What Do You Mean, We're Not In Bavaria?!

So last time we wrote (which was about 2+ weeks ago...our sincerest apologies go out to all our dedicated fans and faithful readers out there)....anyway, the last blog was all about our time being home in the States. I also mentioned that we were dog sitting for our friends. Well, we finished up the dog sitting gig last Sunday afternoon. The dogs seemed very confused when we left as we had bags of laundry (towels and sheets), clothing, food, etc. The owners (one of my co-workers from the Zurich office and her husband) said that when they walked into the door of their apartment, the dogs just kind of looked at them with that same confused look. Within a few hours though, they realized that their owners were home after a long vacation and all was back to normal!

While dog sitting, we obviously couldn't travel anywhere. Therefore, we took advantage of the fact that we had to stay in Zurich and explored some restaurants and shops. Our adventures were a success! We discovered a really cool area along the Limmat River (which flows into the Zurichsee - Lake Zurich to the lay person). There are bars and places to "lay out" up and down both sides of the river, diving boards into the water, dj's playing funky music, and sand volleyball courts. The river has a strong flow (think of a massive lazy susan) so that you can just sort of float down. And, the water is deep enough so that people can jump in from the bridge above (about 30 feet above!!).

Also, my birthday was a few weeks ago (I'm finally 25). So not only did I get a few gifts from Ag (who is much older than me), but we went out for dinner and stumbled upon a great Turkish restaurant as well.

Also, we had a "second date" with the couple Agnes met online, Gary and Nicole. (Please see the previous blog "Lugano and other random happenings" to hear how we were "set up" and how the "first date" went!) This couple is from Ann Arbor, MI and will be here for the next 2 years because Gary is in a Chemistry work study at the university in town. Gary's school had a sand volleyball tournament this past Saturday, it consisted of 12 teams of 4 and was in a round robin format. The day started at 11a and went till about 5p. We didn't win the tournament, but we had a great time playing, chatting, having a few beers, etc. The weather was nice and it was a great day!

That evening, our "dates" had a dinner to get to and we had to get back to take care of the dogs. After a rousing walk and a number one and a number two by the pooches, Aggie and I went out for fondue. Then it was back to our busy "weekday" lives of working and babysitting.

This past weekend we went to Interlaken. We had been one time last September with my parents for a day trip when we did the "Beer and Brat Tour of Europe". It was a little different this time around! It was still the same small Swiss town we remembered, but instead of being complete tourists, we did what the Swiss do and went for a 6+ hour hike in the mountains! (Note, the pictures are amazing).

The day started off when we left the Bhanhof Enge train station where we picked up my co-worker, Loren, and his girlfriend Kaeti. We debated on taking the train but since we haven't drove the car for so long, we opted to drive. Our other friends who came were all coming at different times so some took the train to join us for the hike and others just came later for the fun evening out.

We all met in a small town just outside of Interlaken to start the hike. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!! The weather was prefect too. The trip was like climbing a stair master slowly for 3 hours straight. I'm not kidding either. My legs are still sore from all the walking! However, we did stop quite a bit to take some awesome pictures. There were quite a few waterfalls and bridges that we had to cross, and parts of the path were through actual cow fields. Needless to say, we were definitely one with nature on this hike.

Once we got to the top of this one main mountain, there was a small lake. It was so crazy to see this body of crystal clear water on top of this mountain surrounded by glaciers and several other mountain peaks. We all relaxed and took a long lunch break at this point.

When it was time to head back, instead of opting to go back the way we came (which was 2hrs and 40 mins) we chose to go back the other way for a change of view (This path was 3hrs and 10 mins long.). Okay, it might be hard to believe, but this way was so much harder! Going down was really rough on this side of the mountain because it was even steeper than the other side. We finally made it down though, carefully....

About 30 minutes left on the hiking path was a small cafe/bar. We all felt we deserved a cold brew and sat down to cheer our success and accomplishment. I asked the waitress if they had any weiss beer (e.g., Erdinger, Paulaner, etc...a kind of Southern German wheat beer). She looked at me with all seriousness and said "We do not have that. You are not in Bavaria you know." I, being Fred Marcum's son, retorted with "We're not?" then looking around to all of my hike mates, continued with "We must have taken a wrong turn on the trail, guys!!"

