To sum up my European adventure, I must give credit to Mr. Rick Steves. Sheepishly I admit that I have long been a closet-fan of Rick. Scanning PBS to catch an episode of his travel shows or adding them to my Netflix cue, I enjoy the slightly nerdy, yet practical traveler and his advice. In preparation for my trip to Switzerland and Italy, I quickly purchased his books on the two countries and referenced his website for packing tips, train travel, etc. I was relieved to find out that I was not alone in my admiration. My fellow traveler, Amy, quickly pulled out her copy of "Rick Steves Switzerland" as we began to navigate Zurich. He soon became a part of our trip. . ."Well, Rick says. . ." or "Rick suggests. . ". There were a couple things he got wrong, like the beer garden by the lake in Zurich. Not as exciting as he might think. We walked by at 9:00 p.m. and it was closed! Rick's not exactly the reference guide to nightlife. However, in his defense, he gave us great suggestions for local cuisine, lodging, maps, historical details, and most importantly, what to do if a piegon poos in your hair. Now THAT was a great piece of advice! In all, Rick saved me some money as he served as an all-purpose guide for the spots in Zurich, Venice, and Cinque Terre. If you are considering a trip to Europe, I suggest picking up one of his books.
Now, back to my trip. The boring details are as follows. I arrived in Zurich on May 15. We began our "study" by visiting two universities, the University of Zurich and ETH. We took another day trip to visit the University of Basel (the oldest in Switzerland). Our group headed south to the canton of Ticino. Our train ride through the Swiss Alps was breathtaking. We had a visit to the youngest university in Switzerland in Lugano. From there we enjoyed our time in Riva San Vitale and the Virginia Tech villa. We also visited campuses at Politecnico di Milano and an architectural school in Mendrisio. The "study" ended on May 26 and a few of us took off for Venice on the 27th. After Venice we spent some time in Cinque Terre on the northwest coast of Italy. Again, it was apparent that Rick Steves has left his mark on Europe. Everyone had a copy of his book. . .in Venice. . .in CT. I finally departed from Zurich on June 1 with a long day of travel back to Kansas. I've got a few days before the real adventure begins in Kuwait. Until then, here are a few things I loved about my trip to Europe, not necessarily in any order.
A night view of Zurich
- Switzerland! The place is a fairytale land. It's clean, people are nice, and everywhere you turn it's a postcard.
- Buying bread and sausage off the street in Zurich. The best lunch ever!
- Buying wine, chocolate, and bread from the Coop (grocery store) for cheap meals.
- Beer on the train.
- Gelato, or in my case, Limon sorbet.
- White Merlot from Ticinco. Amazingly fresh.
- Clocks everywhere.
- Strong coffee.
- Church bells.
- Vino! Wine!
- Swimming in the lake in Riva during free time with a view of the snow-capped mountains in the background.
- The VT villa and all of it's glory!
- The pizza of Lucifer, "The Lucifero"
- Cinque Terre's foccacia bread and pesto
- Two words. . . pizza donut
- Hiking. Even if I was out of shape. My physical therapist would have been proud of my improvements!
Photo taken of my "pizza donut" - The crust of a donut with the inside like a pizza. Yum-O!And because no trip is all sunshine and roses (which were abundant in both Switzerland and Italy), I must share a few things that didn't inspire me.
- Piegons
- Hostels and sharing bathrooms with strangers (it was like summer camp all over again, but worse)
- Dirty trains
- The over-tourist-crazed Venice
Here are a few other photos to enjoy from my travels!
Hiking just outside Zurich
The church (and bells) in Riva
A view of the lake above Lugano
In front of St. Mark's in Venice
On the hike between the villages of Cinque Terre
Enjoying a bottle "to go" at the beach on the last night in Cinque Terre
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