Swing Dancing by the Lake: Zurich, Switzerland (7/30/10)

Johnny, Angela and I decided to go swing dancing by Burkliplatz, which is on the lake in Zurich. As we walked over the bridge, I turned to my right and saw a gorgeous view. Thanks to Angela, who always keeps a camera in her purse, we now have this beautiful photograph!


Swing dancing was cute -- everyone gathers in this gazebo and dances to music from someone's boombox. It's free of charge, which is always great and especially awesome in Zurich because everything is extremely expensive. I also loved that it's so close by (5 minutes from the office) and available on a weekly basis (every Thursday around 9:30 p.m.). There was a reasonable turnout, considering that the weather was cold and rainy.

Speaking of which, it's just not right that rain can come down for seven days straight and the temperature can be briskly cold in the middle of summer. I guess the clear lake water has to come from somewhere, and it does: the sky, on a regular basis!

Alpamare: Zurich, Switzerland (7/25/10)

What's the best thing to do after a really fun but eventually painful night of dancing in heels? Floating weightlessly in thermal springs and flying swiftly down water slides, of course!

Ahmad kindly invited me to join him at Alpamare, a water park with relaxation facilitates (think sauna, gym and solarium), on Sunday afternoon. The self-purported "biggest covered waterpark in Europe" is open an impressive 365 days a year. Here's a diagram of their slides from their website:

I had never been to a waterpark before, so even the slides labeled "easy" felt really intense to me. Actually, now that I think about it, their labeling system felt backwards: the difficult ones felt much less scary than the easy ones! Anyway, I screamed my lungs out on every single slide, regardless of the rating.

Besides the heated iodine brine pool ("extremely beneficial if you suffer from rheumatism or disk problems"), the other unique aspect of this waterpark was the view. Although this picture is a little dark, you can see the hills, the lake and the trees:


Afterwards, we went to a Thai restaurant (I was craving Asian food, which I haven't had since I left for Europe in late May). I thought the name of this restaurant was the funniest I had ever heard:


We ended with, of course, dessert -- chocolate cake with ginger-lime sorbet. I definitely slept well on Sunday night!

Good Eats: Zurich, Switzerland (7/24/10)

Oh, the joys of eating way too many calories.

I began my Saturday with a trip to the downtown shopping area. I got off the tram at Rennweg, and joined the throngs of shoppers (stores are closed on Sundays, so Saturdays are one's only chance to buy things on the weekends).



I bought a pair of shorts from H&M for only 25 Swiss francs, which was a steal because everything in Zurich costs about four times as much. I couldn't help noticing a particular busy store, and wandered closer to see what the fuss was about. As I closed in, I understood the enthusiasm: it was a chocolate shop! Back home, I say that I don't like chocolate -- Hershey's and its ilk taste like flavorless wax to me. But Swiss chocolate is a totally different story. I selected eight bonbons from the beautiful spread up front, and also one of each of their caramels. By the time I was able to take this picture, I had already eaten several of my delicious buys:


I then went to dinner with my co-worker Josh, who was visiting from our Atlanta office. He got the weinersnitchel, which was cooked perfectly (I know because he let me taste a little bit):


I got a plate of "lean" sausages, a name I find totally ironic because meat sticks are inherently unlean! And yes, that's orange juice in my beer mug.


Because we hadn't made a reservation, we were given a table that we had to vacate at 8 p.m. This dinner was the first rushed meal I had in Europe: they love to take their time, to eat slowly while enjoying good conversation, fragrant coffees and delicious desserts. We basically had to scarf down our food, which was easy because it tasted soooo good.

I then clamored for gelato, so we went to the Old Town to get me a cup (pineapple, passion fruit and mango). Unfortunately for my pancreas, we passed by that brunch place, which was open. I just had to show Josh their gorgeous confections...and once we saw the rows of seductively beautiful pastries, we had to get something. This dark truffle cake had a ribbon of meltingly decadent caramel running through its center, and super-sour red berries as counterpoints. It was divine!


