We finally reached Saturday, our day of leaving Die Schweiz. It was slated to be a very hot day, so we were somewhat worried about how we were going to make the journey back to Germany. My German friend had sent a warning from Deutsche Bahn about the heat, and how it would affect train travel.
I researched what it would cost to fly to Frankfurt last minute. Although we could have done it, it would have been very expensive. Renting a car was only slightly less pricey. Since there were no warnings on the DB app on our morning of departure, we decided to go ahead with our plans.
Before our last breakfast, we packed our bags. Then we went down to the restaurant for our last breakfast feast at the Sonne Seehotel in Küsnacht.
The wait staff invited us to sit on the actual deck of the restaurant, but I demurred. The chairs outside were the kind that were grooved, and I knew that because I was wearing shorts, the grooves would end up pressed into the backs of my thighs. 😏
Bill had already moved my big bag down the half flight of steps leading into our hotel room. I was grateful for that, since I worried about maneuvering the suitcase down without either falling down, or somehow damaging the steps, which appeared to be made of thick glass.
We went down to the reception and paid the city taxes, since we had already prepaid for the room. I booked the room back in March, when we were staying in Paris, France. The bill came to 3,936 euros, which is a lot of money for six nights. But, for that, we got a very large room with a view of Lake Zürich in Switzerland, huge breakfasts every day, and easy access to the lake. And we booked it so long ago that the pain of the expense is forgotten. Switzerland is just plain EXPENSIVE.
The receptionist bid us farewell and gave us a small jar of jam from the hotel. I’m sure we’ll be back to the Sonne Seehotel at some point in the near future. It’s comfortable and convenient. I just hope next time we’re there, we can go when it’s a little cooler.
On our way out of the hotel, I took a photo…
Bill and I pulled our suitcases through a tunnel and up a gentle hill to get to the railway station, which is just a five minute walk from the hotel. We took the regional train to the Zürich Hauptbahnhof, which was the starting point for our ICE train. Our train began in Zürich and would eventually end in Hamburg, Germany, many hours later, and long after we got off at the Frankfurt Airport station.
For our ride back to Germany, Bill booked us at a four top table. He did so, anticipating that at some point, the direction of the train would change, and he wanted me to be able to face forward. He’s so considerate and kind to me.
The first segment of the trip back was fairly quiet. An elderly couple sat at the two top across from us, and they were pleasant.
But then we got to Basel, Switzerland, and a group of young folks got into our car and proceeded to have a little party, complete with wine. They were oblivious to the rest of us in the car, who weren’t necessarily wanting to listen to them carry on, or deal with them coming from one car to the next. But what can you do? Fortunately, they got off in Freiburg, and there was blessed quiet again. I got the sense that maybe they were going to a sports event.
A tiny lady was seated with us not long after the Freiburg stop. She sat next to me. Then, a couple of stops later, a large German man with an affection for chili and beer sat next to Bill. He seemed put out that there wasn’t room to stow his suitcase in the luggage rack. But, because he was a large, tall guy, he had no trouble lifting his back to the overhead rack. I was actually kind of amazed watching him so easily lift the bag.
After about four hours, we reached the Frankfurt Airport, only about thirteen minutes delayed. It was a good thing we took the train, in spite of the rowdy group in the car with us. I am really becoming an old fogey!
We stopped by the restrooms before making our way to the taxi stand. The restroom where I went was small, so there was a line. I was amused because the woman in front of me rolled her eyes when a MAN came out of there. 😁 She actually backed up and double checked the sign before getting in line.
The taxi ride back to Breckenheim was pretty uneventful, except for when the cabbie almost hit another car on the way out. Unfortunately, the house was extremely hot, thanks to the triple digit temperatures (Fahrenheit). I set about opening windows, turning on the air conditioning and putting out water for the dogs.
On the way home from Switzerland, I had read about the local fire brigade turning the Dorfplatz into a cooling station. They brought their fire truck to the square, so people could enjoy being soaked. I was sorry to miss that event, since we were still on the train when it happened. But we got to see the fire brigade anyway, because later in the evening, the neighbor’s across from us started a fire in their garden.
I wrote about the neighbor’s fire in my regular blog, so you can read about that situation here, if you want… Fortunately, no one was hurt, and it appeared that property damage was minimal. But we did get a show of about twelve firefighters, a drone, and a couple of trucks in our narrow cul-de-sac.
All in all, I’d say our trip to Switzerland, where I became older, and Bill became wiser, was mostly a success. I would have liked to have seen and done a few more things, but it wasn’t a bad thing to just vegetate by Lake Zürich, do some reading, people watch, and swim in the water. I finally got to see Bern, which was a treat. We need to go back and do that city properly. It’s really beautiful… especially the “lazy river” like Aare.
I would also like to have a look at the town of Olten, which we passed through on our way to Zürich. It looked like a very nice place to spend a few days. I’ll have to research it. Actually, thanks to this most recent trip, I’ve been getting a lot of ads for places to explore in Switzerland. I never thought that would be a place I’d get to know, but it appears that fate has led us there…
If anything, I want to go back and buy one of those cool round Parmesan cheese graters… Apparently, they are only available in Switzerland.
Anyway, that about does it for my blow by blow reporting on this trip to Switzerland. I will next be writing my usual ten things I learned post to wrap things up! As I was writing this, I listened to the peaceful album, In Breath, which we bought from the busker, Luke Gajdus, while walking through Bern. I wish we’d brought home a couple more mementoes, but if we only got to bring home one, I’m glad it was his CD. It’s very relaxing music. Here’s a sampling…
I would pronounce this trip a success, in spite of some of the minor annoyances. We both learned new things, and we’re both now older and wiser. The trains did make the whole experience easier. And now, it’s time to think about where we’ll go next!
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