Switzerland

It was time to return the rental car to Zurich, which had been great for making our way through Switzerland, and it was going to be all trains from here on in. Thankfully the Eurail passes we’d won would start to come in very useful, and we thought we would definitely have struggled to go as far as we planned to without them. After a quick trip to Konstanz to book tickets for our future trip from Salzburg to Munich (reserving tickets can take a bloody long time in a queue…), we were on the road to Zurich. We were staying that night with a couchsurfing couple, Urs and Rahel, but not meeting them until after 8pm, and so we arrived at 2pm and dropped our bags off at the station lockers, passing some great wee clothing and design shops we decided we had to go back to.

We walked from the station towards the river on the old side of the city, and stopped in a platz for coffee (and a beer for Josh which later killed all of his energy). Zurich was yet another great biking city, although we saw a few bikes that had been taken advantage of and tossed into the river. Another very hot day, and we were slightly tempted by Movenpick until we saw the prices (although apparently EVERYTHING is expensive in Zurich). The place is filled with tonnes of great shops, restaurants and bars on the old side. We then crossed to the new side, and walked the Bahnhofstrasse (the rich street of the city, lined with fancy pants shopping and designer stores), but did a loop around the river back to the old town for a cold drink before dinner.

Sitting down at a quirky old bar with an old rocker-type host with long grey hair and John Lennon glasses, we ordered some drinks (for once in my life, the beers were much better than the wine to me, note to self not to order a glass of rose in Switzerland) before searching for a dinner spot. We were in the mood for something simple and quick, since we didn’t want to arrive at our hosts too late, and ended up at the spaghetti factory for a bottle of wine and some easy pasta, which was reliably tasty.

We caught a tram to Oerlikon, where our hosts lived 10-15mins out of the centre, after having to change a note for some ticket coins and spending it on the most expensive Sprite we’d ever had to buy. Our hosts Urs and Rahel lived in a beautiful new apartment, and were extremely welcoming, sitting down with us and chatting for a few hours before we all retreated for the night.

The next morning we had a bit of a late start, once again (we must stop sleeping in, but we had started to get tired on the odd occasion…), and Andy got called into a work meeting for three hours or so, so we sadly had to leave him back at the apartment and venture into the city, where he planned to join us later. Stocking ourselves up with yummy breads and supplies for a picnic in the park, Josh and I caught a tram into the city and rediscovered all the wee design stores we’d passed the day before. Although there was some great stuff, nothing completely took our fancy.

We then tried to hire some bikes from the station but they’d run out, and a rude teller sent us on a bit of a wild goose chase (we think…) to find some, but after fruitless searching we ended up catching a tram to Zuirchhorn Park. Locals basked in the sun while we enjoyed a relaxing picnic beneath the trees. People had set up bbqs, were playing games of soccer, and lazing around by the lake. We walked towards the Chinese Gardens, but weren’t compelled to pay to enter them, but thought the Chinese Takeaway out front was a funny wee addition. I also got my first experience of the bizarre ‘funnel’ toilets the boys had experienced in Bern, which is a huge stainless steel funnel toilet bowl that also becomes the sink you wash your hands over? Odd.

Andy had finished his meeting by now and was on his way to meet us. The boys decided to jump into the lake while I read my book on the grass, which they said was a lovely wee dip in very warm water. It seems like I do this a bit, but I had had a chest cold for the past few days, and didn’t think swimming was the best thing for it. We then walked the river route back to the centre, on our way to organise things for dinner. A swan-filled lake with pedal boats (some with great slides off the back of them), and bar-lined lake banks. We also decided since it was our last day in Switzerland we had to make the most of Swiss chocolate, and found the famous Sprüngli chocolate shop on Bahnhofstrasse to taste some delights. Delights they were indeed – mouthwatering dark nougats, truffles, and strange burger-shaped delicate meringue things.

Off to pick up some bbq supplies (via yet another beautiful church), and then it was back to Urs and Rahel’s for dinner. Finally a real bbq with the familiar smoky smell… Andy had made some delicious homemade burger patties, we whipped up a few yummy salads, and Urs cooked up a great bbq while we all enjoyed a few beers in the sun on the balcony. Some of the dinner conversation was centred around the question of what New Zealand cuisine is like, and we were again finding it hard to explain that apart from the hangi, what else is there… We seem to be a mixture of little bits from everyone else (but we do cook a damn good bbq).

