United States of Europe

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In September 1946 Winston Churchill gave his famous United States of Europe speech at the University of Zurich. During the speech the iconic wartime leader asked for cooperation amongst the great European nations, specifically Germany and France, to avoid the horrors of the world wars ever occurring again. The ironies of this speech are not lost on the Swiss today, as this historic moment is considered by many the catalyst for the formation of the European Union. The Swiss themselves, however, are notable absentees from the Union. The country maintained neutrality for the entirety of the two world wars that tore Europe apart in the 20^th Century, it’s certainly unpredictable the way history tends to play out. The local economy remains a powerhouse of Europe, with Zurich a magnet for international business, banking, and finance. There's a lot of wealth around and prices are high, nevertheless the city is a must see for visitors to Western Europe.

The journal left off at the conclusion of a wonderful day trip to Liechtenstein, a Micro State and close neighbour of Switzerland. I arrived back in Zurich with time remaining to explore one of the great European cities. Zurich is home to four beautiful churches, St Peter’s Church features the largest clock face in Europe, measuring 8.7 metres in diameter. It's a striking architectural work, as the clock face is closer to the ground than Big Ben in London. The Grossmunster is the architectural centre of the city, featuring free entrance to the church and crypt. During my visit I took advantage of the offer to climb the tower after ponying up a few Swiss francs. The tower has a tight and winding staircase that begins to open up towards the top, providing magnificent views of the city in all directions.

The next morning I signed up for the free walking tour of the city, meeting outside one of the powerful Swiss banks that play such an important role in the Swiss economy. Once again it was a cold day with the temperature well below zero. The saving grace during my visit to Zurich has been the absence of wind, making the cold temperatures bearable. The Swiss are amazingly efficient in removing snow from the city centre, it’s only when you get outside the capital visitors gain a perspective on just how much snow falls in Switzerland during winter. A small group gathered in the cold, with a friendly and knowledgeable local guide having extraordinary access buildings in the city. He was as aware of the cold as the rest of us, so tried to incorporate as many indoor stops as possible during the tour.

We learnt the historical importance of Guilds in Zurich, which first rose to prominence in the 14^th Century. They are still a feature of the city today, with our team given access to one of the most famous Guilds in the city. The beautiful building hosts a huge number of weddings, work functions, and seminars; providing a fascinating insight in to the history and traditions that are an important part of Swiss life. The Guilds are still very traditional in values; it might help if you are male, protestant, conservative and wealthy, otherwise your membership application might end up in the bin! The Guild building featured the Coat of Arms of the various families with membership. I'm particularly drawn to the Wine Guild which is in one of the most beautiful buildings in Zurich. In fact that's where Winston Churchill stayed prior to delivering his famous speech, but he was apparently unimpressed with the quality of the local wine. The Swiss are world leaders in banking, chocolates, and watches but even they can't be the best at everything!

We learnt during the course of our tour there are over 1,500 fountains dotted throughout Zurich with water suitable for drinking. The locals joke that everything is expensive in Zurich except for water, as you buy a bottle once and can top up at the fountains. There's even a festival in the main square during summer where the fountain flows with wine, what an amazing experience that would be to experience with your friends! Of course there is world class shopping to enjoy in the Old Town, with Bahnhofstrasse near the main station the fourth most expensive street in the world. The glamorous fashion brands have stores on this exclusive street, but as I always say it's free to wander! The tour incorporated visits to some of the famous churches in the city, where the protestant tradition is strikingly different to catholic churches when you step inside. The protestant churches are stripped back and bare within the buildings, I believe the thinking is the focus should not be on opulence but prayer.

One Irish girl did not seem to be rugged up adequately for the conditions, and dropped out towards the end of the tour. However, a random Aussie stumbled across our group and asked to join in so the numbers remained the same. We then visited Roman baths that were in operation for over a thousand years; it's clear when the Romans built something it was built to last! Ironically the baths only fell in to disrepair after the building passed in to private hands, with prudish thinking at the time also playing a role in their inevitable demise. The tour incorporated may famous attraction in the Old Town, with Zurich a world leader in education. The most famous universities have played a role in educating several Nobel laureates, this is a proud and special city by world standards.

Having visited Interlaken and Bern ten years previously, the chance to get to Zurich has been an experience I'll always treasure. When you incorporate a tour through the magnificent Swiss Alps and on to Heidiland in all it's winter glory Switzerland has left a powerful impression on me. The cities are clean and orderly with magnificent architecture; the people are warm and friendly feeling comfortable in their own skin. There is world class banking, international business, art and culture set on the beautiful Lake Zurich. I feel compelled to suggest, basically all of you should be here now!

I am as bad as the worst, but, thank God, I am as good as the best." Walt Whitman

As I continue my travels, until next time it's signing off for now

Tom

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Switzerland
We were there last year in March and enjoyed our adventures. Thanks for the memories.