Auf Wiedersehen Switzerland

It's hard to believe that my time in Switzerland has come to an end.  Eight days is by no means a short time and I've seen a lot, but part of me feels like I just got here.  I have to say that my visit here was even better than I expected.  Every single place I went was beautiful, and there is just a peacefulness here that I haven't ever experienced in places that aren't remote and cut off from the world.

Yesterday I rode the Glacier Express train from Zermatt to St. Moritz, a trip that took almost eight hours.  I've run out of synonyms for beautiful at this point, but suffice it to say that the views the entire way were stunning.  Not a bad backdrop for lunch either.

St. Moritz was very different than any of the other Swiss cities I visited.  For starters, with very few exceptions the buildings are very new, dating from the 1980s at the latest, in stark contrast to the centuries-old buildings in most other cities.  St. Moritz is a resort town near the Italian border that has made a name for itself as a winter sports mecca for the rich.  The town itself doesn't provide much in terms of entertainment or sightseeing, but rather serves essentially as a beautiful launching point and spa center for the rich and famous who come to the area to ski and enjoy other winter sports.  The town is, however, set around a beautiful lake, which was as smooth as glass when I walked around it, making for endless photo opportunities.

So, if you're rich and like to ski and maybe want to run into celebrities, St. Moritz is your place.

I spent my final night in Switzerland back in Zurich where I started.  Tonight had a few of those randomly bizarre moments that happen on every trip that make traveling really worthwhile.  On my way to dinner I stumbled on some kind of parade involving a large number of men, each in a different traditional Swiss costume and holding a different flag.  These men then greeted a marching band which had been parading through the streets, also in traditional garb.  I have no idea why any of this was happening.  After the band finished playing, they all gathered in a square while a man addressed the crowd in German, to much cheering.  There was even a guy dressed as a knight.

While I watched the events cluelessly, I was approached by two very drunk Swiss college freshmen who informed me that this is the weekend that everyone in Switzerland goes back to school and wanted to invite me to a party.  After a week I've developed an ability to sometimes understand what people are saying to me in German, even though I can't respond at all.  These boys wanted to know whether I was Swiss or Austrian, narrowing down for me which nationalities I apparently resemble.  I told them that I was American, and they proceeded to speak to me in English, telling me that if I wanted to get on a train and then on a bus, I could go to a great party where there would be at least 5,000 students.  I don't know which made me more proud -- the fact that I'm still not standing out as an American tourist (even though I had a souvenir bag with a Swiss flag on it in one hand and a big camera in the other, basically screaming "I'm a tourist!") or the fact that someone thinks I look young enough to be at a freshman college party.  Thank you, Switzerland.

I've hit the point in my trip where I have no idea what day of the week it is anymore, because frankly it doesn't really matter.  I was convinced all day that it was Saturday, despite reminding myself repeatedly that it was Thursday.  Tomorrow I leave Switzerland and head to Germany.  I'm really excited for some Oktoberfest fun and even more excited to spend some time with friends.  Hallo Munich!




lost sense of days