Ruti

Ruti is a town of 11,000 about 15 minutes by train east of Zurich in the Swiss German part of the country. I was well taken care of by my Swiss family, the Jakobs, all weekend long. I know this family because Werner Jakob came to stay with my dad’s family as an exchange student in 1969. Our families have stayed in touch and Werner’s kids (Mat, Christoph, and Barbara), now all grown, have visited and spent time with our family over the years. Now, I am finally able to do a short-term US-Swiss exchange! It’s a blessing to have them nearby, and I really did feel at home there in Ruti.

In our time there, Robin and I were served wonderfully prepared, fresh, authentic Swiss meals (Alplermaccaroni, Raclette, fruit pies), and were even able to hike in the Alps! I think that my favorite part of the weekend was stepping over mud puddles, scaling boulders in a rock field, and following the white and red painted stripes marking our hiking path through tundra-like grassy plains before finally reaching the top of a 2262 meter-high point called Chaserrugg. This summit was quite impressive; we could see much from the top. From the viewpoint, Christoph and Mat pointed out the Austrian, Liechtenstein, German, and Swiss mountains that surrounded us. In addition to the breathtaking sights of the Alps, we could also peer down on the valley we came from, those green and peaceful valleys littered with chalets and windows sills brimming with healthy geraniums. Our hike began after riding two quad chairlifts up the mountainside. Eventually, we set out along a path that covered different terrains, climbed several hundred meters in altitude, and curved around a plateau that served as a destination of yet another ski lift. The October weather still was warm, perfect for our day trip, and luckily, the snow at the 1000-2000 meter level still wasn’t on the ground. The sun even brought out a soaring eagle, which beautifully floated on the high mountain gusts so effortlessly.

Although the mountains were semi-enveloped in a fog creating a fog lake or “sea of fog,” direct translation of the German word for the view we saw from the summit, it surely was a phenomenal sight to see. I have determined that some time in my life I’d like to live in the Alps, or at least nearby a mountain range of this intensity; it’s just so awesome, and so peaceful. Although this may not ever become a reality, I like to dream, and pick out places like the picture below in which to live, at least for a summer some day.
Although this short description is just a small part of my weekend, it was the most memorable.
Jakob Family: Thanks for a refreshing and fun weekend!!

Want to see more pictures from the hiking trip and the other excursions we took that weekend (afternoon in Zurich, a walk to Rapperswil)? Check out the photo album!