Swiss Studies… The big finale– cruising on Lake Zürich! (part eight)

Saturday came at long last. I can’t say I wasn’t happy about it. Bill finished his time at the C.G. Jung Institute, and we had one last day to enjoy Zürich together. If you’ve been following this series, it should come as no surprise to you that we chose to spend our last day on the lake. But, instead of swimming, which is what I thought we might do, we decided to take a 4.5 hour cruise around the lake on a very nice boat.

This isn’t the first time Bill and I have done a lake cruise. Back in 2008, we visited Thun, Switzerland, and bought boat tickets that allowed us to cruise Lake Thun. I think, back then, we got second class tickets. We were broke back then. In 2021, we used the lake “taxi” to get from downtown Zürich to Küsnacht, so we could visit the C.G. Jung Haus/museum. We’ve done lots of river cruises, too, though we’ve never done one that last longer than an hour or so.

I enjoy lake cruises, because they offer the chance to take pictures from different vantage points, and because they’re relaxing. You can sit there with a beer and just enjoy the scenery. Maybe you might have lunch, too, which is what Bill and I did.

We took the tram to the opera house, then walked along the lake and over a bridge to the ticket office. I think, for the two of us, first class tickets were about 43 euros each. They covered the 4.5 hour cruise, as well as the tram ride back to the apartment. If we’d wanted to, we could have used that pass to pay for any public transportation until 5:00 AM Sunday!

Below are some pictures I took on the way to the dock…

Our cruise left at about 11:00 AM. It was perfect, since we’d be on the boat at lunchtime, and that would mean we wouldn’t have to hunt for anything before boarding. The ship was very nice, and included a full restaurant and toilet facilities. On the first class deck, there were many chairs to sit on, while I noticed benches on the second class deck. To be honest, I think the benches were probably more comfortable. The benches were flat, rather than molded and tilted. The chairs were kind of hard and at sort of a weird angle.

We were able to find a table next to the side of the boat, which allowed for easy photography. On both levels, there’s an indoor area for people to sit and have a meal. We had perfect weather, so most people were sitting outside. One guy even wore Lederhosen, but he was also speaking German. However, it didn’t look like he was wearing authentic Lederhosen.

I was pleased to see that the menu on the ship had dishes that were priced much like the land based restaurants are, even though they had a “captive audience.” There were salads, fish dishes, meat dishes, and snacks available, and a full bar. They also had specials. Bill opted for a Caesar salad with chicken and bacon, and I had the roasted chicken special with potatoes. Naturally, there was wine and water, too…

We saw lots of boats on the water, everything from little pedal boats to big vessels.

*Yes, dogs are allowed on the boat, too!*

Our cruise took us all the way to the extreme southern end of the lake, which is where the charming, car free, lake side municipality of Rapperswil is. We didn’t get off the boat there, but I can definitely see us exploring it at a later date. It has a castle, restaurants, little hotels, and lots of Swiss charm. Rapperswil is known as the “town of roses” on Lake Zürich. It really is a pretty little hamlet. Of course, we also passed people sunning themselves on beaches, a small fest, and what appeared to be a nature preserve, where people could hike in the forest and then cool off by the lake. It took about two hours to get to Rapperswil from Zürich, and then another two hours to get back to the dock, where we started our trip.

We got off the cruise at about 3:00 PM. Bill decided to go ask the ticket folks if our tickets for the boat also covered the trams. While he was in line, a group of Aussies approached me and said they loved my “Trump Sucks” t-shirt, which I decided to wear on the cruise. We had a moment of levity and solidarity, as we expressed our mutual disgust for Donald Trump. And this week, it’s gotten even worse, and more apparent that indeed, Trump really does suck on multiple levels.

Ordinarily, I might not feel like I should wear such a provocative t-shirt in public. I probably wouldn’t dare do it in Texas, where a lot of MAGA Republican nutjobs live, and one might decide to off me with one of their high powered weapons. But here in Europe, the t-shirt appears to be a hit. I also wore it yesterday, while walking Noyzi and Charlie, and noticed big smiles from my neighbors. When I told my mom that I had that shirt, she groaned, but I told her that Europeans seem to be relieved when an American tells them they aren’t Trump supporters. He’s definitely NOT popular over here. I will confess, though, that I wondered if it was a good idea to wear the shirt. Again, it was one of the less sweaty ones I had with me on this trip. I got a few more photos on the way back to the apartment.

We had plans to light out of Zürich early on Sunday, so we spent a quiet evening in the apartment, packing everything up, and eating leftovers. I had a great time visiting Switzerland’s largest city, but it was time to go home and see my dogs, wash my clothes, and get back to my regular routine. However, if Bill plays his cards right, and things go according to plan, it’s possible that Zürich will soon become a very familiar place to us. And that’s kind of crazy to me, because when we lived in the Stuttgart area, it was only about a 90 minute drive from where we resided, and we never visited, even once! And now that we’re about four hours away, it could become more familiar…

But, of course, a lot depends on what happens in the next year… I guess we’ll just have to stay tuned for that.

