The Stormy Weekend.

Last weekend the weather was pretty bad- after a week of sun and warm weather, it poured and was cold the entire weekend! At this point I actually wasn't sad for a weekend to take things a little slower, since I've really been super busy since arriving here.

My friend Sarah had a party at her flat on Friday night, which was a lot of fun. And I remembered to leave early enough that I didn't miss the last train, thankfully!

On Saturday, it poured the entire day. I think every time I looked outside it seemed like it was raining harder. My hosts returned from their Greece trip last week, so we had a lazy day around the house. We had a late breakfast, and I met Lisbeth's son Dominik, who came over for breakfast. The rest of the day I spent doing laundry and reading and cleaning my room and tending to my computer, which has not been behaving very well over here. I also helped to cook dinner and learned how to make a white wine sauce. Lisbeth is a fantastic cook, and she is going to teach me how to make sauces, which is something I have never really done before.

Sunday the weather was a little better, and I was a little stir crazy, so I went in to Zurich for the day. I spent some time at work (so that I could use the internet) and was able to chat with my dear friend Jessi, who has moved to Tel Aviv since I came to Switzerland! Ironically enough, we are now 500 km and 2 time zones closer to each other than when I was in Minneapolis and she was in San Francisco! It was so nice to chat with her; I have definitely felt a little isolated with not having internet at my house and not being able to talk with people from home very easily or very often. In the afternoon, I had coffee with Elena and Sarah at Kafischnaps, which is a nice (busy!) cafe in Zurich. It was really nice to see a new part of the city and to sit and talk with friends. I really haven't seen much of Zurich except the train stations. In fact, my train from Winterthur goes into a tunnel to get into Zurich, so all I see is countryside, then I enter a tunnel and magically arrive in Zurich! As the weather gets worse, I think that I will probably end up spending more time exploring Zurich, so hopefully I will finally understand the city a little more.

And then it was Monday again! I am really thankful that I love my job here- I really don't mind Mondays any more!

The Weekend Fiasco.

This past weekend was slightly more of a fiasco than I was expecting, but, of course, all's well that ends well.

During the week I received a letter from one of my neighbors inviting me to coffee on Sunday morning and a choir concert (Hayden's Four Seasons) on Sunday night. I thought it sounded great, so I started making plans to have an adventure on Saturday and stay around Winterthur on Sunday to do laundry and other assorted tasks. Thus, I decided to go to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn, since I've never seen it. I would just like to mention that this is about 300 km or four hours one way on the train from where I live. I started out bright and early on Saturday morning: the sun was shining, and the weather forecast looked good for Zermatt. All of the ride there it was sunny, except for the last 30 minutes, when fog and clouds and rain rolled in. Finally I arrived in Zermatt and could see... absolutely nothing! As I wasn't prepared for the rain, I spent approximately 45 minutes in Zermatt before catching a train to ride the four hours back. Luckily, I have a GA (General Abbonnement) rail pass, which means I can go essentially anywhere in all of Switzerland and not have to pay, so this day-long voyage to see a foggy town didn't cost me anything (thankfully). And the train ride was actually quite beautiful!

The Matterhorn must be up there somewhere!

Me in Zermatt.

View from the train.

When I got back to Winterthur, I took a long walk, since I was basically sitting all day long. One nice thing about being in the country is that nice walks are really not hard to find.

Walk near Winterthur-Seen.

View down towards Winterthur.

When I arrived at my house, I had a note from my neighbor wondering where I had been! It turns out that she was writing Sunday but meant Saturday- so not only had I stood her up in the morning, but I missed the concert in the evening! I was pretty disappointed to have missed the concert, but I ended up going back in to Zurich to have dinner with my coworker Elena and her boyfriend Giuseppe, who are both from near Milano, Italy. It was really nice- they cooked some wonderful pasta and we had nice conversation. Since I had been totally alone all day long, I was really thankful to talk with some people! Of course, I was so thankful that I lost track of time and ended up missing the last train out of Zurich. Living out in the country does have some disadvantages, I'll admit. Elena and Giuseppe were super fantastic and drove me home in Giuseppe's car (he was just visiting for the weekend).

