After yesterdays power tourism experience, we took it easy. At 9:30 draging ourselves out of bed and attending the hotel cafe for a very nice and welcome breakfast. Dan is still under the weather. I investigate delaying our flight by 24 hrs. The hotel rooms are available but Swiss [air] want $AU100 per passenger to re book plus because there are only business class seats available, we would have to pay even more to upgrade to business cass. I wonder if the travel insurance will cover it?. Instead settled for paying for one more night with one room. This gives Dan somewhere to sleep and a base for the rest of us.
Dan has come back to life. Around 2pm, we wander out and grab a bite to eat at the railway station.
Took a train to ??? Its the Mt Cootha of Zurich. When we get to the railway station at the top station we find a childrens playground and a cafe and lots of signs for various walks. We play in the playground and look at the view then choose the shortest walk. 10minutes to the peak. On the way we pass a communications tower that looks like a small version of the canberra tower complete with observation deck with windows. At the top we discover the Swiss army apparantly on exercise along with another tower that is open and several restraunts and a hotel. We have observed two thin (about 4mm diameter) black wires that came out of one of the camoflaged tents these extend up the tower. We also observe four uniformed soldiers guarding the tower with Ice cream sundaes. The tower is constructed of about 400mm RHS and looks to me to be about 40m to the observation deck. There is a staircase that winds its way up. Remembering that being a tourists means to find tall things and climb them, and so up we go. At the observation deck, we meet another four guards this time with guns and two microwave terminals manufactured by Thales. We enjoy the view. There are some picturesque views of villages. The hand rail is about 1.1m high and all that is stopping us from toppling off. Somewhat scary in a safe kind of way. A nice relaxing experience but one wonders whether all the people below eating ice cream sundays worry about falling camcorders. The sign reminds us that we are at the highest place in Zurich.
At CHF12 for the cheapest item (a simple sunday) on the menu, we decide on ice cream at the railway station. The sacrifices one makes (6x12=72 compare with 6x3=18CHF). If I had been sans kids, I would have paid for the sundae.
Then take the kids on the ferry ride that Megan and I took on the first day. This being Switserland, there are clocks everywhere. We looked at a flower clock. This clock is about 5m in diameter. The hands are normal but the clock face is made of plants. The numbers have been grown.
Took a tram back toward central station and went in search of a Fondu restraunt. Finally found one. I thought Switzerland was the home of fondu given that it is big on cheese and chocolate. The kiwi guy in the fondu restraunt explains that cheese fondu is traditional but that chocolate fondu is a modern adaptation. We had a very nice cheese fondu but way over priced. Also only bread, potatoe and some dried meats to put in it. All up I think we do an alltogether better deal on our verandah.
Quickly walk back to the hotel. Finish packing. I took advantage of havig booked the room and had a shower. As did Megan. As I write this, I am on the plane. Had a half sleep, the best I could manage with my knees in my face. Still feel reasonably fresh.
As we went to leave the hotel and walk the short distance to the railway station, it started ti rain. I mean absolutely bucket down. Bags unpacked as we searched for raincoats. Marcu's had one of those plastic ones and one arm had pretty much been ripped off. He retrieved it from the rubbish bin in the room.
Train (of course) to the airport.
Chis is coughing a lot. At the airport went in search of a chemist. No luck so bought a little chocolate instead. Finally we see a chemist and purchase cough medicine in the form of pills.
Through the various checks and pretty much strait onto the plane.
I have the window seat and Dan is beside me in the isle seat. The in flight entertainent system has a control box under the seat infront of me that reduces the space available for my feet to 1/3. There is one box per two seats. So I end up with my feet half jammed under the seat in front of me and half under the seat infront of Dan.
....Time passes.....
So here we are at 37000 feet about 4 hrs to our destination. we should arive at about 5pm. Just after we got on, they got us to close the blinds on the windows so the plane is dark and most people are asleep. I snuck a peak outside and it is bright sunshine. Now I am told that to minimise jet lag, one should set ones watch to the destination time. My watch therefore says that it is 1:20pm in honkong and in my book that means sunshine and so I want the blinds open hwever I suspect that would be seen as a threat to the good order of the plane. Megan is half asleep in the window seat beside me. Across the isle, Jemma is sleeping across two seats. Dan is on the floor. Marcus had been on the floor but he and Chris are now messing around with the in flight entertainment.
What I would really like to do is open the blinds and have a coffee. I guess that if they keep the blinds closed then at 3pm, I can try a mid afternoon nap. Ah the coffee arrives. Not bad actually. I have had some pretty terrible coffee in Europe. No wonder starbucks gave up in Australia but are alive and well in Europe.
Megan is watching a movie. It would be nice if one could set my entertainment to clone Megans viewing. That way we could enjoy the same movie at the same time and laugh together.
SWITZERLAND GENERALISATIONS
The scenery is beautiful.
The people are friendly and speak English.
I suspect that they retain their independance & Neutrality.
They have a different power plug to the rest of Europe.
They still use their own currency.
We stayed in the Hotel Montanna. 5min walk from main station. Very handy. I would stay again.
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