Days 10-11 Zurich, Switzerland

We caught an early morning flight on Finnair from Iceland to Zurich, Switzerland. Had a wonderful breakfast on the flight along with mimosas to make the 3 1/2 hour flight seem quick to Helsinki, Finland.

 Got there just in time to board our next leg to Zurich. Had an unusual meal on board, Andrea thumbed her nose at the fish and but enjoyed the signature gin drinks. 

Very light and tasty. 

Fish, chicken, smashed potatoes and peas. 🤔

Upon landing we eased thru customs. Bill had been concerned about carrying so many meds because he read warnings online that Switzerland had restrictions but it was a non issue. We took an uber to our hotel, first time we could use Uber on this trip, did a quick load of laundry and had some beers at the hotel bar and called it a day.

The next day was spent touring Zürich. We had only about 10 hours to spend  since we had to catch an overnight train to Slovenia that evening.. After a trip to the top of the city on the 136 year old Polybahn funicular and visiting the local universities origami exhibit, we started our walking tour of Zurich. 

View from the top 

One of our favorite origami’s made by the math students 

The Polybahn funicular

 We spent most of the day touring the old town and its two famous churches the Grossmunster (Protestant) and the Fraumunster (Evangelical) both popular for their stained glass windows, crypts and beautiful architecture.  In the old town you can stroll along the The Limmat River which runs thru town with several bridges that traverse it for miles. Also part of the old town are  several shops, restaurants and pubs. 

Loved this ducks funny tuft and watched him struggle with that big catch! 

Lots of locks of love, on the Limmet River 

The old town was having a huge flee market with lots of antiques and vintage clothing. 

Gozleme is a traditional Turkish pasty. She was making them stuffed with spinach and cheese. 

Street going thru the old town

Our first stop was Fraumuntser church. Originally built in 859 it has gone thru numerous renovations including the addition of the Chagall windows 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: 

Window of the prophets

Elijah is being carried away in a fiery horse-drawn chariot to the sky, away from Elisha. The angel Cherub hovers in the middle. Above, Jeremiah is sitting immersed in thought in a blue gown. 

Window of Jacob

Jacob, the patriarch of the Israelites, hovers with eyes open and hands folded on his lap. He dreams of the ladder leading to heaven, which makes up the upper part of the window. Jacob’s tussle with the angel is shown directly below.

Window of Christ

The life of Christ, from birth to resurrection: Joseph, the family tree of Jesse, the Lamb of God, Mary, Elizabeth, the life and parables of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion, among other aspects.

Window of Zion

An angel announces the beginning of eternity. Below, the new Jerusalem descends from heaven. King David singing psalms and Bathsheba are shown at the bottom.

Window of the Commandments

Moses holds the tablets inscribed with the commandments and observes the disobedience and suffering of humanity. The middle section depicts absolute peace. Beneath, Isaiah is held by an angel. He prepares to spread his message of peace to the world.

Equally impressive is the organ with 6.959 pipes is the largest in the canton of Zurich. 

The church also has a crypt which was uncovered during one of the renovations. 

Next was the Grossmünster church which is a prominent Romanesque-style Protestant church in Zürich, Switzerland, with origins dating back to the 12th century. Its two twin towers is a landmark in the city of Zurich. 

Bill writing a prayer of peace for our family and friends. 

After a hardy German dinner with a couple of big beers we headed to the train station for our overnight train trip to Bled, Slovenia. 

Ever slept on a train? It’s quite the experience. Our quarters were smaller than usual on this train and it took both of us hoisting our suitcases on the top bunk so we could move around. This of course came with Andrea falling off the ladder and landing in a pile of suitcases and backpacks, no broken bones, just some curse words and we finally gotten safely out of the way. After settling in we FaceTimed Bill’s parents. They were thrilled to hear from us and it was good to see them too. Next stop, Bled, Slovenia.