(A multi-part recap of my recent September trip to Switzerland.)
The next morning it was time to bid farewell to our tour-mates and Tony our fearless leader. At morning breakfast in our Bern hotel I was able to see quite a few people, and wished everyone safe journeys. Most were heading back to Zurich to catch flights home, but a few were extending their trip to explore more of Switzerland.
Clock tower selfie
Kim had booked us tickets to Zurich on the noon train, so we had most of the morning to kill. Not wanting to sit in the hotel, we decided to take a final walk around Bern. I was feeling much better, and luckily Kim wasn't showing any signs of catching my crud. After enjoying such lovely, sunny weather the previous day, we exited our hotel into a drizzly world. The morning's rain was a bit of a letdown, but Kim and I flipped up our jacket hoods and soldiered on.
Waiting for the show
We decided to head back to the Zytglogge clock tower in hopes of catching its mechanical figures in action. We thought that they did their show at the top of each hour.
Sadly, we arrived at the end of the show and only got to see one of the figures moving. Later, I learned that the performance begins at three minutes before the hour. I was able to get the above video showing a bit of the tail end.
Zähringerbrunnen fountain
From the Zytglogge we continued down the street, past another colorful fountain. Zähringerbrunnen fountain was built in 1535, as a memorial to the founder of Bern, Berchtold von Zähringer. The fountain depicted a bear in full armor with a bear cub at its feet.
Stadttheater
At the end of another street, we glimpsed a stately building with columns at its entrance. A large, colorful giraffe stood at the front door. Was this an art museum? I later learned that this was Bern's theater and opera house, called Stadttheater.
Fall colors beginning to show along Aare River
From the Stadttheater we noticed a high bridge crossing the Aare River. Kim and I decided check out the views from on top. We walked about a quarter of the distance across the span. From our lofty perch we had great views the tree-lined waterway and a few city buildings.
Streetcar approaching bridge
This was an important transit bridge as well, evidenced by the dual tracks and frequent number of light rail trains that passed by.
Ringgepark
Retracing our steps back down the bridge, I spied a statue in a nearby plaza. Of course, Kim and I had to see what it was all about. The plaza was called Ringgepark and the statue commemorated Rudolph von Erlach, a knight and commander of the Swiss Confederation forces.
My buddy bear
The bear being the symbol of Bern, by now I'd come to realize there were bears all over this town. The four bears surrounding this statue continued the city theme.
Stacked apartments
From the Ringgepark plaza, another street dipped steeply downhill. Apartment buildings stair-stepped with the street grade. It looked interesting, so Kim and I followed the pavement around a corner.
Balcony greenery
The next street led us to a large cathedral perched high above the roadway. We ascended a staircase that took us to the church's ornate wooden front door.
Very interesting church door
This lovely building housed the Church of St. Peter and Paul, a lone Catholic church in a mostly Protestant country. The door was open, so Kim and I walked inside. However, there wasn't a lot going on, so we didn't linger long.
Church of St. Peter and Paul
It was nice to have one last walk around Bern before we had to leave for Zurich. But our time was fast running out. About an hour before our train's scheduled departure, Kim and I headed for the station. It was a bustling place, full of travelers heading to all points of the country. It was a bit confusing to find the correct platform, so we ended up asking the person behind the ticket counter. We didn't want to miss our train! Wanting to avoid using the train's bathrooms, (I was still traumatized from our first journey) before boarding I headed for the station WC. In line I discovered I didn't have the correct change for the restrooms. Thankfully a nice woman behind me took pity on this clueless American and slipped me the right coin combination.
Arcade side view
It was a full train departing for Zurich, but Kim and I hustled on board and found good seats and a place to stow our suitcases. We even spotted one of our tour couples on the same train as us! It was an uneventful hour and a half journey. Since I was still having Covid symptoms, both Kim and I stayed masked up for the entire trip.
Fishie fountain
The train deposited us back at the Zurich station, where we'd gotten our first look at Switzerland, nearly two weeks ago. It was a full circle moment. A lot had happened since then, and that bleary first day now seemed ages ago. After gallivanting all around Switzerland I really felt like a seasoned traveler.
American sports team store in Zurich
We'd booked the same room at the same hotel where Kim and I had spent our very first night in Switzerland. However, Kim didn't want to stay in a room with this Covid positive sickie, so she tried to get a second room at the hotel. Unfortunately, there was a big bike race in town, so there were no openings. But lucky for Kim, a Best Western a few blocks away did have a room available. So we spent our last night in Switzerland not only in separate rooms, but also in separate hotels.
Calm after the storm, Zurich
After checking in and dropping our bags in our respective hotels, Kim and I set out to find someplace for a late lunch. We ended up at an American-themed hamburger place, which surprisingly wasn't bad. After stuffing ourselves, we needed to walk off the calories, so a stroll around town was in order.
Locks on a pedestrian bridge
Storm clouds were gathering, but Kim and I were determined to get another look at Zurich. Crowds of people were everywhere, and many of the main streets were closed for the bike race. Waiting to cross a fenced-off street, we watched several men on bicycles, pedaling furiously, fly by the crowd with their support vehicles in hot pursuit.
