Bruce Loves The Train

The Zurich HB train station was directly across the street from the Hotel Schweitzehof Zurich. We woke late because checkout wasn’t until noon, and our train was at 1:33 p.m.

We ate pastries at a cafe in the train depot. I had almond croissant and Bruce had a custard pastry.

It was comfortable seating as we waited for our train’s arrival.

Time to go to our gate!

Last view of Lake Zurich

It was a beautiful ride traveling through Switzerland.

The train made several stops before we had to change in Milan.

The next part of the journey, Milan to Rome was not as scenic.

They served us coffee and snacks for free in the first class.

But the train had a lot more people on it so not as much fun. It was a fast train though and we made it to Rome by 8:30. Exhausted. And we were going to take a cab to the hotel but the line was very long. So we hoofed it. I needed the steps.

Finally, we arrived at the Hotel Artemide. We were spoiled by our last hotel but this will do.

No baskets of fruit but the drinks in the mini bar are free!

#train#zurich#lakezurich#milan#depor#travel#pastry#hotelartemide

Exploring Zurich

After a few hours of sleep, we started wandering the streets of Zurich. The Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich is centrally located to many attractions as well as coffee shops.

Our first stop was for a much-needed cup of coffee. I had a cappuccino and Bruce had black tea.

We walked along the waterfront taking in the old-world charm.

I don’t know where the idea of locks on bridges started, but it’s here in Zurich.

We visited the Grossmunster, a Romanesque-style Protestant church first built around 1100 AD and originally commissioned by Charlemagne.

Across the bridge was the Fraumunster which was a former convent founded in 853 AD.

Some of the stained glass particularly the 5 piece series in the choir were the work of Marc Chagall.

The crypt under the choir details an exhibition on the history of the reformation in Zurich, on the architecture as well as rocks that were part of the original structure.

There is a $5 chf fee to enter this church.

We didn’t go in St. Peter’s but that is the oldest parish church in Zurich with the original walls dating to the ninth century. It is known for the largest tower clockface in Europe measuring 28.5’ in diameter.

Bruce stopped at one of the many available water closets. He said he pulled the seat down to sit on it and he was suspended over a large stainless steel funnel. When he flushed the water flooded down through the funnel. He said it was strange.

They have some very beautiful and interesting trees in Zurich. They do what they call pollarded, which is a way of pruning to ensure safety and also visual effect.

For dinner we ate at a little cafe. We ordered quiche with salad. It was a veggie quiche which had carrots in it. A little strange. I liked it – Bruce not so much. We were charged $13 CHF for water which wasn’t even bottled water. It’s very expensive in Zurich – total bill with tip was $75 US.

There are many chocolate shops around – the smell of chocolate enticed us into each establishment. However, we will be traveling for so long and don’t have any place to keep it from melting.

We went to bed early since we are both still recuperating. And we woke at 10. It was a slow start, sipping coffee in our suite.

We bought water taxi passes and decided to travel down the river to Lake Zurich.

It was a beautiful day and a relaxing way to see the area.

We disembarked at the beginning of the lake.

People were out and about enjoying the fine spring weather although for Bruce and I it was a bit nippy. Some interesting statues along the way.

And a Ferris wheel!

We stopped for coffee and pastry and more breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps.

It was such a lovely day just to walk and take in this stunning place.

For dinner we ate at this cute little Swiss place. They did have fondue in the menu but we had schnitzel and cordon blu.

All in all, we had a very nice time in Switzerland. Tomorrow we take the train to Rome.

#switzerland#zurich#hotelschweizerhofzurich#watertaxi#st.petersclockface#fraumunster#marcchagall#grossmunster#crypt#stainedglass#pollardedtrees#travel#swissalps#cho olate

On The Road Again

It was a rough start but we finally began our journey. Between my heart procedure and Bruce’s hospitalization, we weren’t sure we’d be traveling ever again.

We missed our sailing to Europe on March 24th when Bruce was in the hospital with bleeding ulcers. He was really sick.

But after getting the OK from our doctors, I booked flights to Zurich on April 6th hoping to at least catch the second half of our trip. Our adventure began when our neighbor picked us up at 4:45 to take us to Miami for a 7:45 flight. I hate those early morning flights.

We made it to the airport with some time to kill so we spent a little bit of time in the AV TAP/VIP lounge. It was quiet so we had comfy seats. This is through my Priority Pass from American Express Platinum personal card. One of the many benefits.

We flew economy to Toronto. I booked the flight through Air Canada using points. It was 70k points each and our next lag, Toronto to Zurich was in Business class. We also qualified for the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge for their elite flyers.

We had a five hour layover so we availed ourselves of the food.