On Sunday, I visited my neighbor, Franziska, to apologize for missing her and to finally meet her. She was really nice and invited me to have breakfast with her and her husband. It was great to get to know them and to talk about Switzerland and things such as this.

After taking care of business, I took another long walk on a path out of Winterthur that starts literally 10 m from my house. It is almost impossible to get lost- just follow the yellow diamonds painted along the way and the signs for the Wanderweg. The weather was really fantastic, and I really enjoyed being outside and in the country. So... all in all I had a nice weekend, despite the fiasco that was Saturday. Yay for new friends and adventures!

The wanderweg.

Fall is coming!

Following the yellow diamonds along the wanderweg.

Trains, Bikes and Guns.

Trains, bikes and guns are three things that are different in Switzerland.

Trains are fantastic! They are smooth, quiet, clean and on time. In what other country would the notice board mark if the train were about 2 minutes late? If the train is not leaving the station about 10 seconds after the minute of departure, something is really wrong. The whole system seems to run incredibly efficiently and makes my morning commute a breeze! It really is possible to train almost anywhere you could want- trains leave at least every two or three hours for all points in Switzerland. If there isn't a train, a Poste bus will get you there- these buses stop in almost every single small town, even in the furthest reaches of the Alps. It truly is a wonder, and super convenient for people like me (and many others) who don't have cars. In fact, in my research group of 16-ish people, I think there are 2 car owners!

One thing that is different about the life here is that is normal is for there to be soldiers on the train. Military service is mandatory for all Swiss men, so basically all the time some are coming and going from wherever, using the trains and buses. It amuses me that soldiers take public transport- I don't know why. What is even more strange to me is that they carry their huge guns with them- just strapped to their back! And they are often drinking a beer (which is allowed in public here), since they're on their way home. Somehow, beer and guns and public transportation together just seems like a poor life choice. However, I have been told that they either don't carry ammunition for the guns or that it is carried in a separate canister that would have to be specially opened. Still, this definitely is not something that you normally see in the US. Could you imagine a soldier with a gun and a rucksack in camouflage riding your bus in the morning? And drinking beer?

Swiss people also heart cycling! They bike to work, bike to school, bike to the grocery store, bike on the weekends, bike in the mountains, bike in the valleys, bike to the moon. (Just kidding about that last one. I think.) Wherever I have gone hiking, there have been mountain bikers on the trail, except the trail where we had to shimmy along waterfalls. There are always mud-spattered bikes and their riders on the trains on the weekends, and from the trains I watch families biking in the valleys. All of the train stations rent bikes and have huge bike parking lots. It really is incredible! The mountain biking here especially astounds me- going so fast down super steep and rugged hills must take so much talent!

By far my favorite use of bikes is by hunters. On most of my hikes I have been overtaken by at least one man in camouflage with a gun strapped to his back, going or returning from hunting. What on earth these men would do if they actually shot a deer is beyond me- drag it behind their bike? Put it in their rucksack? Leave the bike, carry the animal? At any rate, I still can't stop giggling when these tough guys with their guns tool by on mountain bikes. Another thing you definitely don't see in the US.

Weekend hiking.

So... I have found myself living in a place where hiking in the Alps is nothing more than a few hours away by train. It's enough to make me believe in fairy godmothers! Also, the weather has been (apparently) unusually nice and sunny on the weekends. Hence, I undertook two hikes this weekend of totally different natures.

Saturday's Hike: Urnerboden to Linthal

On Saturday I got up early to take the three hour train ride to Linthal, where I caught a bus up to Urner Boden. My plan was to make this hike on the Via Alpina, which is the next valley over from the hike that I did last week with Kris and Emily. The part of the trail that I was hiking on was super poorly marked, which is not normal for Swiss trails. (They even put signs out on frozen lakes in the winter for snowshoers and skiers!) I was continually lost, then stumbling across a trail, then lost again. But at least it was a beautiful place to be lost! One thing that I love about hiking in the Alps is all of the cowbells- it is actually sometimes hard to hear anything else besides the incessant clanging of the cowbells, since every cow wears one and is constantly moving. (See video below for an example.)

