Experiments in Impermanence
Friends, Mountains, and the Good Life in Zurich
A quick visit to Switzerland for käfele, cheese, and other rejuvenation
I’ve traded Thirsty in, just temporarily, for plains, trains, and cable cars for three days in Switzerland. Liesl is staying with my sister and family in Ohio. After Switzerland, I will go to Ghana.
In 1981, I became good friends with our exchange student from Switzerland, Fran, another senior at our high school. I last saw her almost ten years ago when I stopped to visit her in Zurich on my way home from Peace Corps Service in Ghana. On this trip, I’ve reversed the order and am visiting her first.
You couldn’t ask for more of a contrast than Ghana and Switzerland. It is an odd itinerary to be sure.
Meeting Fran at the airport was wonderful. My spirits lifted as soon as I saw her. I was pulled right into Swiss life as we went into Winterthur, where she lives, and where her daughter attends aeronautical engineering school. We had a delightful lunch at a theater cafe, and enjoyed strolling through the streets. Bicycle culture is strong here. Winterthur and Zurich make city living look really good.
In the evening, we visited the Rhenau area along the Rhine River, at a…
