Switzerland

Zurich is beautiful. I also took a cruise - what a relaxing and beautiful way to see the sights.

It seems I saw one thing more than you though - a little more the ugly side by accident.
My friend and I decided to visit the museum in the center of Zurich. Behind the museum is a park. As there was construction going on it was not obvious where we could enter the museum. We walked around one side of the building and decided if this is the wrong way, we will simply walk through the park, seeing it was a nice sunny day and go around the other side. Big mistake!

As we approached the park entrance I noticed there were a huge amount of people just hanging around in the park. I thought and said to my friend - I don't know - this seems really odd the amount of people just hanging out. She responded - don't worry it is nice day, they are just enjoying it. Instead of going with my instincts I followed her lead. Just prior to entering the park, some not too clean looking young man said something that I did not hear and my friend simply responded - sorry I don't smoke. She thought he was offering her a cigarette. Then we proceeded into the park which was lined with people hanging around. Another scruffy looking character approached us. He held out his hand and said something I couldn't fully understand. My friend again said, "Sorry, we don't smoke." His respond, "Not smoke, hash." We looked at each other and said - oh, that's much different. He laughed at our naïve faces and we instantly walked out of the park.

We then proceeded to walk outside the park around the other end. After leaving the museum my friend asked an employee about the park. She responded in broken English as she made a motion of giving herself a shot in the arm, "No, No - drugs!!! Drugs!!" As we left the museum we noticed a young man leaned up against a tree shooting up. Nice.

That was our first day in Zurich. Our proceeding days were much less adventurous.

We also went to the Landesmuseum and saw many people, particularly many young adults, in the park outside. I am sure that most were, in fact, just enjoying the day. We had drinks at the cafe outside before and after seeing the museum. The Landesmuseum was fascinating, at least until, after the first 200 exhibits we grew tired. Afterwards, we bought a few things in the gift shop. The lady who was the proprietor was another polite, friendly person with perfect English. She spoke to me about a similarity between my name and a famous historical figure, something which I have often heard remarked on. One of the countless Swiss with perfect manners and English whom I spoke to while there.

Actually, Switzerland is (for us Europeans) the most expensive country (and especially Zürich).

The parc in front of the Landesmuseum is locally called "Needle Park", btw.

Appenzell is the capital of the smallest Swiss state (Kanton), Appenzell-Inner Rhodes (A-Innerrhoden). (The second but smallest is ... Appenzell-Outer Rhodes [A.-Außerrhoden].)

Swiss - not only the German speaking part - is really not only a picturesque but also a very modern country.

Since in most European countries, you learn English from the age of ten onwards (in most German states from 6 years onwards obligatorily), you'll find English speaking people all over the places, nowadays.
In Switzerland, and especially in Zürich, however, the persentage is higher - which certainly has to do with the fact that more than 20% of the Swiss inhabitants are foreigners.

I didn't mean anything bad about the broken English - it just added to the story - her alarmed look and her startled and concerned voice - it seemed she was so upset that she couldn't clearly express herself.

Funny I must be the only one that found several non-English speaking Swiss, however, as I know some French (no German), we typically got by.

For the most part I also found them nice and friendly (except one mean waiter).

Well, this park really has been THAT place, when someone in (continental West-)Europe spoke about drug usurs hanging around.

It's a bit better nowadays - police is "cleaning" the park more frequently. (But thus, you get the demonstrations against that.)

Ah gosh - it must have been about 15 years ago - when I was still young and single and naïve. It must be the same place.

I used to go to Geneva pretty often - simply to switch off. Cause there is nothing else to do in that city. Hire a yatch, take it to the middle of the lake and stay there for the weekend drinking.

Good times

One thing which was impressive was that the only accent most of them had was something between "British" and "educated."

Zurich was something I like a lot - lots of little upscale shops stretching for miles in every direction. I am very impressed with that country, and I plan to take future vacations there.

Well, we usually learn 'English' here (in my state from this summer onwards even in the kindergarten) - that is the language, they speak in the United Kingdom

I know, but I am not merely saying that it was British English, I am saying that there was no German accent whatever. They spoke English perfectly.

Well, I've attended a Swiss school only for half a day, but joined there an English class (although nearly 40 years ag): they had had the very same curriculum re pronounciation as on my school: teaching foreign languages without 'native accent'

In Zurich airport, the internet connection costs 10 € per hour...

Well, but for that you get a "neutral connection"