Wednesday, June 28th

We slept in until 9…yay!  We met downstairs and went out on the town!  Karen brought Rick Steves guide of Switzerland, which included a walking tour of Zurich.  With map in hand, we were off…first stop, Grossmunster, a grand cathedral with a tower.  Climbing the 187 steps resulted in a magnificent view of the city and a delightful breeze!  The skyline had many interesting features…the Alps in the distance were faint but mighty, Lake Zurich & the river were exceptionally clear & blue, the varied buildings were like a patchwork quilt interrupted by clock towers & cranes!  The atmosphere in the church was made almost eerie with chants of three men sitting in the crypt below the nave.  Crossing the river, we viewed the murals painted on the walls of the Fraumunster, a lovely cathedral with a copper-patina topped clock tower.  Following the Bahnhofstrasse (Zurich’s Rodeo Drive) to the Lake, we promenaded along the waterfront dotted with marinas of covered small motor & sail boats just waiting for their owners to return, coveys of large white swans and raised beds of flowering vines.  We lunched at the Strungli Cafe at a table on the fashionable Bahnhofstrasse, a great place for people watching!  We walked back towards our hotel through the Lindhof & Old Town districts and took a round trip on the Polybahn fununcular to the university area above our hotel.  Karen & Phil went back to the hotel for a siesta and Lar & I visited the beautiful parks in the heart of the Lindhof district, which gave us an expansive view of the city!  We visited the train station to confirm whether our Swiss Passes needed to be validated before use and from which platform we would leave in the morning.  We met back at the hotel and headed out once again for drinks at a British pub and dinner at Johanniter Braisserie on Neiderdorfstrasse close to our hotel.  We finished the evening with nightcaps at our hotel’s piano bar…a perfect ending to a lovely day!