About halfway through the hike I met a similarly lost German woman; even though she had a map she still was just as lost (if not more so) than I was! She could speak English, so we joined forces and hiked around until we ran in to some local people who redirected us onto the path. This path was definitely the roughest that I have been on since arriving- it was fantastic! At one point we were climbing a hill that was as steep as a ladder- it felt almost like being on a climbing wall. We also had to shimmy along small the ledges of small waterfalls, holding on to conveniently placed cables for stability on the slippery rocks. (PS. By the way, I am now convinced that I need hiking boots, having already totally destroyed my tennis shoes only two weeks in to this trip.) I should probably mention that the woman I was hiking with was 71 and had 10 grandchildren! She was really incredible- although I had to slow down some to stay with her, I only hope that I'll be able to do these sorts of things when I am her age. It was nice to meet someone friendly to chat with, since I was basically on my own this past weekend. I ended up staying with her until the path ended at Braunwald, which isn't exactly where I was planning to go, but at least I got somewhere with a train station.

Linthal before catching the bus.

I hiked down from the church at Urner Boden.

Hiking along a river.

I hiked up the hill- the river is in the valley below.

I heart hiking!

Hiking with the nice German lady.

Sunday's Hike: Stafa to Rapperswil

On Sunday I opted for a hike a little closer to home- one hour by train instead of 3 or more- so that I could have a quieter morning. This meant that I was able to sleep in for the first time since arriving and also could take of some things around the house. In the afternoon, I made this hike from Stafa to Rapperswil. I still managed to get lost numerous times, but the situation was a little less dire, since I was never far from civilization. I started from the Stafa railway station and had to climb up a very large hill to get to the trail, but the views made it worth it.

Scenes from the hike from Stafa to Rapperswil.

Part of my path.

And then I stumbled into a rose garden in Rapperswil.

The two hikes that I took were very different, but enjoyable in their own way. The Sunday hike was through bucolic countryside along lake Zurich, while the Saturday hike was through the Alps. I have to say that I love the wildness and huge scale of the Alps, and it was by far my favorite of the two hikes. However, I think that the Alps are probably ruining me- I'm sure I would have been gobsmacked by Lake Zurich before, but really I just love the mountains now. That said, I was really glad to have a more relaxed day yesterday with less time on trains.

Today starts my first whole week at work, although this afternoon is technically a Zurich holiday. (This means that there is no coffee in my building- oh, the horrors!) The holiday today is Knabenschiessen, which is roughly translated as "little boy shooting." Not to worry, little boys are not being shot- they are doing the shooting in a contest. And little girls are now allowed to shoot as well, so it is all very civilized. Oh, Switzerland!

Group Retreat.

This week, on Wednesday and Thursday, my group (all 16 of us!) went on a retreat to St. Moritz. I apparently picked a good time to come to ETH- just in time for the retreat! We met really early on Wednesday morning at the central train station in Zurich, and then took the train out to St. Mortitz. We stayed at hotel Lej da Staz outside of St. Moritz, which also had some facilities for meetings and such.

The hotel.

We had meetings all afternoon and talked about where the group has been, where the group is and where we are going. It was really interesting and helpful to get some perspective and to hear about what research people are doing right now. In the evening we had a really nice dinner and played parlor games, which was more interesting with a diverse crowd of people and backgrounds. Luckily, we didn't make it to playing a German language game- I am like a deer in headlights when someone starts speaking German to me.

On Thursday morning we went on a hike mostly along they valley with some beautiful lakes. It had been rainy on Wednesday, but it cleared off and was really nice for the hike. This beautiful hike ended at Hotel Waldhaus for lunch and a tour from the owner thanks to our hike guide. The afternoon finished with some strategic planning and brainstorming sessions before the train ride home.

It was a really nice retreat- helpful for me to get to know people a little better. It also started quite a bit of thinking on part about the future and what I want to do when I grow up. Talk about overwhelming but good all at the same time!