The last post will be a short one about our drive home. Watch this space!

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education

Swiss Studies… I visited the C.G. Jung Institute (part seven)

On Friday morning, Bill had one last seminar. Then, his plan was to come back to the apartment and spend the afternoon with me, before we went to Küsnacht to attend a “farewell/graduation” party for the participants. Some of the people that were attending the intensive sessions were finishing actual certification programs. And some were just curious folks, like Bill. The staff at the Institute were kind enough to invite me to attend the party with Bill, even though I wasn’t a participant, myself.

Once again, the people in the apartment over us were making a lot of noise. It was also a cleaning day for the staff. So I decided to go back to the lakeside and watch people some more. It was actually interesting, because it looked like they were doing some construction on the pier where people were entering the water. Some of the benches were moved, so I moved to another spot and got a slightly different vantage point.

I got some raw video footage, but for some reason, I’m having trouble getting it to turn into a proper video. So here are some photos of Friday’s visit. The weather was actually very nice that day. The skies were cloudy, making the temperature comfortable, especially with the lake breezes. The clouds also made the lake look otherworldly. A group of kids were entertaining me by jumping into the lake and racing. I also saw some really cool looking herons.

When Bill got back to the apartment, it was just after 1:00 PM. The weather had cleared up a bit, so we decided to go back to the Biergarten by the lake for another sausage lunch, and more photos of the lake. I could enjoy that Biergarten all summer. It’s really laid back, and surprisingly easy to get a good table by the lake. Unfortunately, I noticed that the pile of dog shit that was by the tree on our first visit, several days earlier, was still sitting there. But, on the positive side, it no longer stank. I know a lot of these photos look the same, but they are so pretty, it’s hard to choose just a few!

At about 3:45 PM, we decided to leave the lake and go get ready for the farewell event at the Jung Institute. As we were standing up to leave, a pretty, young Black woman with crutches approached with a big smile on her face. I smiled back and gave her a sweeping “welcome” gesture. It occurred to me that the mood is so much more relaxed in Switzerland than in the United States. There’s a whole lot less hostility. In fact, I didn’t mention it in yesterday’s post, but I wore my “Trump Sucks” t-shirt on Thursday, and some guy stopped me, gave me a big smile, and said, “I love your shirt!” That made me smile, too.

I was thinking of wearing a dress to Bill’s event, but it was too hot. I wore white pants and a t-shirt instead. Bill’s analyst was there, because he gave a presentation that morning. He said it was a casual event, even though some people were dressed up because they had actually graduated from the program. We took the tram for two stops, then got on a local train, which took us to the quiet community of Küsnacht, where Tina Turner lived for years, and where Jung lived, and began his famous institute. It really has a different vibe than the city does.

After we said hello to a few people, including Bill’s analyst (whom I picked out immediately, even though we’d never met), Bill gave me a tour of the facilities. We learned that the grounds are actually rented, which was surprising to hear. The institute itself is quite small, with only a few classrooms. It was pretty warm in the building, although one room had a balcony that opened to lake views and breezes. Bill’s analyst asked me what I do with myself when Bill is attending classes. I just laughed and said, “You haven’t had much exposure to military spouses, have you?” And it’s not even like I’m anything like most military spouses… it’s just that we tend to spend a lot of time fending for ourselves.

The spread was nice. They had jars of several different food items, including one that had smoked salmon, and another that featured lentils. There was also a lovely white chocolate dessert, and plenty of wine, water, prosecco, and juice flowing. The reception was very gracious and elegant, and I was impressed by the send off the Jung Institute gave a staff member who was leaving. They gave her two huge bouquets of flowers, chocolates, gifts, and many kind words. I got the sense that the staff and students were very close. I also enjoyed talking to some of the people who attended. Most of the time, when I go to events with Bill, it’s a military function. Military folks are, are a general rule, typically very different than people who are interested in Jungian psychology.

Küsnacht is such a beautiful area. Bill’s analyst said that when he was a student, there was a lady in town who would kick out her kids and rent out rooms in her house to Institute students. I’m not sure she’s still in business, but her offer must have been a real boon to people who were studying psychology.

As we were leaving to go back to the apartment, I got the sense that Bill will be applying to study, starting next year. The pandemic has made it so that it’s possible for him to do most of the work from afar. I don’t know what the future holds, but this is something Bill wants to do. So, he’s going to try to do it. We’ll see what happens!

Next post will be about our 4.5 hour cruise around Lake Zürich. Stay tuned!

