Waiting Until the Cows Come Home...

Finally!!!  I'd been waiting anxiously since last October for a chance to go to an "Alpabfahrt" -  when the cows come home after their summer "vacay" in the Alps. After spending prime Alpabfahrt time in New Jersey last year instead of welcoming my not-so-little Swiss "misses" back to the farm, I was bound and determined to catch the annual Swiss tradition this autumn! Fortunately, it was a PERFECT day in die Schweiz and we had prime seats to see the cows as they started their descent.  The Alpabfahrt we attended was in Flums - a mere hour by car from Zurich.  We went with some friends (who fortunately have a car!) and got there in plenty of time...so much so that it seemed like there wasn't anything going on there!  So, we decided to drive up higher - to Flumserberg - high enough where you could ski (if there was snow...) - and there we came upon our beloved cows as they were beginning their trek down to the parade through Flums and eventually back to their farms.  They had quite the hike ahead of them - happy we caught them when they and their "headdresses" were still nice and fresh.  However, that meant we also had to wait for them to get down into town before we could get back down too.  This isn't exactly the NJ Turnpike - room for cows or cars...not both - so we enjoyed a coffee (and fried apples in cream sauce...) at the ski lodge before heading down to the Alpabfahrt fair in town to see our cows again and pick up some delicious Alpkase (cheese made in the Alps from the cows' milk over the summer!)  
Couldn't help but think that Wisconsin is missing a H-U-G-E tourism opportunity - who needs corn mazes and pumpkin patches when you can just dress up your cows for the day?  Maybe take them to Little Switzerland...and then parade them down??  Have Governor Walker give me a call...

Love this!  Looked like they were going to kiss...
but after I took the photo they started head butting each other.

Parade marshalls?  

Don't even THINK about saying anything about my headdress...

The bells are HUGE...and LOUD!
These cows aren't getting lost...

Running of the Cows!

This herd is very orderly...

The "teenage" cows getting out-of-line.

A couple of nuns out for their Saturday hike.

Campground - Swiss style!

Kind of reminds me of Mequon/Thiensville Lionfest
...but with mountains.

We arrived to the "fair" and this cow had JUST given birth.
Now that's what I call a really authentic experience...

Thank you for posing!!

Zürich / Switzerland vs. Milwaukee / Wisconsin - part 1 of 3!

For quite some time I've been wanting to share my thoughts on the similarities between Zürich and my three former "homes" - Wisconsin, Tokyo, and New Jersey!  Let's start from the beginning...

The Similarities between Milwaukee / Wisconsin

and Zürich / Switzerland

1. Cows.

   

   The Swiss variety.

2. Cheese.

   

   A selection of "souvenir cheese" at the Appleton, WI airport...

3. Germanic influence.
4. Oktoberfest celebrations.
5. Bratwurst and other sausages...although the Swiss variety isn't exactly "Johnsonville."

   

   A sausage at the Sternen Grill - bun on the side!

   

   Maybe Zürich FC could use some mascots like these?!

   
   
6. Mountains  - but Wisconsin does have "Little Switzerland"...and Holy Hill!
7. A hometown airplane that hands out (or used to!) delicious chocolate treats every time you fly...too bad Midwest isn't around any more. :(

   

   The infamous Midwest Airlines chocolate chip cookies
   (photo taken from travel.usatoday.com)

8. An important building in the central city with an eye-catching addition by Santiago Calatrava - the Stadelhofen train station and the Milwaukee Art Museum!

   

   Stadelhofen's Calatrava addition...

   
   

   

   ...has a lot of similarities with the Milwaukee Art Museum's!

9. An affinity for the color red...

   

   On Wisconsin!!

10. Lots of festivals, concerts, and outdoor activities in the summertime.

    

    (photo from Wikipedia)

11. Per Wikipedia...                                                          According to the 2000 United States Census^[5] the highest percentage of Swiss Americans in any town, village or other, are the following
    1. Berne, Indiana - 29.10%
    2. Monticello, Wisconsin - 28.82%
    3. New Glarus, Wisconsin - 28.26%
    4. Monroe, Wisconsin - 18.91%
    5. Pandora, Ohio - 18.90%
    6. Argyle, Wisconsin - 17.84%
    7. Sugarcreek, Ohio - 17.29%
    8. Elgin, Iowa - 15.79%
    9. Monroe, Indiana - 14.35%
    10. Baltic, Ohio - 12.91%
    11. Brickerville, Pennsylvania - 11.52%
    12. Albany, Wisconsin - 11.51%
    13. Belleville, Wisconsin - 11.25%
    14. Blanchardville, Wisconsin - 11.21%
    15. Shipshewana, Indiana - 10.89%
    only cities, towns and villages with at least 500 people included                                                                                                       That's 7 of the top 15 in Wisconsin!!
12. An awesome lake (although the Zürich See isn't always to the east...)

    

    I'm hoping the mountains are a dead give-away as to which lake this is!

13. An easy-to-reach airport
14. A metropolitan area population of around 1.5 million...(close enough!)
15. Large clocks - St. Peter's in Zürich has the largest clock face in Europe; Milwaukee's Rockwell Automation (Allen Bradley) has the largest 4 sided clock in the western hemisphere!

    

    St. Peter's imposing face.

16. Important architects - Frank Lloyd Wright was a Wisconsin native; Le Corbusier was born in Switzerland.
17. Unpredictable weather...sometimes it snows in October...April...or even...May!

    

    October 2012 snowfall!

18. A business named Pfister! Furniture in Zürich...hotel in Milwaukee.

    

    The beautiful Pfister Hotel lobby

19. Cows
20. Cheese!!  Wonder what it would take for the Swiss to embrace the "Cheesehead" concept...foam alphorn anyone??
    