Thank goodness we had already planned to go dancing with Angela at a hip hop club that night (review: the music was mediocre and the Swiss, bless their hearts, are not great at dancing to hip hop). Four hours of dancing later, I was convinced that I had staved off Type 2 diabetes for one more day!

Living Like a Local: Zurich, Switzerland (7/18/10)

Thanks to my matron-of-honor's cousin, who has lived in Zurich for 2.5 years, today was the first day that I felt even remotely like a Zurich local. Yay for Angela!

The day began auspiciously with a sumptuous brunch at Conditorei Schober. My mouth waters at just the memory of this meal.



We then headed to Letten, which is a shockingly short distance from my apartment. I would have never found this local hang-out myself, though: the path winds past a somewhat sketchy pink building with walls of careless graffiti, beyond some structures of questionable utility, and finally down to a large area in which to play volleyball, lay out and go swimming. Obviously, lots of people have found their way here!



Some of Angela's friends were fearless and decided to jump off of the nearby bridge into the waters. I stayed put, with both feet on the ground, and agreed to take photographic evidence of their literal leaps of faith.


Angela bought one of Letten's famous tuna-steak ciabatta burgers with wasabi mayonnaise. It was a surprisingly gourmet and cutting-edge sandwich -- and tasty, too. I know because she was kind enough to share. :)


I definitely appreciated this lazy afternoon to soak in the sun. After five relaxing hours, I felt like my batteries were recharged for the workweek ahead!

Freiburg, Germany (7/17/10)

For pictures of Freiburg, please click here.

With my mom back in California, I was sadly contemplating a lonely six weeks with no one to travel with. Luckily for me, a fellow Mountain View-based Googler popped up in town! I suggested to Johnny that we visit Freiburg, which is a two-hour train ride from Zurich HB, and he obligingly agreed.

The day began beautifully with a pastry as large as my head. I ate all of it.



I noticed narrow recesses in the streets that funneled streams of water away from higher ground. I thought this little boy, with his toy boat floating behind him, was the cutest thing ever (and this little girl, dancing to the digeridoo, was a close second).


We then moseyed over to the church, which is supposedly the highlight of the town. Whoever said that church designers didn't have a sense of humor obviously hadn't seen the gargoyle on the left.


Much more impressive than the church, which looked an awful lot like the one in Strasbourg, France, was the farmer's market surrounding it. The varieties and colors of the flowers, fruits and vegetables were eye-popping -- everything was so recently pulled from the earth that I could smell the unique fragrance of dark soil and crisp freshness.


As I walked past the carts, the smell of smoky, grilled wursts filled the cold air -- I just couldn't resist. With drops of rain starting to come down and throngs of eager customers swirling around me, I asked Johnny to capture this delicious moment of time.


With my eyes and stomach fully satiated, I boarded the train home with a sleepy satisfaction that Saturday was a wonderful day!

For pictures of Freiburg, please click here.

Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland (7/11/10)

For pictures of Rapperswil-Jona, please click here.

Sadly, my mom can't stay with me in Switzerland forever (well, until I go home). For our last outing, we decided to visit Rapperswil-Jona, a town situated pleasantly on the water and famous for its medieval architecture, rose garden and lakeside views.

Getting there, though, was the best part. We took one of the public boats and took a leisurely cruise (2.5 hours) down the Zurich lake for only $11 with our half-fare cards.

It was such a hot day that I couldn't resist the lake. I simply walked straight into the sandy bottom with my Crocs, wishing that I had brought my bathing suit so that I could join the locals in fully enjoying the cool water.

We then walked around the town, which I can only describe as quaint and charming, while trying to make our gelato last as long as possible (lemon for me; melon, pineapple and strawberry for my mom).

It was a perfectly sweet ending to a wonderful two weeks!

For pictures of Rapperswil-Jona, please click here.

Jungfraujoch, Switzerland (7/10/10)

For pictures of Jungfraujoch, click here.

Jungfraujoch is one of those tourist destinations that is splashed across all brochures of local attractions. Although I'm generally wary of these sorts of over-advertised tourist-traps, I figured that the combination of excellent weather and a travel buddy (my mom) tipped the scales in favor of my going.


