Switzerland!

Remember how I mentioned the amazing weather in my last post? Well, I think I jinxed it! It has been raining almost every single day for the past two weeks, and it always seems to start the moment I step outside and stops when I go back indoors. How lovely!

The last two to three weeks have been so busy, hence this late post. It felt like every single paper and assignment was due in the same week, which meant a lot of time spent studying in coffee shops. On top of that, I just got over a cold.

I flew to Zurich this past weekend, and I’m absolutely obsessed with Switzerland! It wasn’t even a place I had originally planned to visit, but I’m so incredibly happy I did.

My day started at around 1:45 a.m. on Friday, September 27th. I had only gone to bed around midnight after finishing up some papers, doing laundry, and, of course, hanging out with a few of my friends. I didn’t wake up to an alarm, but because someone decided to start cooking—and be incredibly loud—at that hour. By 2:45 a.m., I was out the door and in a taxi. We picked up my friend and headed to the bus station, which would take us to the airport. The trip to Zurich was so smooth! Once at the airport, I had my first Starbucks since I’d been away. I’ve been sticking to local coffee shops, but this was the only option open at 5 a.m. The best part? I got lucky with my seat assignment and ended up right next to my friend!

The plane ride to Switzerland was so quick—only about an hour and a half. Looking out the window was incredible, with views of the Alps, snow-covered peaks, and vast mountain ranges. I was honestly at a loss for words. When we landed, the weather was perfect. We found a nearby coffee shop, Boréal Coffee Shop, to refuel with caffeine (we were exhausted) and get some homework done while we waited for our two other friends to arrive. I ordered a coffee and a croissant, and it turned out to be a productive two hours as I mapped out the rest of our day.

We visited St. Peter's Church, Lindenhof Hill, Fraumünster Church, Grossmünster Church, and Umbrella Alley. At Lindenhof, it started to pour like crazy—even hailing at one point! Inside the Grossmünster Church, the mosaics were stunning.

We also bought tickets to climb to the top of the church. The door to the staircase had a sign that read, "Enter at your own risk." I thought this was a warning for the view, but they actually meant the stairs! There was a sign saying there were 187 steps, but it felt like way more, especially with how steep and narrow staircase they were. Just when you think you've reached the top—sike! But the view was worth it.

Umbrella Alley was a bit of a letdown. Thanks, TikTok. We were expecting a long alley full of umbrellas, like in Portugal, but there were maybe 20. The picture below makes it look bigger, but trust me, it wasn’t.

For dinner, we had cheese fondue at Le Dézaley. It was heavenly—fondue with steak, potatoes, and lots of bread. For dessert, we attempted to visit a famous Swiss chocolate shop, but it was closed, so we ended up at an ice cream shop called Pascal el Katy.

The next day, Saturday, we started with croissants and coffee and made our way to the Lindt Chocolate Factory. The moment I walked in, I could smell the chocolate, and they had a giant chocolate fountain that I wanted to lick.

We participated in a chocolate figure and lollipop-making class. We put on aprons and chef hats and entered the chocolate-making room. We each made a chocolate bear—milk or dark chocolate—and two milk chocolate lollipops. I made a dark chocolate bear and decorated it with milk chocolate. I’ll admit, I much prefer decorating cookies to chocolate; the chocolate melted too fast! Definitely not the same as frosting!

For the lollipops, I used dried strawberries on one and caramel hazelnuts on the other, making them into cute little faces.

Since then, I’ve eaten one lollipop, and it was delicious! I kind of forgot about the other one, so I might have it for dessert tonight.

Afterward, we went to Uetliberg Mountain. It was pouring rain, so we took a cable car up, saw the view for a moment, and then the fog rolled in, hiding everything.

That night, we had a chill adventure in the city. We went to some bars, danced, and enjoyed two ice cream cones with two scoops each!

On Sunday, our last day, we woke up early and headed to Stoos to hike a trail in the Swiss Alps. We took a cable car to the start of the trail, and the hike up took about two and a half hours. It was mostly uphill, muddy, and cold, but I got to touch snow! Reaching the top felt like such an accomplishment. We were above the clouds, with breathtaking views all around. We took a break to snack and fill our water bottles before taking a gondola down the mountain and heading to the airport.

This is a quick overview of my trip. Switzerland has become my favorite place I’ve visited so far. The scenery, the friendly locals, the efficient transportation, and the food were all spectacular. I can’t wait to go back someday!

Happy October!!

-Isa