Travel to Switzerland, North-East, Winterthur.

I wake before my hostess and pour myself a little bit of ultra-pasteurized milk (a strangely pleasant taste to me but one many Americans dislike) with my muesli. Due to Kristy’s tiredness yesterday and my own desire to simply enjoy with her and not push a sight-seeing agenda, I opt for a day in Winterthur. And so when Kristy wakes up we munch a bit more and then decide to run some errands.

Kristy and Stefan live very near the pedestrian-only center of Winterthur and it takes less than ten minutes, especially when you jaywalk. Which Kristy says that few Swiss do but as Americans we do so with great abandon…and even some relish. Winterthur may be Switerland’s 6th largest city but there is little hustle and bustle here except for rush hours. After all, this city/village has turned into a quasi-suburb for Zurich so during the day much of the populace pours itself south. The city center has cobbled streets and palely-pastel buildings, jammed together but very well-maintained. Kristy points out that though these buildings and streets are hundreds of years old, there are very, very few buildings that have faded paint, weathered
Winterthur streets
Non-rush hour times (i.e. most times)shutters, or anything of a worn look about them. All is tidy…and dare I say it, Swiss. The two main streets revolve around the Kirchplatz, the Protestant church of indeterminate age (since we can’t read the Swiss pamphlets) and sumptuous, colorful murals inside. Metal dragon cut-outs flare out from one of the double towers of the church, a pagan embellishment on this rather staid Christian front.

We stop to get maternity clothes (Kristy’s first!!) and some posh coffee. I browse in and out of shoe stores, looking for a pair of fashionable walking boots but not surprisingly, all of them are fur-lined. Very sensible for Switzerland, plain stupid for SoCal “winters.” We head back for a cheesey lunch (seriously, this is not the country for the lactose-allergic or intolerant!) and after Kristy naps, we head back out to the forest.

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