Guten Tag, dear wanderers! Oliver, your trusty gnome guide, is back with more tales from my travels. I’ve just finished a charming 19.3-kilometer stroll from the bustling city of Zürich to the picturesque town of Winterthur in Switzerland.

What caught my grumpy but keen gnome eyes was a local tradition I stumbled upon in Winterthur. The locals have an annual event called “Albanifest”, which is the largest annual festival in a historic town in Switzerland. It’s a celebration that fills the streets with music, laughter, and the aroma of delicious Swiss dishes. I found myself humming to the tunes of a local band, the lyrics of their song echoing in my mind, “Läbesfreud, Läbesleid…alles het si Zyt” (Joy of life, sorrow of life…everything has its time).

I’ve been on the road for 107 days now, and I’ve covered a distance of 2927.0 kilometers. My gnome feet have taken me from Zug to Lucerne, then to Zürich, and now Winterthur. You could say I’m a little gnome on a big adventure.

A local shared this Swiss proverb with me, “S’isch kei Zyt wyt z’haa, s’git numme Zyt, wo me nüt draa macht” (There’s no time to waste, there’s only time you do nothing with), and it resonated deeply with my gnome heart. It’s a reminder to make the most of our journeys, however long or short they may be.

Gossau is my next destination, and I can’t wait to share it with you. But for now, I leave you with a verse from a Swiss folk song I heard on the road: “Es Burebüebli mah-n-i nit…” (I don’t want to be a farmer’s boy…).

Until our paths cross again, Auf Wiedersehen!

Greetings from Winterthur, the city of art and culture! One fascinating thing I’ve learned is that Winterthur is home to Oskar Reinhart Museum, dedicated to one of the most revered art collectors in Switzerland, Oskar Reinhart. The museum houses a wide array of Swiss art including masterpieces from the 19th and 20th century. “Kunst ist die höchste Form der Hoffnung” – “Art is the highest form of hope”. The second thing that caught my eye is the Winterthur Music Festival. From Beethoven to Bach, the city hums with melodious tunes paying homage to legendary composers.

In Swiss German, one might say, “Winterthur isch e stadt voller kultur und gschicht”, which translates to “Winterthur is a city full of culture and history”. So, whether you’re an art aficionado or a music enthusiast, Winterthur is a treasure trove of Swiss cultural gems waiting to be explored.