Our First Visitor, Rob Jawns!

We had our first Zurich visitor around mid-July, Rob!  He has been spending the summer at Grenoble, France, doing an internship at Minatec (Micro and Nanotechnology Innovation Centre).  He decided to make the long trip to Zurich for his cousin's rowing competition and to visit family in town.  Oh, and maybe spend some time with us!  

Since it was his first time here, we went for two signature Swiss items:  Sausage and Chocolate!

Rob posing for a picture.  He reluctantly complies.

For chocolate, it's off to Confiserie Sprüngli.  On the way, we walked along the famous Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich's main downtown street and home of some of the world's most expensive and exclusive shops.

A white peach tea, cafe latte and a cold glass of chocolate milk for me.   By the way, that glass of chocolate milk was 6.50 CHF (Yikes!  Rob got a nice introduction to Swiss prices quickly)

Rob's uncle was kind enough to invite us over for dinner at his fabulous home in Altstetten (Zurich Kreis 9).  We were so humbled by his family's generosity and had a wonderful evening.

The next day, we met with Rob for Sunday brunch at a new restaurant, Gran Cafee Motta!

Motta is a Milan-inspired coffee house sitting right in the middle of the Limmat River.

No meal is complete without coffee. Rob and I were supremely jealous of the cafe latte in comparison to our tiny espresso shots.  

Open-faced sandwich with roasted vegetables in a tomato sauce.

Open-faced sandwich with ham and egg.

Rob has been very patient with all of my photo taking.

We made our way to three different churches in Zurich:  St. Peter's Church, Fraumünster and Grossmünster.  

Built in 1534, St. Peter's Church apparently has the largest church clock face in Europe (8.7 meters = 28.5 feet).  Currently owned by the Swiss Reformed Church (Reformed branch of Protestantism in the 1520s).

Beautifully detailed interior.

The church organ and ceiling.

Fraumünster is built on the remains of a former abbey for women aristocrats.  We could not take pictures inside, but this building has 5 large stunning stain glass windows designed by Marc Chagall.

Grossmünster is a Romanesque and Gothic-style cathedral.  According to legend, it was founded by Charlemagne.  The twin towers are a recognized landmark in Zurich.  Photos are not allowed inside, but for a small fee, you can climb the tower and get impressive views of the city of Zurich.

To end our quick tour of Zurich, we took a water taxi back to the main train station so Rob could catch the return train to Grenoble.

Such a squat boat!  Why, you ask?

Because it travels up and down the Limmat River and has to go underneath very narrow bridges!

While it was a short trip for Rob (he arrived Saturday afternoon and left Sunday afternoon), we hope he will revisit with Xiaowen and stay a little longer!

Thanks for reading!

-Herr Cervelat