I recently realized that if you read this blog, you might get the impression that it is always sunny and that life in Switzerland is all rainbows and unicorns all the time. And, while it is true that life is pretty great over here, there are still days when it is not sunny, and I am reminded rather harshly that I don't exactly belong here. Today was one if those days.
A morning visit to the Post nearly reduced me to tears, as the woman behind the counter was quite rude, and I realized that even after 2 years of learning German, I still can't make myself understood in ordinary situations.
Then, I had to visit the US consulate to renew my passport. I thought I had everything in order, but of course, normal photo sizes are different between the US and Europe, so my photo was rejected. I was instructed to go to one of a couple shops in Zurich that use the right size photo, and then I could renew my passport.
Not daunted, I attempted to hunt down one of these places, but got massively lost thanks to the new iPhone maps app that had me wandering around the middle of some tram tracks in search of this store. Once I got to the store (thank you, Google Maps), it was again a supreme language struggle to get done what I needed, and the photo is so grainy (and looks like something straight out of Felony Arrests in the paper) that I'm not confident that it will be accepted.
And, by the way, it was raining this whole time I was running around the city, so I was soaked the whole day.
Anyways, tomorrow is another day, and I am hopefully that my trip to the Post will not prove cause for tears and that my photo is accepted. (Although given how terrible it is, maybe I should hope it's rejected?) I just thought I'd try to be honest about some of the ups and downs of life here. It's still an adventure!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
A Day at Chatsworth.
On one of our bad weather days in the Peaks we decided to visit Chatsworth. Chatsworth is a large estate in the Peaks that is still the private residence of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. It is a beautiful house and provides an interesting chance to see an estate with mix of old and new treasures, since the current Duke and Duchess and their family have continued to add to the art collection. There are also some interesting exhibits in the house about life there in the past and present, and it is pretty clear that the Duke and Duchess are highly involved in the running of the property. (Also, as a side note for P&P fans, this house was Mr. Darcy's Pemberly in the newest movie version of P&P...)
We happened to be there as they were preparing a floral exhibit in the house to celebrate fall. The arrangements were truly exquisite! Some were also quite whimsical, such as an eggplant festooned with a feather and a cabbage crowned with a dahlia...
The interior of the house took us a few hours to go through, since there were a large number of rooms, all featuring incredible artwork and other relics. One of my favorite pieces was the veiled vestal virgin statue, which is absolutely stunning. I think I stared at it for at least a few minutes, which should say something to those who know my normal speed of art-viewing.
After the house tour, we walked around the public grounds.
The gardens were not the most incredible that we saw on our trip, but they still were quite nice.
And, of course, a trip to the garden provided more flowers for me to photograph!
The engineering that had gone into these gardens over its history is pretty interesting. These artistically placed boulders being one example, found in the rock garden.
One thing that I found funny was the chair made out of US half dollar coins. It just seemed so over the top! It's like the owners were saying, "Yes, we're made of money! In fact, we make our furniture out of money! US money, at that!" But, in fact, the chairs were quite comfortable.
Even though I felt like the house was a little excessive, it really is beautiful. We had previously visited Chatsworth back in 2003, and I was happy that we went back, as there were more rooms open, and exhibits and information had been added that really enhanced the experience. I'd definitely recommend it!
We happened to be there as they were preparing a floral exhibit in the house to celebrate fall. The arrangements were truly exquisite! Some were also quite whimsical, such as an eggplant festooned with a feather and a cabbage crowned with a dahlia...
 |
The interior of the house took us a few hours to go through, since there were a large number of rooms, all featuring incredible artwork and other relics. One of my favorite pieces was the veiled vestal virgin statue, which is absolutely stunning. I think I stared at it for at least a few minutes, which should say something to those who know my normal speed of art-viewing.
 |
| The library was my favorite room! |
After the house tour, we walked around the public grounds.
The gardens were not the most incredible that we saw on our trip, but they still were quite nice.
And, of course, a trip to the garden provided more flowers for me to photograph!
The engineering that had gone into these gardens over its history is pretty interesting. These artistically placed boulders being one example, found in the rock garden.
One thing that I found funny was the chair made out of US half dollar coins. It just seemed so over the top! It's like the owners were saying, "Yes, we're made of money! In fact, we make our furniture out of money! US money, at that!" But, in fact, the chairs were quite comfortable.
Even though I felt like the house was a little excessive, it really is beautiful. We had previously visited Chatsworth back in 2003, and I was happy that we went back, as there were more rooms open, and exhibits and information had been added that really enhanced the experience. I'd definitely recommend it!
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