Another highlight was seeing the wonderful stained glass windows by Marc Chagall in the Frauminster church. This website http://www.sacred-destinations.com/switzerland/zurich-fraumunster has beautiful pictures of the church and the windows. There are 5 of them, each in a different primary colour, in their own chapel, and I sat and gazed in wonder at them. As with the work that I know from Chagall, there were many images interwoven, and each panel was a puzzle to me as I tried to sort out the images and make some sense of them. There was Christ on the cross, of course, and Mary and baby Jesus, and assorted angels, and much more.the above website explains them.
Maria and I walked the old part of Zurich in the morning. The streets that line the river have wonderful old buildings, beautifully preserved, and it was hard to know where to look! The street level was lined with expensive and exclusive shops, like Louis Vuitton, Dolce and Gabbana. Piaget, Guess, Chanel - the same shops that I see on Bloor Street at Yonge. But some of these stores have security guards, dressed in black suits, at the door. As we were walking along., the church bells struck 11, and from the shop we were passing, we heard swiss folk songs (I think) being played on an array of bells above the shop. Then appeared a series of swiss folk figurines, each about a foot tall, on a panel that revolved as the music played. There were about 25 - all in folk costume. A woman with a churn, a shepherdess with a sheep circling her, 2 shepherds with decorated bells, dancers, and more. It was charming, and we stopped to listen and watch the display.
We returned home to make lunch then back to the city - a 30 minute bus or train ride. I was trying to shop, but the sticker shock kept me from buying anything except a paperback for the flight home, and that was when I was shopping in the Caritas charity shop! Prices are about one and a half to 2 times what they are in Toronto, I think, though I have tried not to compare.
I have a confession to make. I have had to temporarily suspend my boycott of Nesle products. They are hard to avoid in Switzerland, the home of Nestle, especially since Maria's coffee machine is Nespresso (the brand that Tim Hortons is using for their espresso), and the cups that go in them are Nestle too. And the coffee is sooo good. So my personal boycott will be back on when I leave here. I doubt is Nesle notices one way or another.
Only 3 more days in Switzerland, then I will be home, reflecting on my wonderful adventures.
Fraumunster
