Pop Tarts

I was attending a business dinner at a company-owned restaurant. The food is awesome, and the location is not too far from where I live. Everything about the place screams Frank Lloyd Wright, even if it isn't. It's just a really cool place. It is unfortunate, but they do not allow people to make a reservation there for a family, or just a spouse. It's all business-related meals at the company where I work. Could be for business travelers if they are visiting the site for a business-related conference, but it's not open to the public. Rather exclusive.

Kris and the kids instead attended another place, called Cindy's Diner. I would have enjoyed it, too. Apparently one can buy American Pop Tarts there... for CHF 11 each box. Kris bought two because the kids HAD TO HAVE THEM. Did I mention they were 11 francs each?

Sechseläuten

On Monday of this week, the area businesses allowed a half-day-off in the afternoon. There is an annual event here called Sechseläuten to celebrate the beginning of spring's 6 o'clock church bells, marking the end of the workday for summer hours. Whereas during winter, an early darkness would prevent work from continuing. This is commemorated with a parade of guilds, and by the torching and exploding of a snowman effigy, lovingly named "Böögg". Here are few photos from this event and parade.

Poor Böögger. He never had a chance with the evil Lord Farquart.

Mustard

Please pass the mustube.

This stuff is like wasabi. My TRPA1 receptors crave this stuff. It goes wonderfully with snossages.

Spring

I crested a hill this evening on the way home, and the beauty of Lake Zurich caught my attention for a brief moment.

I've been walking to work and home more frequently now that Spring is here. The weather is nice, the flowers are beautiful, and I've found a way to carry my work shoes in my backpack while wearing tennis shoes. I look like a dork (well, I do regardless) wearing tennis shoes with a suit, but lots of people here make me think the word dork.

There was the 62 year old lady who was riding her bicycle up the hill I was walking down this morning. There was the 55 year old man riding his blade scooter at top speeds around the crowded main train station. And since it's spring, there are scads of people wearing springy colored clothing and hair colors... something I wouldn't do no matter how dorky I am. But that's me, the stuffy American.

OMG Italy

Spent the Easter holiday in a very old home converted into an hotel outside of Genova, Italy, looking (mostly Sarah and Kris shopping) around Santa Margherita Ligure and the five towns of Cinque Terre. On the way there we stayed a night in a very old hotel in Lake Como, Italy. On the way back, we stayed in Lugano, Switzerland, and spent a few hours near the lake. We rented a car.

Gelato.

Pizza.

Driving driving driving... on very very thin and small roads. Motorcycles are popular because they can drive around cars in stuck traffic, in between cars, into oncoming traffic, on the road's shoulder. These people are just nuts.

I would also like to recommend that everyone visits Italy's public rest-stops and train station restrooms. Oh, and keep a barf bag handy. On second thought, no need. Just let it fly.