Beautiful morning in Zurich
It was fun to revisit some of the places along Zurich's Limmat River. Kim and I window-shopped along one of the main retail streets. There were tons of stores, selling everything you could imagine. There was even a place that featured clothing emblazoned with American sports team's logos.
The Swiss love long names!
Naturally, after we'd walked quite a distance from our lodging, the skies opened up and it absolutely poured. Kim and I decided this was our sign to head back, so we splashed through the puddles, ducking under awnings wherever we could. The bike race didn't stop for the rain, and I was amazed that the bikers kept going as fast as ever - I was afraid they'd skid and crash on the wet pavement.
Film festival banners
By the time we finally made it to our respective lodgings both of us were totally soaked. I suggested we chill and dry out for awhile, and then meet up later for dinner. But the storm didn't let up in the least. Rain pounded on the skylights in my room for several hours. Dry and cozy in my bed, I didn't feel like going out and getting wet again. Plus, I'd eaten so much for lunch, I wasn't the least bit hungry. Texting Kim, she felt the same way. We had a couple of long flights ahead of us tomorrow, so getting extra sleep wasn't a bad idea. So our last night was spent separately in our respective hotels.
Strolling the streets
My final day in Switzerland dawned clear. Last night's rainstorm was a distant memory as blue skies flooded through the skylights. It was hard to believe my trip was coming to an end. Part of me wanted to start all over again in Lucerne. But the part of me still recovering from Covid was ready to go home, sleep in my own bed, and get relief from familiar, American-brand cold medicines.
Street scene
Our flight didn't leave until afternoon, so Kim and I had one final morning in Zurich. After breakfast, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather with one final stroll through downtown.
Clock tower peek-a-boo
We meandered through cobblestone streets, down narrow alleys, past colorful buildings complete with blooming flowers and cheery shutters. We walked by impressive cathedrals with tall clock towers, and buildings with lots of greenery climbing outer walls.
Artwork on a wall
Kim and I rambled along the waterfront, where trees that had been entirely green when we first arrived were now showing off the beginnings of fall color transitions.
More beautiful buildings
Enjoy the following images from our final morning in Zurich.
Going up....
Lovely metalwork on this door
Back alley
Cute shutters
Red flowers brighten the buildings
Bike race starting line
Zurich marina
Fall leaves starting to show color
After spending a couple of pleasant hours revisiting our favorite Zurich places, it was time to retrieve our luggage from the hotels and head to the train station for the last time. It was a quick trip to the airport, and after standing in many long lines - to check bags, security, and passport control - all in different terminals - we finally arrived at our gate. Kim and I had about a half hour to grab lunch before boarding our first flight to New York. (And, yes we both masked up in the airport and throughout both flights.)
St. Peter church steeple
Sadly on our second flight, the crud she'd valiantly tried to avoid finally caught up with poor Kim and she didn't feel well the entire way home. The next day she tested positive for Covid. The day after that, I discovered I'd also infected my poor hubby (just call me "typhoid Linda.") But on a positive note, my nasty zit had finally healed enough that I no longer had to wear a band-aid on my face.
Fraumünster Steeple
This trip had many high points, but a few really low points. The Swiss countryside was gorgeous, most of our tour-mates were great, and I had a lot of interesting experiences (like learning to yodel - ha, ha!) However, the weather didn't always cooperate (especially during our full day in Mürren), Switzerland was really expensive, and some of the food I'd looked forward to tasting (beer and chocolate for example) were disappointing. It was our guide Tony's first Rick Steves tour on his own, and although I thought he did an overall good job, he had some bumps along the way - I was definitely spoiled by Pascal, our Ireland guide the year before. And of course it didn't help that I was ill nearly the entire trip, first with my facial infection and then coming down with Covid.
Cluster of white buildings
What were my favorite places in Switzerland? Probably anyplace with mountains, but especially Mürren and the Lauterbrunnen Valley. And the gorgeous city of Lucerne was a close second. My least favorite place was the town of Lugano, but I wasn't feeling well the day we stayed there so that probably clouded my opinion.
Farewell, Zurich!
I have to give a big shout-out to Kim for being such a good friend and travel buddy - and for putting up with my various illnesses on this trip! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I'm glad I got to share it with her. I had a lot of fun with our new tour friends Karen and Cindy - really enjoyed their companionship. And a special thanks to Lisa, our assistant tour guide, for her help navigating me through the Swiss health care system.
At Zurich train station, heading for the airport
It's been extremely rewarding to relive my trip through the creation of these blog posts. Every photo edited reminded me of Switzerland's soaring mountain peaks, the stately clock towers, the cute villages, and stunning lakes. Every word I typed brought me back to my emotions the first time I saw the Alps, tasted Swiss chocolate, or walked beside ancient castle walls. I've got a long list of places I'd like to visit (and revisit) in this beautiful country, so hopefully I'll get to return someday.
However, in 2025 Kim and I have another international trip on the calendar - in June we'll be taking a Rick Steves tour of Scandinavia - and Debbie and Alicia, our friends from last year's Ireland adventure, will be joining us. More "adventures of Kim and Linda" coming soon!
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