Happy Monday! This isn’t today. This was written for another Monday, specifically two weeks ago today. It is part of the effort to document and re-live our most recent, amazing adventure. So, if you’d be so kind as to cast your mind back two weeks …
We left Paris early in the morning. We were supposed to leave the evening before, but transportation troubles threw this leg of the trip out of whack, so we extended our hotel room, an additional night, and readjusted the plans on the backend. It caused some angst and probably cost a few more bucks in the long run, but it all worked out, as these things somehow have a way of doing.
Anyway, we arrived at our new place by train in due time. (Know where we are yet? Here’s another overexposed hint.)
From the train station we took a tram a few stops deeper into the city. After we checked into the hotel we wandered around for some lunch. Found a pub, ate a burger, and then walked down to this lake.
The lake was somehow farther than we anticipated, despite being two smart, educated and resourceful citizens of the 21st century with maps in our hands. By the time we got down here my feet were screaming at me. So I took off my shoes and dipped my feet in the water. I was thinking about the 15 minutes you’d put ice on something that aches, but my delicate little toes couldn’t stay in the cold lake nearly that long. Cooled me off and kept the soles of my feet cold for quite a while!
We took a little cruise, which is where these photos came from. We might have had the tickets wrong, but the ticket controller didn’t care too much. His shift was ending and he got off at the first stop anyway. No one else came around, and so we just had these great views.
So, do you know where we are yet?
And what is she looking at?
That’s where we were headed the next day, he said pointing somewhere vaguely up there.
Those are the Alps. This is Switzerland. We are in Zurich. The weather was great. The city is … well … a city. They speak four languages, officially here, and English isn’t one of them. But everyone is perfectly accommodating after suffering through our rudimentary French and German. The cost of living is expensive, because they import so much. Restaurants, even the casual dining places, are ridiculous. They have a bit of a tagging problem across the city.
Living on Lake Zurich looks like it would have its appeal, though. Some of the people on the afternoon cruise were commuting home. Work all day, catch the boat. An older gentleman came aboard, ordered a glass of wine and some peanuts, and had just enough time to down it all before his stop. Then he walked off the boat, up the hill and to whatever the rest of his evening was. Granted, I saw this part of his routine on a perfect May day, but it seemed pretty perfect.
Anyway, we weren’t staying in Zurich, but a base of operation. Switzerland is a small enough country, and there are trains to go everywhere and see what is a stunning countryside. We were in Zurich every night, b– not on the lake, but near enough to everything — and taking great trips each day.
And they were great day trips. Wait and see. We have four of them coming up, and that’ll see us through this week on the blog. It’ll be a grand time, so do come back to check out our time in the playground of Europe.