According to Wikipedia, the "Top of Europe," as it is labeled in said brochures, "can only be reached through a 7.3 km long cog railway tunnel, served by the Jungfraubahn, the highest in a series of cooperating railway companies that provide access to the Jungfraujoch from Interlaken." I found the trip up as classically picturesque as I could imagine. I honestly couldn't take a bad shot -- not because of my excellent photographic skills, but because of the naturally perfect composition of rolling hills, craggy mountains, colorful wildflowers and azure lakes. Apparently, I wasn't the only shutter-happy passenger: I couldn't resist taking a picture of everyone taking pictures from the train.


When we finally arrived at the Jungfraujoch station, my mom and I asked a fellow tour member to snap a quick photo of us in front of this unmistakably Swiss backdrop -- there was a long line of people who also wanted their pictures here.


I confess that Jungfraujoch itself wasn't that impressive -- it didn't look very much different from the scenery I'm used to seeing when I ski. I suppose it was still cool to see snow during the summer, though.


Unfortunately, our our cogwheel train broke down on our way back, so we had to get out and walk to the next train. I think my mom and I look like little kids walking to school together here. :)


Honestly, our tour guide Kid was probably the highlight of the entire trip. He must have gone to the bootcamp school of tour guides -- he was the bossiest guide I've ever encountered! He would say, "don't sit there, sit here" and "take off your sweater, it's hot" (even brushing aside protests from someone who said he had a sore throat and was trying to keep warm). I tried to capture as many "Kid moments" as possible, but you just can't predict randomness!

Here he is, showing us how to walk on the ice:

Here he is, ostensibly trying to call over some birds, but I thought we already had enough cuckoos in the train. :)

And here he is...honestly, I don't know what he's doing.

All in all, I did not regret paying the hefty fee for this tour. I got to see just about everything natural and unnatural that I could have wanted!


For pictures of Jungfraujoch, click here.

Milan to Lake Como to Zurich (7/6/10)

For Milan pictures, click here (Photos #87-#95).
For Lake Como pictures, click here (Photos #96-#106).

On our last day, my mom and I headed to Monte Napoleone after an abundant breakfast for some more window-shopping. I actually made some correct calls when looking at the map, which was shocking to me because I'm spatially challenged and my mom is known to be the GPS navigator of the family.

Unfortunately, my mom and I totally underestimated how much time we'd need to get back to the hotel, which is where we left our backpacks; the roads seemed to change names after every curve and twist, and were not always recorded in our city map.

New to Milan + crummy map = sprint to the train station.

We had 20 minutes to get from the hotel to Milano Centrale; we had to first locate the correct metro station, then figure out how to buy our tickets (the bearded grandpa sitting behind the glass responded with a curmudgeonly "no" when I asked him if he could help me), and finally find our train at the correct platform upon arrival. With less than 10 minutes before our train's departure, I took the stairs while my mom took the escalator -- I like to get extra exercise when I can. This was a BAD DECISION OF EPIC PROPORTIONS. When I reached the top of the stairs, my mom was nowhere to be found; after pacing the small hallway frantically for 30 seconds, I took the moving walkway to the station itself.

With sweat from the heat, from running and now from adrenaline soaking my shirt, I circled the square in a panic. Finally, I decided to retrace my steps and take the escalator to see if she ended up in the same destination. I then realized that the escalator stopped at the end of the moving walkway, not the top of the stairs, which is why we missed each other. Realizing that the train would leave in about 5 minutes, I just took a leap of faith and guessed that my mom would be waiting for me by the train. Next to Platform 7, I faced outwards towards the throngs and waited for a stretch of time counted out by heartbeat after pounding heartbeat.

Miraculously, I heard my mom calling my name behind me. As we sunk weakly into our seats with moments to spare, I breathed for what felt like the first time in 10 minutes. Wordlessly, mom and I looked at each other and knew that we were somehow connected, that we knew exactly what the other would do; the outcome could have been so much worse in such a busy station.

