"Wanna go to Zurich for the weekend?" Peter asked me a few months ago. He was finalizing plans to speak at a conference there, and suggested I join him after the conference wrapped up. Now we're going to make good on that promise to explore Europe while we live here, I thought. "Traveling to other countries" was at the top of the Pro/Con list we created to help cut through the thick indecisiveness that was clogging our brains last year. I guess it's trendy nowadays to refer to those travels as Bucket List spots. Hopefully, we are not close to the age where you have to consult a Bucket List, but I guess one never knows. In the U.S., a weekend away for us may have meant a drive to Philadelphia. Here, it means going to another country.

Step One, after Peter's initial question about joining him, was to verify that Zurich was indeed in Switzerland, as my geographically-challenged brain had suspected, but couldn't confirm. Step Two was to ask around and get some travel tips. Many of our new friends in Amsterdam have similar plans to make the most of their prime location here, zipping off to see the world whenever they can. Everyone here loves to share travel tips, even when they are not asked. They are just a few years ahead of us in the game of crossing travel destinations off their list. It didn't matter when my friend Darlene, who lived the expat life for five years in Switzerland, declared Zurich, "kinda boring". I spent a good chunk of my childhood imaging that I was Heidi: climbing mountains, drinking a lot of milk fresh from a cow, eating cheese and chocolate, and picking flowers. When you grew up wanting to be Heidi, you don't pass up the chance to begin discovering your wanna-be roots.

This was not a mountain-climbing expedition, but we could see the Alps on our walk along Lake Zurich. Those are the snow-covered peaks for the Alps, just below,the clouds. When I saw them, I could feel myself wanting to yodel, but I kept that desire… — This was not a mountain-climbing expedition, but we could see the Alps on our walk along Lake Zurich. Those are the snow-covered peaks for the Alps, just below,the clouds. When I saw them, I could feel myself wanting to yodel, but I kept that desire to myself.

It was hard to keep from comparing Zurich to our new home: Amsterdam (and yes, to my teacher friends, I did have a Venn diagram in my head as I did it). So right off the bat, you couldn't help but notice that the mountains in Switzerland give you the sense that you are really tiny in comparison. In the Netherlands, there are no mountains. Great for cycling, but maybe not so much for feeling how inconsequential you really are in the grand scheme of things.

One of the things that the Amsterdam and Zurich do have in common is that people like to bike in both cities. They just don't do as much of it in Zurich. And the children, and even some of the grown-ups, wear helmets.

This young lady took a break from all of the cycling to rest, figuring out that her bike could double as a seat. So mechanically-minded, those Swiss.

How I managed to leave Zurich without a watch, or even a photo of a watch store is a mystery. There were watches and clocks everywhere! The rumors about how precise the Swiss are about time are really true. There was an electronic schedule posted at… — How I managed to leave Zurich without a watch, or even a photo of a watch store is a mystery. There were watches and clocks everywhere! The rumors about how precise the Swiss are about time are really true. There was an electronic schedule posted at each tram stop, and by golly, if that tram was scheduled to arrive at 10:13, that's exactly when it pulled in. For someone who struggles mightily with time management, it was truly awe-inspiring.

Let's get the other Swiss claim to fame out of the way here, too. Like watch shops, chocolate was everywhere. I have had some fine chocolate in my day, but this was in a class by itself. I did a lot of window-shopping before finally settling on a place called Läderach. For me, it was like going to Lourdres, and temporarily at least, the chocolate cured me of all my ailments. The best medicine among the ones I sampled: chocolate-covered and caramelized hazelnut bark. Chocolate bliss!

Notice how the chocolates are all lined up, like soldiers. This Swiss sense of order appeals to a gal who craves organization almost as much as she does chocolate.

Lest you think all I did in Zurich (or ever, for that matter) is eat and walk, I do need to tell you about some of the sites we saw. We visited two churches, the Grossmünster, and the Fraumünster. In the first, built in the 1200's, we saw some gorgeous modern stained glass windows. That's because in the late 1400's/early 1500's, the preacher there, an austere man named Zwingli, removed every scrap of artwork or decoration from the church because he thought they were idols. Sad for those in the centuries to come, but nice for us, who get to see these wonderful modern masterpieces. At the Fraumünster, we saw more spectacular stained glass windows, these ones created by March Chagall and heard a loud organ recital that was almost as good as more caffeine in terms of how it jolted me awake.

We also visited a wonderful art museum, the Kuntshaus Zurich, and the timing was perfect. We saw a terrific exhibit on the influence of Japanese art on European painters. Van Gogh was prominently featured, so that kept Amsterdam alive and well in my mind.

I found out that Van Gogh learned this technique of putting a branch in the foreground from Japanese wood-block printers. And then I took what I learned from Van Gogh, via the Japanese, and used it in my photographs. You can see an example of this i… — I found out that Van Gogh learned this technique of putting a branch in the foreground from Japanese wood-block printers. And then I took what I learned from Van Gogh, via the Japanese, and used it in my photographs. You can see an example of this influence on Suzanne Vine's art if you go back to the first photo of Zurich, with the alps in the background (and a branch in the foreground).

There are some distinct differences between Amsterdam and Zurich besides the mountains, the bike helmets, and the service in restaurants which was carried out in the Zurich restaurants we sampled with military precision. In Amsterdam...let's just say that service is...slow...really slow...sometimes interminably slow. Another big difference is the vastly different attitudes towards trash. Zurich was clean. Pristine, really. On our first day there, a gloriously sunny day, the park along the lake was packed with people. There was no trash. And no dog poop. And I mean none.

