Chocolate and Zurich

Getting ready to work

While the students (and chaperones) have been eating their fair share of chocolate here in Switzerland, today they had the chance to make some of their own.  Dr. Maggi was able to get us in contact with a pastry chef who owns his own confeserie, and he does two hour chocolate "classes" where people can come and try their hand at designing their own Swiss chocolate.







We took the train to Liestal, a little town about fifteen minutes outside of Basel, and made our way to the tiny shop.  The kitchen is two floors above the shop, and we all crowded around Mr. Aebischer.  We struggled at first to create our cones that were to be used for decorating, but with a little help from Mr. Aebischer, students were decorating and designing their own chocolate rabbit.

Folding cones for chocolate

 

Students started with dark chocolate and most wrote their names or initials and then used white chocolate to finish highlighting different features and designs.  The students then brought their molds over to a chocolate fountain of sorts where they filled the mold with flowing milk chocolate before carefully dumping the excess chocolate out.  The molds were then put in the refrigerator to cool, and then the process needed to be repeated one more time.  With bated breath, we watched as Mr. Aebischer carefully knocked the chocolate rabbits out of their molds, and the students were able to take home a once in a lifetime souvenir.

Designing the mold

Filling the mold

The chocolate hardens

We were then treated to some ice cream by Dr. Maggi, before bidder her adieu and heading to Zurich for the afternoon.

The finished product

Zurich is one of the most famous cities in Switzerland and its largest, located about and hour east of Basel.  Basel and Zurich have a rivalry in many ways, and their soccer clubs are akin to the Red Sox and the Yankees.  Zurich is a beautiful city that sits on Lake Zurich and has the River Limmat running through the center of it.  We strolled down the "most expensive street in Switzerland", Bahnoffstrasse, and then had a few hours free time to explore the streets, river, and lake of the beautiful city.  Students enjoyed a little shopping, although, as with most big cities, the prices were on the high end.  It was a relaxing afternoon after a very busy week of travel.

A lovely afternoon in Zurich

Only one more day left before our early departure Sunday morning.  Tomorrow is a shopping day for many before our farewell party in the evening. Hopefully, all are receiving chocolate and more upon our return!