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Published: April 21st 2010
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Zurich
The largest city in all of Switzland. Day Six and I think that I'm going to die as fly from HK to Frankfurt then to Zurich. During the 12 hour flight I peer out the window various times to see a lot of white, and not fluffy cloud white, the white that you associate with snow, ice, frost, hypothermia, yettis and snow queen from Narnia. The kind of white that Bear Grylls teaches you to survive in wearing only the clothes on your back and backpack, just as well that I have been watching Man vs Wild religiously before I left.
In the brief stopover I had in Frankfurt, I assumed with an hour and a half there would be time to get some cash have a coffee and generally chill out while waiting for my flight to Switzerland. I was wrong. Turns out Frankfurt is the second largest airport in Europe, second to Heathrow by just a few passengers. As a result it means various immigration and security checks, all accompanied by hardcore looking German police carrying glocks and no doubt some elite skills on how to use them. So that hour and a half left me with about 10mins to spare hopping onto a flight
Mooching Waterfowl
Probably the only freeloaders in Switzland. The moment I stopped to take some photos, they just swaggered up (if swaggering is possible in water) where I was the only smelly backpacker amongst 100 or so business people who no doubt use their small change to pay someone to shine their shoes.
I was greeted at the airport by Victoria and very happy to have someone to navigate for me my way from the airport, one reason being the extent of my german vocabulary was ''nein'' and ''wunderbar.'' This tram then bus ride was the beginning of the most efficient and streamline days of my entire life. The sign at the tram stop informs us there was 10 mins till the next tram. Unlike Brisvegas 10 mins meant 600 secs of waiting, not 10 to 30 mins. It was also at this stage that I was informed by Victoria that I was a nancy for wanting to put my jacket and beanie on, and that is had been a warm day. Well it may have been a warm day, but it was a cold night!!!! (not really, I slowly adapted to the weather.)
I ventured in Zurich city after getting a Zurich card. For anyone headed to Zurich it is a great value, 72 hours of use of all trains, buses, trams and
View from Lindenhof
the top of the old roman fort a free boat ride on Lake Zurich, as well as free drinks on arrival at certain bars and restaurants. In more exciting news than the benefits of the 72hr Zurich card, I got to explore the city of Zurich. Which is steeped in a ridiculous amount of history, including the fact that Willam Tell is a Swiss Folk hero. According to history is he was pretty good shot with his crossbow and the tale of him shooting the apple on his son's head. He successfully shot the apple and not his son and then a few events after that he shot a big wig Austrian guy was trying to take over the area where Mr Tell resided, this sparked a rebellion and as result everyone loves William Tell. Who ever thought the Swiss would be rebelious.
It would seem that no trip to Europe is complete without seeing something to do with the Romans. I think its one of the oldest parts of Zurich is an old Roman fort, Lindenhof, which was a customs trading post they built when they moved in. I'm not sure how much of it resembles what it was back then, but today its got
the Alps
This day was the best day for weather and views a park on top. The romans called it Turīcum, which is apparently Roman/latin for Zurich. According to wikipedia its meant to be a car free zone, but as I was walking up there and trying to take some photos, some guy (who I'm guessing was Swiss banker by his swanky car and clothes) proceeded to drive up there and turn around. However there wasn't any Swiss policeman to bust a cap in his ass so it was quite the dull event.
There is so much history is going on Zurich, it was one of places where the Reformation took place. So there is heaps of old school churches to see. One of them the Fraumunster, which was built sometime in 800. In the choir area of the church are these stained glass windows designed by Mark Chagall. They're not like traditional windows (I think they were designed in the 80's), you need to stare at them for a while to figure whats going on in them. Being the highly intelligent animal that I am, I got a sore neck before I was completely sure what they depicted, but I'll have a guess and say that JC had something to
Cows with bells
The only cow I saw that was actually wearing a bell. do with them.
No doubt I've bored you all with history facts that are dubious at best, so don't take them as gospel. But something that took me by complete surprise was attending the cinema. We went and saw Alice in Wonderland, a movie that isn't that long, but wait for it, they had an intermission in the middle of it! Who in their right mind puts an intermission in a movie. It could be justifiable in movie the length of Titanic, Lord of the Rings, but Alice in Wonderland, they didn't even wait till the end of the scene and they didn't have intermission music! I suspect it's a ploy to get people to buy more at the candy bar and everyone fell into their little trap.
After having my mind filled with all sort of history, none of which I can remember we headed for a day trip to Lucerne. It was more of a quest than a one hour train ride from Zurch. The quest being to find cows with bell frolicking in the Alpine hills eating all the delicious flowers and grass the Alps has to offer. The was a failure for many reasons.
Uni bar at dusk
Nothing like a few beers to ease into the chilly evening One there were no cows with bells to be seen, but I think it may have been doomed from the beginning. The reason being we didn't actually go to the alps, and the second being that apparently they don't come out of their barns until after Easter. Due to that fact that is was the week before Easter this was a big issue. I would like to draw similarities between myself and King Arthur from Monty Phython's Quest for the Holy Grail, he too failed his quest and were taunted by the French along the way.
Turns out all of Switzerland is full of history, because there is again a lot of olde worlde buildings around, including a bridge that got partially burnt, but then rebuilt. There is also the most photographed landmark in all of Europe alledgly. Why people want to take a photo of a big wooden water tower, I'm not entirely sure, but I didn't want to ruffle the feathers of the Swiss so I took a photo or two of.
Hiding in the background of Lucerne is Mt Pilatus, hiding is perhaps not the correct choice of word, Looming would be more appropriate. Local
legend/myth is that JC's old friend Pontius Pilate is buried up there somewhere, hence the naming of the mountain. It gives fantastic views of the surrounding area and perfect for spotting cows with bells from. Alas the weather wasn't the most favourable and to avoid another 'let's go to the top of a mountain and see excellend view, only to stare at mist' situation. So the thought of another trip up Europe's steepest cogwheel railway was not tempting enough. Instead we visited the Medieval battlements (again closed to the public until after Easter) and got some pretty good views of Lake Lucerne, Mt Pilatus (when it graced us with a cloud free showing breifly), the town/city of Lucerne and all the places that cows with bells would frolick if the weather suited their sensative tastes).
Although I may have failed in my quest to find a cow with a bell frolicking in the apline fields, I did get to eat some delicious chocolate (even the cheap stuff in the supermarket is amazing!!) use trams that run on time, eat some tasty Kalbsgeschnetzeltes nach Zürcher Art (veal with white wine and shrooms) and realise how ineffient I am. Sadly no
Night out
Celebrating Chris' birthday in a night out in Zurich was full of many adventures Swiss man proposed to me as I boarded the train, so I had to leave Switzerland for the land of maddogs and English men.
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Froggie
non-member comment
Fantastic blogs
Hi Annie, I am really enjoying your blogs - perhaps you might consider journalism at some point in your life. It would have to be travel journalism of course, and you might get back to find those cows with bells. Enjoy your travels.