I have just finished dinner and am back in the hotel. I walked down Niederdorfstrasse, one street over from me, which is full of shops, bars and restaurants. I smelled something really yummy (garlicky, peppery, tomatoey) so I stopped in the nearest restaurant. Unfortunately it was not the source of the smell….so I had a glass of wine and continued down the street. Then I found it. A little Italian place—I enjoyed a respectable salad and penne with arrabiatta. “Italian in Switzerland?!” you may ask. Well….did I mention the wind was starting to blow umbrellas inside out, awnings off buildings and flatware off of outside tables? Seriously, I wasn’t kidnapped by the van driver, I’m not going to get gouged in the eye with a butter knife my first day. I ate by myself at a real restaurant without a book. That never happens. I don’t even sit at coffee shops by myself without something to read. But there was nothing to distract me—except some Americans beside me who were telling their Swiss host about Olive Garden and Planet Hollywood. I wish I was kidding. Anyway, I enjoyed the rain, and listened to people speak in German. It was kind of fun. The rain came and went then came back again. I made it back to my hotel during a break, and am planning my day for tomorrow. I think I will go to the Kunsthaus the museum of modern art. Then I will go to Lucerne and on to Engelberg to meet up with the rest of the group.