Zurich, like much of Switzerland, has been plagued by dryness this year, in what some have called a European drought of the century. (I am sure they mean the last 100 years, and not just the last 11 years of this century.) That dryness, combined with flowers, trees, plants, animals, people, has puffed so much pollen, perfume, and cigarette puffing, that I have been on a non-stop sneeze fest.
In many ways I was spoiled living in Phoenix, because the biggest concerns are heat and hydration…just heat and hydration. I went outside one afternoon to check the oil in the long-gone Dodge Neon, and found myself dehydrated and light-headed after just a few minutes in Phoenix shade.
But now I can ride my bicycle for 15 miles along a Swiss river without fear of melting away…but the plants have asserted themselves.
Achoo
So as my troupe tries to navigate this country and its pollen, we are also trying to enjoy the view through our sneezy haze. But as many people in Phoenix think to themselves, what we could really use is some rain to wash the pollen and dryness far, far away.