By the way... Zurich

Zurich was really by the way; I had a six hour transit at Zurich airport on my way back to Singapore from Nice airport. 

I did not plan for Zurich, and I know nothing much about Zurich except for the financial institutions that originated from there, Zurich Life, Pictet Funds etc from my previous work. And of course, not forgetting the chocolate, Lindt :>

My travelling colleague, flew to Zurich often in her previous job, told me to get out of the airport and go to Zurich central and Zurich Lake for a walk. She said there was plenty of time, and I should make full use of the transit instead of waiting around in the airport. 

She was right, there was really plenty of time, and Zurich central was really near, slightly over 10 minutes by train. 

I changed my remaining 100 euros into Swiss Francs, there was no research except for the drop off train station and street name which the colleague helped google. 

Feeling excited about an unplanned trip.

I reached Zurich airport at about 4pm+. I somehow had the impression that Swiss speak French, and I was only half right. They speak German too, and seems to be more German than French. Most of them speak English too, some better than the other. 

Once I reached the arrival hall, I found the tourist desk with plenty of guides with good map, recommendations and an efficient officer who spoke good English. 

From the arrival hall, I needed to walk to the other side of the airport, which is actually the departure hall, to get to the train station, which is still within the airport. 

Zurich airport is very relatively easy to navigate, there are plenty of signage. The plan was simple - get a train ticket to Zürich HB Main Railway Station where Zurich city centre is, get out of the station, walk around the lake and the streets, get back to the station for the train to the airport. 

The ride was supposed to be 10 to 15 min one way. 

My first challenge - I found the train ticket vending machine but I had no idea how to get the ticket. I tried for a good 10 min, and, lucky me, a kind airport staff, Dave, asked if I needed help. He was the superman of the day - he not only got me a return ticket (that cost about 15CHF), the ticket also allowed free rides on all trams, a lot of museums and even a free boat ride in the Zurich Lake. He took time to mark out the route around Zurich Lake and the best route to walk, and even gave me his number to call in the event if I was lost. 

Dave had been to Singapore many years ago and liked Singapore very much. He felt Switzerland and Singapore has a lot in common. He particularly loved the fact that chewing gum is banned in Singapore, he hated the unsightly gum stain that were everywhere in Zurich. 

His last piece of advice was Zurich has fountains that provides fresh potable water, straight from the lake, and I need to make sure I try that. 

Thereafter, Dave pointed out the correct train track, and I was in Zurich city centre swiftly. I found another tourist office in the train station, I made a few more queries and things were easy from there. 

By the time I reached the station, it was about 530pm, and I would leave for the airport latest by 7pm. I did not want any mishap and miss my flight. 

I walked out from the station and crossed over to the other side. The weather was beautiful and it was cooling. A tad too sunny though, but I was not complaining. 

After I crossed the road, I came into a stretch of shops and eatery. If I was not wrong, this should be the old town area. Plenty of unique brands, no flashy brands. I liked the colour of the buildings. The pavements were clean, and there was no discomfort or fear walking on my own. 

I came across the first fountain with potable water. I was kind of hesitant to take a drink from there. I was not sure if I should scope the water in the fountain or from the sprout. 

The water in the well had some litter, so I just waited around for someone to take water from the fountain but no luck. Come to think about it, I was pretty silly - if the water was not clean in the fountain pool, then isn't it obvious, I should take the water from the sprout?

Duh...

After a while, I decided to walk along the road 'cos the trees that lined the road were huge and beautiful. On the other side of the trees is Zurich Lake. 

As I walked, I crossed over to the other side of the road, Banhofstrasse. It was not easy to get lost because a lot of the places were in plain sight - you see everything. At the worst, I know I could use the river to guide me back to the train station. 

Banhofstrasse has a lot of branded stuff, and most were closed at that time. I particularly like a cafe right in the square. I did not stop for a drink there; I was walking throughout. Non stop.

Right where this cafe was, you can see a beautiful stretch of the river and some mountain view with snow-capped mountains! My picture right at this spot is too pixelated to share, I would share those that I took from Lindenhof, a slightly elevated point in the city, later in this post. 

I was in for a treat when I walked up this tiring slope. I wanted to see what was at the top of slope. And it was Lindenhof. Its elevated position allows a very good view of the city centre, the lake and the snow capped mountain. 

While I think the view from the square was nicer, I was totally happy to get this shoot. 

The view was far more magnificent than the photos. There was a constant gentle breeze, and it was so relaxing to sit there and enjoy the wind and view.

There is a potable water fountain in Lindenhof too. Here I got a lot of demonstration of how I should take the water. Actually it was simple, just fill up your bottle straight from the sprout. I was thinking too hard. 

Once I saw this bird drinking for a full minute at the sprout, I just had to try the water. 

The water was icy cold, and it was so sweet! I was there for about a full minute too, drinking from my cupping hand, haha!

I wanted to take the boat ride out to the lake, but I could not locate the ferry station. Dave said the ride would take about 90 minutes, and it was already 630pm at that time. Hence I decided to skip the boat ride with much regret and started to make my way back to the airport. Home was definitely the priority. 

Zurich airport is pretty compact; I found a supermarket! I bought a pair of socks for flight use, and a bag of cherries, and I checked in. I walked around the duty free area for about an hour before I threw in my towel. I was simply too tired to walk anymore. I took a seat next to the glass panels that overlooked the areobridge and sat there. Watching the planes landing and taking off for about an hour. 

When it was finally time, I washed my face, brushed my teeth and got my neck pillow out. My legs and feet were really tired, and I was really looking forward to a good sleep on plane :>

PS: If you intend to visit Zurich centre during a long transit, having 50CHF would be more than enough because water is free and easy to get. The water from the potable water is definitely something everyone MUST try. I spent about 20CHF only - for my socks, a bottle of water at the airport and the bag of cherries. 

PPS: All photos were taken with iPhone4.