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Zürich

On Tuesday, January 31st, Charity and I began our first significant trip together since our honeymoon some 13+ years ago.

Originally planned as an extension to a work trip, we flew overnight to Zürich, Switzerland, landing bleary eyed at what our bodies believed to be 4AM but the clocks and sun clearly at 10AM:

At the advice of my colleague and travelling companions to Zurich, we avoided sleeping upon arrival and instead made our way to the local Zoo. I can’t remember ever going to a zoo without being a child or having one in tow, but we made good use of the time to keep walking, stay awake, and overcome jet lag.

Public transportation in Canada cannot compare to the speed and quality of what we experienced in just 24 hours. The 24-hour Zürich Card we purchased at the airport gave us unlimited access to the train and tram network. But to my surprise, not once did I have to present my stamped ticket. Boarding a tram was as simple as stepping inside any doorway, with no length delay to scan your ticket or fumble with change.

Trams came quickly and often, giving us both the courage to travel throughout the downtown core:

After checking in at our hotel and a much needed shower and power nap, we endeavoured to buy Swiss chocolate as gifts for our friends at home watching the children and homestead:

A little wandering through back alleys on our way to dinner with our travelling companions yielded some incredible architecture:

Going to sleep at 9PM that night and getting up at 5:30 AM felt almost normal, though our eyes continued to betray some sleepiness. Nothing a fancy Swiss coffee couldn’t fix on our way to the train station!

While Swiss German seems to be the primary language, everyone we interacted with also spoke English well enough to help us find our way or order food. And while the city was remarkably clean and free of graffiti, we even found some sentiments expressed in English at a tram stop:

The Zürich Hauptbahnhof — the major train station in the capital — is what I wish every airport could be. A thriving metropolis of small shops, friendly patrons, minimal security, and the ability to simply step aboard your train within two minutes of its departure.

A long train ride ahead for the next leg of our journey, but oh so much more legroom!

2 Comments

  1. Ma tante Ma tante

    I Hope you learn how to make fancy latte’s because I’m expecting a beautiful design on my next latte with you 😬

  2. Debora Connor Debora Connor

    I’m so glad you are having such a positive experience! Remember mom loves chocolate 🤣. Enjoy your time together without worrying about the children as Laurel has everything under control and God has her!🥰 love you both ouddles and ouddles.

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