It was our last night, and we decided to go into the city for a drink. Taking a detour through their neighbourhood, which is a new development, they took us to a new ‘three-dimensional garden’, which was in essence a giant metal frame covered with vines intended to completely cover the structure within five to ten years. Quite an incredible space, yet in an odd location, surrounded by apartments. Back on track to find a bar, we caught a train and then wandered the smaller of the two rivers to a bar that is a male-only Swiss bath by day, but an outdoor bar by night. Bodies were propped on landings above pools, with drinks in hand, lit by multicoloured lamps within the surrounding trees. We sat around low tables on giant cushions with a few drinks, and met one of Urs and Rahel’s previous couchsurfers Christine, and her friend Tom, who were living in Zurich. Christine was from Dresden in Germany, which was on our list of travel destinations for further down the line. She offered us a place to stay when we got there, which we will have to take her up on if it works out! We left the bar to catch a train before midnight and travelled home to the sounds of Josh trying to recite German from the free newspaper.

Driving the car to the Swiss border again, we hopped over into Konstanz, Germany to meet Brent. Denise had an early start at work, so we decided to spend the day with Brent and meet Denise for a swim in the lake a bit later. After searching out coffee and food at a cute wee restaurant with beanbags in the windows, and very ‘zen’ toilets, surrounding you with the sounds of chirping birds. We had a look through the old town, church and crypt (following a Napoleon Dynamitesque tourist, with great short denim cutoffs, and those glasses…), and then decided to drive out to the Rhinefall, the biggest waterfall in Europe.

Taking Brent along for the ride, which wasn’t a quiet trip, as he’s such a loud and energetic guy! Starting sentences then trailing off, keeping us entertained… We made a random stop in Steine am Rhine, after Brent thought that was where the waterfall was, but it ended up being a beautiful walk through a town square on a riverside, filled with immaculately detailed murals on the building exteriors.

Arriving at the waterfall, and paying a small entrance fee, we walked down a path until you’re right next to the falls, and it was incredible to see the volume of water passing by that closely. We didn’t take a boat ride out to them, but watched groups of people catching them out until they disappeared behind the cloudy mist of the water. A much-needed iceblock to cool off afterwards, and we were back in the car to go for a swim in the lake. We met Denise at the border and drove to a grassy area on the Swiss side of the lake. The water had cooled a bit, and the weather was starting to cloud over, but we all dove in, and headed home afterwards for a meal at Denise’s.

We made Denise some ANZAC biscuits (much to Brent’s approval as well…), while Denise set a pot boiling with the hugest amount of melted cheese, garlic and wine I have seen. We did the traditional thing of having tea on the side, and dipped in our breads and potatoes until we couldn’t fit any more in. Not the most summery of meals! But very tasty… Except for the piece we tried with the traditional addition of kirsch liqueur which you soak the bread in before dunking it. We didn’t quite understand you merely dip it, not drown it, and were left with very strong alcohol encased in cheese, which I couldn’t even finish a mouthful of, maybe I could wash it down with more cheese… uggghhhh… Apparently the rule is also that if you drop your bread in the fondue cheese you have to run naked around the outside of the house. Andy lost his cheese, but not his clothes, as he salvaged it – not quite legally I’m sure…

We had also made apple crumble for our hosts, but by the time it was finished, we were all shattered and had kept Denise up far too late before her early start in the morning, so we left it for them to heat up the next day, said our farewells as we were leaving the next morning, and headed off to bed.

At this point I’d had a bit of a side affect from a medication I was taking when my wisdom teeth played up in France. Josh’s sister had also had the same side affect, but we had all thought it was so rare that it couldn’t happen to two people on the same trip, but yes… It was a sensitivity to light, and since I’d spent all day in the sun in Bern (all lathered up in sunscreen which became redundant), my hands and toes were bright red, stung like hell, and if I so much as came into contact with sun, would burn like crazy. And it was so sunny…

Daniel decided to take the day off work to show us around, and the poor boys put up with me on our day in the city, with me shade-searching, wrapping my hands around cool bottles of water, and generally looking like a freak. Our first stop was the border control so that Josh could get his passport stamped and play tourist, and then we bought some goodies for a picnic in the (shady) park. A quick stroll to the old town, and we wandered the cobblestoned streets before crossing the Rhine river on foot and returning by boat. Basel has very clever little wooden ferries that are attached by ropes to wires running the width of the river. The boat is driven by the tow of the river, and crosses from side to side during the day. Very cool.

An outdoor summer bar on the other side of the river was sadly closed, so we instead climbed up to the top of the Munster Cathedral tower, winding up narrow staircases until we reached the pinnacle. Taking in the sweeping views of the city on either side of the river, a few obligatory snapshots, and then we navigated our way back down to the square. Josh decided to cheer up the burnt invalid by delivering me with a lovely sunflower from the markets outside the bright red Rathaus, which stood in stark contrast to the clear blue sky.