I saw people actually get up and throw their trash away. This leads me to believe that it can be done! We can throw our trash - and even our dog poep - away in Amsterdam, people. They do it in Zurich. — I saw people actually get up and throw their trash away. This leads me to believe that it can be done! We can throw our trash - and even our dog *poep -* away in Amsterdam, people. They do it in Zurich.

Here's a great invention for folks to throw away their cigarette butts. I wanted to carry it back with me, but it was cemented to the ground. Sadly, many, many people in Zurich smoked. It seemed even more prevalent than in Amsterdam.

Yet despite these differences, there were some remarkable similarities between our adopted city and our weekend fling. For one, flowers. They were beautiful and blossoming everywhere we looked in Zurich. However, at least in the market we visited, they were much more expensive. So score one for Amsterdam!

Tulips at Keukenhof, outside of Amsterdam. I think we win this one, Zurich. — Tulips at Keukenhof, outside of Amsterdam. I think we win this one, Zurich.

Water in Zurich, in the form of a lake. I've posted just a few photos before of canals in Amsterdam, so I'll spare you in this post.

In both cities, the parks are alive with activity and sound. I felt right at home when we happened upon these girls walking a tightrope in the park. I've watched this event with admiration in Vondel Park, near our apartment in Amsterdam. Just an average day in Zurich, too. I couldn't take even one step before crashing to the ground, I'm sure.

No trash on the ground! Sorry. Did I mention that before?

I loved the street musicians who were out serenading the passersby early on Sunday morning. This accordion player reminded me of my dad, who bought an accordion on a trip to Estonia, and loved to play it for his grandkids. This musician had a simila… — I loved the street musicians who were out serenading the passersby early on Sunday morning. This accordion player reminded me of my dad, who bought an accordion on a trip to Estonia, and loved to play it for his grandkids. This musician had a similar contented smile while he played.

Just like in Amsterdam, there were some really swanky cars in Zurich. These twin Bentleys were nestled right next to each other. With the fantastic public transportation system, I don't know why anyone would want a car there. You can see the tram in… — Just like in Amsterdam, there were some really swanky cars in Zurich. These twin Bentleys were nestled right next to each other. With the fantastic public transportation system, I don't know why anyone would want a car there. You can see the tram in the background, running right on time, of course.

Right outside our hotel, there was an outdoor market on Saturday, and we instantly felt right at home. It was so much like our local market in Amsterdam, except the goods were all lined up in tidy rows and everything was more expensive. And no one stood in the aisles and blocked you from continuing on. A Swissified market.

White asparagus is found in both cities during the spring. So delicious!

Just when I was starting to recognize many Dutch words...O.K., some...alright, a few...we had to go spend a weekend in a German-speaking city. During my favorite spin class in the U.S., I had a term for a song that went on and on: a "long-ass song". There were plenty of long-ass words in Zurich, just not quite in a language I recognized.

I might have bought some of these goodies if I had known what they were.

Just like in our new hometown, there was construction everywhere in Zurich. It's good to know that the economy must be humming along. We certainly weren't when we came upon one of these roadblocks.

Even the construction sites were neat and tidy.

So on our weekend in Zurich, away from Amsterdam, I ticked off in my mind the similarities and differences between the two cities; while keeping this silent list, I realized something important: you can't spend your holiday time comparing one place to another. You have to appreciate where you are, when you are there. Wait! I think Steven Stills already had that thought.

When we headed back to Amsterdam, I almost felt guilty, like I had cheated on our new city by hanging out in Zurich for the weekend. I almost felt like Amsterdam could read my mind, could hear that I had been complaining in my head about the trash, the questionable service in restaurants, the lack of a decent (or any) mountain to climb. But as soon as the plane landed at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, I realized I was glad to be back, and that this place feels like home.

"Love the one you're with." Such great advice for an expat who is hoping to explore many places while she is here. We will continue to take advantage of our location in the heart of Europe, close to places I have always dreamed of visiting. After all, travel is what keeps you young. I thought of that when I came across this passage in a book I am currently reading, The Radetzky March, by Joseph Roth: "But old age was approaching with cruel, hushed steps and sometimes in crafty disguises. She counted the days slipping past her and, every morning, the fine wrinkles, delicate webs that old age had spun at night around her innocently sleeping eyes. Yet her heart was that of a sixteen-year-old girl. Blessed with constant youth, it dwelled in the middle of the aging body, a lovely secret in a ruinous castle." Mind you, this character is 40 years old! I'll try to tap into my sixteen-year-old heart and continue to get out there. And I'll try not to spend too much time comparing those other places to "our" Amsterdam. Having said that, I'm already looking forward to going back to Switzerland, to someplace like this. It's the Heidi gene that I just can't ignore. However, I'll still stay loyal to Amsterdam, no matter where else we roam.

This is a photo of a village called Mürren, at the foot of the Schilthorn Mountains. For James Bond fans, this was the spectacular setting for the movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I want to go there because there are no cars allowed.… — This is a photo of a village called Mürren, at the foot of the Schilthorn Mountains. For James Bond fans, this was the spectacular setting for the movie *On Her Majesty's Secret Service*. I want to go there because there are no cars allowed. Heidi heaven!