(Zürich, Switzerland)

I definitely had mixed emotions upon arriving in Zürich.  On the one hand, I am quite familiar with it, as it has been the “endpoint” of many Swiss holidays.  It’s always nice to return to a city where you know your way around, and I have had some memorable stays here.  On the other hand, it was rainy, cool, and relatively crowded.  Most importantly, we were no longer in the mountains.  We could still see them across the lake, but they were at quite a distance.

No matter how appealing a city may be, it can be a bit of a letdown to return to a drizzly urban area after spending nearly two weeks on the (mostly) sunny slopes.  The day before flying home also brings with it a sense that you are on “borrowed time”:  the vacation is just about over and nothing can turn back the clock.

I suppose the high costs here also were a factor, after a relatively expensive holiday in the Alps.  Walking along the famous Bahnhofstrasse reinforced just how much money is lurking in this very prosperous city.  While the rest of Zürich has plenty of banks and jewellery shops, they are different on the Bahnhofstrasse.

We saw “private banks” where there was essentially no signage and you had to enter a security code just to get in the door.   As for the jewellery shops, many of them were open…but locked.   There were also generally two very large staff members poised just inside the door.  It was reminiscent of seeing bouncers at the front of an exclusive club.  It sent a very strong message.

While I don’t remember this happening on my prior visits to the city, I also felt extremely underdressed. I had no idea people wore so much silk in the winter:  the scarves alone probably cost more than all of my clothes put together!  I have friends in the Zürich area and I know this is not how everybody lives, but this was the first time that I felt so conspicuous in my luridly-coloured ski jacket.  Traveling light meant that I had to wear it here too!

After doing a little bit of last-minute shopping (at a grocery store!), I returned to the hotel and prepared to meet the remainder of our posse for dinner.  It would be a challenge to eat economically and still have a memorable final meal.  Stay tuned for the unexpected solution to the challenge!