Sweet Switzerland

On this week’s episode of Wanderlust Wednesday:

A couple of summers ago, when Coach and I were headed to Italy for a family vacation, we decided to take the “long way” and fly to Amsterdam, followed by a train trip to Zurich

and then another train ride through the Alps to Milan, Italy.

Coach and I are often the topic of our friends’ travel jokes, as many of our trips are truly on planes, trains and automobiles and well, boats. The plus side? You use frequent flyer miles so it’s cheap and you get to see more stuff.  The down side? A quick trip across the pond can turn into a mecca. C’est La Vie.  Sometimes you just have to sit back and enjoy the view.

The movie Heidi, starring Shirley Temple, was a favorite when I was young, and Switzerland was definitely on our bucket list, so a stop there made perfect sense. And so, although we only stayed one day and night, we had a chance to tour the beautiful city of Zurich. The city streets were lined with colorful buildings,

Swiss flags in full display

and even an occasional cow on a condo balcony. (I have no explanation for this)

Zurich is a city that is, in reality, as breathtaking as the postcards and travel posters would have you believe. 

Our hotel, the Schweizerhof, was situated directly across from the train station, which made for easy transport of our luggage. Oh, wait, that’s right, the airline LOST our luggage in Amsterdam, so we arrived with only carryon bags in tow. I spent the entire day fretting about how I was going to have to go shopping to replace everything I had packed for our Tuscan vacation. Do you have any idea how expensive Switzerland is?!?So while I obsessed, we strolled through the city, from our lovely hotel at one end, to stunning Lake Zurich at the other. The shopping and tourist district flanks both sides of the Limmat River that flows through the center of Zurich.  

Coach and I stopped for lunch at the outdoor Cafe Odeon. Apparently many famous personalities have graced the patios of this eating establishment, including Albert Einstein, James Joyce and Mussolini (I guess that explains the great train system). I am going to assume that most were smart enough not to order this gigantic Bagel Bacon Cheeseburger that Coach did. Gross.

When I think Swiss, I think of two things: watches

and of course, Swiss chocolate. Seriously!?! Have you ever seen a more exquisite candy storefront than this?

Rows upon rows of chocolate-dipped fruits and cookies enticed shoppers to come in for a tasty sampling.

As the day turned to dusk, the buildings along the river glowed in the evening sunset.

Coach and I retreated to our hotel, only to discover that our luggage had not yet been found. Until 2AM. Knock on the door. Luggage outside. Yay! In the morning we took our trains to Florence, Italy, where we picked up our car to head to San Giminano. All of a sudden, Coach reaches into the pocket of his shorts and pulls out this GIANT 3# metal key fob from our Zurich Hotel!! Room 522. Yikes!

A great (unintended) souvenir of our stay in sweet Switzerland. If anyone is heading to Zurich, let me know. I’ll give you the key to return it. In the meantime, always remember to find joy in your journey, no matter how long it may take. Susan