Istanbul

Pictures from Turkey are up! However, I have yet to put up captions and such. This time, I will just post a picture blog. It figures that I am crazy busy at the end of vacation. I suppose I should do homework...
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This week I may go to the Cully Jazz Festival with Marie, Yvonne, Gil, Leticia, Claire, and Sharon. It's free at night, and it's the perfect venue because they open the wine caves and have food (probably in some form of molten cheese), local wine, good music, and fun.
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Then, in a few weeks I am going to the Caravan Palace concert with Yvonne. Abby might be visiting during that week as well.
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Lots to look forward to this month!

Basel with Sharon

Sharon and I decided that it would be important to plan the next day trip in a big Swiss city. A friend asked me previously if I had thought about going on the XChange UNIL trip to Basel, and I thought that sounded like fun. However, instead of signing up with XChange, Sharon and I planned our own tour of the city. This gave us the opportunity to plan our museum list and historical tour, without worrying about whether or not we would get to see everything on our list.



We visited the Kunstmuseum, the Puppenhaus Museum, and the Tinguely Museum, all of which provided a great cultural background of the city and some fun interaction with art and history.



Not only was it a beautiful day with blue skies and sunshine, but we managed to take a rather extensive tour of the historical part of the city and engage in some regular weekend fun. We found the Saturday food market at the Marchplatz, where Sharon and I shared a DELICIOUS pretzel (her first ever) and a garage sale at Petersplatz, where people were dressed up and selling a whole variety of old junk. We also walked over all three of the major bridges over the Rhine (one of the largest rivers in Europe).



Another thing we found out: the Swiss really do love their cheese - enough to fill an entire refrigerated wall and a corner with several refrigerated units. We bought some amazing cheese for our trip back on the train!

Taco Night

After I found that soy protein in Madrid, I wanted to use it for something delicious. I decided to make tacos with fancy add-ins...a little reminder of home with an added touch of Suisse delicacy.



- Soy protein with fried onions, garlic, and taco seasoning
- Scrambled eggs with Gruyère and Sriracha hot sauce
- Red kidney beans with cumin and coriander
- Spicy peanut salad with lemon and soy sauce
- Guacamole with fresh lime
- Shredded Gruyère
- Hard-shell corn tortillas



All of this with fresh lime juice squeezed over the top made a heavenly good taco with a gourmet twist. You can see from our happy faces that this was a big hit!

