Swizterland

I'm writing from my room in Zurich. This is my first time in this country, and it has absolutely captured my heart. I was very disappointed my trip last week to Bordeaux was cancelled, as I was excited about a local tour guide and the ocean. So instead, I took the train to Zurich. What. a. trip. So, let's go back to 48 hours...

Monday night I got home later than usual from our girl's group, as we had amazing conversations. But I still needed to pack! I finally managed my suitcase and backpack, as well as all the extras I needed for work. Tuesday morning, I had a well-timed agenda. First the grocery for a few last-minute items, then my friend's to drop off their borrowed rice pot, then caught a bus to be home in time to gather my things and leave the country. Somewhere along that journey, I lost my personal phone! A few quick calls to the bus company and the police, I decided I still had to leave the country for the work event I was headed too. There are currently a lot of rail work being done, so most of the trains in Luxembourg are cancelled, and I needed to catch my train to France about 30 min drive south of where I live. No issue if you have a car, but quite a hassle by bus. Y'all know I'm too cheap for a taxi, but I was seriously considering it, as I had a giant and somewhat heavy flood protection product, a giant and somewhat heavy table covering, and a giant and unwieldy selfie frame in addition to my backpack and roll along. A friend kindly gave me a ride to the office, where I could pick up the selfie frame and table covering, before driving me all the way to the train station. Thankfully, I could take that train almost to the border of France. It's so nice being on a train. I was working away, while enjoying the gorgeous scenery. I took a lunch break for some of the snacks I had brought, and it was a lovely journey. I gathered my many things to exit the train, and in the process made friends with an incredible seventy something year old lady, who is quite well travelled. We were on the same train to Zurich, so we chatted as we waited, and traded watching bags for food and bathroom breaks. It was a fun moment to connect. 

On the train to Switzerland, I unfortunately couldn't enjoy much of the scenery as I took a few video calls. An adorable little grandpa sat next to me and was so polite the entire journey. The train ended at the Zurich main station, and a colleague had graciously agreed to pick me up from there. It was nice to have a ride directly from there and not have to navigate the public transit with all of my things! He drove me directly to the hotel and truck, and we got to look at the truck for a bit. One of my students who lives in Zurich, had kindly made dinner reservations for us. It was a gorgeous old building, which used to be an armory and has been around since before Christopher Columbus discovered America! I was advised to eat the "Zurich Schnitzel", a delightful round hashbrown cake. It was served with a mushroom and beef cream sauce. There was a tiny grate and tea light that the extra sauce pot was kept warm over :) It was absolute heaven. After dessert, we went on a tour of the city center. There were beautiful churches, and I saw the rivers and Lake Geneva. There were piles of gorgeous swans as well! The weather was perfect, the reflections in the water stunning, and the company lovely. My students care for me so well, and L was no exception as he walked me all the way back to the main station, helped me purchase a ticket, and made sure I knew which track to get on before he left me for the evening. 

The next day was more truck and work things, which isn't the point of this blog :) I had a lovely chat with the hotel gift shop lady, and she gave me some free chocolate! But I was grateful for a ride to the airport which also has a major train station. Two of my colleagues were returning home by train, but they kindly took a moment to enjoy a drink together. 

Alone at last, I walked around to purchase some things for my truck, as well as a quick snack. I dropped off my purchases at the hotel, before grabbing a bus to the city center. I managed to get a 24-hr transit card from the hotel for free, so was excited to use it for the water taxi. However, after switching from a bus to the tram, I found myself a bit too late for the water taxi. I did take a lovely stroll along the lake, seeing the looming outlines of the mountains in the distance. I found a dark alley that managed to bring me under the street to cross the river, the first of many sketchy alleys I found myself traipsing through unfortunately. After a bit more city wandering, I decided on dinner. I found a promising sounding restaurant, which was on the water. More empty echoey alleys later, I found the restaurant. Their ethos is in sourcing local food and providing a second chance at life for their employees. I had the absolute best garlic bread of my life- crusty hearty bread with a perfectly seasoned wild garlic pesto smothered on top. It was followed by a simply stunning veal piece and tagliatte with a delightful lemon sauce. I ended it with a chocolate cake, as it was too incredible a meal not to round out properly. 

Body filled with sustenance, and the soul filled with the incredible views of the water and reflections and the moon, I began the onward journey. I walked to the train station and managed to catch the underground and ensuing bus to get back. Both the train station and bus stop took me to rather remote villages I didn't know existed. Once the bus dropped me off in the middle of what seemed civilization-less sans the airplanes overhead, I realized the path my GPS wanted me on was closed to construction. My 5% battery phone map showed connecting streets, and I decided to forge my own path. I was walking through quiet dark neighborhoods, oblivious to the world, and it was lovely albeit a bit nerve wracking in the silence. Eventually, the pavement ended though, and I came across a dirt path. The hotel is at the top of a hill, and many mountainous jogging paths surround it. I bravely forged onto the dirt path, my heart pounding because of the silent darkness. Eventually, I found the back of the hotel, and three dead-end trails later, managed to find the entrance, exhausted but grateful for the safety as I definitely didn't make the wisest choices in the paths I chose to traverse. 

It will be a very early morning tomorrow to meet my contractors, so I grabbed a 50% pastry to ensure I had something to put in my stomach the next morning! 

Overall, I have been beyond grateful for this time in Switzerland; the beautiful country and the kindest people have made this trip a special memory and I'm excited to return.