Switzerland!!

Wow. I couldn’t say which I enjoyed more:
Switzerland or couchsurfing in itself. . .

Basel, (Couch #1, David and Ana)

The first night I stayed with David and Anna, a twenties-something couple from Basel. David works package delivery by bike through the city, and Anna works at a downtown bar. They were very my favorites out of the whole trip and were superfun to hang out with—we did a bike tour, a meal with a beautiful view of the city, and my favorite of all: a lazy Saturday lounging with them and their friends by the Rhine. The laid back attitude in Switzerland was a nice change of pace. The Swiss government seems to accommodate this “laid back” spirit in that it change happens very slowly, and requires a lot of work and compromise. But everyone’s content with it this way, and view this kind of stability as more suited to the Swiss people. Then again, take Apenzell, where stability is taken to the extreme, not permitting women to vote until 1991. . . that was an interesting town.

Basel's ferries, attached to a cable, are powered by nothing but the wind and the current. For a franc, you can take it across the river, and explore Basel's old Town. (Above, Manuel, David, and Ana by the Rhine)







Zurich (Couch # 2, Jasmin)

In Zurich I stayed with Jasmin, a student working toward her pHD. Her current project is working to treat arsenic in Romanian groundwater. Zurich isn’t exactly as stunning as the Swiss countryside but it was nice to have a bigger city in the mix.

View from Zurich's Grossmunster

Lucerne (Couch #3, Natalie)

In Lucerne I met Natalie a journalist who writes for the weekly arts/music/theater section and spends her spare time rock climbing, doing yoga, amnesty international, and a million other things. In the course of two days, we visited Lucerne’s old town, went tobogganing on an 8 km ski run on the alps, ate in the best Thai restaurant I’ve been to and, believe it or not drove to a retirement home. . . .which happens to overlook part of the alps.

Natalie and the Smartcar!

Switzerland finished with a train trip through the Alps, and a visit to Alexis ( an old friend from back home) in the international school in Lugano, a very Italian town in the southernmost parts.

Lugano

Goodbye Switzerland, hello midterms. . .