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education

Swiss Studies… A surreal dinner among strangers with stories (part six)

By Thursday morning in Switzerland, I was feeling ready to get back to Germany. I missed Noyzi and Charlie, and there were people in the apartment above us who were driving me nuts. In the early mornings, I’d hear a baby squalling. I’m not sure if it was in the above apartment, or a different place, but it was pretty loud.

Then, within an hour, the “wrestling matches” commenced. I call them “wrestling matches”, because that’s pretty much what they sounded like. I’d hear the pitter patter of little feet, then a big “BOOM” as something hit the floor or thudded, HARD. It happened over and over again.

It was nervewracking, because I couldn’t predict when the noises would happen, and they would startle me. Then, I would get annoyed until the cycle repeated. And it would go on for hours. I thought about saying something, but I didn’t know where the people were from, or if they spoke English.

So, I slathered on more sunscreen, gathered up my stuff, and headed back to beautiful Lake Zürich, for some peace and quiet. Well, at least I thought it was more peaceful… and honestly, it probably was quieter, even though there was construction going on in the lake and near it. There were also cool breezes.

I don’t actually recall much about what I did during the day on Thursday. Nothing sticks out in my mind. I do remember coming back in the afternoon, trying to read, and once again falling asleep, as I waited for Bill. But something DID happen on Thursday night at dinner.

When Bill got back to the apartment, we decided to go to the Greek restaurant again, Le Beaujolais. The same friendly guy waited on us. He asked us where we wanted to sit, and I chose a table next to the building. It was dirty, so he had to bus it for us. We sat down and Bill ordered some white wine. I ordered gyros, and he chose souvlaki.

We hadn’t been sitting there long before a group of young Swiss folks showed up. They sat at the table right behind us. Within the group, there was one woman, in particular, whom I found very annoying. She spoke in rapid fire Swiss style German, in a voice that grated.

Under normal circumstances, I probably wouldn’t have been as irritated as I was, but I’d been listening to dull, sudden thuds all day in the apartment. I was hot, and recovering from boredom, missing my own space, and the peace and quiet I have in my home. I also missed my desktop computer, because that’s the best place for me to write and make music.

So, the woman kept yammering in her Swiss dialectical German, and then she switched to English, when another person joined their group. I was trying to keep a straight face and get through dinner. And then, it happened…

In front of the restaurant, there was a very busy main drag. Trams go up and down that street every few minutes. There were also many cars coming and going, and people walking past. But, all of a sudden, the street seemed to empty out, and this man in a luxury sedan stopped right by where we were eating. There were no cars near him at all. His window was down, and he was playing loud music. It sounded like Louis Armstrong (Satchmo). The guy either lip synched perfectly, or sang along, complete with facial expressions and hand movements. It was like he was performing “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” especially for us!

We all kind of stopped what we were doing and stared in amazement as this random guy in his car was singing to us… with loud Louis Armstrong blaring from his windows. It lasted for about one surreal minute, and he wasn’t interrupted by traffic of any kind. Some pedestrians gave him a quizzical look as they passed.

I heard the people sitting behind us murmuring, and suddenly I felt like we were all experiencing this weird, bizarre moment in time. Then I heard the annoying woman behind me say in English, “Now he’s going to want money.”

But just as suddenly as it started, it was then over. The guy rolled up his window and drove away, and traffic returned to normal. It was as if it had never happened. I wish I’d thought to take a picture or a video. He didn’t seem to want money. In fact, the whole thing seemed like a spontaneous act. For all I know, he does this every summer day, serenading random al fresco diners as he drives through Zürich. Maybe he just does it for his own amusement, to break up the monotony of life in such an orderly country. I did look on YouTube to see if anyone had caught him on video. Apparently no one has, yet. Or maybe I’m just using the wrong search terms.

Then, just as we were about to have a round of ouzo, the woman sitting behind us started telling a story in English about her brother, when he went into the Swiss Army. He’d forgotten his toothbrush, so his mother had to bring it to him. As she was telling the story, a man with a dog was passing. He came over and, although he was obviously a stranger to them, started a conversation. He’d heard the woman talking about her brother in the Swiss Army, and decided to tell the group about how he’d joined the Israeli Army and everything was provided, including toothbrushes.

The guy’s dog, a sweet, older, female, plopped down next to the talkative woman, and he told them (and us) about how he’d been a performer in the Israeli Army, and it had led him to Switzerland. He met his Swiss wife in Zürich, and worked in the arts there for many years. He said he’d been working as a clown, at one point. And he said his dog’s name was Gille (if I recall correctly). He said the name meant “comfort” in Hebrew, and added that she is a comfort to him.

