Zurich, Day One

Today, we spent a good portion of the day on the train, though I really didn’t mind. It’s relaxing to be able to just sit and watch the scenery, or read, or sleep, knowing you are being taken where you need to go. For a portion of the ride, we sat next to a man from Brazil who worked as a museum curator. He was in Milan visiting a friend, but he has been staying in Munich for a month, working on a collaborative exhibit between his museum and one in Munich. He had a lovely, soft accent that was hard to place, and we chatted about school and what to see in Munich, interspersed with comments on the beauty of the Alps and scattered waterfalls we were passing. He gave us his card before he left, and told us to come visit his museum if we ever happened to be in Brazil.

Once we got into Zurich, we walked all around the old town before having dinner. The streets are very beautiful, and very clean, and filled with Art Deco fountains and statues. We had dinner at a fondue place, where Erika got delicious cheese fondue and I got a traditional dish called . They gave me a skillet, a bag of potatoes, cheese and a plate of assorted toppings, like pear, pickles, baby corn and pearl onions. What you did was put the cheese slices in the tiny skillet, which went inside the heater. As the cheese melted, you smashed the potatoes and added a few topping. Once the cheese is melted, you pour it over the top and eat. It was delicious, and REALLY fun! The best toppings, oddly enough, were the pear slices and the pickled baby corn, never things I would put together, but nonetheless quite delicious. Tomorrow we plan to see more of the city, and hopefully visit Cabaret Voltaire, a famous hangout of the Dadaists!