Zürich Museums (1/16/1983)

Sunday, January 16, 1983

Train Day Pass

Again in the rain Marsha C and I walked to the train station for the 11:23 train to Zürich, arriving about 13:00. Took the #7 tram to the Rietberg Museum, using one-way 1.20 CHF/60 cent tram tickets.

Tram ticket

We followed a gravel path in a park up a hill, passing one imposing building that turned out to be the “Rota Villa” of the School of Social Work Zurich (HSSAZ). We arrived at the Wesendonck Villa (1853–1857), a square-ish mansion looking down on the gray lake, home of the Rietberg Museum, which is the only art museum in Switzerland of non-European cultures. We had to check our backpacks, but admission was free. We wandered the various but well laid-out rooms full of sculptures, prints, tapestries or weavings, and other artifacts and works of art from India, Indonesia, China, the South Sea Islands, New Zealand, Japan, etc. Also from the Near and Middle East, Pre-Columbian Americas, and Africa. There were several masks from Africa, and on the third floor were fairly similar masks from Switzerland! The African Room was lined with five large Belgian tapestries. The central stairway was an unusual pale orange colored marble. The alarm went off a couple times, but we weren’t to blame!

We took the tram back to the Hauptbahnhof/main train station and went to the Landesmuseum/Swiss National Museum. Again we checked our backpacks, and had free entrance. We started exploring the extensive museum, starting with Carolingian art that included some ivory pieces. We saw painted walls from various houses, and lots of religious art. Many altarpieces and carved statues. The large rooms had tapestries on the walls and paneled or painted ceilings. Large trunks and chairs were everywhere. There was stained glass and tinware. We found a clock collection with Jost Bürgi’s Himmels-globus, a mechanical celestial globe. We went through a series of reconstructed period rooms with incredible woodwork, antler chandeliers, porcelain stoves, and inlaid wood tables. We went upstairs to see costumes and more period furniture, sewing supplies, and dress accessories. After seeing a few toys, we headed downstairs, passing through mre period rooms. In the basement we found facsimiles of various trade workshops and a room full of bells. Somewhere we saw the treasury full of gold objects and reliquaries (empty). Also the well-made and well-preserved Gobelin tapestry depicting an alliance between the Swiss and French. We finally entered the huge hall or arms and armor, which featured just that! Plus a large battlefield of toy tin soldiers. Small telescopes were provided to look over the battlefield. There was a room of uniformed mannequins. Next we saw the prehistoric and Roman artifacts and were getting overwhelmed. So we left the museum to catch the 17:04 train to Biel.

Tram ticket

Marsha found my first gray hair!

Tuesday, January 18, 1983

At 21:30, Marsha C and I went for a walk to drop off birthday gifts for Kirby in his mailbox. We also snuck up to the house to tape an envelope on the front door.

I discovered I have a cavity! First a gray hair, now a cavity; I am “falling apart”! There is no pain; I discovered it because I was chewing gum and it kept getting stuck on a particular tooth. I probed with a toothpick and felt a hole in the tooth. I asked for dentist recommendations, but they were all busy. A couple of the dentists gave me the name of a new dentist in town. My appointment isn’t for three weeks!

Wednesday, January 19, 1983

Sylvia W, the x-ray technician who lives on the first floor of the Personalhaus/staff residence, came up to our floor to cook dinner for Marsha Cotter and me, and Sibylle B, a 17-year old Praktikantin/student nurse on the C.P. Station. Sylvia grated potatoes she had boiled the day before while butter melted in a pan. She browned the potatoes a little, then set it on the burner under a plate to steam through. When it was done, she then fried bacon and eggs. We had plenty to eat of the Rösti, Speck und Spiegeleier! I drank milk because of my newly discovered cavity, and the others had coffee or tea. We had Fastnachtchuechli/Mardi Gras fried dough for dessert. We also looked through Marsha’s Playgirl-type calendar.