Arriving at Zürich airport, finding one's way is a doddle. The SkyMetro whizzes the passengers to the main hall in no time, there were no long queues at immigration, and the baggage reclaim system is fast and efficient. From the airport to Oerlikon (north of the city), the taxi fare is 34,50 CHF (for a 20-minute ride), exactly as it should be. The trains run on time, to the minute. They are modern, highly efficient, and clean. There is very little graffiti, public areas are clean, and if you are seen crossing a road at red lights, you are being frowned upon.
In such an affluent society, a visitor from London will find Zürich astronomically expensive. Even their own chocolate - Lindt - is twice the price in Zürich than the retail price in an English supermarket. Probably the only thing that is relatively cheap is public transport. On that, the UK is shamefully expensive for the crowded commuter trains, poor punctuality, and often dirty local stations.
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| Entrance to Zurich HB facing Hautbahnhof Strasse |
Back to Zürich. The train journey from Oerlikon to Zürich Hautbanhhof is a mere 7 minutes. Arriving at the central station, the cavernous concourse and signs announcing that there are 20 tracks is awe-inspiring and takes some orientation. Underneath the station is the Shopville shopping arcade, with shops mostly selling "cheap" fashion items. Wenger products and Swiss army knives abound. Seeing these knives in such volumes, I cannot understand the love affair with this ubiquitous Swiss object. I hardly know anyone who carries this object around on a daily basis.
Crossing the River Limmat to the Old Town, one can immediately spot the twin spires of the Grossmünster Church. On a winter's day, the river was quiet, with the occasional swan gliding by and a few ducks.
Electric morning blue
Seeking to embrace the earth
The clouds, they will pass
In these winding old town lanes, though the cobblestones are unforgiving on the feet, the beautifully painted bay windows from a bygone era complement the myriads of boutique shops and the endless streams of restaurants and cafes. Antique shops and art galleries mix easily with all manners of high fashion and accessories shops. There are the odd ones out: a shop selling beads for earrings and necklaces, one selling dried fruit and nuts, one selling coffee beans, and they remind me of the charm of the towns not yielding to the sameness of the modern shopping malls.
Radiating from Augustinergrasse are a network of narrow cobbled streets, inviting visitors to sample a quieter corner of the Old Town.
Here, in the shade of the winter sun,
I stand alone
Pierced by a ray of sun
Will you trust me again?
