September 18, 2025
After a long day of travel, our goal after landing in Zürich was to allow our bodies to acclimate to the new time zone. It’s amusing how the body adapts. Diane and I both woke up around 2 am (5 pm PDT on Wednesday) and began chatting in bed like it was a new day... but eventually falling asleep again.
Our hotel is situated near the heart of Zürich’s Old Town, characterized by its narrow brick streets and buildings built 12 centuries ago. We visited the Grossmünster church, built in the 1100's, which translates to “Big Cathedral” in German. Compared to the Catholic cathedrals we had encountered in Germany a few years ago, the Grossmünster appeared relatively plain and unadorned on the interior. It seems that the frugal Protestants preferred simplicity. After all, wasn’t their opposition to the Pope rooted in Rome’s exploitative revenue schemes?
Above is a view from the church tower, south, toward Lake Zürich and the Swiss Alps in the distance.
The simple interior where Zwingli preached his reformation message in the 1500's.
Above: Our hotel in Zürich. We were a few streets from Bahnhofstrasse, the Park Place of Switzerland, with Rolex stores and half million dollar cars. While walking through the area, I felt conspicuously underdressed and fragrant-less.
We had a beautiful, sunny, and warm day in Zürich. We did a lot of walking around the city, observing and discovering. Here are some of my impressions from the day:
Lots of bikes parked on the sidewalks — most without locks. People really trust each other here.
Ashtrays on café tables.
Many people sitting in cafés, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.
No rush for a waiter to bring the check or turn the tables — a leisurely meal is expected. You have to ask for the check.
A noticeable fragrance of cologne and perfume in the air. It reminded me of walking into Abercrombie & Fitch, where the scent greets you right at the door.
A clear difference between Zürich’s business district with business dress people and the old town tourist area — even though they’re right next to each other.
We visited the Grossmünster church today. What a contrast it was to step into this Protestant church and think back to the ornate cathedral we toured in Cologne, Germany.
I enjoyed a hot chocolate at the Schober chocolate shop, making chocolate for 150 years. They told me hot chocolate is considered a Christmas drink here — but I wanted to taste it anyway. And besides, compared to Tucson, the temperature felt almost winter-like.
We walked down Bahnhofstrasse, Zürich’s most famous and expensive shopping street. I realized I’m not much into brand names, since I didn’t recognize most of them. A few I did spot: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Rolex, Dior.
Finally, I had two water closet (public bathroom) experiences — each costing a Euro. I’ll save the details only for my female friends and family who ask. 🙂
This is your toilette AND sink. Could you figure out how to use it before your time is up and the doors open?
Hey Bob and Lynn, since you love to kayak, why not try "Kayak Water Polo" like this group saw at dusk.