Quick Impressions of Zurich

While in Zurich to see Shigeru Ban's work (see previous post), I had some time to walk around. After years in the south of Europe, those sharp church spires were kind of worrisome.

I started to get into the Protestant mood inside one of the churches near my hotel (the white one in the foreground of the photo above). In the photo below, the red in the back is not a Rothko, but a weave. To my weak eyes it's just as effective. And those shadows! A good argument for white walls and no stained glass. The Artist may not be Present, but Something definitively Is:

This same church had a very interesting sun-clock.

Keeping up with the north-south schtick, I was surprised by quite a few middle-European beauties. The flaxen hair, the careless posture and awkward limbs, the fair skin, the baby fat that seems ready to ripen right through to a prompt plumptitude.

And a bit of romantic Sturm und Dram, up on the heights of the Zurich ETH, near the hospital. As he looked for solace down by the wheels, she was admiring the view of those needle-like spires over the balustrade. What on earth happened to her foot? And she's pregnant!

Whoever dumped red paint on this fellow, it's a great improvement. Another interesting couple there, off to the right. He's dressed for banking, but she's wearing cutoffs.

Many women of all ages are very sharp dressers. It seems that the sense of style of the old European bourgeoisie lives on in places like this, God bless it. I am especially rueful over quite a few bohemian-looking women in their 70s, still with their long hair, hats, jewelry and tight jeans. Is that how Joni looks now? In a different league, but remarkable nonetheless, I managed to grab a shot of this elegant lady:

And this elegant gentleman:

As well as a group of pensioners outside a café:

Finally, I am a sucker for great light effects, here on the main boutiqued shopping street, the Bahnhofstrasse. LuxuryStoreWindowGlass, as the Germans might put it, is great for these: