I survived! Well, granted, I still have to deal with ~24hrs worth of traveling tomorrow, but I made it through the trip, had a fabulous time, learned some really interesting things and met some great (and not so great) people. I also failed epically at German, but there's no surprise there!
I'll start with an update on how I spent my 22nd birthday on Thursday--it was pretty incredible, and no, it didn't involve any research! :) It started out with a panoramic train ride from Lucerne to Interlaken that was gorgeous. Still only the second most beautiful train ride I've been on (NOTHING beats the ride to the Isle of Skye), but just breathtaking. Snow covered Alps, crystal clear lakes, adorable chalets...it was like a fairy tale. And the weather even sort of cooperated! No blue sky at that low altitude, but at least I could SEE the mountains instead of just fog for once!
I dropped my things in Interlaken, then took another train, then a cable car, then another train to Murren, a little town perched across from three of the big peaks in that area, including the Eiger, which is my favorite. I saw an avalanche falling off of it, and you could hear it echoing through the valley--creepy, but amazing. But the best part of Murren was definitely that they had an outdoor skating rink! I'd been wanting to skate since I saw a rink in Geneva, so I finally talked myself into renting skates and giving it a go. The rental skates were almost unbearable--I've never had such an appreciation for my right inside edge until I tried this pair and they had no RI edge whatsoever--but hey, two foot glides are just fine when all you really want to do is stare at the mountains around you. The only "trick" I could do were ina bauers (happens to be my favorite move, but it really is just a glorified two foot glide!)which I happily proceeded to do in giant circles around the center of the rink so I could take in the panorama around me. :) Oh, yeah, and I may have done a butt spin or two (for you non-skaters, it's exactly what it sounds like, and kind of hilarious...) much to the amusement of the people watching. I really, REALLY wish I'd had my own skates so I could have at least done some spins or split jumps, but it was lots of fun even so. And now I have some motivation to drag my skates out when I get back to 'Gate!
Anyway, I had lunch in Murren, then headed slowly back down the mountain (stopping in the appropriate cute villages for pictures) to Interlaken, which I explored briefly (not much--mostly shopping, and I was so over souvenirs by that point) and then had a lovely fondue dinner by candlelight. I wasn't sure what to do after that, but the decision was made for me when I checked my email and found out my meeting in Lausanne the next day had been canceled, so I had to figure out what to do with a free day...hmmm...perhaps some more Alps?
I discovered that it was only two hours to Zermatt from Interlaken, and since I'd kind of really wanted to see the Matterhorn the entire trip, I decided I would head down there bright and early. You can imagine how delighted I was when I woke up to blue sky!! The train ride, as expected, was stunning (thank heavens for whoever invented panoramic train cars) and I will never forget walking out of the train station, turning around, and seeing the Matterhorn looming over me. It's unreal. And it got even better, because I took the train up, and up, and up again to a summit just across from it, where you can see it and 28 other huge peaks stretching out in all directions. Did I mention it was sunny? Just fantastic. I sacrificed my dignity a little (ok, a lot) because I'd left my snowboots in storage in Zurich with my big suitcase so I didn't have to haul it around on this trip, but I wasn't about to miss out on the view from above the train station, lack of traction or not! I may have nearly faceplanted and been rescued by an Asian tourist, but it was worth it. I was on top of the world.
The train trip down the mountain was nearly as memorable as the trip up it, though not for the views. I was sitting there, waiting for the train to leave, when something the size of a small horse stepped on my foot, then proceeded to put its head in my lap and drool everywhere. He was a St. Bernard (named Herbst--it amused me)and he was HUGE. I've seen others on this trip so I know they're huge, but seriously, his paws were significantly larger than my hands. No idea how tall he was, because he promptly passed out on my foot for the duration of the train ride (he would only wake up for a biscuit), but it was pretty exciting to get to pet him. He was so cute. His owner was kind of awkward...somehow we ended up talking about my research, which was interesting, but it was a very weird conversation. I was, needless to say, much more interested in the St. Bernard!
I finally made it back to Zurich late last night and did my final interview this morning. Then I went back to my favorite spot in Zurich (the Sprungli cafe on the Bahnhofstrasse--their hot chocolate is to die for, plus I got to sit in the furry chairs and people watch again)and came back to the hotel to pack everything up again. Somehow, it all fits--don't ask how. I didn't buy that much, but packing was still a challenge!
I can't decide if it feels like I've been here forever, or if I just arrived yesterday--a little bit of both, I think. Two weeks is about the perfect length of trip for me, since I've had enough time to adjust and get into a routine, but not enough time to get bored or exhausted. That said, I definitely want to come back to Switzerland someday. I wasn't sure, but somewhere on the way up the mountain from Interlaken, I started planning a return trip. I also realized that there are enough interesting religion issues here that I could write several books on the subject, so maybe more research trips are in my future...who knows!
I've been looking forward to my AMS project literally since I was accepted to Colgate, and it certainly lived up to my expectations. It's weird that it's over, but I suppose I'm going to be saying that a lot in the next few months....sigh. Back to 'Gate tomorrow for my last semester!
Thanks for reading, and if you're headed to Switzerland any time soon and want my expert opinion on food (or more relevant matters...), let me know! :)
Tchüss!
~L
Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=315769&id=579896063&l=f96932a989
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