More from the Zurich area

Remember the 2004 Presidential election when Senator John Kerry ran against George W. Bush and both played down their privileged backgrounds? Did you know Senator Kerry went to an exclusive boarding school (Institut Montana) in Zug, Switzerland (about 30 miles from Zurich)?

What the first photo doesn't show is the backside of the campus. It sits atop a mountain and the views from clasrooms and dorm rooms are absolutely stunning. That's Lake Zug and the city of Zug below.

This building and others behind it house the boys with the girls residing in a complex of buildings on the other side of the campus--all the buildings have drop-dead views of Zug and Lake Zug.

This castle near Zurich can be rented out for various functions.

Back in 1997 I visited the headquarters of Holcim, with revenues over $20 billion and 90,000 employees it's the world's second largest maker of cement. I enjoyed a nice reception. Swiss companies have a reputation for being low-key and in many instances, secretive. Located on the outskirts of Jona, about 25 miles from Zurich, I remember having a tough time finding the place. Why? There were no signs identifying the building. No sign atop the building, nothing in the parking lot, no small plaque on the front door--not even their name on the mailbox.

I dropped by on a Saturday morning just to see if Holcim was still keeping a low-profile. And? Yep, still nary a hint anywhere on the the site that Holcim occupies the building. Oh and one more thing. Holcim is a publicly-traded company and is still controlled by two sons of the founding family (Schmidheiny). Matter of fact, Forbes magazine estimates Stephan Schmidheiny's wealth at $3.1 billion and Thomas Schmidheiny at $4.4 billion.

This is an early morning photo of Rapperswil, a lakefront town about 20 miles from Zurich.

Ever had cannoli, an Italian pastry? I absolutely love 'em! Matter of fact, I used to (and still do)cycle to Solunto's Bakery in Little Italy in San Diego just to get some. In case you don't know what they are: fried pastry shells filled with sweet creamy ricotta cheese. Some mix chocolate bits in with the ricotta cheese while others put candied citrus peels at the open ends. So I'm cycling through scenic farmland about 20 miles from Zurich and pass through the small town of Hombrechtikon (nary a stop light to be found) and to my astonishment come across this Italian pastry shop on the edge of town. Going inside I spot cannoli and order one. Very good!! So I go inside and purchase the remaining three. I also try their chocolate gelato. Two thumbs up.

During the course of my stay in Zurich I cycle to this pasticceria shop three different days and each time find four cannoli on display and each time buy 'em all. The shells are crunchy and the filling scrumptious! Though I don't speak German and the husband/wife owners don't speak English I let them know of my happiness by repeatedly spouting the words"wunderbar" and "fantastic". Check out their website : http://www.pasticceriaitaliana.ch/ .

I don't know whether this hair salon is any good but it got my attention.

That shoe atop the shoe shop sures looks scary.

I was riding along a country road and came across this very large and elaborate model train set
up in a yard.