I know I’ve owed you (all six of you) an update for the past couple days, and I apologize for the delayed posting. In the spirit of honesty, I’ve been torn on how to finish of this chapter of travel; Zurich is the largest and theoretically the city most full of opportunities but many of the attractions felt same-y to everything I’ve experienced so far. Maybe it’s travel fatigue, or the “full pantry/Netflix” effect where choice leads to paralysis, or something I haven’t thought of. To make a long preamble short: I’m sorry, and Zurich is Swiss through-and-through.
As with most cities, I tend to stop at the old bones first; Fraümunster is not as imposing as Grossmünster’s twin towers or St. Peter’s largest-in-Europe clock tower but is an integral contribution to the region’s history. The abbess of this convent ruled the city of Zurich in centuries past, beginning with the Princess Hilde of which it was named. According to legend, Charlemagne’s daughter was led by a stag to the spot of its inauguration and angels brought down a cord of rope to mark its outline.
While reconstruction and expansion efforts have occurred in the time since its initial construction in the 9th century, vestiges of the original version still exist in the crypt below. Perhaps the most striking feature is the beautiful set of stained glass windows depicting creation, the life of Jesus, and this really freaky dream I had once after taking a triple-dose of melatonin. Just outside lays a courtyard where nearly every wall is covered with beautiful murals of the history of the convent, biblical references, and other significant events in the city.
After blaspheming enough in one locale, I moseyed over to St. Peter and its massive clock face: the largest in Europe. The interior was no less impressive with ornate ceilings and individually-carved wood seating.
The final stop on the church train was the appropriately-named Großmünster (gross/groß means “large” in German) which is reminiscent to the Cathedral of Notre Dame in its twin-tower design. According to myth Charlemagne’s horse fell to its knees over the burial site of Zurich patron saints Felix and Regula, marking the origination of this 12th century building. It would later begin the Swiss arm of the Reformation movement and convert its allegiance to Protestantism.
Had enough of old churches yet? I had, which is why I hiked up to the University of Zurich to walk around the zoological and paleontological departments’ campus/exhibitions. A popular site for school field trips, the galleries portray the “living history” of modern species and their extinct ancestors. I also visited the botanical gardens, but for whatever reason they didn’t allow photos (maybe it scares the plants).
For three consecutive nights, I sought out the last item on my European bucket list: an authentic Discoteque. Apparently the Swiss are a bunch of half-assers because none of them are open from Sunday through Wednesday (and only a small handful are open Thursday). I contented myself with the entertainment district’s Langstrasse where dive bars and gin joints compete for your cash via overpriced drinks and ‘companions’ who request a drink for their company. In the future, it’s better to travel in a group (or be female) to avoid these leeches.
And that’s that. I overpaid for everything, missed some key items on the travel checklist, and my flight path home is now a disaster due to delays. But I don’t regret coming here for the attempt at seeing what winter in Europe’s heart could offer. In eight days I head back to the land of the rising sun, but I won’t be alone for all of that trip (which also means I can’t embellish as much). Til then, mahalo.
Ice's Travels 