Ich bin ein Züricher...

About this time last year, our friends, Paul and Irina, and my husband and I, started talking about the possibility of our families taking a trip together.  We settled on a long weekend in Switzerland, Zurich to be precise (as the Swiss always are) with a day trip to Luzern.   This weekend coincided with our oldest's 13th birthday, so while the Dads took the boys to the largest indoor water park in Europe, Irina, her mom and I spent lovely day walking around Zurich.  Irina and I agreed that we were in love with this city.  Even though it's nestled in the Alps, we spotted a palm tree on a small side street in the city.  An environment that will sustain palm trees is one of my prerequisites for a retirement location...and Zurich also has the adorable window boxes with the hanging flowers that we associate with the Alps.  It's the best of both worlds!

We loved this florist shop...Walls of pine cones and baskets full of flowers...just gorgeous...

We went window shopping.  Zurich has some really nice high-end thrift shops with clothes, coats, shoes and one-of-a-kind jewelry...

We could totally see ourselves living in Zurich.  The streets are so neat and tidy, lined with shops and cafes, like Cafe Schober, whose hot chocolate (pictured below) was to die for!!  What a gem!

 

Another reason to live in Zurich?  The fondue!  This little restaurant with the blue cow on the balcony is said to be one of the best for fondue in Zurich.  It's called Restaurant Swiss Chuchi.  If you want to do fondue outside next to the lake, you can dine in restaurants where you'll be treated to candle light and faux fur blankets, like the one below to keep you warm.

And what a lake it is...people were out sailing on this cool fall day!

This man was feeding quite the variety of water fowl!

Then as if it was fate, we stumbled upon the Grand Re-Opening of Zurich's equivalent of their Town Hall.  We had no idea what was going on.  Children were throwing confetti out of the windows, ladies were handing out cookies, and there were a ton of people milling around.  We asked someone what was going on and they told us about the re-opening and how the event was open to the public.  Since we had adopted the city as our own that day, we decided that as "Zurichers," we should go in and tour the town hall too.  It was our civic duty as new citizens...we were treated to a tour of the beautiful building and a great lunch with some kind of apple cider drink.  We didn't dare ask what it was, otherwise we might blow our cover...

We all know kids love confetti...

But apparently, it's pretty hard for adults to resist as well.  This lady is secretly sprinkling some confetti  in her friend's hair.  

Below is a look at the inside of "our" town hall!

Waiting in line for lunch...

Seriously, who wouldn't want to live in a city where you can come back to your parked car and find it covered with confetti...

We loved being "Zurichers," if only for one day!