Luzern and Zurich

I was happy to leave Geneva yesterday morning and catch a train to Luzern, which ended up being my next stop in part because a direct train traveled there from Geneva. One of the most fun things to do in Switzerland is just sit in the smooth-running trains and soak in the majestic moutains.

And majestic Luzern is. I spent hours walking and sitting by the lake and just soaking in the gorgeous scenery. Really other than a yummy cheese pretzel, some delicous chocolate, and the Lion Monument (which reminds of me of Aslan and is a monument for the Swiss soldiers who died in the French Revolution), I do not have much to report. I feel incredibly relaxed and am thoroughly enjoying not worrying about the details of routine life. It is quite remarkable how different I feel even after only being here 5 days. I have been so mindless--thinking a lot but not about the mundane details of life like returning phone calls, doing laundry, and the like. Even more than before, I believe that we need more than a week vacation once or twice a year to recharge, reflect, and just breathe. Of course, that type of vacation seems rather routine over here in Europe.

I had 5 roommates last night. Three very loud and rude girls evoked a midnight scream out of an older Parisian lady. And I made friends with a woman from Hong Kong named Maggie, who also quit her job and is traveling for about a month by herself. Like me, she is enthusiastically flying solo except she made some "friends" before coming over courtesy of the internet; friends that her long-time boyfriend do not know about. She invited me to a party with her friend and her and giddily showed off a photo of him on her digital camera. It was like watching a preteen with a crush.

Today I caught a train to Zurich and took a one hour stroll with my luggage thanks to bad directions. I finally caught a tram and found the hotel, which is a tremendous upgrade from a hostel (4 Points by Sheraton which seems nice so far). It was great to see Sam, and I have a feeling we will be closer than ever thanks to our modern hotel room which includes a shower that you enter directly from the bedroom and that has a clear door. And the bathroom has a semi-clear wall.

Sam accomplished his first vacation goal--buying a Tag Heur watch, and I stuck to the cheap life and only bought a smiley faced cookie, sausage, and a white chocolate and honey candy bar. I managed to get a lot of sun and enjoyed a lot of time today just sitting around outside in front of the mountains. No ipod, no book, no cell phone....just sitting there. The queen of multi-tasking is finally sort of focusing.

Tomorrow we are taking a day trip to a country I only recently learned of--Liechtenstein since it is only 90 minutes away.

Random Observations:

The diet here seems soooo fattening. Cheese, chocolate, more stuff with cheese, sausage, more chocolate, and pretzels with layers of butter and or cheese. Maybe American seems that way too with Cinnabon, Cookie Company, and the like.

Women love letting the bra strap show...who cares if the shirt is strapless? Just wear the same old bra.

Despite Switzerland being soooo clean, you have to go off the beaten track to escape the smoke. Btw, Aaron you definitely need to visit. You could explore it by motorcycle too:)

Happy Weekend!!

p.s. I am thankful for hot showers, clean and soft sheets, free internet, and comfy robes.