Swiss Miss

I got in a mood and hopped a cheap train to Zurich this Saturday- it was a good idea. This entry is mainly for my grandma, who has had a sort of ongoing romance with the Switzerland, which I can endorse now. With gusto, even. It was an impromptu visit, two days to get out of France and go anywhere.


Switzerland is chilly and clean. In French, a snow globe is une boule de neige, and it really was, for lack of something less cliched to say about it, like walking into one. The air was fresh, the people were friendly, and I spent my first day in Zurich meandering through charmingly planned neighborhoods.

It's a river city, and I was lucky enough to stay with some charming people at a hostel with a great view of the Limmat River. I hiked around, drank lots of coffee, took in the cathedrals, and ate fondue. I mean, I find that traveling is a lot about the feeling of a place. And I liked the way Zurich felt.

I spent day two mainly in the Kunsthaus Zurich Museum. I am a sucker for modern art, the way you'd expect me to be. I loved it. Zurich was actually reasonably priced, for a person on a spontaneous trip. I was able to just burst into things for next to nothing, and the museum cost me not a cent. Hooray, Europe.

I took just a few pictures, and only three or four at the museum, but this Ernst, Oiseaux, has been one of my favorite paintings for years. It was incredible to see it in person. Oh, and they had Giacometti. Ma, remember when I wrote that entrance essay about him? Anyway, it was just unbelievable. I want to move into an art museum someday.

Or maybe into the the Zoologischer Garten Zurich. It's the fanciest, nicest, leafiest zoo I've ever seen. The aviary was the most amazing part, with stork nests and parrots, the giant tortoises, red pandas and penguins were also great.

It was an amazing trip, and one I am really glad I got the chance to make. In February, when I fly to Spain, I'll get to spend a half a day in Geneva as well, and that should be incredible. It will be interesting to see two different Swiss cities.

Oh, long silences.

I know you'll let me off the hook for not typing more in December. I spent the first part of the month getting ready to go home, and while I was home, blogging on France wasn't something I considered.

But now that I am back on this side of the ocean with an hour or so of free afternoon on my hands, this thing is going to get a serious update. Serious may be too strong a word, but you get my meaning. Today, I want to talk to you about trains.

To get to and from Besancon from any airport in France you get to take a train ride. I have always had romantic notions, forged in classic literature and old movies, where trains are concerned. The truth is, deep down, I want to wait for a boy by a steam engine. Cue swirling, smoggy, sexy exhaust all around, better than any fog machine could manage and a big Hollywood style kiss. I know, I know. You're ashamed of me.

But, the only other swirly mist location options, in my opinion, are moors (too gothic) and Nepal (this could work too, if I get more Indiana Jonesy in my late 20's).

Anyway, I have taken more trains since getting to Europe than I had in my entire life before then, and I think this is the common experience of the expatriate abroad here. In the past few months I've taken short regional trains to towns like Arbois and Ornans and Belfort, long, express routes to and from Paris, and long, frequently stopping slower alternatives to Lyon.

It's been educational, and I want to stand by my love of trains, the romance is still there, along with a respect for the efficiency of a train system that connects every part of a country. It's amazing, the ease with which I can travel anywhere. With my handy Carte 12-25, I save about half the fare or more everytime I travel, so it's relatively inexpensive, which helps matters. It's actually pretty magical.

I'm writing this now because I think when I leave Europe I will miss trains a lot. Just like I'll miss pastries and cheeses and beverages. Though I think I may miss trains more because they make life here seem more genuinely navigable than it is in a lot of places.