Germany and Switzerland

I've spent the last week in southwestern Germany and then the past two days in Zurich, Switzerland, which is where I am now. After about a month of perfect and too-hot weather, I was in for a surprise. I mean, it's the middle of July, right? The middle of summer. I don't think it's too unrealistic to expect pretty good weather. Well, Germany was about 55 and rainy, and Zurich is the same. I don't know why global warming isn't reaching these places, but it's possible that the Swiss and Germans have designed some really efficient device, like they're wont to do, that controls the weather and keeps people working rather than enjoying nature. Anyway, here are some pictures.

A picture of a clocktower and a church spire over the river in Zurich.
A huge building, and I'm not even really sure what it is. Probably bank offices.
Oh yeah, Credit Suisse. The Swiss Credit Union: the biggest bank in Switzerland. You'd think there would be a bit more fanfare about this building, but it's really just a normal building near a train stop.
This is a square in Tubingen, in southern Germany. I went here four years ago with my family, and this time I was visiting an old friend who is studying here.
A tiny cobblestone lane (gasse) in Tubingen, with typical outdoor cafes and bicycles.
Me and Tara! We met in a hostel in New Zealand during my Easter vacation of my study abroad in Australia. She's from Sydney, and speaks excellent German. A friend (Earthy Tracy, for those who know her) and I stayed with Tara and her family less than a month later because we got cheap tickets online. And, four years later, I met up with her again. Amazing how the world works, no? Tara, if you're reading this, I owe you some hospitality.

So that's that. We had a great time together in Tubingen. We spent four days eating good food, taking walks, and hanging out with her exam-laden friends. I taught her how to throw a frisbee, and she's really good at that, and she took me to see some theatresports in German. Now, that was an experience. It was all exchange students, so German was their second language or further. And, despite the fact that I couldn't understand anything, it was STILL funny because of their facial expressions, speech patterns, and body language. Now that is a story for my improv comedy classes next year. (For those of you who don't know, I'm teaching improv comedy to my middle-schoolers.)

Next, it's off to Rome, Florence, and Siena.