Introducing... Zürich!

My flight from Hong Kong got into Zürich at the bright & early time of 6am, and I managed to breeze through customs so I got into Zürich around 7.30am. It was a public holiday on Monday as well so there were bugger all people about, which suited me fine, considering I had enough trouble negotiating my way around with my hugely heavy suitcase!

Managed to find my way to my hotel eventually, after stopping every 100 meters to either take a photo of the gorgeousness that was Zürich or have a rest from pulling my suitcase. Then realised that although the website said differently, there were only stairs leading up to the hotel. Crap! So dragged my case up (thankfully it was only a small flight) and checked in - luckily my room was all ready for me so I could dump stuff immediately. Also luckily there was a lift in the actual hotel, as I was on the 5th floor. Also had a quick shower as I felt so gross after not changing for 25hrs! And discovered there was only 1 shower for the whole floor. And 1 toilet. I guess that what you get for a budget hotel... My room was quite nice though, small but clean. The hotel was a rock'n'roll themed one, with all the rooms themed around a different rock'n'roll star. Of course, I got one I'd never heard of - Marillion (who I've since googled! British rock band formed late 1970s for those playing along at home) - when down the hall there was Elton John and co. Oh well.

At 9.30 I was meeting up with Jodie, my tour guide for the day. Tenuous connection at best - Mum's workmate's niece - but good enough for me! She took me various sights around the city - down to Zürich See lookouts, a Lion Monument & then to have lunch at this awesome place where everything was laid out all fresh & you could pick what you wanted - kinda like an über-buffet thing (but you had to pay) combined with the markets. It all looked so fresh & yummy! Once sated we caught a train up to Uetliberg which looks out over all of Zürich - beautiful views! A little disappointed it was slightly cloudy so we couldn't see the snow-capped mountains in all their glory.

Caught the train back - by the way, interesting fact about Zürich, people take their dogs absoluetly everywhere (which I was fine with!) - even on the buses, trams & trains! And if the dog is big (not sure what the exact stipulations are!) they need their own ticket! How funny is that! Anyway, after that we headed up to another lookout on the other side of town near Jodie's house, and managed to see some deer at a nearby park too! So cute. Views were gorgeous again but once again the mountains were hiding from us :(

Stopped off at Jodie's house via some cows that I just had to see (for Mum's sake if nothing else!) - very odd city, it seems you're in the city one moment, surrounded by apartment buildings & trams & what not, and then the next you're out in the country and there are paddocks & hills & cows! But I think it is made even more beautiful because of this - adds to the charm of the place.

I had to leave Jodie after that cos she had some work to finish off for Tuesday (these working folk, I don't know!) so I headed back to the city and walked around a bit more on my own - discovered when the sun comes out, so do the people! Stumbled upon a park that was brimming with people playing soccer, sunbathing, reading - just generally being out in the sun. And wearing bathers / clothes not really suited to early-mid 20s weather! Well, not to me anyway. Although a year or so in the UK may change my perceptions a bit!

Crashed pretty early after finding some tea at the train station - not much was open due to the public holiday. And thus ended Day 1 in Zürich.