I visit the Alps! And see some Edelweiss in the process

Two weeks in Switzerland!!!!!! I have now had my first Swiss grocery store experience and my life is changed. Switzerland's equivalent to Target is called Migros and it literally has everything from tiramisu chocolate bars to banana containers to $18 pencil cases. Kate and I bought our lunch at Migros and struggled to not purchase everything in sight. Migros carries some basic clothes and accessories. My favorite is a line of men's underwear by John Adams. I guess that between being president in 1797 and starring opposite Laura Linney in an HBO mini-series about his life, John Adams discovered his passion and talent for designing reasonably priced boxer briefs.

I also spotted two Swiss nuns at Migros. I was very tempted to ask them how to solve a problem like Maria and how exactly they would go about catching a cloud and subsequently pinning it down. Now that I am on the same continent as the Alps, the Sound of Music references will only increase. I could be in Estonia or Belarus and I would find a way to connect "16 Going on 17" into my life experience.

This past weekend was St. Galler Fest which is basically a giant street festival in which people drink, eat, and dance to Swiss cover bands. I spent my time chowing down on a weinerschnitzel sandwich (Jesus himself must have come up with this one) and listening to a trio of Swiss accordian players/yodelers. They were not the most popular musicians at the event but I figured this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear real Alpine yodelers. It was also fun just strolling the streets of St. Gallen. The old part of the city is straight out a Disney movie with the shingled roofs, frescoes, and exquisite woodcarving. I'm half expecting to see the baker with his tray like always, with the same old bread and rolls to sell every time I walk past some of the various homes and storefronts.

On Sunday, my host parents took me to a mountain called Hoher Kasten. It is not as high as the towering Santis (the highest mountain in the swiss Alpsteins), but it offered a fabulous view of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Lichtenstein. The views were absolutely stunning; one side you could see the Santis, another featured goats trundling up a hill, and another offered a view of the Rhine river at the Austrian/Swiss border. I also saw edelweiss for the first time! And it looked pretty happy to meet me, just saying.

After a stopping at the revolving restaurant at the top for some ice cream, we were treated to a short alphorn concert. Let me just say that the alphorn is a highly underrated instrument. I'm not exactly sure why it is not offered in elementary school band, but whatever. The sound was very unique and beautiful and provided the perfect soundtrack to the glorious mountain view. We reached the top via gondola so I'm hoping soon to do some real hiking (who am i?).

I'm still getting used to adjusting myself to Swiss eating habits. Anytime I've had a meal here, by the end of it, everyone's plates are nice and clean while mine looks like the Beast from Beauty and the Beast just ate lunch and dinner at the same time. I also have a new theory that the reason European people are so trim and fit is because they cut their pizza since that is the hardest task in the world and by the time I am done sawing and hacking through my crust, I'm not hungry anymore. The cheese and bread are heaven and I'm also now one of those people who gobs Nutella on anything that stands still. It is a highly versatile condiment.

Everything has been fabulous so far; my host parents and classmates have all been great, the food is pretty grand, there are cows everywhere. Switzerland is a good time.

First Week in Switzerland!

I have survived 6 days in Europe! After a taxing and nervous plan ride I arrived in St. Gallen, Switzerland along with Kate, my partner in crime! We spent all of the day on Wednesday, August 8 either sitting on a plane or sitting in an airport. Needless to say we were thrilled to be greeted by the towering green hills and omniscient cowbells of Europe's landlocked island.

We spent the weekend with Vanessa and Larissa, the two Swiss students who will be taking our place in the junior design class at Carnegie Mellon. The girls and their families are lovely, especially my host family with whom I will be living until December. Within one day, I had a sampling of Swiss cheese, chocolate, bread, and sparkling water and all were delicious (although I don't think I will ever get used to fizzy water. Call me a heathen, but I prefer my water out of the tap).

Here is my view from my bedroom window! I feel just like a Von Trapp or an Amish person because I routinely hear the dulcet tones of roosters and cowbells throughout the day.

One night, I attended a charming dinner party at the home of one of my host mother's peers from her English class. According to some of the guests who had been to America before, their favorite store to shop in is Marshall's! Who knew?! Move over Macy's and Barney's,  Marshall's has the market cornered the Swiss traveler market.

Kate and I began school yesterday. the classes will be taught in Swiss German and at the end of the lesson, the professor will talk to us in english. I've developed a tendency in which I nod my head while the professor is speaking even though I have absolutely no clue what they are saying. Good one.

On our second day, our professor informed us that we were going to ride bikes to visit a farm as research for our upcoming project, a poster for a local farm festival. Since I haven't so much as sneezed in the direction of a bike since a mortifying mountain biking unit in 10th grade gym class, I was more than slightly apprehensive to mount one and attempt to glide up and down the Swiss alps en route to a farm. I managed to somehow move myself along the flat trails but was forced to walk up and down the hills, which were quite alive with the sound of the one German swear word I know.

Once I joined the rest of the class at the farm, and after sustaining a couple of falls onto hedges in an attempt not to run into toddlers, dogs, old people, and a Mercedes, we toured the farm and learned all about Swiss agriculture. The Tour de Terror which brought me to the farm was well worth it for the gorgeous views, piglets, and the giant pile of bread and baked goods.

Since the bread was on the floor of a barn, I assume it is for the animals, but a very large part of me wanted to jump in the middle and through carbohydrates into the air like a pile of autumn leaves. After touring the farm, we went back to the school where we learend more about the project. My classmates are all very nice but they probably think that I was raised in a cave since I don't speak any German and I can't operate a bicycle. In Switzerland, all teenagers are required to pass a biking test so the vast majority of the class was comfortable riding the hills and streets of St. Gallen. 

Keep watching for irregular posts about my travels.