June 10 – Zurich

Last updated on September 6th, 2023 at 03:30 pm

Photos from Zurich
Video Summary of the Day

We made it to Zurich!  I think the hardest part is over!

Now the fun begins.  Our new phones, which were to fix all the problems we had the last time traveling overseas, wouldn’t bring up maps, or anything really connected to the internet.  After some fiddling while in baggage claim, we got them to work, and then started making our way to the train, which we were going to take into the city center. 

Oh, but that meant getting our luggage down an escalator or two, and then the escalator decided to stop working while we’re half way down!  Joyce felt a little unsteady, and we had an impatient woman behind us.  It all worked out and we made our way to the platform, but the train that came was headed in the opposite direction of where we wanted to go.  I think the escalator delay caused us to miss the train we wanted, and we hadn’t figured out all the nomenclature yet. 

We briefly boarded that wrong train, but got off in time and went through some gyrations to find the right platform.  We made it to the city center terminal, which is huge, collected everything and then made our way to the surface again.  Maps were working, but the directions didn’t seem obvious.  We headed in the general direction of the Hotel Scheuble, and did make it!  A few too many cobble stone streets, and a very warm June day didn’t make it easy.  The hotel is in the old part of the city, was relatively small, but cozy and a great place to start our trip.

We rested for just a bit and then got showers and headed back out for more adventures, though this time the luggage stayed in the room!

We visited the Swiss National Museum, Landesmuseum Zurich, and focused on the History of Switzerland exhibit.  There were lots of interactive exhibits, and they had English translations on them all.  Again, the building was kind a labyrinth, and we had some difficulty finding the exit without visiting all the other galleries.  But we didn’t spend the night in the museum!

Upon leaving we went into an underground shopping center connected to the train station (yes, we went back!), and we found a grocery store, so we stocked up on some items for tomorrow’s breakfast.

 Getting back to the hotel was much easier and intuitive this time around.  The streets were full of families and young people, so there was never an issue of safety, though we had a few close calls with the electric trams that ferry people all across the city.

A little nap, and we were ready for another outing, this time for fondue at a recommended restaurant just down the street from the hotel.  As we were leaving, we were treated to about 15 minutes of church bells ringing at 7 on Saturday night.  It was magnificent!

The restaurant was Raclette Stube. It was small, and it appeared that most of the tables were reserved. There was one table open that had been reserved, but we were nearing the ending of the reservation ‘window’, and the party hadn’t shown up, so it was ours! The menu was in Swiss German, so we needed some help, which we gladly were given. We decided on the Kase-Fondue mit Brot und Kartoffeln (cheese fondue served with bread cubes and small potatoes). It was served in a ceramic-clad cast-iron pot over a flame to keep it hot. It was bubbly and delicious all the way down to the last bit!

 Our bellies full and up for a little more walking, we made our way down to the lake front, often walking along the Limmat River.  The sun was in a good position for pictures of some of the stately old buildings that line the river. This little excursion, through small alleys and streets, and up and down and around other buildings and churches, gave us a much better feel for where we were, and landmarks to look for.

 At the end of the day, Alan got in over 16,000 steps and Joyce had nearly 12,000.  We would have been able to do even more if not for hauling luggage for a good portion of it.