After finishing my breakfast and sending all my emails, still had some time on hand so, decided to do some walk exploration of downtown Zurich by myself. The buildings there are just simply gorgeous and if you like shopping, it's a haven. This exclusive shopping mile is lined with elegant department stores, famous boutiques for fashion and jewellery, inviting street cafes and restaurants. A beautiful boulevard to be at for sure! I couldn't resist going into Mango and ended up with a tee-shirt in bright orange color in hand as I walked out of the store. What a great start!
This photo on top is that of the train station which is located in the heart of town. The photo in the center is that of a typical cafe lined boulevard leading to the St Peter's church which can be seen in the far end of the background. Did you spot that? And the picture at the bottom is River Sihl that runs across the city center.
Incidentally, the common language spoken here in Zurich is German so, I didn't feel quite as lost coz I could understand the language a little. Didn't have any problem finding the Fraumuenster which was founded in 853, mostly noble women lived in this influential Benedictine abbey.
This is Fraumuenster Abbey. The guy that has a lot more hair, in red t-shirt and with glasses is my tour guide.
Managed to catch a glimpse of St Peter Kirche (church). It houses Europe's largest clock face and is a fire watch lookout point. Parts of the building are from the 9th-15th century and the Baroque gallery stand witness to centuries past and is the oldest city parish church.
Closer glimpse of St Peter's Kirche (above).
Wanted to walk further to see the Blumenuhr at Buerkliplatz but was rushing for time so, decided to skip that. Otherwise, would have been good coz this is a tower clock fitted with about a 1,000 colorful flowers. My mom would've loved that.
Photo above of what I missed had I gone to the Blumenuhr.
Tour started right at 11am. Met this couple Alice & Louise who hails from Maine, USA on the same tour and we started talking and getting ourselves acquainted. They were a very pleasant couple and as the tour took us to various parts of the city center, the tour guide went on a rambling with regards the history of the town which literally got me zoned out by the time I had a chance to take notes. For more readings on the history of Zurich, go to the following link en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Zürich
As we left the city center and go on our 1st destination, Rapperswil, we were introduced to this restaurant called the Kronenhalle which according to the tour guide, is a must eat place if one has a chance to go there. Apparently, many politicians, actors and actresses have been patrons of this Swiss, Bavarian and classic cuisine restaurant. For more info, here's the link: http://www.kronenhalle.com
We drove along the banks of Lake Zurich and it was a beautiful sight as we caught glimpses of houses across the river which, according to our tour guide, is divided into Gold Coast, Silver Coast, Copper Coast and Diamond Coast. As the name beholds, the Copper Coast is one that's inhabited mostly by farmers and the lower middle class and without a doubt, the Diamond Coast is one place I can't afford and is often inhabited by what the people of Zurich called the "Shikimiki". These are the egoistic and narcissistic Swiss people who shows up in their Lamborghinis and show off their wealth in their possessions.
Pictures of the housing across Lake Zurich. These are the homes of the rich and famous. We can only go "ooh and ahh" at the expanse of the homes there.
After about an hour's drive, we reached Rapperswil, the City of Roses. This town is located on the eastern end of Lake Zurich. This city has a picturesque medieval town center and that is why it is such a draw to tourists like me who marvels at a little zoo with animals that has been tamed living in there, rose gardens with at least 600 different kinds of blooms (although most have wilted under the hot sun by now), the Altstadt (old city) and Castle of Rapperswil.
Here's the pictures taken of this little small town. Very interesting....
And guess where I ate even though they have nice lake front dining? Well, I was alone and rushing for time coz I spent too much time sightseeing, I forgot to eat lunch. So, guess what? Lunch was the usual, quick and easy meal at Mr McDonald's as the tour guide called it. Can you spot that little small golden arch of McDonald's on the left hand side of this Hotel Hirschen? Well, stories goes that the city council will not permit McDonald's to have their huge golden arch coz they want to promote their Swiss cuisine. Anyway, after a quick meal of cheeseburger with gelato ice cream and diet coke to take it all down, boarded the bus and headed off to Liechtenstein. We are now heading towards Vaduz, the capital city of this little principality.