*This guy is an Israeli who lives in Switzerland with his Swiss wife and dog…*

Bill and I sat there quietly, not actively involved in the conversation, yet passively involved in that we were hearing it. Bill could have piped up, too, as a 30 year Army veteran from the United States. I could have spoken up and talked about how I have my own performances as a singer. But nowadays, it’s hard to tell how people will react to the revelation that Americans are near. I’m sure they knew we were Americans, anyway. Bill has told me that it’s easy to work with soldiers from other countries because, when it comes down to it, they’re all mostly cut from the same cloth, doing the same job.

Still, it was a very weird evening… surreal, even. As annoyed as I had been with that woman sitting behind us, I suddenly felt like she’d given us a gift. Because she was engaging the guy from Israel, and allowing us to hear his story.

Stay tuned for the next installment, when I describe visiting the C.G. Jung Institute and seeing where Bill might soon be a student.

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education, Gardens

Swiss Studies… Botanical bliss in Zürich! (part five)

On Wednesday morning, I knew I had to get out of the apartment so it could be cleaned. I was getting tired of going to the lake, so I decided to seek out a different venue. The proprietors at the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt had mentioned that the University of Zürich’s botanical gardens are very close to their facility. I looked it up online and found that the gardens were about a ten minute walk from the apartment. A bonus was that I could also visit Patumbah Park, which is just across the street from the side entrance to the gardens.

After breakfast, Bill and I said goodbye. He headed off to his class, and I got dressed and walked to the gardens, which was a brief, pleasant walk through a residential neighborhood and past what appeared to be a (very nice) elementary school. Then I found Patumbah Park, which was not very big, but did offer lots of shade and a beautiful villa to admire as I walked past the grounds.

I didn’t spend a lot of time in the park, which offered lots of shady trees and benches for sitting and contemplating life. Maybe I should have taken a few minutes to enjoy Patumbah Park, which dates from the end of the 19th century. From the city’s official Web site:

The builder, Karl Fürchtegott Grob (1830–1893), had become enormously wealthy as a tobacco plantation owner on Sumatra. He gave his villa the evocative name “Patumbah,” an old term that describes a place where one feels at home—roughly meaning “room for everything” or “open house.”

I was focused on seeing flora, though, so I passed through the park quickly, and soon found a gate that led to the gardens. There were two office chairs near the open gate, but no cashier’s booth. The gardens are free of charge to visit and fully open to the public. I noticed some people walking through who seemed to be treating like any open space. It could have been a shortcut home for them, for all I know.

*I saw lots of small children wearing these.*

It was hot and sunny in Zürich last Wednesday, but lots of people were at the gardens, including a group of small Swiss kids. One thing I noticed when we were visiting Zürich is that a lot of very young children wear little bright orange or yellow safety vests. I saw several groups of little kids wearing them and sometimes holding handles attached to a rope to keep them all together in a group. I also noticed that every group of little kids I saw was tended by at least two adults.

I looked up the safety vests and learned that in some parts of Switzerland, small children are apparently required or maybe just encouraged to wear the vests. They seemed okay with wearing the vests. I think I would have hated that, when I was a child. But then, I hated wearing seatbelts for many years. 😉 Swiss children are notoriously independent in many ways. Even when they’re very small, they are encouraged to walk to school by themselves or in groups. It’s the same in Germany and, in fact, it was that way for me in the United States when I was living close enough to a school to walk.

Anyway, I don’t have much to say about the gardens, other than that they were very beautiful and well tended, and I especially enjoyed going into the “domes”, which are artificially created habitats for different plants… Below are some photos:

There was also an interesting exhibit about traditional herbal medicine methods used in medicine in Uganda. It was presented in German and English. I enjoyed it because it spoke to my time as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and as a public health student.

I got so many photos… and here are some more for my plant loving readers…

There were a lot of young folks at the gardens. They were a little annoying in the “domes”, because they were noisy and all over the place. But, I just remembered that I was young once, too, and I have surely had many obnoxious, annoying moments in my life, both as a child and an adult. So I kept that in mind as they were yelling, running, and engaging in horseplay. I resisted the urge to tell them to stay off my lawn.

I got back to the apartment a couple of hours later, and it was clean. It was so hot outside, though, and I realized that we needed more beer and orange juice. I decided that was a good opportunity to check out the bigger COOP market in the opposite direction of the smaller one. So I walked there armed with a paper bag. The store was, indeed, much bigger and nicer than the neighborhood market was, but it was just as hectic and frustrating to navigate. I managed to get what I needed and carried it back to the apartment.

On that trip, I noticed that the COOP had some nice looking sushi on display. I later suggested to Bill that we either go buy some or order some for dinner, since the weather was so warm and neither of us felt like going out and sitting in a hot restaurant. So we had sushi and dumplings on Wednesday night, and it was just what we needed, although it took awhile to get to us.