We crossed back over the river, and the boys were in search of a beer, which we found at another riverside bar open during summer. It was getting towards evening, and so we bought some ingredients to make homemade pizzas, and met Daniel’s girlfriend who joined us for dinner. She was very impressed that we managed to get Daniel eating some greens by adding rocket to a margherita pizza. After debating whether to go out, or not to go out, it was easier to stay in and we were all a bit exhausted, but the others did manage a stroll to the nearest bar for a drink or two.

Up for brekkie at the YHA, then over the beautifully clear river to a café for a good strong coffee. The building is in a perfect location, sittings over the dam on the river, hovering above white frothy cloud-like waters. We sat out with notepads in the sun, trying to plan some more of our journey, before walking to the centre of the city. After spying the famous fountain where an Ogre is devouring children (?), we then hired some free bikes from the station (gotta love free bikes). Not too sure where to actually go, we tried to find a large park marked on the map, but were disappointed to find it was a zoo, so instead rode along the river.

We then found the locals’ answer to cooling off on a hot day - to jump off a bridge into the fast-moving river, and pop out later on down the line. It would’ve been rude not to join the local traditional, so off to the bridge we went. It wasn’t a huge jump, but we plunged into freezing water (which is straight off the mountains), and gave ourselves a bit of a wake-up for the day. Catching our breath, we floated at speed down the river, and the exit came along damn quickly. Scrambling to get to the side, banging our limbs on the rocks below, we made it out with a few grazes.

The next stop was Gruyere (briefly back to French-speaking Switzerland), to see the famous Giger Museum, home to the works of the Alien artist. A drive towards the steep mountainous hills of the small chateau winter skiing village, the area was also a stunning sight in summer. Although quite a touristy place, the village is very small and full of sweetness, despite the dark works of Giger hidden within his previous home, smack bang in the centre. The tattooed and pierced front desk girl led us into rooms filled with meticulously detailed drawings, diagrams and models of work for the film. Upstairs, his private collection and the ‘adults only’ rooms gave a glimpse into the mind of a very dark man…

Outside was the Alien-themed bar, complete with replicas of the chairs used in the movie, which we bypassed, and headed back on the road. We didn’t buy Gruyere in Gruyere since Andrew said it would be too cheesy… muhahahha. Basel was our next destination, which we had to drive back through Bern to get to, but it wasn’t a long drive (as nothing is in Switzerland). We arrived at our couchsurfer’s house in the evening to a sign that read “Welcome Home Kiwis!” outside – a very welcoming introduction to the new city.

Daniel our host had lived in New Zealand for a few months a while ago when his father had been given a job in Christchurch, so luckily he was familiar with our accents! We were a wee bit out of the city, so had a home-cooked meal that night by Daniel, and then sat around with a bottle of wine outside. After filling us in on some of his travels, he brought out the waterpipe he’d brought back from his last trip to Istanbul, which the boys shared with him stuffed with apple-flavoured tobacco before we retreated for the night.

We left the French side, crossing the border on foot, loaded with our gear, to bus into town to collect our rental car. Collecting some picnic treats along the way, we drove to a spot around the lake where the grassy riverside became a bathing spot. Andrew was putting his camping skills to good use and fashioned a bit of a cheese knife by using the top of an iced tea bottle – such skill.

Our initial plan was to stop in Lausanne but we ran out of time, which was a bit of a pity as we’d heard the place is a great stop, but we will have to go back next time. Instead, we drove towards the capital of Switzerland - Bern, intending to stay a night and find a place when we got there. After booking a hostel from a tourism office, we drove the city in loops trying to find our hostel (so it was safe to say we got our bearings after a while). Eventually we arrived to a comfy room with three of us in a four-bedroom room, dropped our gear, and headed out to find some dinner.

It was incredibly strange to change from French-speaking Switzerland to German-speaking in an hours worth of driving. After feeling okay about the wee bit of French I knew, it was now back to square one. Standard four German couldn’t help me know, but Josh had us practising with the phrase book on the way up, and could pronounce things a hell of a lot better than I could.

We found a cool-looking Deli-style restaurant, took a table outside and ordered some drinks. Our friendly waiter pointed us in the direction of the Rose Gardens after dinner, which we caught the bus to for an amazing view of the city all lit up. People were scattered through the gardens, having a few drinks, playing petanque or out for an evening walk. Walking the city route back, we took in the well-groomed and rather quaint capital city. Houses and restaurants propped on the riverside led the way to a great street full of design shops, and we window shopped as best we could in the darkness, before retreating to our hostel beds.