Zurich City: a glamourous one.

Hello everybody,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I just caught a nasty cold and it has been too hectic around here! I am actually not in Zurich at the moment, but just wanted to take a few lines to share my thoughts about this wonderful but expensive city!

Yes, it's a pricey one. Switzerland in general is quite pricey, however the residents here to earn a lot more money than the foreigners. Thank goodness I have someone to mooch off of...
Consumption and goods are what cost the most. I would say they are just a little over double the price, so your money runs out fast! I.e. Burger King combo is about 15-17 Francs. Services, on the other hand are reasonable i.e. Boat tours, swimming docks, transportation, etc.

Since my swiss host here is quite busy with his work, I was able to take the time off to explore the city myself. I visited a very famous café called Le Péclard which won first prize for best café in Switzerland last year, and they are well known for their hot chocolate. But their cakes and macaroons are also divine. I interviewed them for a blogsite that I'm writing for (www.thepaperwhale.com/blog) and they actually gave me an Apfelstrdel on the house and it was delicious! Plus, the café itself is eye candy because of their antique and modern design. Check it out if you have time to drop by in Zurich!


I also took a lovely boat tour on Lake Zurich (only 4 Francs with a transit all day pass) which I was looking forward to since I was planning my trip in Canada and it was just glorious! I ended up stopping in a cute little town called Küsnacht and went for a spontaneous dip in the lake. I had no bathing suit and no towel, and totally had to depend on the sun and the warm grass to dry me up. When I got back into the city, I noticed such an elegance to it with their shimmering night lights, warm sunsets, not to mention that the border along the fresh water lake Zurich at Bellevue is packed with people to enjoy the last few summer nights! It's actually quite romantic...The water is so clean and fresh too! All over the city, you can find fountains to drink from... great way to stop by for some water.


On some of my last days, I did some window shopping and went for a quick dip in the public bath/swimming area too. It was about 21 degrees celsius and the water was about 11, so it was pretty cold, but summer is over which encouraged me to go swimming in the lake anyway. Europeans also love sun bathing, especially sunbathing topless for the women. That was also an interesting experience, and it really didn't feel weird. I think the environment was right for the situation...

Anyways, my cold is calling me to bed. I have arrived safely in Göttingen and will let you know what the city is like and my work situation as well!

Bis bald,
erin.

Heidiland!

I have to admit that I sort of wished that I was called Heidi, running around in an alpine skirt with cattle, goats and sheep, making my own cheese in the swiss alps... I didn't do any of these things but I came a little close to it. At least I think so! We went on a hike on 'Haldenberg' which is about an hour from Zurich. It was a delightful and magnificent day trip. The train ride was absolutely breathtaking. The pictures I took does not do justice, but I tried to capture a crystal green lake surrounded by sky-scraping mountains and farms.

The hike on Haldenberg was approximately 1000 metres high, and lasted about 5 hours. If it wasn't for my knee and ankles acting up, we probably could have done it faster. The weather was simply radiant and I saw so much including 'Alm', which is a mountain farm/pasture with cattles and their bells ringing, goats, sheep, hidden waterfalls, fresh mountain spring water, and of course, a remarkable view from the top of the swiss alps.

I think what I loved about this trip was that, everything that we did and enjoyed was from nature. I loved what I saw, heard, smelled and even tasted, like the fresh spring water! It costed nothing (with a Eurail pass) to get to the nearby city for the hike, we packed some bread, cheese and meat to eat with water and an apple for desert, sat in the sun when we were cold, depended on the shade for some coolness... all of this just from hiking in the mountains with our feet!

That's what I call a fun day! It's sad to think how much money we use in our spare time when we live in the city: I myself am guilty of that often, so these days, I am really enjoying God's beauty in nature around me! I just can't get enough of it...

I hope you have a little idea of what I experienced on this day trip! If any of you are heading to Switzerland anytime soon, hit up a hike in the alps, and you'll never forget it! Next stop... Zurich city!

erin.

erin.

swiss post.

I arrived into Frankfurt yesterday afternoon, then took a train to Mannheim, then a train to Basel, then a final train to Zurich. I forgot how friendly europeans are. At the Deutsche Bahn train station in the Frankfurt Airport, so many people were offering to help with my baggage onto the train, stairs, escalators, etc They were just as nice as last year when I came to Germany to study in Kassel...

So, this is my first time in Switzerland, and even though I haven't seen much yet, I can tell that I'm really going to like this country. Even the train ride itself was a beauty. Maybe it's just me, but I got bored with the german countryside. Besides the canola fields, it really looks like a small version of Canada. Going into Switzerland was beautiful. Tall mountains, trees, fields ON mountains, etc. Pictures will be posted soon...

So far, since I've arrived into Zurich, I have been introduced to a swiss tram and swiss food. Apparently the food quality is really great, and I can say that I agree, at least with their organic raspberry yogurt. I can't wait to taste the rest after we go do our groceries later on today... After that, we'll go for a walk in Zurich and go exploring. It is a Friday night after all! Really looking forward to this week in Zurich... I'll let you all know how it goes!

erin.

Boarding Pass Please!

Hello everybody!

I've decided to start a blog and keep you updated on my travels and adventures during my short trip in Europe. I tried to do this last year, and well... it didn't go so well. This time, I'm going to be more diligent about writing my entries and will do my best to give you an idea of what I'm seeing/experiencing!

As some of you may know, I was going to do a 6 month internship in Germany, but at the last minute, plans changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Yes, I was disappointed but that's life! And now I'm looking forward to an unplanned adventure at least until the end of October.

I am currently sitting in the Plaza Premium Lounge at Pearson International Airport with my friend who is working here. The facilities, view and the food/drinks are great. But I think that the best part about this lounge is that it's very relaxing and very secluded from the rest of the hectic terminal. Anyone flying from Terminal 3 should check it out!

I'll leave you all with a tentative schedule... I'll be arriving into Frankfurt and then heading to Zurich then back to Germany in Goettingen. After that, I'm not sure where I'll be but I am definitely going to visit Paris. I was in southern France last year and it was absolutely beautiful. Time to see a beautiful European city in the fall... Paris sounds divine...

I'll be thinking of everybody back home and will still be looking forward to be seeing you guys again very very soon!

erin.