I later found out that there was a big event at Lake Zürich on the one day I didn’t hang out there. Thousands of swimmers crossed the lake from Mythenquai to Tiefenbrunnen. After the event, which has happened most years (except during the pandemic) since 1985, the swimmers were served hot bouillon and risotto for lunch. Apparently, that is a tradition, even though it was very hot outside, and the water was also pretty warm. It’s probably just as well that I wasn’t there for that event, since tickets were required. I’m sure it made the area very crowded.

Anyway, that about wraps up Wednesday of our trip. I would definitely recommend visiting the botanical gardens. There is also an “old” botanical gardens in downtown Zürich that is reportedly well worth visiting.

Stay tuned for the next post!

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education

Swiss Studies… Sizzling in Zürich! (part four)

Tuesday, July 1, turned out to be a somewhat lazy day. It was very hot outside. Bill had a somewhat later start at the C.G. Jung Institute, so we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. I was amused by the rolls he bought, which had little Swiss flags in them. I’m sure there’s an official name for these, but I don’t know what it is… Edited to add: They are called “Weggli”.

After Bill left for his classes, I slathered on sunscreen and got dressed. I decided to go back to the lake, if only because I figured it would offer cool breezes and opportunities to people watch some more. Instead of going straight back to the park where I’d been going, I turned in the opposite direction. I passed by the Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen, a public beach that offers bathrooms and a restaurant. I was curious about it and might have gone it, if Bill had been with me. Ultimately, I decided it would probably be too noisy for me, and since I wasn’t wearing a bathing suit, I kept walking.

*Creepy entrance to the Strandbad. Reminds me of toadstools.*

Continuing past the entrance to the Strandbad, I gazed at a different section of the lake. I saw two men who looked a lot like Mormon missionaries. They wore suits, although it was so hot that they carried their jackets. They also stood close to each other, as if they were companions. But, as they had their backs to me, I couldn’t tell if they were missionaries. Then I noticed one of them had a beard, and the other looked like he might be too old to be a missionary. I noticed that a lot of men in Switzerland dress formally for work. That was probably what I was seeing, rather than Latter-day Saints.

Looking further down the sidewalk, it appeared that the way was going to be less conducive for pedestrians. So I turned around and went back to my usual spot at the lake. I actually had to wait for a bit, because the bench was taken by someone else. By the time I was able to claim it, the sun had moved to a point at which the area was no longer shady. At least I got some more photos. The lake is so beautiful. I also got some video, as I stood by the water’s edge and enjoyed some gentle splashes.

Gives you a feel for how things were last week, during the heatwave in Switzerland!

After a short while, I realized that I was hot, sweaty, and worried about sunburn, in spite of the sunscreen I’d applied. After a short while, I decided to go back to the apartment, where I hoped after doing some writing, I might get further into my latest book… but, if I recall correctly, I ended up falling asleep and taking a very long, deep nap for a couple of hours.

Later, when Bill came back to the apartment, we decided to try an Italian restaurant called Miracle. It was just down the street from the apartment, on the way to the lake. We would have preferred to sit outside, because it was so hot on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the outside tables were taken by a large group of locals. So we sat inside, and enjoyed a very lovely dinner, in spite of the heat. I especially liked the aperitif, with was made with prosecco, lime, and mint. Bill had his usual Campari with soda.

For dinner, we started with bruschetta, and then I had fried shrimp with chili-coriander butter and salad, while Bill had Loup de Mer, with lemon basil butter. The food was very good, and beautifully presented. Service was friendly and professional. We had after dinner drinks instead of dessert– grappa for Bill, and a refreshing limoncello cocktail for me.

We walked back to the apartment and ended our Tuesday with sleep. I enjoyed Miracle. I would have liked to have gone back there again. It was a bit hot the day we visited, but I can see why this place is a local favorite.

The next post will be a departure from the lake, as on Wednesday, I went to the botanical garden. More on that in part five.

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education

Swiss studies… Watching life unfold at the lake! (part three)

Monday, June 30th, was an exciting day for Bill. He’d been looking forward to taking seminars at the C.G. Jung Institute for years. On his first day, he had an early lecture, so we got up early. He bought more wonderful bread at Wüst, and we enjoyed coffee and juice. I was already a bit nervous, because the proprietor at the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt advised us that they would be cleaning the apartment on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They requested that we not be in the apartment from 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.

Those are the hours when I usually do my writing, but given how hot it was last week, it was just as well that I went to the lake. Bill looked so cute, dressed for class and carrying a backpack. The tram outside made it quick and easy for him to get to the Institute.

After I made a quick YouTube video, I headed to the lake. On the way there, life started unfolding in front of my eyes. First, I saw a sweet black cat. I made a soft “ssssing” sound, which attracted its attention. It meowed at me and came over, rubbing against my legs. Then it turned and went another direction. I like cats. We used to have them when I was growing up. Unfortunately, although Bill also likes cats, we can’t have them in our home. He’s very allergic to them. I am also supposedly allergic to them– and dogs, horses, and rabbits, too. I still like to say hello when I can.