For those of you wondering if any work is getting done here, I did do my first two photolysis experiments today! :)

Start of the hike. It was really cold: 40F or something!

Along the hike.

Village where the Waldhaus was.

View from our meeting room at the hotel.

Highlights of Week 1.

It is hard to believe that I have already been here a week- and that I have only been here a week! I will try to summarize to get caught up, and then hopefully fill in details later. Not having internet very often will take some getting used to, which is part of the reason I have fallen so dreadfully behind...

Monday, 30 September

On Monday I successfully landed at ETH, which involved walking, two trains, a secretary and tram. (I could rhapsodize about the public transportation system, but I'll save that for another time.) It was fantastic to see some familiar faces and to see the labs- so many shiny instruments! dishwashers for lab dishes! more volumetric flasks than I could ever use!

Tuesday, 31 September, Wednesday, 1 September and Thursday, 2 September

For the rest of the week, I started to settle in to my routine. I breakfast with Franz and Lisbeth around 7:30 am, and then walk 10 minutes to the Winterthur Seen train station. The walk is really pleasant: I walk along two streams, have to hop over a third, walk along a field, and then arrive at the station.

Creek #1.

Field.

Train platform.

I then take an S26 train to an S12 train to a 9 tram and arrive at ETH by 9 am. I think that my Nook is going to be one of my favorite things- the commute seems to take no time at all! Work is busy with meetings and experiments and learning. When the weather is nice, we have lunch on the garden terrace on the roof of the building, which is really pleasant. If I leave work by 6:30 pm, I can arrive back at my house by 7:30 pm, which is dinner time! Lisbeth is a wonderful cook, and it is really great to end the day with dinner and conversation. Lisbeth and Franz are really wonderful people, and I feel super blessed to be staying with them.

 Friday, 3 September

Kris (my advisor) had a visitor, Emily Moody, last week, and so he invited me on my first hike in the Alps! The weather was totally gorgeous- sunny and warm and clear! I took my usual two trains in to Zurich, and then we took two trains and a cable car to the start of our hike in Braunwald. We hiked for 6 hours- 4 hours up and 2 hours down- through woods and meadows and by waterfalls and up to a saddle point at 2000 meters (up from 1200 m). We saw people paragliding, and I managed to get a nice sunburn. It was SO amazing; I think I was giddy, although maybe that was just the altitude.

Scenes from the hike!

Kris and Emily!

Paragliders.

At the top!

Crazy stick with the fur. (EP, that's for you!)

The way back down.

After the hike, I had dinner with Kris and Shauna, Kris's wife, and Emily. I was late getting back to Winterthur, so I tried to find a different way home, since part of my walk is on an unlit path by a creek. Of course, I managed to get super lost and just wandered around for a while until I could retrace my steps and find a different way. Thank goodness I have at least a little sense of direction!

Saturday, 4 September

On Saturday, Lisbeth's son Stephen came for a visit, so we went for a walk to a lookout point near Winterthur and then had coffee overlooking a garden where a wedding was going on, which meant that we were serenaded by a choir of alphorns!

Sunday, 5 September

On Sunday, we traveled up to Franz and Lisbeth's mountain house, which is located in Cunter, a small village in a beautiful mountain valley. We took a beautiful hike up in the mountains- we started at 2000 meters- and had dinner at a restaurant that was hanging over the valley. It was so incredible! I love how church bells still ring on the hour, and for 15 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays at 6:30 pm to mark the start and end of Sunday. The sound is so joyful, and often I can hear at least 3 sets of church bells at once! After dinner, Stephen and I went back to Zurich on the train, since we both had work on Monday.

Scenes from the hike!

From L to R: Franz, Lisbeth and Stephen.

Edelweiss.

Fairy toadstools!

Franz.

An artificial lake where we had a flat tire.

View from the restaurant.

I still can't get over how utterly beautiful it is here! I have certainly had a fantastic first week! (Lest you think that I have forgotten why I am here, I assure you that I have gotten something done at work, as well!)