Logistics

Zurich, Switzerland - Yesterday was mostly logistics. First, we met with a friendly Swiss accountant and lawyer named Patrice in Zurich. Patrice's office is located in a nondescript business park near the airport. Hannah and I were ushered into a conference room, where we were each treated to an espresso, a small Swiss chocolate, and a small biscuit. Patrice gave us a high level overview of how we would be taxed and what information we would need as the occasional plane rumbled overhead. I will spare you the details, except to say that Patrice's nonplussed demeanor reassured us that our taxes were simple and straightforward - perhaps disappointingly so for poor Patrice. 

We left Patrice's office and headed to the bohemian Werd district in Zurich for lunch. Before lunch, we quickly stopped in at JB Labat - a liquor store operated by a middle-aged hipster who has resuscitated an older retail space. Hannah and I enjoyed the vermouth selection here and picked out a Swiss label for some local flavor. We continue to get confused looks when we initially ask for "Ver-moo-th," as most Europeans call it something more like "ver-moot." My mother tells me with great confidence that this is because the "th" sound that native English speakers pronounce is actually incredibly difficult to say. I haven't independently verified this, but my mother is near-enough an expert in linguistic trivia.   

For lunch, we went to Metzg, a meat-focused spot in the bohemian Werd district of Zurich. I got a baloney sandwich with sinus-clearing mustard. Hannah got the chorizo with chickpea soup. I kicked myself for not getting the roast beef with potatoes and salsa verde. Most of the other (Swiss) patrons had gotten this and it looked great. My sandwich was good, but the grass is always greener...

Next, we visited the immigration office in Zug. This was actually our second visit to the office since we dropped by the day before. Again, I'll spare you the details and provide you with this quick summary of what is required to get a visa to live and work in Switzerland:

• Various documentation proving you are, in fact, a person: Passports, birth certificates, etc. 
• Various documentation proving you won't be a drain on the Swiss economy: employment contracts, diplomas, etc. 
• Completion of an alphabet soup of forms: A2, STA2, etc.
• Months and months of time

In the evening I left Hannah behind to drop by the office. I met all of my lovely coworkers there, set up my desk, and then headed across the street for a brief happy hour before going to the old city of Zug for a celebratory end-of-year dinner at Aklin. Aklin was founded in 1787 by the Aklin family, an old-time Swiss family that still has ties to Zug. The restaurant is a classic Swiss experience. It's located on a little cobblestone street in the heart of the old city of Zug. Inside feels like a cozy lodge with wooden rafters and prodigious Christmas decorations. Between glasses of bordeaux, I had the green leafy salad served with roasted nuts & seeds, sun dried apricots and the sliced Zuger veal, served with mushroom cream sauce and Rösti plus market vegetables for, you know, health. The veal is a classic of the region and it was good!

JB Labat

Metzg, obviously.

Dining room at Restaruant Aklin. Photo from GaultMillau