Liechtenstein is the 4th smallest country in Europe and the 6th smallest country in the world. It's dimensions are 24.8km at longest distance and 12.5km at widest distance. The highest mountain is Mt Grauspitz at 2,599m. The annual average temperature at Vaduz is 10.7 deg C. Their head of state is Prince Hans-Adam II and they have a population of 35,000 inhabitants.
It was "one eye sees all" for me when I set foot on Vaduz. Nothing much to shop for except rows and rows of shops selling souvenirs, the Rathaus, some sculptures and a church. Apparently, the stamps of Liechtenstein are very popular and if you're a philatelic enthusiast, here's one place you may want to buy a postcard and send it to yourself.
This is the souvenir shop and the church in the background of the 2nd picture demarcates the end of the town of Vaduz.
View of the town of Vaduz on top of the hill. Vaduz is in a valley and has a fair amount of rainfall thus, the grounds are very fertile making it a great place for agriculture.
The Rathaus for the town of Vaduz and a miniature mock up of the castle of the King of Leichtenstein.
Don't ask me what all these sculptures meant coz I have no clue but, I took the picture coz it's interesting....
After we were done with Liechtenstein, we boarded the bus and headed towards Heidiland. This place is famous for the Heidi stories by Swiss author, Johanna Spyri which we read so much about whilst in school. In case if you haven't read this story before, here's the excerpt:
Summary of Johanna Spyri's Heidi
The orphan child Heidi first lives with her aunt Dete, but Dete would like to concentrate on her career. So she brings Heidi to her grandfather, a queer old man living in an alpine cottage far from the next village (he is therefore called Alm-Uncle, Alpöhi or Almöhi in German). Alm-Uncle is good-hearted but mistrusts anybody and wants to keep the child from all evils of the world. So he refuses to send Heidi to school; instead she goes to the pastures, together with Peter, a shepherd boy looking after the goats (Geissenpeter = goat-Peter in German). This (all too harmonious) alpine idyll finds a sudden end when aunt Dete comes in again and brings Heidi to Frankfurt (Germany) where she shall stay with Clara, the paralyzed daughter of a rich family, and learn something.
Thanks to the grandmother of Clara, Heidi learns to read but she can't get acquainted to the strict discipline in a bourgeois upper class house (personified by governess Fraulein Rottenmeier). She is very lonesome and gets depressed by the gray anonymous city. Heidi becomes ill of homesickness, she starts to walk in her sleep. Miss Rottenmeier is alarmed, not because of the fate of the poor child, but rather because she thinks that there are ghosts in the old house. Finally Clara's father Herr Stresemann and the sympathetic doctor of the family decide to stay up till midnight and find out about the ghosts. When the doctor sees Heidi walking around in her sleep, he finds the right diagnosis and sends her back to the alps.
Next summer, Clara visits Heidi there. They go to the pastures and Heidi shows Clara all the beauty of her world. Peter gets terribly jealous, and in a moment when he feels unobserved, he pushes the empty wheelchair down to the valley so it gets smashed. Clara wants to see the flowers and is forced to walk - and her desire is strong enough that she overcomes her handicap. Healings at body, spirit and soul in that healthy Alpine world - end well, all well.
Typical countryside pictures of Heidiland. The mountain goat epitomizes it all. And the cow is not for real ok?
After Heidiland, we boarded our bus and headed back to town. Tour ended on time at 5.45pm and Ed came early to fetch me. Parked his car and fed the meter and then went on to wait for me at the Starbucks where I boarded my bus. I told him to come fetch me at 6pm so, daren't call him in case he is on the road driving and without hands free. Waited till 5.55pm and then sent him a text message. He told me where he was, I walked there to meet him and walked back to his car only to find a parking summon on the windscreen. Apparently, Jim didn't even see the police issuing the summon coz it has gone beyond the time limit. And the fine is CH45.00. Oh well...gotta pay and figure how to coz right after this, driving all the way to Geneva.
The ride was about 2.5 hours. Ed must be so tired now, working during the day and driving during the night and with construction work everywhere, the GPS wasn't helping as it couldn't figure out an alternate route. We arrived into Geneva in time for late dinner and drove across the border to France to this nice French place and had a good sumptuous dinner. We didn't finish till about 11pm.
Checked into the Movenpick Hotel, was dead tired and lights out...
No comments:
Post a Comment