Next, I saw a young man running down the street with a big smile on his face and his arms outstretched. He passed me and enveloped a young woman in his arms in a joyful reunion. It reminded me of when Bill came home from Iraq.

I walked a bit further and ran into a very fit looking couple. The female half wore extremely tight leggings that outlined an obvious camel toe. They looked like maybe they were exercise instructors, headed to the gym.

I crossed the street and walked to the park near the lake, where there are benches. I saw a man doing yoga by the Heureka sculpture. A dog came over to say hello, and then I noticed a woman dancing. She wore a sweatshirt, shorts, shades, and ear buds, and danced by the lake side, completely oblivious to the world. I watched her in amazement. She was completely uninhibited. I kind of admired it. And, of course, there were lots of ducks to watch…

This isn’t a super exciting video, except for the dancing lady. I could have watched her all day!

I walked around the lake area and took lots of pictures… I even sat for awhile near some boats, watching more waterfowl, in an attempt to kill enough time so the apartment could be cleaned. As it turned out, I should have stayed a little longer.

I took a slightly different route back to the apartment, passing the Plastic Surgery Pyramide Clinic. I later found out this is a private hospital where people have everything from breast reconstruction to facelifts done. I noticed they also had an outlet for La Prairie, a VERY expensive skincare/cosmetics brand that I first saw offered on SeaDream Yacht Club, a luxury cruise line. I read about the clinic, and most people had rave reviews for their experiences there. One woman left a very disturbing review of a doctor who had, apparently, taken advantage of her while she was in a weakened state. To be honest, her account sounded fictitious. Perhaps she had more going on than just physical illness. I didn’t get a good picture of the actual hospital, but these pictures are of clinics affiliated with it. I bet it costs a mint to go there.

I went by the apartment at about 10:45, but it still hadn’t been cleaned, so after a potty break, I walked to the COOP neighborhood grocery store to pick up a few things– napkins and sugar for my coffee. I also got a few other items. Bill and I both visited that store a couple of times. It was very convenient to where we stayed, but the layout was frustrating, and it seemed like people were always descending upon it en masse. We both found shopping there a bit nervewracking. There was a larger COOP store a little bit further in the opposite direction. That store offered more stuff, but was only marginally less annoying. However, we’ve been to other COOP stores in Switzerland, and have not found them to be so hectic. Maybe it just has something to do with the neighborhood. Below are a few more photos I took on the way back to the apartment.

When I got back to the apartment with the stuff I got at the store, one of the proprietors was in the middle of cleaning the bathroom. I startled her, but I needed to put some things in the refrigerator. She pointed out that there was a beach towel in the armoire. That was good to know, although we brought our own… and then didn’t end up using them, after all!

I decided to go back to the lake to give the lady a chance to finish her work. I’m glad I did, because there was more stuff going on…

*I’m not sure what they were doing, but by the time we left on Sunday, it looked like they were building a platform in the lake.*

When Bill got back from his seminar, at about 6:00 PM, he was very excited. He’d had a good day learning about psychology, and now he was ready for dinner. We ended up at Le Beaujolais, a Greek restaurant right next to the apartment. The waiter was friendly, professional, and kind, and the food was excellent. Bill had lamb, and I had Dorade and Seelach filets. Then we had ice cream for dessert!

*Sadly, there were no bags to be found for hygiene purposes. But that’s not something that worries me anymore.*

A man showed up with his cute dog and sat next to us. The dog was so sweet, and made me miss our dogs, Noyzi and Charlie.

It may seem like not a lot happened on Monday, but I truly did enjoy sitting at the lake, watching people go about life. I really should have jumped in the lake, though.

adventure, art, C.G. Jung, Education

Swiss Studies… Sunday at the lake! (part two)

On Sunday morning, Bill went across the street to the fabulous bakery called Wüst. This bakery, which is part of a chain, offers wonderful fresh breads and pastries. Almost every day of our stay, Bill went there to get our breakfasts. One day, he went to a different, but equally good bakery, only because we were out of juice and he could get some at the other place.

I have discovered that I really like the way the Swiss do their breads. The places we’ve gone have offered soft rolls and croissants that aren’t too crispy/messy. Personally, I like that a lot. I know some people love flaky croissants, but I prefer them to be softer, if only because it means fewer crumbs all over the place.

After breakfast, Bill and I took a walk to Lake Zürich, which was a very short walk from the apartment. On Sunday, there happened to be a bike race going on, so there was a “crossing guard” in the middle of the crosswalk! We sure weren’t expecting that.

The part of Lake Zürich where we were was near the Chinagarten, as well as a really cool looking machine/statue that I happened to catch running once during the week. I discovered that I was looking at “Heureka”, a “useless machine” that was built in 1964 by sculptor, Jean Tinguely. Below is a video of it running. I only caught it in action once during the whole week we were in Zürich! I read that they only run it three times a day for eight minutes, from April until October.

