What a beautiful and picturesque city Zurich is in the summer! The weather has been spectacular here for the last several days. Last night I was taken to a wonderful restaurant called Chasalp which was up on top of a mountain overlooking Zurich. The specialty of the restaurant is fondue! Yes, fondue in which you dip pieces of bread and/or potato into hot melted cheese and wash it back with beer or wine.

Frankly, I couldn’t remember the last time I had fondue.

The fact is that fondue in Switzerland is really a winter food and most places do not serve it during the summer months. That said, there is the odd restaurant that does serve it up year round like Chäsalp no doubt to cater to tourists and diehard local fondue fans.

Zurich is a very pedestrian friendly city that has a great mass transit system made up of buses and trams. A lot of folks ride bikes around the city despite the many hills, most are in the lowest gear possible to traverse the steep climbs. There are stairways everywhere because much of the city is situated on the mountainsides surrounding the lake and river where the city is located. Certainly not a handicap friendly city which is typical of most European cities!  

Considering the food, drinking and smoking that many in this town engage in it is amazing what good shape the locals are in. It was not unusual to see a bike rider pedaling by smoking a cigarette. Fortunately the Swiss do not allow smoking in restaurants and other indoor public places.

I’ve spent several days visiting with a gaggle of Doctors, as in PhD types, to discuss some cutting edge computer software research. Most of these folks are so bright that they truly have very creative minds; they’re not just book smart but are able to visualize new concepts and applications. It is very refreshing and interesting to be able to connect the dots with these computer scientists on common interests, topics and problem solving.

And to think we’re doing it in a very charming and scenic setting. The sad part is the trip is so short!   

Dave Bossert- Commentary

Dave Bossert is a community volunteer who serves on a number of boards and councils. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.