We have arrived in Switzerland!

We arrived in Switzerland early on Tuesday morning after an overnight flight from Toronto. We flew from St.John's to Toronto and then back over the island on the way to Zurich meaning our flight was 3 hours longer then if we could have flown straight from St. John's. Sometimes there are disadvantages to living in NL and travel is one of them!




Don waiting for the flight in Toronto...looks like he is contemplating life and wondering where in the heck are we going now?
We went through customs quickly and were surprised that there was no form to fill out and no questions asked, the Swiss must be a trusting crowd. Then on to the train from the airport to Main Station and then to find a bus to our accommodations.




Here we are at Banhoftplatz, the Main Station. If you could see us we would be wondering where do we find City Bus 31? When we travel we always use public transit but it comes with its challenges, especially when we first arrive.
We chose to stay in Air BnBs across Switzerland because of the high cost of accommodations, for example I had checked on a hostel in Zurich and it was 200 dollars a night while this place is less than half that. Hotel rooms were in the 400 per night range which is way out of our budget! Air BnB lists rooms for rent in private homes so they are much cheaper but a great way to meet the local people.
The flat where we are staying is owned by a woman named Vera who rents out one room for Air BnB visitors and in addition has two young flatmates, all of them interesting people to meet.
Her flat is located in Central Zurich and is nice and clean....




The view from our bedroom window.




The kitchen where we can eat breakfast and cook if we like.




Our bedroom for the next two nights, comfortable bed just a little low to the ground.
When we arrived we slept for a few hours as neither of us slept on the flight than out to explore the city on foot which is our favourite way to get around. The first thing we noticed was how thin everyone was and they all looked so healthy even though there are lots of smokers. So even with the smoking and all the good Swiss chocolate the locals seem to stay very fit.




A window display of Swiss chocolate, one of Switzerland's claim to fame. Haven't tried any yet but sure we will.
Maybe it is because many of them walk, bike and take public transit which is easily accessed here in Switzerland. The Swiss like to think that their transportation system is the best in the world. So far using our Swiss Pass we are impressed with how efficient and timely it all seems to be...no waiting around at a bus stop, if the bus says it will be there at 4:02, then it is there at exactly that time.




The city trams
Our Swiss Pass which must be bought before you come into the county is a great way to travel...it covers all modes of transit as well as entry into most attractions across the county. You don't need to bother with buying tickets you just hop on the bus, tram, train or boat so it is a great convienience.




Our Swiss SaverPass, good for two people for 15 days. We are looking forward to many great train trips during the next two weeks.
So now a little about Zurich... first of all it is place that most people coming to Switzerland don't visit. It is a major transportation hub which brings people into the country but then on to other places rather than stopping. We, however decided to stop over for two days, using the first day to catch up on our sleep and jet lag as it is 4 1/2 hours time difference from NL. Then a day to see whatever sites we could manage. The locals joke have a saying..."Zurich, zu reich, zu ruhig" meaning " too rich, too quiet", both of which we have already observed.




Typical Architecture in Zurich
Zurich is a small city around 400,000 located on Lake Zurich so no hustle and bustle here and a city that is easy to walk. It is also a major city for international banking. Many people from all over the world have Swiss bank accounts so when in Switzerland Don stopped by the Credit Suisse bank to see how well his was doing!




Seriously though, it is a very rich place and very expensive. It is said that Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries to visit in Europe and just by what we have spent so far on refreshments and meals this is proving to be quite true.




Our first lunch...tea, a beer and two small panini sandwiches. Bill 40 dollars!
Good thing Don has that Swiss bank account!!!
On our stroll the first day we observed that the place was very clean and very orderly with some wonderful green spaces,




Great public art which I really like...








Over 1200 public fountains that have drinkable water as the Swiss refill their glass, not plastic bottles.




Also like most European cities it has a river running through it... Limmat River.








Me on one of the many bridges that cross the Limmat River.
So that was our first introduction to Switzerland and Zurich, looking forward to seeing more of the city tomorrow.

Location:Zurich, Switzerland