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Wednesday 2 to Thursday 3 September
We arrived into Zürich in the afternoon. Strangely, I felt relieved to be back in an ordered place after our American travels. Just landing at the airport, everything seemed in its place. But this is Switzerland.
Of course European accommodation is expensive on our limited budget, but the hotel was deliciously comfortable. It was quiet and spacious with a wonderful sitting area and a bathroom where everything worked as expected. Sad that we were only checked in for a single night.
We walked into town, needing to stretch our legs after the long haul from New York via Iceland. Autumn had clearly descended and the skies were grey. We walked along the Limmat River which runs into the Zürichsee at the northern end. We couldn’t help but notice a lot of cranes, a sign of construction and renovation.
We stopped for a drink and realised that the days of large, full glasses of white wine are over. Americans were extremely generous with the wine they served. Bruce found the beer light after enjoying many IPAs in USA.
Still meandering through town, we crossed the river into the old town. Here we found a large selection of restaurants. The salads were good, simple and tasty, after the complex salads we had been served in the USA.
Next day, after breakfast, we walk into town for coffee. But first we had to get our train tickets. What we considered would be a quick purchase at the Tourist Office then the Ticket Office, took more than an hour. We found a quaint coffee shop tucked away in the narrow streets of the old town, then climbed Lindenhof for a view over the city.
Lindenhof is the historical site of a Roman castle and is known to be a tax collection point. Various castles were built on the site over the centuries. In 1798, the citizens of Zürich swore the oath to the constitution of the Helvetic Republic on the Lindenhof.
Next stop was Schauffhausen by train to meet friends Heinz and Mieke.
