My Final Month In Zurich

Time flies when you're having fun. A saying I've always found to be true. I now have less than a month left in Zurich before I finish my year abroad. I was at home for a little while but I just had to come back and spend my summer over here – partly because I actually wanted to have some warm weather (a rare phenomenon in the UK) and also so that I could start with my reading for next year without the distractions of home life.

Relaxing by the Limmat river.

Of course, I don't plan to spend the whole time here doing something productive! There are still parties and barbeques going on as well as the Zurich Street Parade - a crazy music festival (on the 11^th) which transforms the orderly, Swiss city into a huge rave! Best of all, unlike many things in Switzerland, it's free!

The pristine Lake Zurich looks rather inviting in hot weather.

Besides, I can use the odd break, reading my prescribed literature on National Socialism for the new semester in Aberdeen is only bearable in small doses. In many respects, this year has been a bit of a break in general, in anticipation of the hard work waiting for me for honours the next two years.

The lake at night, looking over to the Utoquai bridge.

I'm leaving Switzerland on the 14^th of August and I've already had to say goodbye to a few friends. I'm going to miss this place and the people, all the more reason to come back here at some point - I'm already looking forward to the ski season.

The Reverse Culture Shock

On my very first week of university in Zurich, I was warned that the reverse culture shock will be worse than the initial shock of moving to a foreign country. This definitely seems to be the case, for me at least. I've spent the last week or so back at home in England, (in order to attend a wedding). And it's been very bizarre being back...

When it's not raining in England, it's about to rain.

I left a relatively cool Zurich (25C) only to find that I forgotten just how bad British summers are, arriving into overcast 13C Manchester. What I found really strange, is that people speak English here, and not just any old English, but English with English accents! It took me a while to get used to not hearing passing strangers speaking German. Indeed, to begin with I found it very difficult to adjust to. Through force of habit, I thanked someone in German for letting me passed in the airport and I spent a good 10 seconds stuttering to an official, when trying to find out where I needed to go.

Finally reunited with a mug of decent tea!

I was also affected by the recent road trip I had in Germany and Poland, it felt very strange seeing cars driving on the correct side of the road again! Apart from all the weirdness of being back in Blighty, it's been great seeing my family again – and not to mention being able to eat fish and chips! British 'cuisine' may not be terribly good, but I missed it all the same. I'd say Swiss cuisine is better, but that's not all that important when you can't afford eating out!

My local, where the pints are affordable and the craic is good.

The biggest shock however, was receiving change from a tenner after buying three pints in a pub. In Zurich, you'd be happy to get one pint of beer for that and still have the shirt on your back. It's been great to be home! Having said that, 10 days has been plenty of time and I'm looking forward to spending one more month in Zurich, where hopefully, the concept of 'summer' isn't a far-fetched fantasy!

Road Trip: Part Three

The final leg of our journey was originally to stop over in Wroclaw. We decided however to just spend an afternoon there. From the outside, Wroclaw looks uninviting. Grubby suburbs and uneven roads surround the centre. But I guess most suburbs of most cities tend to appear that way.

Wroclaw can actually look pretty, depending on the camera angle you take.

Once you get to the heart of the city, you discover quite a pretty old town district, lined with cafes and restaurants. Another opportunity to try Polish food, pierogi (filled dumplings) is something I'd definitely recommend for example. Without really knowing anything about the city beforehand at all, we exhausted our ideas of what-to-do in one afternoon. I'm sure the city has more to offer though.

Dresden, the reconstructed Frauenkirche.

We drove onwards to Dresden, which proved to be a good decision. There's plenty to see there. Most of the old cathedrals, theatres and other buildings which were destroyed during the Second World War have been rebuilt, some still with original masonry. A very impressive sight indeed. Dresdner cuisine is also supposed to be pretty decent, but we were more tempted by South African instead, not quite authentic, I know, but better than eating at a certain fast food chain!

The main square in the city.

An ace road trip, covering the best part of a thousand miles. Although as much as I love travelling, I could take it easy for a while now!

Road Trip: Part Two

After Hamburg and Berlin we drove across to Krakow. There was no mistaking that we were in Poland, immediately upon crossing the border, the motorway became incredibly bumpy – so much so that I'm not even sure if motorway is the right word for that haphazard strip of tarmac. A sharp contrast to the smooth speed-limit-free Autobahnen of Germany! Nevertheless, we somehow made it to Krakow with an intact chassis.

The main square in Krakow.

A friend's family – whom she had never met before – were kind enough to host us. They live in a farm outside of the city and we were given a warm, Polish welcome (yet more beer). I can't speak Polish, so understanding what was going on was a little tricky, but I did pick up a few useful words – beer of course included (piwko).

In the old town district of Krakow.

Krakow itself is a very pretty city and there's plenty to see and do. We spent most of the time eating – Polish food is great (not a country for vegetarians)! After looking around the city, we headed to Wieliczka, just outside Krakow, in order to check out the salt mines that our hosts recommended.

A shop 100 metres underground in a mine - very strange...

The mine was really cool, the miners had sculpted statues into the rock salt – including a 3D carving of The Last Supper which was impressive. In fact the salt mine was like nothing else I've seen. There was a cathedral chamber (where you can be wedded for 2000 Złoty), a conference centre and even a little shop down there. I was half expecting to find a Starbucks and KFC too. 'Mine' is probably a misleading term for the place, rather I'd call it an underground exhibition centre – which also carries out the odd mining operation from time to time. Very bizarre – but definitely worth a visit!

The impressive cathedral chamber.

A very enjoyable time had in Krakow indeed, I could've stayed there longer! The road trip then took us back West, next stop Wrocław...

Road Trip: Part One

At the end of June, me and two flatmates embarked on a road trip. We began the journey in Hamburg, where one of my friends hails. Hamburg is a huge harbour city, once part of the Hanseatic league, in the north of Germany.

The Speicherstadt district is where all the trading goods were stored.

Any visitor to Hamburg is pretty much obliged to go to the Reeperbahn: an unashamedly bold red-light district (the biggest in Europe in fact). It's wild reputation certainly is deserved, at least upon my first impression. In any case, beer is an intrinsic part of German culture, whether you are in a Bavarian beer garden or the Reeperbahn, beer should always be involved in any trip to Germany!

Relaxing with a beer after taking a boat trip through the harbour city.

Hamburg is one of the most exciting cities in Germany, rivalled only by Berlin. But unlike Berlin, I could also envisage that life in Hamburg might also be pleasantly relaxed at times too.

After a couple of nights in Hamburg, we had a quick stopover in Berlin, where another friend joined our road trip. I had already been to the city before during the winter, but it was nice to be there in temperatures above -15C! Again, as mentioned, beer has a cultural significance in Germany. A great excuse to try a Berlin speciality: Berliner Weisse.

Woodruff, blackcurrant and rhubarb flavoured beer.

The beer can actually be flavoured with fruity syrups, this makes for – to put it politely – an interestingly unique beer experience. Far too sweet for my liking, it tasted more like cider, which would've definitely tasted nicer.

After an evening in Berlin, we set off again in the morning: bound for Poland...