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 fling. We ventured down to Zug yesterday to go on a hike with a coworker and her significant other (we limited our tactile greeting to elbow bumps). We also went out for ice cream last week (only two people allowed in the shop at a time, servers wore gloves and were separated by a plastic screen). Switzerland announced that starting on April 28, they will begin rolling back some restrictions modestly. Hairdressers and garden centers are among the venues slated for phase 1 of a three phase plan for re-opening1. So, H and I felt comfortable loosening up ourselves a little and we took the liberty of enjoying the aforementioned activities.
Now, some photos from a spring in Switzerland.
1 I think this is fascinating reflection of Swiss cultural priorities and it made me think about what stores Americans would open first. The first thing came to mind was McDonald's and so I stopped thinking about it.
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 fling. We ventured down to Zug yesterday to go on a hike with a coworker and her significant other (we limited our tactile greeting to elbow bumps). We also went out for ice cream last week (only two people allowed in the shop at a time, servers wore gloves and were separated by a plastic screen). Switzerland announced that starting on April 28, they will begin rolling back some restrictions modestly. Hairdressers and garden centers are among the venues slated for phase 1 of a three phase plan for re-opening1. So, H and I felt comfortable loosening up ourselves a little and we took the liberty of enjoying the aforementioned activities.
Now, some photos from a spring in Switzerland.
1 I think this is fascinating reflection of Swiss cultural priorities and it made me think about what stores Americans would open first. The first thing came to mind was McDonald's and so I stopped thinking about it.
From a Hike Up the Uetliberg
From our Hike in Zug
Scenes Around Zurich
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| The above mentioned ice cream shop |
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