Day #6: Stored Memories and New Memories Neuchatel and Zurich

Day #6 Stored Memories and New Memories ~ Neuchatel Junior College and Zurich

It is raining today so a good day to travel, although we are sad to be completing this hiking trip and I realize I would like to hike for another week as there are so many more places to explore. We go down 2 cable cars, take one bus and 3-4 train switches through Interlochen, Bern and eventually arrive in Neuchatel. The Swiss train system seems seamless, totally organized, always on time, and clean. In fact the country as a whole seems incredibly clean with no advertising signage, or garbage on streets and with neat and clean houses. 

Carolyn at 18 & still attractive to cows!

I have mixed feelings about being in Neuchatel after 50 years. When I was 18 I lived here and went to a Canadian Junior College for a year. It was a transformative year introducing me to the joys of travel, new cultures and interesting friends. First I take Anna to see the school and then walk up the steep hill to the house where I stayed with 2 other students who are still close friends.  Things look different now from my stored memories and of course things have changed, although the hill is still as steep as I remember. I am not sure I have found the right house or at least it looks different than I remembered. We walk through the old town and have mushroom and goat cheese crepes for lunch. A cozy thing to do on a rainy day. 

In fact, we have crepes again for dinner ~ this time sausage and spinage and cheese and for desert apple, almond and vanilla crepes. We decide it is perfectly okay to have crepes for lunch and dinner (and perhaps breakfast) and wonder why we don’t have crepe places in Seattle. We stay at the Beaulac Hotel situated on Lake Neufchatel with a view but sadly no balcony.

The next morning it is not raining and we decide rather than going to the cheese or clock museums we will take a train to Noirargue to hike in the Gorges de L’Areuse. I think we are already missing our hiking adventures in the Alps.  

This hiking is a very different terrain as it is a deep and narrow gorge with ferns, heavily forested, a rushing glacier stream and beautiful butterflies ~ it seems almost Jurassic-like. I imagine a dinosaur jumping out.  It also has some similarity to Washington hikes so perhaps this event is preparing me for coming home and reminding me of the wonderful hiking in our own state. Of course we stop for our lunch of guess what??? 

Returning from our hike we walk along the edge of Neuchatel Lake and find a place to swim. As our hotel has no balcony we have our pre dinner drinks and cheese by the lake.

The next morning is sunny and beautiful and we walk in the other direction along Neuchatel Lake and end our Neufchatel visit with the way we started our trip in Lucerne with cappuccino and croissants on a deck and an amazing view.







Zurich

Up the funicular to the train station straight to Zurich (90 minutes) and then on a tram to our hotel. This lovely small hotel Hotel Florhof was chosen by Anna and I immediately love it. Still no air conditioning and the hotel is very hot but beautiful with very helpful staff. We have lunch on the patio and then walk in the old town of Zurich which abounds with old churches, cobblestone walk ways and small stores and restaurants. We head along the river and find a place we can swim. Here most of the women are topless and it seems that most women if not topless have 2-piece suits regardless of their age. I feel rather old fashioned in my full piece swimsuit and wonder why no one is worried about skin cancer as they seem very focused on their tans.  We have a  relaxed afternoon wandering about, and I know I will miss this special, unscheduled time with my daughter.  Of course our evening includes an Aperol Spritz in an outside café sitting next to an ancient fountain in the old town. I miss the cow symphony and am still wondering if putting a small water fountain in my back yard can replace the cow symphony. I have absolutely loved Switzerland and it has exceeded my expectations and resulted in wonderful new memories to add to my teenager memories.

Returning Home



Anna and I go to the airport where she will fly to Italy for a mountain biking trip with Zach in the Dolomites while I return home.  We have had a great trip and I have enjoyed our one-on-one time immensely. I can't wait to tell John all about it.  When the taxi drops me off,  John surprises me by waiting for me by sitting in the driveway (in his slippers of course) with a welcome smile and barbecue dinner all ready to serve. It is always nice to be missed and then to experience the joy of reuniting and appreciating each other once again. Moreover, Seattle is sunny and our deck has a wonderful view of the Olympic mountains. Where is the Aperol spritzer?