September 2023 – I spent a too-brief three days in Zurich visiting my friend Sibylle and the beautiful Swiss countryside.

Thursday, 31 August – Spa

We got up at 3:45 in Athens, 3:45 to catch a taxi to airport for a 7:00 flight to Zurich. It took a full hour to check bags and get through security (no TSA pre-check here). We caught a train from the airport to the Zurich train station, then a taxi to our hotel near the Opera House. They held our bags while we enjoyed a spa day.

We walked along the lake and uphill to the Thermalbad, a spa built in an old brewery. It was my third visit. There are nine stations including steam rooms, a salt scrub, and a large jacuzzi pool, plus an infinity pool on the roof. We emerged hours later feeling very relaxed, and strolled back to our hotel. 

Susan panicked when she saw the size of our room and got us an upgrade, for an extra 100 Euros per day, to a very nice large room on the 5^th floor with AC and a balcony. I was too tired for dinner, so I got take out broccoli soup from Tidbits, a vegetarian restaurant around the corner from our hotel while Susan ate at a restaurant on the corner. 

Friday, 1 September – Walk above Zurich

We bought 24-hour tickets and took the tram across town to meet Sibylle for a delicious breakfast at Café des Ami. Sibylle, the daughter I never had, refers to me as her Hippie Mom. (She lived with me in San Francisco for a year and a half a decade or so back). After breakfast, Susan went to wander the town while Sibylle and I took the train for a couple stops southeast of the city. After an uphill climb through an upscale neighborhood, we met Carmen, her partner, and Loa, their Bermese Mountain Dog. From there we took a very pleasant downhill hike through Elefantenbach Ravine, along a cascade-filled stream. Our walk brought us down to the lake east of Opera House. 

I reconnected with Susan for a rest and shower while Sibylle went shopping for groceries. Later we took a tram back to her neighborhood and enjoyed a delicious home-cooked Indian dinner. Her friends Anja and Claudia, and downstairs neighbor Heidi joined us on the balcony where we watched a nearly full moon rise over the neighboring apartment buildings.

Saturday, 2 September – Lake Walensee

Both Susan and Carmen decided to skip our planned excursion to Lake Walensee, so I caught the tram to go meet Sybille. Unfortunately, I did not realize that the departure stop for the 2 was not the same as the 4 and I overshot by many stops. It was a bit confusing to figure out where I was, especially without WiFi or reliable cellular service, but I finally connected with Sibylle on the phone and arranged a new rendezvous location.

It was about an hour drive to Walensee, one of the deepest lakes in Switzerland. Sibylle found one of the few spots that would let us park for more than three hours and we headed out along the trail that boarders the north side lake. It was paved in the beginning and we encountered a few cars, then a dirt trail began. I’m glad Carmen lent me her trekking poles, as the trail became a rocky and steep as we approached Seerenbach Falls one of the tallest waterfalls in the country. It was beautiful. Our initial plan was to hike about a quarter of the way around the lake, to Quinten, and take a boat back, but we realized we didn’t have time to do that and get back in time for our planned evening activities. So we turned around and walked back to a restaurant where we shared a couple tasty salads in a courtyard above the lake.

We encountered commute traffic coming back into Zurich and I barely made it back to the Tissot store in time to purchase the watch I eyed yesterday. (My prior one went missing a month or so ago and I missed having one). I took a tram back to our hotel for a quick shower, no time for a nap, before Susan and I headed to the Kunsthaus museum. It was museum night and many would remain open to 2:00. We spent a quick hour and a half exploring this delightful museum then took a tram to Landesmuseum for a farewell Aperol Spritz with Sibylle and Carmen, joined by her mom and sister, Simon, who I met on a prior visit. It was a pleasant way to end a too-short visit. We got to bed around 23:00. My phone told me I walked 23,000 steps about a thousand more than yesterday. 

Sunday, 3 September

We were up early once again, and got picked up by a taxi at 4:30, to catch a 7:00 flight to London.