An Ode to the Train…and Zürich




Today I have a two in one blog.

The First is a love story. about a Train. Well, not any Train in particular, although I have become quite fond of the Swiss Trains.. I am so impressed with the rail system here. I love it, so much, that I am even starting to love everything about the Train (well, not the bathrooms just yet)…I love the awful screeching noises they make as they slow to a halt, and I am starting to love the distinct smell of the Train station….But, what I really love is that riding the rails here in Europe, so far, has been so incredibly easy, except for our first failed outing; relaxing; convenient, you can hop on here and off in Italy, France, Germany or Austria in a mere few hours or less; and pain free, the Closter phobia issues of last week aside. Here in Switzerland, the Trains are also extremely timely.
Funny, I remember 8 years back laughing about how the trains in Switzerland start moving RIGHT as the clock ticks to the corresponding minute of departure, and by contrast, in Italy, the conductor steps out for a smoke and a piss at the moment the train SHOULD be moving. All in all though, we have seen few delays.
Another beautiful thing is the Eurail Pass. You certainly pay the price, but it is definitely worth it. Sitting in First Class is worth it. (This perk is included on the pass..) Oh, and another thing too. You can literally show up one minute before departure and still just hop right on, as T demonstrated last week on our way to Berlin..(but that is another story!) NO checking in, NO lines, NO stress…
Because I don’t want to spoil this “Praise-the-Train” moment, I wont get into the lack of Security or the random unattended bag that we saw sitting at the Zurich Station last week. I will say that we alerted “The Officials” and the bag was confiscated…No Bomb Sniffing Dogs, No nothing…they just picked it up and took it away..
Aside from the Trains being a convenience, enhancing the quality of life for Europeans and travelers alike, it is also a great way to see the country side all while reading a good book, and sipping a cold beer or a glass of wine…
I will stop before I start to sound like an advertisement..and, who knows, 2 months from now, after having riden the rails for over 3 months, I may be singing a different tune…


Zürich.






I can't say that I have heard much about Zürich in the past. For some silly reason, one thing that I have associated with at least the word ‘Zürich,’ is the chorus from an old song by Pavement that I can never get out of my head when I think about the city. “Zürich is stained and its not my fault, just hold me back or let me run.” It is definitely a random line for me to actually associate with the city itself, but the song is a depressing one in any sense, so for some reason, because of that and nothing else, I thought maybe Zürich was a depressing place.
....yet after today, depressing is one association with Zurich that I won't make again. Aside from the somewhat grey weather, Zürich was quite a lively and quaint city. It was much smaller than I imagined and also much more “walkable.” Many of the streets were cobble stoned and narrow, with cute storefronts tucked away into every little nook and cranny. There were also some nice parks with views over the rooftops and the river, and cute alleys leading to grand churches. I discovered some wonderful Macaroons, in nine different flavors, I might add.. and one of the best Art Museums (Kunsthaus) that I have seen. The new exhibit was themed “Feast of Color” and featured works by Calder, Picasso, Van Gogh, Klee, Kandinsky, Kirchner, Matisse and Miro..among others. Their permanent collection, which I didn’t have time to go through, at length, was also quite impressive.
My explorations today also led me up some 200 steps to the top of the Grossmünster church tower, where I had a 360 view over the beautiful yet foggy city below. Unfortunately, I made one of the best discoveries only a mere 10 minutes before my train was to depart. In the train station, of all places, was a great Farmers Market. Among the trains and platforms were tables of stinky cheeses, organic vegetables, dried and cured meats, pastas-both fresh and dried, antipasto olives, spices, pastries, breads, pestos and jams…Was I ever sorry that I had stopped just minutes before for a cold and stale soft pretzel!

We will definitely be back…