They had taco making ingredients as well as pasta dishes and even a tofu dish for vegetarians. They also had plenty of brownies and cookies. I ate too much food. Grazing is not always the best way to go if you are dieting.

We finally boarded and have our nice lay down beds!

Getting ready for takeoff!

There are bleak winter skies in Toronto even though it’s April!

I watched the Brutalist for my onboard entertainment. I actually found it quite riveting. I had heard mixed reviews about it but it was a complex theme and I didn’t fall asleep. Actually I generally like to read books of this genre.

As we glided into Zurich, the beginning of dawn and the orange and red hues of sun could be viewed peering up above the horizon.

The mountain range was so close I could almost feel the brisk freezing temperatures of snow.

After a rather long walk and train ride to get our baggage, we went through passport control. It was all relatively easy but we could definitely feel our age.

We arrived at our hotel, the Hotel Schweizerhof Zürich at 8:30. It was located directly across from the train station.

Our room was ready by 9 and we were upgraded to a suite. It also has two bathrooms.

We are going to rest for a couple of hours and then go out and explore Zurich.

#HotelSchweizerhofZürich#aircanada#anericanexpress#train#vacation#businessclass#points#switzerland#lounges#

Oh No – Not My Middle Name

What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

For most of my childhood I was so embarrassed by my middle name. It wasn’t American. It was my grandmothers name and she was Swedish. In fact all my grandparents were Swedish. But oh that name. It sounded so much better in Swedish.

So what was this name. Gerda. And so many ugly rhymes could go with it. Especially dirty Gerty .

Although the name no longer makes me cringe, when I changed my name for marriage and back again, I decided to drop the middle name. All my legal documents no longer include the cringeworthy Gerda.

My Dream Home

Write about your dream home.

A little cottage by a lake with blue hydrangeas in full bloom.

My home would have a fireplace for chilly nights but most often the temperature would be quite comfortable.

The kitchen would fill with morning sunlight and I’d have a cozy little nook to drink my coffee and write.

The walls would be adorned with my grandchildren’s latest artworks.

The bathroom would have a claw foot bathtub that looks out upon a beautiful flower garden.

No drink No dance

Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?

When I was younger, I skied, skated, danced, and drank.

Well the drinking I gave up over 30 years ago. No more late-night shenanigans. Dancing has become less frequent because I don’t hang out in places with live music.

The other stuff stopped because frankly if I fall I might have difficulty getting up. It was hard enough in my 40s weighed down with all the winter clothing. But in my 70s I would probably have to roll down the mountain until I found something I could lean on to pull myself up. Not a very pretty picture.

So now I mostly do things that are easy. Walking, water aerobics and kayaking fit in my comfort zone.

Red Licorice

What’s your favorite candy?

I can remember going to the candy store with Pennie’s to buy single strands of delicious red licorice. So my love of it goes way way back.

Not black licorice which is so strong but the red which is fruity,

I can sit and eat a pound of red licorice in less than an hour. Of course my teeth would hurt and my stomach doesn’t feel good.

I remember visiting my mother and finding a bag of red licorice stored in her kitchen cabinet. I said, “Mom!” and she gave me a sly look and said, “I love red licorice!”

I always thought it was only chocolate that people craved. But alas there are many red licorice lovers among us. Maybe you are one too!

Our Final Port

This was a short cruise. Five nights, two ports, and two sea days. Our second port was Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

We didn’t plan a shore excursion but decided to walk around the port for a bit. There is a free pool, lazy river, and lounges. We didn’t wear our bathing suits so we didn’t take advantage of these freebies.

There are a lot of shops, both expensive jewelry and cheap souvenirs. I saw spa treatments, cigar shops and many, many bars.

After we walked the entire area we decided to head back to the ship.

We went in the hot tub and pool which was empty. The best time to be at the pool is port days. I hate fighting the crowds on sea days.

Last night’s show headliners was the Las Vegas Tenors. They were great. They played everything from oldies rick and roll to opera. Terrific.

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Tonight we dined with our usual table mates. No escargot. I had a shrimp cocktail. Bruce ordered mac and cheese with lobster but it was awful. Too many breadcrumbs and couldn’t find any lobster.

Tonight the show was Tango Buenos Aires. It was fabulous and made us reminisce about our time in Buenos Aires last year.

It’s been a fun little cruise although I do prefer them a little longer. The next one up will be 15 days then 21 days.

Tomorrow is our last sea day. We will probably sleep late, have coffee delivered, and enjoy some of the activities around the ship.

But for tonight it’s bedtime.

#dominicanrepublic#puertoplata#vacation#lasvegastenors#shows#music#tango#cruising