Maymester Stop 5: Zurich
Hello again! Before beginning, if you have not yet read my previous posts on the Maymester program I was able to be a part of, be sure to check those out for more information on what a Maymester is and what brought me on this trip.
After our time in the Alps, our group travelled to Zurich, Switzerland to take a final look at Swiss culture and the ways in which it influences the world. We visited the Swiss Museum, which was exceptionally well-curated and had exhibits on Swiss history, culture, food, fashion, and more. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip as I could see the synthesis of a number of themes we had covered throughout the course already.
Another highlight of our time in Zurich was our visit to Cabaret Voltaire, where the Dadaist art movement began. We were given a tour of the cabaret, which has been converted into a café and performance space, then we went on a Dada-themed tour of Zurich, which was awesome. Unfortunately, I got a cold and was sick for the rest of our time in Zurich which meant sitting out some of our activities. While I was catching up on rest in our hotel, my classmates visited the Zurich botanical gardens, went on a boat ride around the city, got dinner at a street food festival, and watched a piece of performance art in the city. While I wasn’t able to participate in all of the festivities in Zurich, it was such a cool city and one that I can’t wait to visit again!
We spent about four days in Zurich before traveling to our final stop, Rome, Italy. But I’ll save that for another blog post! In the meantime, if you have any questions about Maymesters or life at Vanderbilt, feel free to email me at alex.rains@vanderbilt.edu.