According to Atlas Obscura, “Heureka” was meant to symbolize consumerism in advanced societies. It’s made of scrap metal and junk, and when it runs, it just makes noise. It doesn’t actually do anything useful. Interesting that this would be in a place where many people are quite well-to-do.

I videoed this after Bill and I saw it for the first time. I guess they don’t run it often, because it makes a fair amount of noise.

There were so many people at the lake on that sunny Sunday. They were all lying out on blankets and towels, swimming, sunning, fishing, and splashing around in the lake. I wished I’d worn one of my bathing suits, because the lake was so inviting. But instead of jumping in the lake, we decided to visit a Biergarten right next to it… And unfortunately, we ended up sitting next to a big pile of dog shit. Nevertheless, I took lots of photos, and where we sat was perfect for that. And the sausage and roll weren’t too bad, either.

While we were eating, we were visited by a bunch of little birds and some very well fed ducks. I tried not to feed them any bread, since it’s bad for ducks. But they made it hard to resist. They were practically tame! I noticed a number of different types of birds by the lake, everything from seagulls to swans! I’ll have pictures of the swans later in the series.

After lunch, we walked around some more, and I took a lot of photos. I was amused by the many people on hydrofoils. It looked like a lot of fun, riding those things– like surf boards with poles under them, operating like pogo sticks. Maybe if I was younger, fitter, and braver, I might be willing to give them a try!

He’s pretty good at that!

Below are some more photos from Sunday. The Swiss, and all of the visitors, all seemed to be having a blast!

We walked a few miles on Sunday, and ended up running into the bike race again. There was a boy there, maybe about 12 years old, wearing a neon colored uniform. He fixed one of the racers’ bikes on the side of the street. We overheard him telling a couple of ladies in German that he was a member of a bicycling club that provided services for the race. We saw a young girl in a similar reflective outfit providing drinks for the riders as they whizzed past.

After awhile, Bill and I got a bit hot, and we were both worried about sun exposure. We decided to go back to the apartment and watch some local television. We caught a couple of American movies, dubbed into German. One was 1962’s That Touch of Mink, starring Cary Grant and Doris Day. The other was 2012’s Now Is Good, starring Dakota Fanning. The Fanning flick was also airing on Friday night. I hadn’t heard of Now Is Good before, but I see it’s on Netflix. Maybe I’ll watch it in English.

For dinner on Sunday, we ordered Chinese/Thai food. I had sweet and sour pork with rice, and Bill had chicken satay with rice. We also had dumplings. There were leftovers for Monday, which was a good thing for me.

In the next post, I’ll start explaining how I entertained myself while Bill was “at school.” Stay tuned for that excitement. 😉

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education

Swiss studies… Bill decides to go to “summer school”… (part one)

Several months ago, Bill told me he wanted to spend about a week in Küsnacht, Switzerland, a suburb of Zürich. He hoped to attend a summer intensive course at the C.G. Jung Institute, a learning installation founded in 1948, and centered around the study of Jungian analytical psychology.

I knew this was coming, because Bill had been talking about wanting to take this summer course for years. We first came to Zürich in the summer of 2021, and Bill and I visited C.G. Jung’s house, on the banks of Lake Zürich. Bill also started speaking to a Jungian therapist that year. The work he’s done with the analyst over the past four years has done wonders for his mental and emotional well-being. He thinks he might have a knack for Jungian psychology. He definitely has an interest in it.

Naturally, I agreed that it would be a good thing for Bill to go to the Jung Institute. Once we had the dogs booked in their usual Hundepension, I set about looking for a place for us to stay for the week. We had specific needs for our lodging. I wanted it to be in a place where it would be somewhat easy for me to get around and see and do things. It needed to be near a tram station, so Bill could easily get to the Institute. We planned to drive our car, so the place needed parking. And I hoped for air conditioning, which even in “spendy Switzerland” isn’t always a given.

I was about to spend about $10k to book a regular hotel room on Expedia.com, when I noticed a listing for a place called Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt. On Expedia, the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt had no availability for our dates. Under normal circumstances, that might have been the end of my curiosity and I would have kept looking. But then I decided to check Booking.com, as sometimes they have things available that Expedia doesn’t. On that site, I could book a one room suite at the Apart-Hotel, which included a kitchenette and a living room– better for a week than a hotel room. The price was also roughly one-third of what I was about to pay for the hotel, and there was parking available, and air conditioning.

We booked the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt, and then, just to make sure all was well, Bill called them to confirm that booking and reserve a parking spot. It was a good thing we confirmed the parking, as the hotel, which first opened in 1969, only has two spaces! Besides small apartments, the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt also offers regular hotel rooms of varying luxuriousness. A person could opt for a spacious two bedroom place, or get a single economy room with a shared toilet in the corridor. Although shared toilets used to be somewhat common in European hotels, I haven’t seen a place with a communal toilet in years!

