A Side Trip to Winterthur, Switzerland

Located about 16 miles northeast of Zurich, 

Winterthur boasts a number of 

art museums, a thriving industrial economy, and 

a municipal history dating back to 1264 AD.

Being "green" is a lifestyle here as seen by the four blocks of bikes parked

on the streets by the train station. This is the city's "park and ride"!

 

These shoes are "on sale" (an a sidewalk item)

 but their price is almost $100. That's not a "sale price"

in the Warren's budget.

Winterthur may not have 1250 drinking fountains like Zurich,

but citizens and visitors 

refill their water bottles at these public watering holes. 

While art museums hold the masters, folk art adorns the public

fronts of businesses and private homes. One might see geese in one block

and dragons or angels in another. 

Next time: How the young used to be publicly punished in Zurich. Believe me, it's not an idea we want to emulate.

Our Neighborhood

This graffiti is one of hundreds at Fabrik, a former factory that anarchists took over in the 1980s. They applied for -- and received -- arts funding. The "canvases" can change daily.

Grapes from the bio-farm up the street grace our meals these days. Luke said it best, "And these grapes have never been in a car." Talk about a low carbon imprint!

The Zurich harbor on a sunny autumn day.

One of our favorites hikes is on the ridge to our west.  To the south of this spot are the Alps and to the west a village with red roofs and white walls. 

 

Just minutes from home we build a campfire and enjoy a brotwurst roast.  Once each month the kindergarten class treks into the woods (rain or shine), makes a fire, and cooks a lunch. On this Saturday we are honing Luke's campfire skills.

Love among the Ruins

Okay, so this isn't Katherine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier in "Love Among the Ruins" but Lunch among the Ruins with Roger and Becky. Note the chocolate bar -- and the ruins.

The history of this Castle Hohentwiel in Singen, Germany, spans a thousand years. 

Prior to any "permanent settlement," inhabitants may have banded here for protection. The Romans used this extinct volcano as a signaling station.

A view from the top reveals the lower level of this castle "complex."

Homeward bound, we enjoy telltale signs of autumn.

Along the Rhine River

Even at the Altenburg-Rheinau train station, potted geraniums brighten

the windows.

In Rheinau gardeners set out produce for passersby to purchase --

the sign on the zucchini reads "gratis."

The Church of St. Nicholas overlooks the Rhine River. It was built in 1573.

This bridge over the Rhine dates back to the 13th century. It connects Germany and

Switzerland with custom officials at each end of this passage.

After traversing the covered bridge, a tourist encounters this Swiss sculpture.

Its form and stance both amuse and intimidate. 

Hiking in the Countryside

A small stream in the countryside held gifts and surprises: 

a European dipper;

 the sights and sounds of waterfalls;

an entrance into Shakespeare's Green World;

and

an artist's gifts.