Zürich

So, our original plan was to head from Florence to Munich. However, we didn't realize that Oktoberfest actually starts in September, and barely even goes into October. So, we couldn't book a room in Munich. We then thought we'd just take a night train in, spend the day there, and then take a night train out, but the trains were all booked as well! So, on a whim, we took a night train to Zürich and spent the day there instead. And I'm so glad we did.

I loved Zürich! It was a beautiful city (that often reminded us of Beverly Hills-fancy shopping, hills, trees, etc). We especially noticed how clean everything was. This city is really taken care of! No wonder it was ranked the city with the highest quality of life in the world. The people were also so genuinely nice as well.

Since we only had a day here, and didn't have a clue what to see, we signed up for a tour bus (I know, lame-but it turned out good) and spent some of the afternoon whizzing by all the major sites. We also stopped off the bus a few times and were able to walk around and enjoy a slower paced look around. We went up a tram to the "Beverly Hills of Zürich" as the locals refer to it. Here, we saw fancy houses and expanse landscapes. We also stopped in a few churches, took a detour by the lake, and visited other popular sites.

After the tour, we had lunch at arguably the best sausage joint in the city! It was so good!!! Then, of course we had to get some very fancy chocolate at one of the many gourmet chocolate shops. We also went to a local grocery store and stocked up on the best chocolate in the world!!! (and the lady gave us pockets full of free samples--see I told you the people were nice!)

Then, that night, we headed back to the train station (since we didn't have a place to stay) and waited to board another night train to our next destination. On an interesting side note: Before the train left, Jared was starting to feel sick and needed some water. So I ran over to the grocery store to pick some up. However, the store was closed (that's right, at like 8pm on a Saturday night!) So, I headed back to the train station and looked everywhere for a store that was open. Finally I found one that had liter bottles of Evian water for like the equivalent of $5. Well, I went to pay for it, but they didn't accept credit cards. Since we were just about to leave, I was out of Francs and only have Euros. I was stressed to the limit and was about to burst into tears when this lady pulled out some money and payed for my water. I know it sounds lame, but it was seriously the nicest thing ever, and as a result, Zürich will always hold a special place in my heart!
I just really like this shot. It's of the Zürich lake, but it's also got the Swiss flag blowing in the wind!
This is another shot of the lake and Jared. But in the distance, you can see Europe's largest clock face in the distance.
This is Grossmünster, a Romanesque-styled church lovingly referred to as the "Salt and Pepper Shakers" due to it's twin towers that are shaped as such.
This is part of the crypt inside Grossmünster. The statue is of Charlemagne and is dated back to the 15th century.
I know this picture is creepy of me, but it is the only pic we have of the fabulous, one-of-a-kind chocolate (that Zürich is known for) that is probably the most expensive chocolate we've ever eaten!
These are the famous Chagall windows located inside the Fraumünster (another church). These were of course designed by Marc Chagall, who ironically was a Jew, but designed these Christian windows primarily inspired by the New Testament. A cool side note is that all of these windows are lit by only natural sunlight (except for the far right one).This is a popular resort located up in the "Beverly Hills" area. The most expensive room here includes a personal swimming pool, as well as a butler, and costs $14K per night!
This is Jared on a naturally curved tree in a park next to the lake. It was a perfect seat for him.
After we had done most of the site-seeing we wanted to do, we went to this neat little park where they had young kids playing hackey sack, old folks playing bocci, and "intellectuals" playing life-size chess. The whole city had a nice homey feel to it.
And this is a pic of us and Zürich. I LOVED Switzerland! I can't wait to go back someday!