Dispatches Archives - Page 13 of 21

February 14, 2011January 20, 2017

Biking (Swiss) Route 66

It was an unusually pleasant Sunday: the clouds had broken for long enough, and the sun shone bright and warm enough, for us to expect Spring flowers and mornings without shivered awakenings. Our new perch on the edge of Zurich’s suburbs has given also proximity to Route 66–a long trail of 55 kilometers (34 miles) winding along the Limmat River. Unlike US Route 66 this path is paved by just loose gravel for a time, traversing rails and pathways; buzzing apartments and a reformed industrial quarter, to connect a medieval refuge with a quaint town–with the largest Swiss city between the two.

So with an unexpected sun at my back, I took up the same bicycle that I rode through college triumph and strife, to conquer at least part of Route 66.

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February 6, 2011January 20, 2017

Melting Winter

There is something soothing about the sound of running water. As the elixir of life barrels over itself from mountains to sea the air inherits a freshness. Luckily for us, bordering one side of our neighborhood is a small river. A well-flowing creek keeps the water circulating in a near-by pond . Ice still covers much of this tree-lined pond, but the ducks still find space to dunk their heads, and search for food.

To us, this bit of nature is a respite from a city’s chaos. We have lived in Berlin, Munich, Phoenix..all cities with an abundance of movement and healthy populations. Even our former neighborhood in Zurich was suburban but dense–a view of a tree was enough to be considered experiencing “nature.” A meeting with a few (Swiss) neighbors yesterday gave glimpse at how our pond and river-rich neighborhood once was, before “change” moved in.

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January 2, 2011January 20, 2017

Sliding into the New Year

Compared to our New Year’s Eve last year in Munich, Switzerland seemed like it slept through the “slide” into 2011. (German speakers wish you a good slide into the New Year) Munich was like a war-zone, and bottle rockets and various explosive devices like the one pictured above would surely unnerve even the most fearless sober reveler.

Switzerland likes to temper itself, and everything from recycling to celebrating must be done orderly and Swiss-like. Oh yes there were loud booms, and lights flashing, but all but one celebrant stopped igniting things at 00:30 on the dot. The last hold-out must have been from Munich.

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December 19, 2010January 20, 2017

Integrating the Swedish Way

The life of an “expat” is an experience that comes in varied shades, with light-years between one extreme to the other. Some companies totally fund a relocation abroad for example. An employee might be paid $120,000 a year, given a company car, might have private school for his or her children paid for ($20,000/year value), full transport of furniture and personal items via ocean container might be paid for–add any number of other perks beyond my experience and expectation.

My reality is very different from that portrayed above. My salary is modest, my transport is public, my (toddler) child is schooled by loving parents and paperbacks, and furniture…well…most of our furniture still sits in the US and came from the Swedish pre-fab giant Ikea, a branch of which sits conveniently right down the street from our new apartment. And buying anew and reassembling our apartment turned out to be much cheaper than shipping over our sentimental loot from American storage.

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December 12, 2010January 20, 2017

Tis the (Swiss) season

Christmas markets descend on the German-speaking world like sunlight cast over a dark, helpless countryside. Pre-fabricated huts designed to appear like miniature log cabins populate town squares irresistible to many in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Heated wine served in decorative mugs flows by the barrel-full, and crafts, textiles and miscellaneous “stuff” can be purchased for only a slight mark-up…think of it as paying for the experience of an outdoor seasonal market.

We find ourselves now in a new season, in our new country, and a new apartment, breathing in yet another trove of experience in this whirlwind journey we call life.

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November 11, 2010January 20, 2017

Americans Celebrating the Armistice

Standing upon the stone sidewalks of a decaying French village is jarring because of its immortality–this village has looked more or less the same for decades. The moss on roofs and walls is perhaps thicker, the chips in paint are perhaps more noticeable, but a World War soldier marching through this land with a heavy rucksack and soggy boots would still recognize this place. And if that soldier marched by on November 11, he would have come across a couple dozen Frenchmen and two Americans standing in the rain, offering thanks.

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November 11, 2010February 16, 2015

Chilling in a French November

Stretching his legs in a brief moment of sun

Hercule Poirot is a famous product of Agatha Christie’s criminal mind. His brilliant mustache and unshakable French accent combined with the less-notable ability to solve crimes have all kept this sleuth in high regard around the world. I must admit, though: when Poirot’s accent was replaced by an actual Frenchman’s voice-over, I felt a little dirty.

These are the personal revelations one must cope with when the rain is falling on France’s countryside.

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