Switzerland // May 2014

September 16, 2015

Switzerland // May 2014

It's a funny thing that I have the least number of pictures where I spent most of my time. And then again, maybe that's because it started to feel like home...

Zurich lies at the very core of all my travels, without which I could not even have set out from SFO. This city, its people, and their hospitality gave me a tiny home halfway across the world. Without the graciousness of Gopi Anna and Anitha Akka, I could not have fulfilled my lifelong dream of traveling through Europe. This blog would be incomplete without thanking them for their endless generosity and for welcoming me into their family.

This post is dedicated to them and to welcome their new bundle of joy to this world. Mostly a compilation of pretty things and places while frolicking around Switzerland \\ circa May 2014.

Fraumunster and Grossmunster

Visited Fraumunster and Grossmunster, two of Zurich's most popular churches, that house Chagall stained glass windows. Each of the stained glass installations depict a major Christian story.

It started pouring as soon as we left the churches, so we settled ourselves into the closest cafe we could find and started people watching from a window seat, looking out onto the cutest cobblestone alleyways lined with shops.

Driving through beautiful Zurich and rolling hills after a rainy day.

Stopped by the Iskcon temple in Zurich:

Tried two traditional Swiss dishes:

1) Raclette refers to the type of cheese used in this dish, but is most commonly served as below. There is a special grill that melts the raclette cheese, which is then poured over baby potatoes, with a side of pickled cucumbers and pearl onions. Pretty non-nutritious and fit right into my cheese diet.

2) Homemade Swiss fondue, cheese diet part 2. We cooked this at home with wine, cheese, potatoes, and bread!

The original Movenpick Swiss ice cream!!

My FAVORITE Swiss gastronomic discovery: Rivella. It's a type of soda made with milk cultures and sounds gross, but is phenomenal and comes in three flavors:

Zurich Lakeside

Zurich lakeside on a sunny day, pretty sights with blue waters and people strolling along the pier:

Lucerne

Visited Lucerne on another muggy/ rainy day. Lucerne is a tiny little town in the center of Switzerland, a few hours drive from Zurich. It has a gorgeous lake and is engulfed by mountains on the sides.

Dadahaus

I visited the Dadahaus museum in Zurich and was intrigued by this unique art style. Dada is a statement that depicts the revolution of modernism. It is a radification of art that exemplifies a means of extreme expressionism.

Born in the turmoil of WWI, Dada wished to create a lifestyle of irrationalism and chaos that sough to break down all systems of order and transcend life itself. Switzerland became a haven for intellectuals, artists, painters, and poets, where some of this art is housed today: