June 22nd: Welcome to Switzerland

By Sarah Zillioux ’14

June 19

We arrived at Dulles airport on Wednesday evening. We received plenty of stares and questions walking around in our matching Henley blazers and polos. By 6pm we were boarded and ready to go.

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Greifensee

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Breaking the law

June 20

We arrived in Switzerland 8am local time and got right to work transferring and rigging boats. Despite some severe jet lag, we took to the water for a light row on Greifensee. Some of us found sleep between rigging (on the ground) and during car rides between boat houses. We returned to a very nice hostel with a generous pasta dinner to finish the day. Needless to say, lights were out early for some much needed rest!

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Sam Kush ’14

June 21

Maybe it was the jet lag but it wasn’t until our second morning in Switzerland that I realized we’re rowing out of a farmhouse that doubles as a boat house. If the crowing rooster wasn’t enough, the smell of manure and aggressive dairy cow moo was surely enough of a welcoming to the country life of Greifensee! Pigs, cows, and chickens were just feet away while we rigged the small boats for Saturday’s races. As Frank put it: “The wannabe country boys finally made it to the country.”

After two practices on the water, the team headed across the lake for a lunch of sausage, pasta, and almond nut croissants (Feeney’s favorite: sparkling water, so exotic!). Behind us we had a beautiful view of Greifensee and its surrounding mountains. It was a great day spent rowing, eating, and finding time to explore Zurich.

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Ian Feeney ’14 loving the cows