10 April 2007

Quick Trip to Solothurn


A fellow expat blogger and I have discovered that we both have an interest in visiting historic towns. So several weeks ago, Jessica and I arranged to meet in Solothurn on Thursday, April 5th.

Two weeks before we were to meet, I learned that my parents would be visiting us in Zürich. I gave Jessica the option of rescheduling or meeting me and my parents. Saying that she rather liked hanging out with "elderly people," she readily agreed! I'm pretty sure she meant my parents and not me. After all, I'm only 36 years old. You did, didn't you?


Solothurn is another of those old walled cities that I just love! The history of the town dates back to 350 BC when the Romans built Castrum Saloduram. But it is best known as the City of Ambassadors. From 1530 to 1792 it was the residence for the French Ambassadors to Switzerland. As a result, it has some of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in all of Switzerland.

St. Ursen Cathedral, named for one of two Roman legionnaires beheaded for their Christian beliefs, is an especially beautiful and ornate cathedral that dominates the center of the town.



And on a lighter note, a more irreverent piece of art stands in front of the Kunsthaus. An ordinary looking boot hangs from a pole, quietly filling with water. Once it is full, a burst of water escapes and throws the boot high into the air.


The afternoon was cut a bit short as my parents were tired and adjusting to the Swiss time zone. But all was well as Jessica had to hurry home to shop before the groceries stores closed for Easter weekend. (They closed at 4 pm on Thursday and didn't open again until Tuesday morning.)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

well of course I didn't mean you...ha! But now I know there's not an "elderly" bone in their bodies, seeing how much you all did. anyway, when i say elderly, i mean retired :)