Final Farewell

The day before we left, the families had a farewell party for us at the Jucker Farm, a beautiful farm in a tranquil setting overlooking a large lake. The farm has been a work in progress for three generations; It's a new way of farming for the Swiss, with all kinds of fruit orchards, strawberry patches, and large vegetable gardens where people can come and pick their own produce. Families can come and spend the day there where a restaurant is on sight with meals made from the farm.

We learned so much on our month long stay in Switzerland/Liechtenstein. We learned about Rotary, the Swiss/Liechtenstein culture, history, education, and business. I (Marina) believe we unanimously walk away from this experience having a deeper and richer understanding of both cultures and their people. We are extrememly appreciative for the experience and want to thank our host families for being such gracious hosts. Having stayed with four different families, we got an in depth view of the life of families within the culture. This was a part of the learning experience as well. We'd also like to thank our tour guides who took time out of their days to take us to the various places we visited, and informed us of the history of each place we visited. Many thanks to all of the people behind the scenes who organized this trip and made it all possible. We had a wonderful time, and will take this experience with us for the rest of our lives.

THANK YOU!!!

Technorama/Uetliberg

Today was a day of adventure! We traveled to Winterthur to see Technorama, a very large hands-on science museum filled with all kinds of activities to explore and exhibits to see. The museum was three stories high, filled with all experimental stations that varied from magnets, to electricity. This was definitely the science enthusiasts playground.

Following Technorama, Marina, Kelly, and Vanessa ventured into Zurich and did some indoor rock climbing, while Kiana went shopping downtown, and Jim went to a Swiss SME specializing in the production of metalic parts and tools.

In the evening, we met up once again and ventured on a partial train ride and partial hike up the mountain of Uetliberg. The scenery on the way up was absolutely breath taking, with a view that overlooked Zurich, Lake of Zurich, and the snow covered Swiss Alps in the background. While at the top of the mountain, we ventured up even further to the top of a tower and took in the view. After the tower, we walked to the Uto Staffel, and enjoyed appetizers outside, then went inside for a meal of authentic fondue. Delicious! It was a beautiful sunny Spring day, and a great way to end a perfect day eating fondue, enjoying eachothers company and watching the sunset....Swiss style!

In and Around Zurich

We arrived safely into our new homes in Zurich. After meeting our families at Restaurant Linde, the four girls headed to the Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum (a sort of German Renaissance Festival). By braving the cold and rain, we were able to watch musical acts, medieval sword fights, and enjoy some food and drinks.

On Sunday, we went to see the Landsgemeinde which is a system that two cantons in Switzerland (Glarus and Appenzell) still use to decide on issues that the public and/or politicians present to the public. The residents of Glarus are all invited to this event once a year and gather in the town center (in what they call "the circle"). After all citizens eligible to vote are sworn in, the platform and microphone are opened up to anyone who wishes to propose an idea. A vote is then taken, but not in the way that Americans are used to. These citizens vote by raising their hands! We were lucky to be able to watch this event from the first floor of the school house in the town center (Thank you to Rotarian Peter, the head of that school). Quite a cultural experience!

That evening our group along with the host ladies headed to the Opera House in Zurich for a ballet with music by Bach. Many of us had never seen a ballet before and were very happy to have the chance to see one - especially here in Zurich. The dancers were amazing with their athletic abilities and grace. We all really enjoyed this special evening.

Monday we headed to Kantonale Maturitätsschule für Erwachsene (KME) which is an adult education center. We were greeted by Rotarian Heinrich who taught us a bit about the school system in Switzerland (varies by canton, not by the country). KME is a place for adults to go who have decided that the apprenticeship that they chose and completed was not the one for them. They then go to KME to prepare for University. Students are typically in their early 20s, but some students are older. Heinrich brought us to different classrooms to see how their styles varied. We observed and participated in a chemistry, physics, math, English, and yoga lesson. It was a very interesting morning being able to see these different classes and the students who attended. After a "VIP" lunch and a question session, we headed out. Thank you to Heinrich and the other teachers who were so gracious in answering our questions!

We took a boat along the Limmat River to the center of Zurich where we spent time at the Clock Museum and then a bit of shopping. For dinner, we went to Erich's house where Rotarian Daniel presented about "Placebo and Medication". It was quite interesting to hear about the medical field and what some people believe. Our conversation ran right into dinner of salad, spaghetti, and fruit prepared by Erich's wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law. Another nice night out sharing ideas and good company.

An update finally!

Having time to update the blog has become very scarce as we continue to travel all over Switzerland. I will attempt to update you in the next 5 minutes before I head to bed in order to wake up in time to see a Landsgemeinde in Glarus tomorrow morning. This event is where residents of the canton meet in the main village square to vote on political positions, laws, etc. The interesting thing is that it is done by a "show of hands" - yes, the people vote by raising their hands! More on that to come.
On Tuesday last week we took a day trip to Zurich. While there, we saw the famous Chagall windows, climbed to the top of a reformed church, and spent a little time shopping. That evening we went to a pizzeria and then heading to a yodeling performance by Rotarian Ernst. It was amazing to hear all the different sounds they made and how high some could sing!
Wednesday was our vocational morning. Kelly and Vanessa went to 2 English lessons within a primary school and high school. Kiana met with a local politician and Marina went to a large spa. In the evening, we had a meeting of the incoming and outgoing GSE groups. Both groups presented and then had time later to talk about the program. We, the Arizonans, attempted to warn them of the heat they would feel when they arrived in the states - hopefully they took our advice. They seem like a great group and for those of you that will meet them, I expect that you will really enjoy them.
Thursday morning we toured the Victorinox (Swiss Army Knife) Factory before heading for a boat ride to Luzern. Along the way, we stopped at the place where Switzerland was "born". It mostly looked like field overlooking the lake. When in Luzern, Walter took us on a tour of the city including a walk across the wooden Church Bridge. The city was beautiful.
Friday we were able to relax a bit in the morning before going to the airport to take a flight over Switzerland. The plane, owned by Rot. Benno, was a small, twin prop engine with 8 seats. The pilot did a wonderful job of flying us over Zurich, Luzern, Interlaken, and then around the Matterhorn. Seeing the mountains right outside the windows was an unbelievable experience. That evening, we had our going away dinner at a Chinese restaurant with all of our host families. It was another wonderful week in Switzerland!