Exhausted by our adventure, we arrived in Lake Como somewhat unenthusiastically. Forewarned by a local who is familiar with the area, I was adequately prepared to temper my expectations. George Clooney apparently owns a gorgeous mansion overseeing Lake Como; the lake is very large, so he must have found a better spot. After the heart-stopping stress of our morning exercise, my mom and I decided to buy some gelato and sit quietly under the shade by the lake for two hours.


I learned something on this trip: my mom is fearless in asking strangers for help. Through her spunky courageousness, we discovered that a public bus went from the lake to the train station (I was fully on planning on walking 30+ minutes in the scorching sun with our heavy backpacks), found the correct bus stop, figured out the correct bus line, and arrived successfully at the station.

I love many things about Italy -- delicious gelato, creative designs, beautiful destinations -- but I do not love its transportation system. The Italian trains that we took were sweaty, creaky and generally late; the bus system at Lake Como was very inconvenient with only one bus of our line per hour. Switzerland has spoiled me!


We arrived back at Zurich HB after 11 p.m. Despite (or perhaps because of) the day's near-miss, I honestly couldn't have asked for a more memorable trip that I will always fondly recall with my mom.

For Milan pictures, click here (Photos #87-#95).
For Lake Como pictures, click here (Photos #96-#106).

Stresa to Milan (7/5/10)

For Stresa pictures, click here (Photos #22-#86).
For Milan pictures, click here (Photos #87-#95).

On the third day of our trip, my mom and I woke up early and went to eat breakfast, which all Italian hotels seem to include in the nightly rate. The breakfast room was beautifully airy and opened directly onto their front lawn. I was in love with the stuffed croissants, which hid jewel-like apricot preserves within its buttery center.


We then took a 10-minute boat ride via public transportation (not the more-expensive and less-reliable private water taxis) to Isola Bella, which was breathtaking even from a distance.


We paid for entrance to and the audio tour for the Palazzo Borromeo mansion and its garden, which I found to be ineffably gorgeous.


You just have to see the interior (mosaics, grottoes, tapestries) and the gardens (said to be the most beautiful in Italy because of its white peacocks, crafted statues and otherworldly flowers) yourself!

We were sad to leave Stresa, but excited to see Milan. We hopped on the afternoon train and arrived just an hour later in a completely different world. Milan is the complete opposite of Stresa -- complicated, metropolitan, bustling, material, monochromatic. We stopped for some pineapple and mango gelato on our way to Sforza's Castle, which has very tall walls and towers encircling a large square.


We then visited the Duomo Cathedral, which I could not enter because my miniskirt did not cover my knees, and the Duomo Square. I could not believe how hot the sun was -- it actually hurt my skin. Especially because of the air conditioning, my mom and I enjoyed ducking into the luxury stores for which Milan is famous. All were in the midst of their semi-annual sales. Looks like we came at the perfect time!


This third day was an awesome experience, and both my mom and I agree that it was probably one of the best 24 hours we have ever spent.

For Stresa pictures, click here (Photos #22-#86).
For Milan pictures, click here (Photos #87-#95).

Locarno to Stresa (7/4/10)

For Locarno pictures, click here (Photos #1-#21).
For Stresa pictures, click here (Photos #22-#86).

On the second day of our trip, my mom and I spent the morning continuing our exploration of the Locarno corner of Lake Maggiore. We found a bench in the shade by the lake, and conversationally matched the chirpiness of the sparrows hopping by our feet until it was time to head to the train station. We boarded the train in the early afternoon and headed for Stresa in Northern Italy.

When we arrived just over two hours later, we were greeted by a train station that was discouragingly dilapidated, with boards falling off the front and paint peeling off the signs. As soon as we turned left into town, though, my mom and I both audibly gasped: Stresa is a lush garden paradise with breathtakingly colorful rows of hydrangeas, tall leafy trees, open airy hotels adorned with red and pink flowers in window boxes, and twinkling lake water punctuated by green islands and white boats.


