The Neutral Zone

Zurich, Switzerland - After over a week straight of phenomenal weather, I'm prepared to say that spring is here. The weather here has been a balmy 20ish degrees (Celsius). The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. The flowers are blooming and the trees are verdant. It is gorgeous! And that's a problem: Social distancing works well in crappy weather, and not so well in great weather. Hannah and I have observed people venturing out and hanging out more and more. We see folks picnicking and barbecuing by the rivers, enjoying wine in the plazas, playing basketball and soccer in the school yards. And when we go to the grocery store, there's a group of rotund older gentlemen hanging out on the benches, throwing back cheap Swiss beers, pontificating and gesticulating. Most folks are trying to keep modestly apart - no one shaking hands or sitting right up against the person next to them - but their guard is clearly down. I can't say H and I are immune from the spring flin...

Zurich, Switzerland - Switzerland is home to a remarkable number of enclaves and exclaves. The mountainous territory has left various peoples stranded from their cultural mainland and these folk are, by nature, independently minded and unwilling to assimilate. Switzerland, to its credit, has accommodated the nationalist and sub-nationalist predilections of these groups by creating various bizarre geographic carve-outs for them. Below are some examples. Büsingen am Hochrhein Büsingen am Hochrhein  (population: 1,450) is a German town surrounded entirely by Switzerland. According to Wikipedia, it has, since the early 19th century, been separated from the rest of Germany by the Swiss village of Dörflingen - at its shortest, a distance of approximately 680 meters. Going back several centuries, the town was historically part of Austria. Austria stubbornly held onto it even after selling the nearby villages of Dörflingen and Ramsen to Zurich in 1770. After the congress of Vi...

Zurich, Switzerland - Hiking is one of the few outdoor activities you can do in the time of coronavirus while being compliant with social distancing. So, on a recent weekend, H and I hiked up the Uetliberg. The Uetliberg is a mountain that rises up on the west side of Zurich and provides panoramic views of Zurich, lake Zurich, and the municipalities in the neighboring valley.  This being Switzerland, the mountain is very accessible and accommodates a variety of activities. There are numerous walking paths providing access to the summit, as well as a train (the  Uetlibergbahn ) . The mountain includes a variety of water fountains and camping stops for barbecuing sausages and the like. There is a downhill  mountain bike track  and in the winter, the hiking trails are converted into  sledding runs . At the top, you'll find the  Uto Kulm , a four-star hotel and restaurant. Sadly, H and I didn't get a chance to step inside the Uto Kulm because it's closed due ...