Andrew visits: Yvoire, Nyon, La Chaux-de-Fonds

This weekend, Andrew paid me a visit all the way from Washington, DC!
On Thursday, he arrived at the Lausanne train station exhausted and ready for a nice nap after being in transit for so many long hours. He recounted the extensive journey from London to Geneva, which involved changing of many trains, buses, planes, and other modes of transportation. Unfortunately, I had to go to class quickly after his arrival, but that also gave him a chance to recuperate from his previous adventures in the UK. When I returned, we first went to the museum at La Place de la Riponne, where they had a Darwinist exhibition, among other fine museum artifacts. It cost 4 CHF (almost nothing!) to see the museum of architecture, archeology (including a lock of Napoleon's hair), money (mostly ancient coins), zoology (with jars of mutant cats and stuffed owls), geology (gorgeous, shiny, brilliant crystals and precious stones), paleontology (fossils, bones, and ancient natural structures), and others (which I cannot recall at the moment). We learned a lot about Swiss heritage and native flora and fauna, which served as a nice comparison to those of the United States. After our nice tour of the museum, we took a relaxing pause at Le Barbare, the cafe with the famous hot chocolate. We were in heaven with the rich, pudding-like goodness of the warm chocolate. It really is a heavenly experience. We had some nice conversation in the cafe but then promptly returned to my apartment for a quick bite to eat before meeting some of my exchange friends at le Satellite, the local bar/lounge on the EPFL campus. We spent the evening chatting with people from all over the world, and the bar was very lively with old American pop hits playing over the speakers and people letting go the stresses of the school day.
On Friday, we took a boat from Nyon, Switzerland, to Yvoire, France, a small medieval village that used to be completely protected by stone walls. We were not aware, however, that the season of tourism influenced the frequency of the boat trips, so we arrived only to find that we had 40 minutes until the last boat departed from Yvoire back to Nyon. We were able to see quite a bit of the village and to take nice pictures of the medieval structures, albeit the short amount of time, though, and we also found a persimmon tree, where we pilfered this strange fruit to take home and try. It was quite an effort climbing over the mossy stone wall, but we succeeded in grabbing one! (After letting it ripen over the weekend, we tasted it, but, to our chagrin, it was rather disgusting. Due to its strong tannins, the fruit was very astringent and it sucked all the water out of our mouths. It had the same effect as novocaine.) So, after taking a train to another city to only spending 40 minutes in France, you might ask if this time was wasted. I would have to say that this was not the case. We took great delight in returning to Nyon to spend the afternoon in a lovely nautical museum near the lakeside, only to find that our tickets were also valid (for up to a year!) to the fine art museum as well as the ancient ceramic museum found in the Nyon castle. Because it was late in the afternoon, we did not have time to explore the other museums, but I hope to use the tickets in the future and profit from this wonderful little city! After everything had closed, we walked around the city center and purchased (my first!) roasted chestnuts. To be honest, I don't know why I never tried them before...maybe it is because Iowa seems to be lacking in these delicious treats, but they were quite delectable, and we happened to chance upon them once again on our weekend excursion to la Chaux-de-Fonds.
So, you may be wondering where la Chaux-de-Fonds is found on the map. It is a very small city in the northeastern part of Switzerland in the canton of Neuchâtel. My Tandem partner, Valentin, invited us to stay in his parents' chalet at la Tête-de-Ran (in the canton of Jura) for the weekend. "Jura" refers to the jurassic era, when the tectonic plates caused the region to become very hilly with many peaks and valleys. We took this opportunity to eat molten cheese, hike through Swiss hills (where we saw an expansive view of the city of la Chaux-de-Fonds), and learn a bit more about Swiss culture - idiomatic expressions, dining customs, etc. We also had the chance to explore the Musee d'Horlogerie (watch museum) and les moulins souterrains (underground mills). If you take a peek at the photo album, you will understand more about the watchmaking industry as well as the underground mill process.
On Sunday, Valentin's parents were gracious enough to pay our way for the underground mills and a tour of the city, as well as to prepare a wonderful dinner of pasta with pesto and shredded cheese, lamb chops, and fennel and carrot salad on Sunday evening. We thanked them heartily for such a wonderful stay, and we departed with Valentin and his girlfriend, Vanessa, for our return back to Lausanne. I have to say that it is rare to find such generous hosts, but I often find them here in Switzerland. I think that maybe their beautiful country and their high quality of life makes them appreciate and enjoy the little things enough to share their joy with others. Although I did not initially expect it, I have made friends with Swiss people with relative ease, and, overall, I find them to be kind-hearted and incredibly generous.

6th Mountain Cheese Olympics

Because the Swiss love their cheese, I thought it would be pretty important to see what all the fuss was about. Thus, I decided to organize an excursion to Saignelégier, Bellelay, and Tramelan, three cities in the Jura, for the 6th Mountain Cheese Olympics. There were 630 different types of cheese, and the event was free, offering cheese tasting, games, traditional Swiss music, tours of cheese factories, seminars, and other activities.
First of all, I think it is awesome that Switzerland offers a student transportation card that allows you to travel after 7pm for free. We thus took the 2 hour train to les Reusilles, a small village near Tramelan, to stay at a small bed and breakfast called “Chez Marie.” After taking several wrong turns and reaching the end of the village, we finally found the path to the bed and breakfast – a completely dark pedestrian path that led us through farms, and eventually, her small farm. The woman who owned the bed and breakfast lived in the house and had one room open for guests. She was the most delightful woman I have ever met – warm, welcoming, and full of useful information about Swiss tourism and activities. She was not at the house when we arrived at about 10:30, but because this was small-town Switzerland, she left the door open for our entry. She arrived at about 11:15 and shared with us some stories about previous visitors and her history in the village.

