Zurich...a little history and a lake cruise

We had a leisurely second day in Zurich starting with a later rise, breakfast at the flat and then out again to explore the city.
We started our tour with a visit to the National Swiss Museum where we learned a lot about Swiss history and culture, much we didn't know but hopefully will help us understand a little more about this country. The museum is located in an old Neo-Gothic castle which means you meander your way through the exhibits in no particular order. Thankfully they were explained in English so we could understand the contents.

Like every trip to a museum there are parts that stick with you and parts you have little interest in, so here is a sample of what interested us....
Don was really interested in the military history and exhibits. Switzerland does not have an active army, yet Swiss men are mandated to serve in the military for 18 months. The army is only active if they go to war but is always in a state of preparedness.The core of the army was and continues to be the infantry soldier, they were always known from medieval times to be fierce warriors.They are well trained and prepared which is not surprising given the Swiss psyche. They serve as mercenaries around the world and the Swiss Guards also serve to protect the Pope at the Vatican.

Here I am with a medieval warrior.

The Swiss also have a long history of crafting...

Beautiful textiles

Ceramics...here is an intricate wood stove

Fashion...for years the Swiss made some of the best footware in the world.

Stained glass....this is the oldest Mary and Child stained glass in Switzerland, from the 11th century.

Pharmaceuticals...do you see your medication here?

And really unique furniture...here is a mirrored wardrobe with a draped cloth motif in the glass.

The other section we were really interested in was the Reformation period when Martin Luther and John Calvin set out to reform the Church and set the foundations for the Protestant religion. They railed against the Catholic Church and did away with mass, veneration of saints, confession and indulgences among other things. This movement caught on in Switzerland and changed both the spiritual and political landscape.
The Reformation also brought about strict rules of living, the State controlled all aspects of one's life and the purpose of life was to live by the words of the Bible and to work hard and diligently to live the proper life. Maybe this period was the beginning of the Swiss way of life being very hard working, punctual and somewhat uptight. In some ways they are very forward thinking but on the other hand very conservative. For example, women in rural areas did not get the right to vote until 1990!

Many examples of statues of Saints that were destroyed during the Reformation.

Examples of puritanical clothes worn at that time.

They also stripped churches of decorations and fancy altars. We visited a number of these churches in Zurich and were struck by how plain they were...

No stained glass windows, no fancy altars, no statues. These are the Reformation churches.

We did however visit the Fraumeister church, the women's church, that had beautiful stain glass windows by Marc Chagall, the famous French artist. They were absolutely beautiful especially with the sun shining through.

We also went back in the evening to an organ recital of classic music...Bach, Mozart and others.The organ sounded amazing and I wished that I knew more about classical music in order to enjoy it more!

In the afternoon we enjoyed taking the ferry up Lake Zurich for a couple of hours. The Lake is 17 miles long, 2.5 miles wide, shallow and very clean.

Some views of the lake...

Zurich has an Old Town (Neiderhoft ) which is a pedestrian only area made up of cobblestone alleyways, old houses and lots of shops and restaurants.It too is located by the River Zimmat.

A lot of people have their boats tied up along the river.

The cobblestone alleyways.

Typical Swiss house

Lots of church spires

Great little cafes

And Swiss restaurants where we like to enjoy the local cuisine...

Sausage and rosti

Veal and rosti. Both were delicious and it was so nice to come in from the rain to warm, Swiss comfort food!

We ended the day back at our AirBnB sharing a bottle of wine with our hosts and having a great converstaion about what it is like to live in Zurich. Another big advantage to staying with a local host.

Location:Zurich, Switzeraland

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