Rheinfalls und Üetliberg

We have had quite the weekend full of exploring die Schweiz!

Friday I met the boys over at Google for a social TGIF, which is when Googlers are allowed to invite friends and family for a social cocktail hour. Lots of wine, beer, popcorn and live music. While talking to Duane's co-workers, I discovered that in their building, Google installed fire poles for a "quick transfer" to lower floors. Immediately I decided the whole group (all 6 of us) was going to exit the building via fire poles. So, we started at the 6th floor and found our way down and exited by sliding down a giant slide to the dining room. I. Love. Google. After, we went out for some delicious kebab and gelato in the old town of Zurich. Soooo good.

Saturday we went to a small town about an hour north east of Zurich called Schaffhausen, which is right on the Rhine river and has the largest waterfall in Europe, Rheinfalls. The Rheinfalls were quite impressive, they are 450 ft wide and 75 ft high. They reminded me more of Niagara falls then our typical waterfalls in CA.
At the top of the Rhinefalls
 

After exploring the area and getting a little sunburned, we meandered over to the Munot (an impressive 16th century canon fortress on top of the hill) to meet some friends. This is a fantastic spot. You enter the fortress at the top of a hill and walk across a mote bridge to enter giant circular room filled with tiny windows and buttresses that are so impressive. Then you climb a spiral staircase to the top which gives you views of the river, valley and the surrounding vineyards.

My wonderful friend/Deutsch Bruder Andreas lives in the south of Switzerland and came up to Schaffhausen with his fantastic girlfriend Eliana to visit both us and some other good friends, Katie and Christian. After exploring the group went straight to a restaurant to celebrate with beers, dinner, ammmmmazing desserts and then more drinks. 


Yesderday, Sunday, was another full day. After a morning/afternoon filled with sleeping in and laziness, we got ready and hiked up to a peak in Zurich called Üetliberg. We climbed up a very very steep trail to the top of the hill, but we were awarded at the top with a sweeping panorama of the city, the surrounding Alps and surrounding little towns. Just stunning.

Climbing, it got MUCH steeper than this.
I'm a tree!
We got distracted on the way
The view away from Zurich
Photo
At the top of Üetliberg. Best view of Zurich so far :)

Then we ended the weekend with a proper homemade Sunday dinner; roasted butter chicken, veggies, quinoa, wine and as a finale, a strawberry cake accompanied by a classic James Bond movie (Dr. No). 

Such a marvelous weekend!

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Roasted Chicken with lots of veggies


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Strawberry Cake

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