Hotel La Palma, which I selected based on its excellent location (a 5-minute amble from the train station), was adorable: the curtains were of a Ming vase pattern, and we could see healthily leafy palms and other clearly happy trees from our window.


Upon check-in, a wedding reception was in full swing and some comically bad Italian karaoke was spilling out onto the lawn. Fortunately, it ended before we tucked in for the night; plus, my mom and I each took nice, long baths in the Jacuzzi tub. It also helped that we were fully satiated from our yummy dinners!


I went to bed with images of burstingly full blossoms in pastel shades of pinks, blues and purples dancing through my head. I bet my mom did too -- this is one of my favorite pictures of her!


For Locarno pictures, click here (Photos #1-#21).
For Stresa pictures, click here (Photos #22-#86).

Zurich to Locarno (7/3/10)

For Locarno pictures, click here (Photos #1-#21).

When my mom first decided to come visit me in Zurich, I started thinking of all the cool places we could visit. Prague! Barcelona! Florence! I sensed my mom wasn't thrilled somehow, though, and discovered that she wanted to visit locations closer to homebase. Now that we've finished our trip, I'm really glad that she had the foresight to see the sights in Southern Switzerland and Northern Italy, as they provided the backdrop for one of the best vacations we've taken.

The train ride from Zurich HB to Locarno, in Southern Switzerland, was a comfortable three hours. I specifically selected a hotel close to the train station, and our room at the Garni Muraldo hotel felt very modern with white and blue sheets, silver lamps and metal accents. We walked around the perimeter of the lake in 90+ degree weather, and cooled off with scoops of fruit gelato while enjoying the view of flowers, boats and hills surrounding the water.


Late in the afternoon, my mom and I decided to return to the hotel and take a short afternoon nap...and we woke up at 7 p.m.!

We hurried to dinner using Google Maps on my Nexus One; thanks goodness for technology. Dinner at Locanda Locarnese, which was past the touristy square and up a small alley, was AMAZING. It is a serious contender for the best meal I've ever eaten in my entire life.


As we started eating dinner, rain started to come down. Good thing we brought an umbrella and rain coat!


Because of the rain, we had to scrap our plans of going to the Ascona Jazz Festival. :( But all in all, this was a wonderful start to our trip.

For Locarno pictures, click here (Photos #1-#21).

Summary: S. Switzerland and N. Italy (7/3/10-7/7/10)

For S. Switzerland and N. Italy pictures, click here.

Over the long July 4th weekend, my mom and I visited Southern Switzerland and Northern Italy. Specifically, we went to:

• Locarno, Switzerland: cute, boutique
  
• Stresa, Italy: gorgeous, lush
  
• Milan, Italy: busy, metropolitan
  
• Lake Como, Italy: pretty but unimpressive

We had a really good time seeing the sights and just spending time with each other. In fact, we had not spend such a concentrated amounted of time with each other since I left for college, so it was a nice reunion of sorts.

Detailed accounts will follow!

Zurifascht: Zurich, Switzerland (7/2/10)

Every three years, Zurich throws a huge street party with rides, booths and fireworks. I was lucky enough to be in town during this cycle's Zurifascht, as it's called, and with my mom navigated the streets that were closed off to non-pedestrian traffic. Good thing she was with me: all the trams were running on special routes, which I realized only after getting one and seeing that it was not taking its usual path. Basically, we had to hoof it based on little more than instinct and a vague Google Maps printout.

After successfully arriving lakeside, which is where the fireworks are staged, we took our places as close to the front as possible. We were pleased with our spots until two huge guys somehow found their way in front of us. They were not only tall (between 6'2" and 6'5") but also broad-shouldered, so I had to keep shifting my position so that I could see between their giant heads.

My mom and I really enjoyed the show, which was set to classical music, even though it started uncharacteristically (at least for the Swiss) late at 15 minutes past 11 p.m. It looks like I was able to get my July 4th fireworks after all. :)

Mom in Zurich (6/30/10)

My mommy came to visit me! I'm very excited that she's here. :)

P.S. Happy birthday, Ben!