Zurich. Switzerland.
Zurich, Switzerland
23 Hours. Snowing and sleeting the entire time. Some of the most extreme COVID regulations in the world. And you’ve been partying like it's 1999 for close to two weeks and this is your last stop before flying home.
For some strange reason… I thought I would have a better time in Zurich when I booked this layover. Ooh the optimism.
The thing is… what was running through my head the entire time? When will I ever be here… doing this… ever again? And from somewhere… I find the energy to get out there and find some adventure. That is what trips are kinda all about, right?
It was just a short little flight from Barcelona to Zurich… but leaving Spain? It was nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I had dressed accordingly for Zurich because I knew it was going to be cold… but… I was sweating like crazy in the airport while I was waiting to board. It was nuts.
I board the SWISS Airlines plane and lo and behold… this plane has the least legroom of any plane I have ever been on. Mind you… I am six feet tall. My knees were touching the seat in front of me. It was not fun and I was not amused by this ludicrous situation. Needless to say… I will not be flying SWISS Air ever again. Besides that - I sat next to a very nice gentleman by the name of Michael. He was flying home and we had a really great conversation that lasted the full two hours of the flight. It is really fun when that happens because I absolutely love hearing different viewpoints on various topics. We start the landing process and man… is it a nerve-wracking one. The plane is going in at an angle due to the snow & high crosswinds that's happening and once we land… we don’t really slow down. We are hurtling down the runway… and everyone on board is extremely concerned. I usually am super calm during flights but this… this actually made me concerned as well. And that never happens. Fortunately… we slow down and arrive at the airport as a full snow storm is blanketing Zurich.
I head towards the train station at the airport and run into my travel arch nemesis… ticketing booths. I swear… trying to get a ticket to go on the metro is THE WORST nearly anywhere in Europe. Here in Zurich… there were multiple WTF moments. First… you can either choose a specific time window for your metro ride or a daily pass or a multi-day pass. THEN… you get to choose a ‘class’ for your fifteen minute metro ride. Like… 1st class, 2nd class or Coach. I am not joking. THEN… you go to pay and your American Credit card is not recognized. It doesn't have the right chip. Even though… I just got this new credit card with the standard ‘touch’ chip that I have been using everywhere in Europe up until this point. Feeling the frustration, yet? Eventually I figured out that my phone is actually the best option because of its Apple Pay ability. This only took twenty or so minutes to figure out. Yay…
It may not look like it is sleeting… but trust me.
Finally, I get a ticket to where I need to go. I think it's the right place… but I am not really sure. Then I am looking around this giant three story mall/metro station looking for which area has the correct departure landing for my train. Which is not as easy as you would think it is. Since I am tired and exhausted… I literally just board a train that I am sure is not the train I am supposed to get on… to just to get going. I think this also goes to downtown Zurich… and at this point I am just ready to get out of this airport/mall/metro station… building.
Fortunate favors me and I disembark and head out into… the sleet. Since I didn’t choose the right train - I now have to walk fifteen minutes in this amazing weather to get to my hotel. I eventually make it there and drop my bags off and head out… to try and make the most of my limited time in Zurich.
Now… this is when I am going to tell you about Switzerland’s COVID regulations that are going on at the time. At least two weeks before arriving into the city - you have to have submitted your country’s vaccine card along with €40 in order to get their COVID QR code that allows you entry into any place/business in the country. Yeah. You read that write. I am usually damn good with my research on what I need for the countries that I am visiting but this did not show up when I looked. Thankfully I learned of this through my father because otherwise… I would have been SOL.
I was starving… so I headed towards this amazing restaurant a friend had recommended to me. It is located in a 15th century building that used to be an armory but now serves rustic dishes and they make their own beer! Zeughauskeller was a little busy when I showed up but after presenting my Passport and Swiss COVID QR code - I was in! Sadly… the customer service was a little lacking. They got me a table but said that I could only be there for not even an hour. I don’t want to say that they were unfriendly to me… but it seemed like they were. I ordered a delightful dark beer and a brat with a side of potato salad. It was extremely delicious. After finishing my meal… they rushed to get me out of there and I was back outside in the sleet looking for a solid Craft Beer bar to hold up in for the evening.
I decided upon a Craft Beer bar called Hafenkneipe and headed there. The GPS of course was not the best… I blame it on the tall buildings. Running from cover to cover amidst a deluge of intense cold rain… I make it there! But guess what? There is a band playing that evening and there is a cover. I tell them that I only have a Credit Card and with a little bit of transactional help from the inside bar… they give me some hard currency and I get in! The place is hopping and I feel for the first time in Switzerland… welcome. It is a great feeling and I find a small little nook in the back of the bar and drink some local Craft Beer and enjoy the amazing music. So… this band is pretty awesome. They are constantly taking requests and then they just play those songs without having to look up anything! It is IMPRESSIVE! The place gets even more packed and things start to get wild. The band is blasting music from America and are hitting all the classic hits. Even the Beach Boys! One song that did blow my mind that they played was… get this… Mahna Mahna by the Muppets. Yeah… THAT song! It doesn’t take long for everyone in the place to start singing with the band and I am having the perfect last night in Europe.
In the morning, I wake up a tad bit early to explore the lakefront and see the city as the sun rises. Zurich was a whirlwind of a stop but I am glad that I was able to go. Because… I clearly had some crazy experiences here. Good and bad. I hope to someday make it back and explore the country a bit more.
