Off early this morning to Zurich to meet Tina. Tina flew into Zürich for a dental conference, so we decided to meet for lunch.
The moon setting over the Niesen this morning.
Helena was nice enough to have hot rolls, etc. ready for us to take on the train. We took three different trains to get to the Zürich Airport and there was not a single sound on any of the trains. Well, it is early Monday morning. You would think we were in the quiet zone train car where they want you to be quiet. Lots of fog as we near Zürich. Michael was resting his eyes, but I had to wake him as we passed the IKEA store close to where he lived in the late 1970's. It is a running joke with us. Tina’s plane from Frankfurt was even 5 minutes early.
Walked down the Bahnhofstrasse which is an expensive shopping street similar to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
Teuscher, another chocolate specialty shop, is celebrating 90 years in businesses.
I happen to love Sprüngli's flagship store on Paradeplatz which is farther down the Bahnhofstrasse. Great looking pastry, chocolates, and cakes. We always stop for the handmade truffle of the day. We each had the milk chocolate and the passion fruit. We skipped the dark truffle.
Sprüngli was founded in 1836 and it is internationally known for its signature macarons called "Luxemburgerli".
We had lunch at the Zeughauskeller. “If you appreciate good home cooking, you have come to the right place. In a rustic and historic ambience, they serve everything the gourmet heart desires, from hearty meat dishes to cold cuts of all kinds to world-famous Swiss specialties. What they serve on a plate, has tradition, and is often based on recipes that have been cultivated and perfected for generations. It offers good value and genuine quality and a unique gastronomic experience within ancient walls."
"The Zeugauskeller was built in 1487. At that time, was a budding confederation and much smaller than today. The name Zeughaus means that all kinds of weapons and armaments of war were stored and mended in this house. Unfortunately, the Middle Ages were marked by more war than peace in Switzerland. Legend has it that the crossbow belonging to Willheim Tell, was stored here as well.
All three of us had the Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, panfried sliced veal with mushrooms in a delicious creamy white wine sauce, served with Rösti.
We checked Tina into her hotel, Motel 1. She has a garden party this evening at the fancy Baur au Lac.
Walked down to the lake. It was very hot in Zùrich today so the little breeze off the lake was enjoyable.
Limmat River boats. The motorized boats, "Felix" and "Regula»" are named for Zurich’s patron saints, while "Turicum" bears the city's ancient Roman name. All of them have glass roofs, so that passengers can enjoy the beautiful views of the picturesque Old Town and Lake Zurich from wherever they are sitting.
We walked along Old Town past the Fraumünster which is a church built on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women which was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard.
The choir of the abbey includes 5 large stained glass windows designed by artist Marc Chagall and installed in 1970. Each of the 5 has a dominant color and depicts a Biblical story. From left (northern wall) to right, the 5 works are:
Prophets, depicting Elijah's ascent to heaven
Jacob, displaying his combat, and dreams of heaven
Christ, illustrating various scenes of Christ's life
Zion, showing an angel trumpeting the end of the world
Law, with Moses looking down upon the suffering of his people
St. Peter
The current building was consecrated in 1706 as the first church built under Protestant rule. Until 1911, the steeple was manned by a fire watch. The steeple's clock face has a diameter of 8.7 meters (28.5433 feet), the largest church clock face in Europe. The bells date to 1880.
Peculiarly, the church's steeple is owned by the city of Zürich, while the nave is owned by the St. Peter parish of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich.
Couldn't figure exactly what all this was
Michael and I think we walked more than 6 miles total today. Our feet were doing a little barking tonight.
Underneath Zürich's main train station is a hue shopping center
You can't have enough Sprùngli stores!
Michael and I were so very happy to spend some time with Tina today. We are so proud of all her accomplishments.