I live in this beauty

Lush green vineyards, trickling waterfalls, stone walls, glistening lakeside, snow-capped mountains....and I live here.

You really appreciate the full beauty of a country when you can explore it by bike. This Sunday, a group of 15 of us rode from Lausanne to Montreux and back to visit le Chateau de Chillon, a 70 km (43 mi) trip during a gorgeous sunny day. It just so happens that this was the one of the last beautiful days of the season, and we picked well. It was perfect weather for picnicking, biking, taking photos, and taking a leisurely nap in the sun. I was enjoying the scenery so much that I had to stop and take a picture every few minutes, as each little town offered a different beautiful view. The houses are situated on the hill such that the scene looks like a painting from a fairy tale, and as you ride further along the path, you pick up more of the story.

At the end, the grandeur of the Chateau was enough to make even the most fatigued rider proud of the journey. We had the afternoon to tour the castle and learn about the history of this iconic Swiss structure. Famous for Lord Byron's poem, "The Prisoner of Chillon," each room leads you through the story of life in the 18th Century and of the man who was chained in the dungeon for 6 years. In addition to stories of the famous prisoner, each room recreated a scene in 18th century life - preparation of feasts for hundreds of people, fabrication of furniture, armour design, and defense against intruders. (Check out the album for pictures from each room!)

After having enjoyed our visit at the castle, we headed back to Lausanne, where we saw other groups of bikers relishing the last moments of their Sunday evening. What I appreciate most about this country is that there really is a day devoted to rest, relaxation, and enjoyment of the natural world. Everyone seems to take advantage of the beautiful autumn colors and the crisp, fresh air. I wish to always have one day in the week to be reminded of what it means to enjoy life.

Vevey

Today, the town of Vevey (a little town of about 10,000) had a bike auction in its center square. I had the great opportunity of buying a bike second-hand, and I managed to find a nice road bike for only 80 CHF! Granted, I had to take it to the bike shop immediately after to replace the cracked tires, but now I can ride it safely around town and (perhaps) on longer trips during my European travels. Also, it is very narrow and portable, so I can take it virtually anwhere with relative ease.

After having bought the bike, I went with Ada back to her house for lunch, and we had a wonderful meal with vegetables bought fresh from the farmer's market. The markets here are similar to the one in Des Moines, with flower stands and second-hand clothes and heirloom vegetables and samosa stands, among others. I have never seen such beautiful flower arrangements such as here; they choose very aesthetic combinations of colors.

Next weekend, I plan on going to the "Nuit des Musées," where all of the museums in Lausanne offer free admission. I hope to also take advantage of more of the sights around Lausanne now that I have a very convenient mode of personal transport.

It just gets better...?

Today I found out that I love polymers and I hate math. Okay, hate is a rather strong word; I am terrible at understanding math when it is taught in another language. So is the disappointment of my college life. I hope this doesn't mean instant failure, because I would really like to continue taking a four hour block of logic once a week, but I don't see how the exam will be feasible if I can't comprehend the simplest exercise on our homework sheet, nor do I understand the solution. I thought that a good start would involve borrowing a book in English. I did that. Now the true test - see if I can translate successfully any or all of the words that came out of our TA's mouth. "On vera." (We will see.)

The next disappointment of the day...orchestra auditions. It doesn't help when you are first on the list and have no idea what to expect. Then, you walk into a room with about TEN JUDGES and you start to freak out a little. It doesn't help that the stand is way too low, you don't understand the guy when he says "Nice to meet you," you have to repeat the name of your piece, you have a bad start, and you have a complete panic attack and play way too fast. Of course, they never tell you that they have limited space, but they do tell you to wait until the end of the violins to find out if you made it. I was one of two out of 10 violinists who received bad news...I was in the lower 20%! Sad day. So, the other guy and I joked about how we, fortunately, don't have to take 2 1/2 hours every Wednesday to devote to rehearsal. It is still disconcerting.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? I'm sure you're wondering. Well, there is, actually. I found out that bike insurance is only about $5; that is the first cheap thing that Switzerland has to offer! Thus, if I get a bike this weekend, I will only have to worry about the hundreds of dollars it costs to get a bike second-hand. Maybe that was more of a mixed blessing.