Swiss Journal

Day 1
I arrived in Zurich early last Wednesday morning. I had taken a big yellow Student Agency bus overnight from Prague. It was a cheap ride, with free hot drinks and a movie. I didn't use any of these luxuries because I was sleeping like a baby all through the night.

I was met at the bus terminal by E. One of the best feelings in the world is hugging a friend you haven't seen for ages. In that hug all the time that has passed in washed away. E. looked great, as always. We chatted non-stop from the bus terminal to the train station and all the way to the idyllic Swiss village of Pfaffikon, where she lives.

The remainder of the day was dedicated to good wine, good food and long talks. And a viewing of "Sliding Doors" because it was the first movie we watched together (almost 5 years ago!!) and solidified our friendship.

Day 2
I love road trips. There's little better when traveling then having a map, a full tank and a winding road. E. and I took advantage of the beautiful weather to take a little road trip to a natural wonder and then a man-made one.

Rheinfall is one of the most amazing waterfalls I've been to, including Niagara Falls. The Rhein River rushes by at speeds that boggle the mind as you walk down hundreds of steps from the top of an imposing cliff to the base of the river.

Second we went to a small village called Stein am Rhein . For those of you who have had the privilege of bing in the Czech town of Český Krumlov, Stein am Rhein is like a Swiss version of Česky Krumlov. This little village is only about 300 meters of main street a small path by the river but it is charming and bright and has amazing ice cream;). If you want to experience Switzerland in a nutshell, Stein am Rhein is the place to go.

Day 3
We woke up to gray skies so we decided to scrap our Plan A of swimming in the Pfaffikon Lake all day and went to Kyburg Castle instead. The castle is state owned and there were lots of weddings throughout our time there to keep our attention. The castle exhibition was one of the best curated I've seen (and I've been to a lot of castles!).

It was a self guided tour with lots of interactive objects, technology and text to educate and entertain. There were buttons to push to play music and conversations from history, typical medieval clothing to try on, herbs to smell and try to name, and lots more to entertain us adults;).

Day 4
Back to Zurich to catch the bus back to Prague. We spent the day stolling along Zurich Lake. I took a million photos (check out www.flickr.com/honza-tasci). Zurich is so calming. It had Mediterranean charm with Alp mountain spirit. As you walk through the city, you feel energized and connected, carefree and grounded.

My bus ride home wasn't as ideal as the bus ride to Switzerland. I sat next to a very nice man from Africa. His family lives in Genevia and he works at an embassy in Prague. He speaks French and Czech, but no English. I know all of this because he showed me photos of his family, told me all about life in Prague and was very cordial for the first part of the bus ride. After our chat, I fell asleep. Sometime in the middle of the night my small bag fell onto the floor and when I picked it up it was wet. I quickly realized the pungent liquid was coming from my seat-mate's bag, under his seat. I woke him up and when he opened his bag I quickly realized that the culprit of both moisture and smell was the giant frozen fish that had began to unthaw in his bag. It was a long ride home, but didn't soil my relaxed mood that I brought back from lovely Switzerland.