With that settled, we looked forward to our third trip to Switzerland this year. Regular readers might recall that we went to Basel, Switzerland in January of this year, just to get away over the MLK weekend. We stopped in Villa Morcote, Switzerland on the way to Italy in March. And now, we’ve been to Zürich– specifically, the Seefeld quarter of the Mühlebach district.

Our trip began on June 28th and would end on July 6th. For me, it would resemble business trips on which I have accompanied Bill. When I go places with him on business trips, I usually end up doing a lot of loitering and picture taking while he tends to his work. This trip was not for his current job, but it could end up leading him to the work he’ll do in the future. As I mentioned up post, Bill has a real knack for psychology. I think of him as a healer. He’s an unusually kind, sensitive, empathic, and introspective person. Analysis has given him insight into who he is, and that has given him much needed peace.

On the morning of Saturday, June 28th, Bill took the dogs to the Hundepension, while I packed my bags. Then, we set off for Zürich. The GPS sent us down the familiar way to Stuttgart, where we used to live. Although we have lived in Wiesbaden since late 2018, we still go to Stuttgart to see our dentist and sometimes Bill goes there for business. And yet, even though we continue to visit, I’m always shocked by how much has been built since we left. I was especially surprised as we drove through Sindelfingen on A-81, a road Bill used to take every day to get to his job. There’s a whole shitload of construction going on there!

Below are some photos from the drive:

On the way to Switzerland, we stopped a rest area to get lunch and enjoy a pee break. It was nothing special, and we’d been there before. I took a couple of photos, anyway…

*Seelachs and chips… Could have been better.*

The Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt is a family run business. It doesn’t have a regular front desk. We were asked to let them know when we were going to arrive, so someone would be there to meet us. Bill told them we’d get there between 5:00-6:00 PM. We were well on our way to making the time as we approached the Swiss border. An older gentleman in a Swiss Polizei uniform looked like he was flagging us down, so Bill stopped and opened his window.

The cop said, “Do you want to go to Switzerland?”

Bill said we did.

The cop said, “On holiday?”

Again, yes…

“Bye!” the cop said.

I guess he didn’t actually want to talk to us, after all. Too bad all borders aren’t that easy and uncomplicated.

We got to Zürich at about 5:45 PM. It was sunny and hot, and I noticed a lot of people in bathing suits, carrying pool toys and such. I had come prepared to enjoy the lake. I had a bunch of towels and two bathing suits in my bag, and I envisioned jumping in the water. I thought maybe we’d go to one of the public beaches… and I’d totally forgotten that the hotel was actually in Zürich, rather than closer to Küsnacht.

It took a few minutes to navigate through the busy city, and then once we found the right street, the turn off was so sudden that Bill missed it. Fortunately, the next street took us straight to Karlstrasse 5. Bill nervously pulled into a parking lot across from the hotel for an apartment building, where all the parking spots are taken by the residents. The proprietor was there, waiting for us, and she unlocked the gate behind which our car would be for the week. Bill pulled into the tight space, knowing that we were destined to be blocked in. 😉

After we parked, we signed into the hotel, picked up our keys, and got a tour of our new digs for the week.

By the time we were checked in, it was past six o’clock. And although there are several good restaurants near the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt, Bill and I were both pretty tired from the drive. We decided to visit one of the two COOP grocery stores near the apartment to pick up essentials, then ordered pizza from an outfit called Pimp Your Pizza. We got Pizza Hawaii and Pizza Missouri… ordering large, so there would be leftovers. There were leftovers, alright! That pizza lasted almost the whole week! But it was surprisingly good, especially on the first night!

We watched German dubbed American movies on TV, while we enjoyed the pizza and Swiss beer. Then we went to bed. The bedroom in our suite had a fan, which was helpful, but not as good as air conditioning would have been. The unit just has one air conditioner, and it’s in the living room. It doesn’t cool off the whole apartment. Most of the year, this wouldn’t be a problem, but we happened to visit during a heatwave.

Ah well…

The next day, we discovered the lake through a new perspective. Stay turned for the next post for that!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Lake Zürich

Swiss Studies… The big finale– cruising on Lake Zürich! (part eight)

Swiss Studies… I visited the C.G. Jung Institute (part seven)

Swiss Studies… A surreal dinner among strangers with stories (part six)

Swiss Studies… Botanical bliss in Zürich! (part five)

Swiss Studies… Sizzling in Zürich! (part four)

Swiss studies… Watching life unfold at the lake! (part three)

Swiss Studies… Sunday at the lake! (part two)

Swiss studies… Bill decides to go to “summer school”… (part one)