The Sweet Taste of Timeless Zurich, Switzerland!

Finally, a trip to another European country and one of Italy's northern neighbors....Switzerland!

Thinking of that classic Schoolhouse Rock song, "The Great American Melting Pot," did you know Switzerland is a literal melting pot of its own? In the west you have the French speaking Geneva region, in the south there is the Italian speaking Lugano area (located in the canton called Ticino), and where this journey led me...the German speaking region of Zurich. Overall, the German language and culture is widespread throughout the country.

Now, I know what you are probably thinking....I indulged on some fine Swiss chocolates, purchased myself a fancy luxury watch and skied the Alpine slopes. Well, only a third of that statement is slightly true....the chocolate.

We made our way to Zurich via train from Milan's Central Station. It was a rather cheap ride costing around 44 euros round-trip; however, that wasn't the best part. The railway cut straight through the Swiss Alps! Scenic views, you ask? Of Course!

Despite arriving and spending the morning amidst light rain showers, the weather was cool and the rain let up during the early afternoon. It would have been the perfect time to test out my umbrella...the one I have yet to purchase. LOL!

Zurich is quite different from Milan. From the obvious difference in language to the style of architecture, this city was definitely easy on the eyes. (Maybe it could have been the Limmat River which runs through the center of the city and connects with the northern end of Lake Zurich.) In my opinion, Zurich would be the perfect late spring, early summer destination.

Limmat River

The sights we seen during our day-trip to Zurich:

Grossmünster: Inside the "Great Minister" protestant church, the organist was practicing a few hymns on the church's ENORMOUS organ. The range of this organ was remarkable, as it produced depth of tones I've rarely heard in a church.

Grossmunster Organ

Grossmunster exterior 

Fraumünster: This church was a former abbey and translates into "Women's Minister." Unfortunately, we did not enter this gem, but at least the outside was remarkable with its tall, thin spire.

The Limmat River and Fraumunster

St. Peter's Church: The clock's face on this church happens to be the largest in Europe at 8.7 meters!

Just look at St. Peter's face! It's HUGE!

Museum Paläontologische Sammlung (Zoological Museum): When we stepped inside the museum doors, all of the animals froze in fear. They where so stiff, it was almost as if they were stuffed. Anyways...this free museum represented the animal population extremely well!

Frozen stiff

Miscellaneous images from Zurich: 

View of Zurich from a hill (a rather small hill)

The streets of Old Town Zurich

Blow your whistle, wave those hands, direct that traffic

The travelers (L to R--Me, Manu, David, Vir and Nico)

Cinque Terre: Five Irresistible Italian Riviera Villages

It's funny to think I'm about to compare a location in Italy to the Sirens of Greek methodology, but it is the perfect simile. Just like the Sirens lured in passengers of the sea through their beauty and music, Cinque Terre seduces the traveler through pastel colored villages resting on Mediterranean Sea bluffs. 

Located along the Italian Riviera between Levanto and La Spezia is Cinque Terre - a series of five villages in close proximity from each other - where life is relaxed and traffic is absent. Between the five villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are hillsides tamed with vineyards and olive groves.

Map of Cinque Terre

When compared to the other Italian cities I had the pleasure of visiting (thanks to WhereMilan), Cinque Terra is a completely different animal. Where Manuta, Bologna, Bergamo, etc. were rich in history and museums, Cinque Terra thrives from its scenic views and outdoor activities. 

Each town is laced together by a system of hiking trails. If you were to ask me, the views we saw from the trails were the best part of our journey. However, don't worry if you are unable to hike the trails because there is regional train operating between each village. At a cost of 12 Euros, you can buy a pass which gives you unlimited access to the rail, hiking paths, and several attractions in the region.

Of the five villages, Vernazza stole my heart. Maybe it was the ruins of the Doria castle and pirate lookout tower on the cliff, my first taste of the region's oily focacccia, or the pebbled beach; whatever it was, I am definitely not complaining.  

Even though images don't do justice, here are some views of the five Cinque Terre villages:

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore (The southern most city of Cinque Terre)

The main street in Riomaggiore

Manarola

Houses in Manarola on the Cliff

Manarola during the sunset

Corniglia

Church in Corniglia

Corniglia

Vernazza

This way to Vernazza!

View of Vernazza from the South

View of Vernazza from the North

Relaxing on the Beach

Monterosso

Monterosso the northern most village of Cinque Terre

Freezing in the Mediterranean Sea

Too many steps...

Bienvenido a Milano, Italia!

Here is your first insider look into the remarkable city of Milan, Italy; aka Milano, Italia in Italiano. I have a feeling after this blog post I will have a lot of disgusted friends and family, but here goes nothing! LOL! 

Looking SW on Via Luigi Settembrini

Arriving at the Malpensa airport yesterday (Sunday, March 2, 2014 around 8:00am), I actually got my first glimpse of the city around 10 am. Why the two hour difference you ask? Well, Milan has two major airports...one serving mainly domestic and European Union flights called Linate (LIN) and one serving most of the international flights called Malpensa (MXP). The main difference is the location of the airports; LIN is about 4 miles east of Milan's center where MXP is about 30 miles NNW. However; don't let distance scare you away from MXP because there happens to be an express train called MalpensaExpress connecting the international traveler directly from the airport to various train stations. With day one in the books, I have already utilized Milan's extensive public transportation system including: trams, buses, subways, and trains.

Question for the readers: For my internship, I want to do a little survey. What do you currently know about Milan, and what would you like to know? Please comment to this post or email your responses to lance.husak@gmail.com. Your participation will be greatly appreciated, and don't be afraid to reply with, "I know nothing." Remember...Milano Loves You!

Beef, It Was For Dinner

With Buenos Aires being one of the largest international cities in the world, there is a wealth of “insider” information available on the internet. Not only are they interesting to read, but these sites are the source of my information, the backbone of adventures, and the explainer of the Buenos Aires "dos-and-don’ts." When traveling to any foreign destination it is always smart to do a little digging and fact finding prior your departure.

In general...