Wonderful Memories of HarpMasters

10 days have past and beautiful memories and friendships have been formed!

I met many amazing girls and gained more confidence in myself as a musician and harpist! My performance of the Fire Dance by David Watkins went decently (I got a blood blister that popped... I bled on the harp.) and now my solo trip solo Europe begins tomorrow!

I'm gonna miss everyone here! I hope and plan to come back next year :)

Rosti

Won't lie, not a huge fan of Swiss food...

However, the food I'm being served at the hotel I'm staying at is HORRIBLE! Found dead flies in my pasta on more than one occasion :(

Decided to go out of way and head to Bern to get some decent food. I settled with Bratwurst Rosti while my companion went with Egg and Bacon Rosti.

When lined up against over-cooked pasta, flavorless bread and dry salad; these rosti's were DIVINE! We are starving musicians/artists! :D

Rosti is considered a national dish in Switzerland. The basic dish is fried, grated potatoes (similar to hash browns) and depending on the region, is usually topped with onions, herbs, cheese and/or meats.

Definitely savored every bite.

Muchenbuchsee for HarpMasters!

Finally in Bern! Got a little sick of Zurich... It's not for me :/

Actually arrived here yesterday (which was my 21st birthday! Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone to flash my ID at to prove I am now legal. It's Europe). It's a very different vibe from Zurich, probably because it's farmland! It's beautiful though! See for yourself:

Cow's on the way to the music school!

Scenery walking to school #1 Field of Grain

Scenery walking to school #2 Swiss Alps!

Hello From Zurich, Switzerland!

Zurich train station

Hello from Zurich! It's 9 PM here and the sun is STILL out! It gets pitch black around 7PM in California, so this sunlight is all a shocker to me :P

This is my first time in Europe and I am quite excited! Well, I take that back, I've been to Europe a once upon a time when I was younger, but I was too young to really appreciate it then. I am here to attend a Harp workshop called Harpmasters. It's located near Bern in a town called Muchenbuchsee, but I'm gonna hang out in Zurich for three days before making my way over. Super stoked :)

View from a Church tower

Sprungli Confectionary Shop in Zurich. BircherMuesli.

Yeah, so far Swiss food has not really appealed to me.... The prices aren't helping either (-_-) I am a sucker for oatmeal though and I just discovered muesli! I'm hooked! Apparently, Lindt's confectionary shop, Sprungli, is famouse for their Bircher Muesli. HAD to get it of course! Price is not an issue here :P With that, I got chamomille tea and a box of four Luxemburgerli (basically a lighter version of Parisian macarons).

The muesli was very refreshing! Perhaps I don't have enough Muesli experience to really talk about Muesli... But I love the texture of it and how light it was! The little bread that came with it was nothing to rave about, but carbs are always much appreciated :)

Muesli is basically a popular cereal containing uncooked oats, fruits and nuts. It's health food created by doctor Maximillian Bircher-Benner for his patients during the 1900's. Traditionally, it was originally eaten with orange juice instead of the milk/yogurt we see today.

Some health benefits listed on Wikipedia are:

• Muesli is packed with nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables that can reduce the risk of cancer.
• The oat content of Muesli helps lower cholesterol concentration and the risk of atherosclerosis.
• Some of its nuts content like walnuts is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which is also good for the heart and development of the nervous system.
• The presence of manganese in Muesli along with low saturated fats keeps your heart safe.
• It reduces the risk of cancer and other age-related diseases.
• It lowers glycemic index which controls diabetes.
• Fulfills the daily fiber requirement: In this age of processed food, very few people are able to achieve their daily fiber requirement through regular meals. Muesli being a very rich source of dietary fiber - both soluble and insoluble - helps in lowering the blood cholesterol level. The soluble fiber (beta-glucans) in muesli helps in avoiding dramatic changes in blood sugar level. It also relives constipation by improving the bowel moment in the intestinal tract.
• The oats and nuts present in muesli constitute of a phytochemical known as lignans. This phytochemical agent helps in reducing the chances of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer.

Sounds pretty good to me!

The site also has the original Bircher-Benner Muesli recipe if any of ya'll are interested :)