Days 7, 8, and 9

On Friday 6/17 we had nothing officially scheduled, so I slept in and then went out early for a bike ride. The idea of a relaxing bike ride throughout the Zurich area sounded good in theory but didn't turn out so well in practice. For one, the traffic system in Switzerland (no stop signs, fast drivers) doesn't bode well for the lost biciclyist. Second, when you're trying to meet up with someone and neither one has cell phones, it can be problematic. After an hour of being lost, unable to meet up with a friend, and tired of the trying to figure out how to work the gears on the bike, I just locked the bike up, went into a supermarket, bought a sandwich and the Herald Tribune, and ate my lunch on a bench. Later in the afternoon I took the bus down to the Lake of Zurich where most of the American kids and some of the Swiss students paddled around the Lake. That night we went to a Disco/Club in Zurich which was an interesting experience, to say the least.

On Saturday I dragged my ass out of bed at 8:00 AM to head with my host family and an American friend to another mountain and a drive-through of Lucern. The mountain we went to in Central Switzerland (can't remember name at the moment) was amazing, the views simply incredible. After a light walk/hike we had a great lunch at a restaurant and then a good boat ride back to the car. Lucern had a gay pride festival going on so we couldn't spend much time driving through the city.

Saturday night was the big concert that many of the Swiss kids had been practicing for all week. The venue was intimate and the music loud. It was my first exposure to "ska" music. They all did a great job and it was fun seeing them on stage. Two of their songs had music - Hit the Road Jack in English and La Bumba (in Spanish).

Sunday 6/19 I went to a long, four course lunch with my host family and relatives with yet again more amazing views (I will stop posting pictures - you get the point - everything is beautiful). It was like the 5th straight huge, tasty European meal I've had in a row. So now I need to get on the bike and work some of it off!