In Germany there is a great scheme for frequent train travellers where you can purchases discount cards for the train – these are general either a 25% off or 50% card for either first class or normal class. Because Brush travels so much for work he has had one since we got here, but it hasn’t been worth it for me up until now. In the lead up to the Zurich weekend we went to get me a ‘bahncard’. First of all we tried our local station which is sometime manned – not the case on the weekend. Then we tried the next biggest station between us and Frankfurt. Also there the ticket windows were closed, so we ended up driving into the middle of Frankfurt to the main train station. There after about an hour in the que we were finally served. We were totally prepared with all the possible paper work we may need, as well as passport photos that would be then printed on my card. After almost another hour filling out forms we are all set. The card itself, we were told wont turn up for about six weeks, but we were given a piece of paper to use in the meantime… [It has now turned up without a picture – I hope I wont have any problems using it now…] Because Brush already had a 50% off card my 50% off card was 50% off, so it cost me €110, but saved my €89 on my return ticket to Zurich
World's largest church clock face at 8.7m diameter, St Peter's Kirche
So, on the Friday after work I headed off to Zurich, well prepared for the 5 hours ride with thermos mug, book, Nintendo DS, snacks, and a sushi dinner purchased at Frankfurts main station.
When I arrived it was after 9pm and Brush met me on the platform. The plan was that we chuck my suitcase in a locker and head out to find a nice café for coffee and desert. But after wandering Zurich for ages and finding no cafes still open or full restaurants we gave up on that plan, headed back to the station to pick up my bag and have a piece of pie at a café in the station. Not quite what we had in mind but not too bad a solution (by then I really was in need of tea and some sugar). After that we rolled my suitcase (carryon size so) to the hotel. The next morning after filling up on complimentary breakfast in the hotel we headed out to explore.
This was my first visit to Switzerland so I was eager to see what it was like and how much it was similar/different to Germany (Zurich is in the German speaking section). The city is gorgeous. We wandered the old streets for hours staring at all the fantastic old buildings. After a while we finally worked out why this city had so many more gorgeous old buildings than we had seen in other places – the Swiss neutrality has a nice side effect of preventing war damage to their cities and old buildings. In a cute little café we had a yummy lunch (mien was a cheese sandwich – but I am sucker for good cheese) and decent coffee we discovered that the Swiss have the same habit as the Germans of taking there dogs everywhere with them. There was an older (and very well healed) couple whose dog was with them also enjoying a nice lunch. Showing though that perhaps the Swiss really are that bit more organised that the Germans the owners had with them a small Tupperware container that they open up and sat on the floor to put the dogs snack into, as well as carrying water and a mini water bowl with them (many restaurants do have doggy water bowls that they will bring out when a custom brings there dog with them).
Put the credit card down, and step away from the Jeweler...
I did discover that the rumours about the Swiss German really are true. When we spoke they could understand our German and would (try to) speak normal German back to us, but the blank stare is a very handy tool for when shop assistants etc try speaking to you in Swiss German – I could not understand a thing!!!!!
After exploring most of the first day and WEARING ourselves out we crawled back to the hotel to recharge before heading back out to dinner. We managed a pizza restaurant nearby then we rolled back to the hotel exhausted.
Crowds of people waiting to board the ferry with the mountains in the background (hazy)
The next day after breakfast and checkout we rolled our suitcase down to the train station where we stashed then in a locker (super practical in every European train station) then took a bit more of a wander before heading to the dock to jump on a cruise around the lake the Zurich sits around. It was really interesting seeing how the city has spread and linked up with what used to be villages on the lake edge. Also the huge number of old houses was just amazing coming from Germany (or Australia). Eventually we got back to the train station, grabbed our bags and jumped on the train – so simple. I LOVE the European train network!!!
Could only be more Swiss if it was a Bank, a Pocketknife, Chocolate, or Cheese
World's largest church clock face at 8.7m diameter, St Peter's KircheSo, on the Friday after work I headed off to Zurich, well prepared for the 5 hours ride with thermos mug, book, Nintendo DS, snacks, and a sushi dinner purchased at Frankfurts main station.
When I arrived it was after 9pm and Brush met me on the platform. The plan was that we chuck my suitcase in a locker and head out to find a nice café for coffee and desert. But after wandering Zurich for ages and finding no cafes still open or full restaurants we gave up on that plan, headed back to the station to pick up my bag and have a piece of pie at a café in the station. Not quite what we had in mind but not too bad a solution (by then I really was in need of tea and some sugar). After that we rolled my suitcase (carryon size so) to the hotel. The next morning after filling up on complimentary breakfast in the hotel we headed out to explore.
This was my first visit to Switzerland so I was eager to see what it was like and how much it was similar/different to Germany (Zurich is in the German speaking section). The city is gorgeous. We wandered the old streets for hours staring at all the fantastic old buildings. After a while we finally worked out why this city had so many more gorgeous old buildings than we had seen in other places – the Swiss neutrality has a nice side effect of preventing war damage to their cities and old buildings. In a cute little café we had a yummy lunch (mien was a cheese sandwich – but I am sucker for good cheese) and decent coffee we discovered that the Swiss have the same habit as the Germans of taking there dogs everywhere with them. There was an older (and very well healed) couple whose dog was with them also enjoying a nice lunch. Showing though that perhaps the Swiss really are that bit more organised that the Germans the owners had with them a small Tupperware container that they open up and sat on the floor to put the dogs snack into, as well as carrying water and a mini water bowl with them (many restaurants do have doggy water bowls that they will bring out when a custom brings there dog with them).
Put the credit card down, and step away from the Jeweler...I did discover that the rumours about the Swiss German really are true. When we spoke they could understand our German and would (try to) speak normal German back to us, but the blank stare is a very handy tool for when shop assistants etc try speaking to you in Swiss German – I could not understand a thing!!!!!
After exploring most of the first day and WEARING ourselves out we crawled back to the hotel to recharge before heading back out to dinner. We managed a pizza restaurant nearby then we rolled back to the hotel exhausted.
Crowds of people waiting to board the ferry with the mountains in the background (hazy)The next day after breakfast and checkout we rolled our suitcase down to the train station where we stashed then in a locker (super practical in every European train station) then took a bit more of a wander before heading to the dock to jump on a cruise around the lake the Zurich sits around. It was really interesting seeing how the city has spread and linked up with what used to be villages on the lake edge. Also the huge number of old houses was just amazing coming from Germany (or Australia). Eventually we got back to the train station, grabbed our bags and jumped on the train – so simple. I LOVE the European train network!!!
Could only be more Swiss if it was a Bank, a Pocketknife, Chocolate, or Cheese
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment