Springtime in Switzerland

I love traveling to new countries – and this time around it was Switzerland and Austria.  We began by staying with Heraldo’s sister and her boyfriend outside Zurich (really cute small town called Schindelegi).  I loved the tiny streets of the old town in Zurich.  We had fun hiking to Rapperswil, enjoying the 13th Century monestary and castle (complete with chicken coop built in 1250 and still in use).  We spent some quality time on trains and buses (that arrived and departed with Swiss efficiency).  I most enjoyed the day trip to Teecino – the southern part of Switzerland that is definitely Italian in flavor (and language).  Not only were the gardens, lakes, and stores beautiful in Lugano, but I enjoyed the mixture of Italian and Swiss culture.  The Italian culture has such vitality, exuberance, love, art, and passion.  The Swiss culture has a love for organization, cleanliness, modern-ness, and healthy outdoor living.  The combination of the two makes for a very pleasant style.

Then Heraldo and I jumped a plane to Vienna.  After taking about an hour to get checked into our hostel (you get what you pay for) we enjoyed the city very much.  The beautiful old buildings are amazing, and we even got a little waltz and polka in when we found an accordian player playing in the city gardens.

Salzburg was similarly spectacular with more castles and churches than you can shake a stick at.  Make sure to hit up the Afro Cafe if you’re in town, the food was awesome and the ambiance was quite impressive.

It was nice to see Heraldo’s family again – his mother and father made the trip all the way over from Brazil, and his sister and Jonas were such fab hosts.  Next reunion – Boston!!