    Any others??? 
    
    

Three Months, Three Continents...the Cliffs Notes Version

Feel free to close your browser now, or you may feel like you're back in the 1970's...sucked into watching your neighbors' Kodak Carousel slide projector filled with endless images of their summer vacation!  Just remember...as much as I am trying to produce an amazingly informative and highly entertaining summary of life in Switzerland for all my faithful readers...I'm ALSO doing this as a journal of our time here ...for me!  

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!

Now then...where shall I begin...

• Back around April 20th, my brother and sister-in-law came to visit. The weather was GORGEOUS!! Besides that (which was no small feat at the time) they were fortunate to be here for Sechseläuten, aka "the day they burn the snowman down." Before the torching of the Böögg, we enjoyed the Sechseläuten parade (both times it passed by us...the parade turns around at one point and continues back to where it started from!)  We also had a lovely day in Luzern for Kathy's birthday (it was a BIG one...starts with a 6....)  The European penchant for vacation must have rubbed off on John...he went back to Chicago and retired at the end of May!!  

Beautiful view at Uetliberg, the mountain of Zürich!

John and I at the parade.

Culture clash at Sechselauten parade.

Kathy's favorite Chicken Pot Pie birthday lunch in Luzern.

• 24 hours after they left, we set off for Rome!  Patrick had planned a trip there, and invited us to join him if we so desired (which we did!)  Unfortunately Steve could only stay a couple of days, but thank goodness he was able to check everything he wanted to see off of his "to-do" list.  I stayed a few days longer, and Patrick a couple more.  I think he went to St. Peter's Basilica three times.  What a wonderful city full of so many beautiful squares, historic ruins, delicious food...and wine!

Panoramic view of St. Peter's Square

Laundry day!

Not messing with them...

Piazza Navona

The Pantheon

Steve and Patrick at Victor Emmanuel Monument.

Just for fun...it does look like Photoshop!

At the Colosseum.

Home of gladiators...

Patrick's fave - School of Athens by Raphael.

Ruins at Ostia Antica, Rome's ancient seaport.

Where have all of the heads gone?

• That brings us to May!  A week or so off, before a brief visit from a friend's daughter and her friend as they "backpack" around Europe.  Took them to the Zeughauskeller (as we do ALL our guests...), and the next morning they are off to Austria, and we're on our way to Athens to meet up with Meghan and her friend, Veera!  Meghan's Indian visa required her to leave the country at some time before her August ending date...so where better than Greece!  Spent a few days exploring the ancient sites of Athens and our last day on the beautiful island of Hydra.  So many Greek salads...yum!!

Amelia and Sydney off to Austria!

Posing with the Evzone guard.

Our favorite - the Erechtheion.

Tour guide, Meghan.

We are Greece!

Posing with the Parthenon!

That's us!

Quite a view!

Sun setting on the sprawling city...

Out to dinner

Monastery of the Dormition in Hydra.

View out to the harbor.

So cute!

Perfect!

Enjoying the beautiful blue waters!

• Only a few days to recover and get organized back in Zurich...time to head back to New Jersey for about 3 weeks on May 17.  Made it just in time to meet up with the return of Connor after his sophomore year at UW....as well as the return of the 17 year cicadas!  After lots of bridge and peanut M&Ms, lunch dates, revoltion over the cicadas, shopping at Target, getting overwhelmed by shopping at Target, doctors appointments, and home repair appointments, it was time to return to Switzerland for some R & R!

Piles of cicadas under our neighbor's tree!

What a little cutie...

2013 Outstanding Alumnus!

• Nice relaxing two days in Zurich...and then...destination - Seoul!  My first time back in Asia since we left Tokyo in 2004.  

The sprawling city of Seoul from our hotel window!

N Seoul Tower at night.

Street performer in Insadong.

Hotel pool - just liked the geometric designs from above!

Old and new.

Playing dress-up...

Tranquility...

• Shortly after returning from Seoul, we're off again for two nights in Interlaken for the PwC Swiss partners meeting at the Victoria Jungfrau...FABULOUS! 

Another awesome hotel room view...too bad the Jungfrau is behind the clouds!

My award-winning still life...if you really want to know more, just ask me!

• Return to Zurich to re-pack our suitcases as it's time for our annual trip to DC...Door County, Wisconsin!  Lots of ice cream, golf, shopping, biking, eating...and looking at the Bay...but we missed having Connor and Meghan there :(

Never one to pass up a good photo op...

Wilson's Special - butterscotch, chocolate and marshmallow deliciousness!

The aftermath of Patrick's sundae mess at Wilson's...rookie mistake!

"Look at the Bay!"

Nieces Gretchen and Mary at the Timber Rattlers game for Grandpa's 80th birthday celebration!

Engrossed in the action...

Hangin' with Fang

I guess Fang didn't get the memo...

Nice shirts!

• And last, but not least...a quick 4th of July weekend in Dublin to visit Connor as he spends his summer abroad taking classes at University College Dublin and working four days a week as an intern at the accounting firm of Squires and Co.

Coke has a promotion going in Europe where there are different names printed
on every can.  All five of us made the list in Ireland!!

Just a cool sculpture...

Justice is NOT blind in Dublin!

New, old and green!

Brothers...at Bewley's!

Just a photographic old farmhouse.

Passage tombs at Bru na Boinne - Knowth.

Rocks carved 1000 years before Stonehenge...

Beauty!

Some adorable sheep we came across!

Connor's "summer home"

The majestic Cliffs of Moher shrouded in typical Irish mist!

I guess we should have gone for a different angle...

All alone...

Out to dinner with a couple of Connor's friends.

That's it...THE END!