ve learned to-date…
- Hang on tight when you’re on the trams and trains, people don’t appreciate you falling into them.
- Always assume your going to lose your luggage and don’t pack all of your “favorites” in one bag. Liza’s been missing her stuff (thanks to United) for two weeks now and counting… :(
- Going to the grocery store seems like it would be easy, but it was a bit more challenging than expected. Apparently… you need to weigh/price your fruits and veggies before you get to the counter; dogs aren’t allowed (although they are in every other place including restaurants); all meat looks the same when it’s hanging on the shelf - rabbit, turkey, lamb, etc.; the coffee selections are very confusing; and no one sells ice or ice cube trays - what the heck.
- It seems as though most of the Swiss are German fans…therefore it makes a big Polish guy and his jersey standout in a crowd!
- Everyone here loves white dogs! Zoey was asked to get her picture taken with an Asian couple a few nights ago - it was kinda weird.
- Beer in Europe - stronger than it is in the states (a lot stronger).