Well, anyway, the beer went down smooth to say the least. The bar also had milkshakes for 3CHFs. Our buddy Kevin ordered one and of course we all tasted it. It was fresh from the cow that was standing about 20 feet from us! (That is not a joke, either)

We got back to our car and everyone piled in. Off we went to our hostel to shower and get ready for the evening. On the way, we ran into what most would call a traffic jam. However, in Switzerland, you have a "cow jam". I sh*%t you not! There were about 10 cows being herded down the road and we had to wait for about 5 minutes for all of them to pass us before we could get through. NUTS! Unfortunately, all our cameras were in the trunk of the car so no one got any pics. (Sorry, I know you were all wanting to see up close and personal shots of these cows' arses)

We got to the hostel, the Funny Farm, and checked in. Seven people in a room and 2 in a double room. Perfect....and perfect it was! The room was huge, the bathroom was fine, etc. We all showered and got ready to go out and grab dinner. Of course, where did we go? HOOTERS! Apparently, the first Hooters to open in Switzerland was in Interlaken. Armed with that knowledge, how could we resist? So resist we did not...we left no wing unturned. The food was actually really good (unfortunately the talent was not), and the beer, as always, went down like water.

After dinner we went to a bar called Balmers and it was a flop! (Just check out the last picture from the Stecheberg Hike "roll") Some of the guys had been there before and said it was great. Well, that night was awful and needless to say, we stayed for a drink or two and then hit it. The only thing that Ag and I could compare it to was the Backer in South Bend, IN. One of the worst, crowded, sweaty bars I have ever been in. You walk in and just feel the body heat coming out of the place. Sort of fun in college....sort of not in your late 20's.

Sunday we drove back and Aggie babysat and I got caught up on some "life" things. Wednesday is a holiday here so we are going to Kaeti's apartment for a BBQ. Should be a good group and a really fun time. Other than that, who knows what next weekend will hold....

Ag's Return to Zurich and Other Random Happenings

Wedding cake: The only food proven to decrease a man's libido!

Grüetzi! We hope everyone had a very enjoyable 4th of July. Things here are great...now that Agnes is back! Funny how the world just seems to be a bit brighter for me when she is here (Agnes wrote that)....

If you remember from the last blog, Aggie and I went home together June 8-17th. We had lots of wedding things to do together, a few wedding showers to attend, my bachelor party, Brent's wedding, etc. Things were crazy but fun!! I ended up leaving to come back to Zurich from DC (where Brent's wedding was) since I had that "work thing" to get back to. Aggie on the other hand had to finish up wedding things. Plus, she wanted to take the chance to visit and see more of her friends and family. From what it sounds like, the rest of her time home was a helluva lot of fun! Check out the pictures...I'll just warn you there are tons.

One weekend, she went to Chicago to visit some friends (Note: I stayed in and cried because I missed her so much). In Chicago, Aggie went out to a few of our favorite bars and restaurants (without me, hence the crying). Plus, she did a little shopping in some trendy boutiques. On Saturday night, a big group of girls got together for a small party at her good friend, Stephanie Krebs', condo. They then went out to a new bar in the Lakeview area where boyfriends, husbands and lovers met them (except for me...unless Ag has a lover in Chicago I'm not aware of). On Sunday, Ag's cousin Kristin threw her a Mexican themed shower with Margaritas, fajitas, etc, etc (maybe Ag's lover is Hispanic?). Ag said she was very full of yummy food and loved the great gifts!

Then over the next weekend, Ag went to Steamboat, CO. In Steamboat she had a very relaxing girls weekend. Her girlfriend, Patti, organized the whole thing and did an excellent job. They shopped, rented a pontoon boat, had a fun little "girl's" party, went out to dinner, had a few drinks, etc. Again, she was so happy and excited when I talked to her later that weekend after the trip. She seemed to have loved every minute of her time there (without me).

While Aggie was visiting people and organizing things for the wedding back at home, I was doing my thing in Zurich. I have been working a lot (in between all of the crying) which kind of stinks, but I have also been hanging out a bit with a few of my co-workers. The people that I work with all seem very nice and decently cool, which is great. Plus, they know some really good restaurants and clubs to go to in Zurich which is a definite perk!

Ag got back last Tuesday and there were some slight adventures involved (e.g., a lost (but later found) suitcase, etc). But all in all her flights back here were fine. This past weekend we went to "Zuri Fascht", a city festival that takes place once every three years. There were food and drink booths set up down both sides of the lake, carnival rides all over, and fireworks over the lake at night. On Friday we were sitting in a restaurant with a great view of them...it was impressive!

Other goings-on: We are dog-sitting for one of my co-workers. Two Westies. Again, a couple of slight adventures (e.g., eating grass and then puking, sleeping in bed with us, etc), but all in all that's going okay too.

So, that is all for now. We are in the process of planning out a couple more vacation weekends, so rest assured that we will be back soon to write more about more European adventures!