In our room, she left a bowl of delicious plums and apples and a visitor’s book to fill with our comments and drawings. We read previous entries, and everyone raved about her hospitality; some drew gorgeous pictures of the Swiss countryside and cute cartoons and whatnot. You could tell that this was a rather unique place to stay – the room was filled with books and games and travel information, and there was a small reading area outside our door that overlooked the kitchen. The chairs were covered in hand-made pillows and blankets, and there were children’s stuffed animals, posters, and artwork all over. The owner was also a marble painter, so she had books, cards, and other pieces on display and for sale. Her eye for beauty and her warm heart were very well represented in this little cottage, as we instantly felt at home and comfortable. It was a shame that we could only stay for one night, because I would have loved to stay to talk with her for the day and learn about her origins and watch her paint in her studio.
In the morning, she prepared for us a breakfast with homemade apricot and prune jam, marmalade with lemon zest, yogurt with raspberries, bread with walnuts, muesli with oatmeal, honey, cheese, and jasmine tea. We passed a relaxing morning enjoying the delicious meal and watching the sheep graze in her backyard; we sat with her and talked about the cheese festival (she also planned on attending), and she told us about her favorite ski slopes – known only by locals and offering a beautiful view of the mountains – and an event that happens in the spring near Basel. Evidently, they close the river off to boats so that people can swim along the river from several small towns to Basel. After you arrive on the beach, there are outdoor showers where you can rinse off and change into dry clothes, which you put in a plastic sack and tie around your waist. It definitely sounds like an interesting mode of transportation, and I plan to pursue this as an excursion for the spring.
We took the shuttle bus to the covered cheese market after breakfast, and, inside the large tent, there were little wooden booths for each cheese maker. They offered free samples of their cheeses and sometimes had elixirs and juices to taste as well. I really enjoyed the fresh-pressed apple juice, which tasted like all the wonderful elements of an apple pie, apple cider, and applesauce. It was rich and bold in flavor. Delicious. As for my favorite cheeses, I purchased four different kinds, all originating from Switzerland. Two kinds were from a German region (Grand Cru and der Rasse), one from the Jura (bio cheese with wild garlic), and one from a French region (cow’s cheese that was similar to brie but much creamier). There was also a stand that had the best yogurt I have ever tasted; it was made from sheep’s milk, and there were different flavors, such as vanilla, mocha, chocolate, raspberry, and natural. It was thick, creamy, rich, and full of intense flavor. It was probably packed with fat, but I was in heaven.
There were also opportunities to win free cheese in the children’s circus tent. They had games that you could play – a spin-the-wheel game, where I won a cut of fresh mozzarella, and some other activities – a fake cow where you could practice your milking skills, various cages of farm animals, and a demonstration of making mozzarella. The two men showed us how the leftover liquid, called “le petit lait” (or little milk), drained from the cheese. They let us taste this milk, which was warm and flavorful. They also showed us the cutting process and explained how to stir and heat the cheese.
We returned to the covered market after the circus games to enjoy some jazz alphorn and accordion music. There were many talented musical groups that played throughout the day, and it was interesting to compare the contemporary with the traditional. My favorite group was made up of two sisters who played accordion; they were the most talented accordion players I have ever seen. Their fingers moved with such grace, and they played with intricacy and precision. In short, they were admirable musicians, and I hope that someday I am good enough to jam like that!

In Bellelay, the second village, we visited the Abbey, where the Tete de Moine cheese originated. They were preparing for the gala event, so the main room was filled with dining tables and fancy table settings – three wine glasses per person and the whole assortment of silverware. This was definitely not a jeans and t-shirt event. It would have been nice to see the all the attendees dressed up in gowns and tuxes. Bellelay also offered tours of the horse stables and their medieval museum, where there were demonstrations of Tete de Moine cheese-making, explanations of shoe-making and evolution during the Middle Ages, and ancient wood-carving. The monks were selling homemade pea soup that was full of vegetables and immediately warmed a cold stomach. (They didn’t just have delicious cheese!)

Finally, a round of applause for Switzerland for putting on quite a show! Thanks for filling our bellies and putting smiles on our faces.