Zurich!

     Spent the weekend in Zurich, Switzerland. It's incredibly beautiful and, just like Amsterdam, very welcoming. The entire town is a beautiful mixture of old and modern architecture, with canals, a large lake and a beautiful, albeit distant, view of the Alps.

      While walking along the lake shore we past a pride rally, but the surprising aspect was there were no protesters, just the rally people. Further in town there was a Turkish protest trying to promote the views of Ataturk, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/turkey-protesters-proclaim-heirs-ataturk. The protesters were calm and reserved and, just like with the pride rally, there were no other people picketing the protesters views. The ability to fully express your views without interruption was really heart warming. The few protests I've seen in the states have always had other people picketing the opposing views. I understand the right to picket others views is freedom of speech, which is great in it's own right. The lack of picketers in Zurich wasn't due to a lack of freedom, but a respect for people to explain their own view without interruption. It just seems more respectful to let others express their views, and then say your own when you get a chance. 

      Either way Zurich was a fantastic way to spend the weekend. I think this song, by The Last Bison, sums it up pretty well:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUDKrQyeXKY