How Will We Know If We're Really In Switzerland?

One answer is: When you're walking down Zurich's version of Fifth Avenue, Bahnhofstrasse, and you see automated little figurines doing a jig to some yodeling above the door.

But the question also comes from the oddest thing. Three separate times in three separate locations, Miles and/or I were minding out own business when what would come on the overhead music but, uh, "How Will I Know?" by Whitney Houston. I knew that Asians were nutty about older American pop music -- Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, pre-freak Michael Jackson -- but in central Europe I expected more refined and up-to-date tastes. Odd, no?

Anyhow, here below is Zurich from the top of a tower I hadn't intended to climb at Grossmunster, a Gothic church built in the 12th century. I paid the small admission for what I thought provided access to the upper seating and pulpit but actually led me inside a very narrow, winding stone stairway to the top. Miles, generally bored by scenic churches, stayed outside. (He did, to his credit, come in when I told him that some choral orchestra was about to start an impromptu rehearsal for a Bach concert the next day, so we did enjoy some surprise and free high culture.)


Below is another view. That big clock is St. Peters Kirche, a church site since the 9th century and possessor of the largest clock face in Europe. That's really a peculiar distinction, no?

So I wanted a picture, but this guy wouldn't move. Here I am saying, "Do you know who I am?" or something like that...

...and finally he got out of the shot, though his blue-sweatered friend did not...


Here is one of the more decorative shop windows on Bahnhofstrasse...


That picture, I'm told, will be especially delightful to my sister-in-law in Tampa, who is devoted to Teuscher. Also, I'm told, she's a bit mad about swans, so here's one of those, too, in the River Limmat that dissects Zurich...


So that's what we did on Saturday. We have been eating pretty uneventfully partly because it's so expensive, partly because we didn't lug any clothes here to go out in fancy company and partly because the temporary crown on the tooth I cracked open last week came right off.

But, you must be worried and wondering, haven't we indulged in some of that legendary Swiss chocolate? Well, duh. Why do you think the crown came off? (OK, my dentist is a quack, but still...)

We didn't bother with Teuschers which is, while wonderful, easy to get in America. Instead, we listened to the Fodors 07 Switzerland guidebook and stopped in at Sprungli, a landmark on Bahnhofstrasse. I regret to say that we didn't shoot any pictures of what a madhouse that place was. But here's the box we got for about $15...


...of a substantial collection of truffles and treats...


as well as these little cream-filled cookies called Luxembourgli. This was all that made it home...

And a couple more fun observations. First, we kept seeing the word "schmuck" everywhere. As in this:


...so finally I looked it up and in German, the word actually means pretty much the opposite of the derivative, derogatory Yiddish term we use. Look it up. Basically, it means something pretty, smart, good. Fun with language!

And, here's the best weird thing we saw so far. You pee in the urinal and it lights up so you can read these ads. And this one is not in English, but I'm pretty sure I get the, uh, picture. Do you?


Nighty night!