11.30 am. The inter-city to Zurich is a double-decker train. They run every hour. The first class compartments are empty!
The bar area on the train.
12.30 am. In Zurich! On the way we passed Interlaken (have to return here someday) where numerous movies such as Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and On her Majesty's Secret Service was shot.
It's hard to describe just how beautiful the scenery was - not only is it hard to capture from a fast moving train, but you just want to stare and not miss a moment of it while taking a picture. If there was Paradise on earth in terms of scenery, that would be Switzerland.
Our hotel in Zurich was quite near the train station (about 10 minutes walk).
There's bikes everywhere in Europe. Europeans seem very fond of biking.
The main train station (Zurich HBB).
1.00 pm. Zurich is a small city. After checking in, we decide to walk around the city. Zurich's Old City was small enough to be covered on foot and didn't take long either.
Walking along the Bahnhofstrasse - Zurich's equivalent of Oxford Street.
1.30 pm. Bahnhofstrasse is mainly for shopping, and banking. They have the headquarters of 5 of the largest banks in the world here. Few halal doner kabab places around. We find one right next to our hotel. Positively the best shawarma in Europe.
Rick Steves had called Zurich a big city with no spirit and nothing to do. I don't find it that pessimistic - it's a beautiful city. It was Sunday so the streets were a little empty. While walking we find lots of fountains dotting the city.
Overall Europe has a lot of these pedestrian friendly plazas where one can just chill and relax, and they are often around fountains or some sculpture.
There's even a river that runs right through the city (again, seems a feature of European cities).
2 pm. The buildings that line up the sides of the river are old, but beautifully maintained.
Again, I remark how clean everything is.
2.30 pm. It took us 1 and half hours to walk (slowly, taking many pictures) to Grossmunster, Zurich's main attraction. That's how walkable Zurich was. Grossmunster is an old church.
Grossmunster
Right opposite the church was another church, also a famous tourist destination. This church is called Fraumunster - it's specialty being it's green steeple and mosaic windows on the inside.
Fraumunster
Photography was not allowed inside the churches, as it was a Sunday and they were holding services. After seeing Fraumunster, we walked across the street to the Grossmünster church.
4 pm. After a walk along the Bahnhofstrasse, seeing the two churches, and exploring the Swiss National Museum, Zurich was done. It didn't take long either. We would spend the night here, and the next morning, early, head for Venice.
