The land of chocolate, cheese, and bratwursts

Megan and me on a boat cruise across Lake Luzern

 This weekend I ventured out of Spain for the first time this semester to Zurich and Luzern, Switzerland with my friend Megan! When I arrived I realized how helpful it is to know the language. I know two words in German and am not even fully sure how to pronounce them correctly. I was instantly grateful that I know Spanish in Madrid because otherwise I would feel lost all the time.

Park overlooking Lake Zurich

 Zurich is built around Lake Zurich. Friday we walked around the lake, watched the birds, and saw a few sights. The stained glass windows in Zurich were some of the most interesting and unique I have ever seen. There were many abstract, graphic and colorful panes. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take pictures in the churches so you'll have to take my word for it. We stumbled upon a chocolate shop named P'eclard in Old Towne Zurich to try some truffles and soak up the true Swiss experience. The shop was beautifully decorated and three stories tall filled with chandeliers and comfy velvet chairs. I tried a champagne truffle, a coffe truffle and a dark chocolate truffle. Megan opted for a log of chocolate ganache. It was some of the best chocolate I have ever tasted.

On Chapel Bridge

Chapel Bridge

 The next morning we hopped on the train to Luzern. The Swiss rail system is incredibly well developed and runs between every city in the country. It was convenient and reasonably priced. Spain has train systems but nothing quite like the Swiss trains. Luzern is a picturesque and relaxing city full of history and more chocolate shops! We wandered through a market along the river, walked through Chapel Bridge, walked around the lake, and saw the Lion Monument. Later that night we had dinner at a Swiss brewery and enjoyed some traditional Bavarian food. Gotta love pretzels!


A few humorous moments from the weekend:

On Saturday afternoon we were hoping to parasail. Unfortunately it was too windy and the conditions were unsafe. So instead we opted for a boat cruise across Lake Luzern to a little town called Weggis. The weather was beautiful and the boat ride was set against the magestic backdrop of the Alps, it reminded me of boat rides on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota minus the huge yacht and the Asian tourists and the mountains. Weggis was picture perfect and full of quaint hotels and cafes. Megan and I ventured into a cafe to try another delicacy and we couldn't believe who we found!  The cafe was filled with old women who didn't speak a word of English and yet St. Louis' very own Nelly was playing on the radio. It is nice to know that Nelly transcends all cultures.

View from the boat

 Later that night, Megan and I headed to dinner at a brewery. On our way we were stopped by a group of rowdy men dressed in pink and green feathered capes and leather pants. Somehow we figured out it was a bachelor party and the groom quickly grabbed me and started spinning me around. Then all of his friends took off their hats and extended them to us. We weren't sure what they were doing but we quickly learned about the old Swiss tradition of giving money to the groom. Too bad we spent all our Francs on chocolate!

I guess this is what a Swiss bachelor party looks like

  I am safely and happily back in Madrid! I noticed many cultural differences between Spain and Switzerland. Obviously the language was the most noticeable difference because I do not speak German which made communicating difficult. The cuisines were different as well, Bavarian food is salty and they love their bratwursts! The Swiss have an eating schedule more similar to the Americans that consists of a smaller lunch and big dinner. Zurich and Luzern were very quiet cities. There were people out walking around but I never felt like I was in a downtown area. Whereas in Madrid there is a constant bustle of people, music and street performers. It was nice to escape the city and soak in the serenity of the Swiss landscape for a weekend.

Y ahora, algo en español sobre mis observaciones culturales en España esta semana. (Si no puedes leer español puedes usar un traductor o haz como si la entrada no estuviera)

Después de llegar en Madrid, fui a Parque del Oeste para la primera vez con mi compañera de cuarto Stephanie (No sabíamos que el parque es tan cerca a nuestra casa). Había mucha gente en el parque, más gente que he visto en un parque en los EEUU en toda mi vida. Y fue la primera vez en que yo vi “botellón.” Mar, mi madre en Madrid, nos dijo que botellón es parte de la cultura joven en España y es cuando los jóvenes van a algún sitio para beber. Ahora es prohibido en Madrid pero ocurre todavía. No había visto este fenómeno antes de ir al parque el domingo. Los jóvenes se sentaron en mantas en la hierba y estaban bebiendo de la botella. Pareció algo normal, no algo prohibido. La actitud sobre alcohol es muy diferente en España y no hay tabús sobre alcohol como en los EEUU. Pienso que es una actitud en mucho de Europa también y viene de la creencia que alcohol es parte de la vida, no es algo tabú.  ¡Me disfruté mucho mí tiempo tomando el sol en Parque del Oeste!