One of the few blooming flowers in front of an old house in Uetikon

The trains rumble yards from the water's edge, in the modern comfort expected of commuter rail cars.  Stepping onto the platform at Uetikon, one is immediately in the shadows cast by mountains from afar.  The train rumbles away.  The water laps toward shore.  And the loudest sound on this lazy Sunday is that of your footsteps as you navigate the path through a village painted with neglect, but finished with antiquity. 

Rapperswil and its castle from the ferry-boat Helvetia

Our time settling into life in Switzerland has been stressful--not only have we had to move ourselves to a new city in a new country, but I have also had to settle into a new job, and facilitate our family starting from scratch in so many realms: banking, legal status in this country, learning shops and neighborhoods.  And now that we have finally had time to breathe, we are beginning to look for a more permanent apartment which we will outfit with our own furniture, much of which will be similar or identical to our Ikea furniture from the States.

But despite this frenzy I told my wife I wanted to take a family day.  I had worked the Sunday before, on short notice, and we had a little time to plan something nice.  So yesterday we boarded the Helvetia, and set off to the medieval quarter of Rapperswil. (slideshow included)