Switzerland (and some Italy)

Italy. Hmm. I am constantly losing track of time. Let's see if I can recall the important events that have not yet been blogged about. Wow, you know you've truly crossed the line from average human to blogger when you start using "blog" as a verb.

Anyway, Italy was fantastic. We took a day trip to Milan, which was interesting. It was quite clear to us that it was a business and financial capital; there was one street where nearly everyone we passed was sporting a crisp suit and accessorizing with a briefcase (you could tell that most of them were the type who thought it was nearly criminal to wear a black belt with brown shoes...Milan is also a fashion capital). Since this trip is somewhat about determining a career direction, this trip to the Wall Street of Italy spurred a lengthy conversation which consisted mostly of arguing (We are debaters, after all) alternately the merits and negative aspects of working in an office-setting.

Another memorable moment was that first glance of the Milan Cathedral (in Italian, Duomo di Milano, or in Milanese, Domm de Milan). We had taken the Subway to a random stop that, on the map, looked rather concentrated with stores and restaurants because at that point we were looking to do some shopping and eating. Completely unsure of what to expect, we stepped out of the Underground and suddenly this gleaming white structure was towering over us. We were completely breath-taken by the sight of the Gothic cathedral and when our breath returned we promptly got out of the middle of the road (yes, somehow that's where we found ourselves) and snapped a photo.

While we're on the subject of Italy - a HUGE thanks to our hosts, once again, CLAIRE AND ALDO. Thank you, thank you, thank you.


Now we are in Switzerland staying with equally hospitable hosts - a truly amazing and inspiring ex-pat family (we haven't yet asked permission to use their names). But - Thank you guys!

Basel is a river town, similar to Turin and Budapest, which were, probably not-so-coincidentally, some of our favorite places to visit! There's just something beautiful about a waterfront.
It seems to be an incredibly unique town because of the HUGE portion of the culture that is dedicated to the arts.
In the past couple of days we've visited a few of the numerous museums that Basel is home to, including the Dollhouse Museum and the Tinguely Museum.

Jean Tinguely, the museum's focus, was a Swiss artist who specialized in meta-mechanics. While his work appears whimsical and playful, Tinguely's art is primarily a satirical illumination of modern greed for material goods. Over his lifetime, he created pieces that moved, lit up, spouted water, played music or video, and even self-destructed!
I personally think he must be one of the most original artists of the 20th century.

The Dollhouse Museum (In German, Puppenhausmuseum) took a lot of time simply because of the SIZE of the collection of dolls, miniatures, and teddy bears. I was especially interested in the teddy bears because of the story of the development of the teddy bear. I honestly had NO IDEA what the orgin of the teddy bear was, and now I can't believe I had never inquired about it, or even inferred as to what it might have been.
For those who don't know, it was named after Teddy Roosevelt after he refused to shoot a young bear who was tethered up, meant to be an easy kill after a largely unsuccessful hunting trip. After that, thanks to some ingenious marketing, the popularity of the Teddy surged, inspiring all sorts of variations; these included mechanically-engineered bears who could perform sommersaults and dances, bears of every color, and clothed bears.

So far, Basel has been fascinating.
You can expect another update very soon!
xxx
Em