Switzerland days 3, 4, & 5
On Saturday, the only sightseeing we'd actually booked was a tour, with Viator, to Interlaken and Grindelwald. Because I couldn't imagine going to Switzerland without seeing them again..
My trick with the pillow worked, piling clothes underneath it to give it some volume, so I woke without the neck pain - unfortunately, my hips were still a bit sore: so I determined to ask at reception for a second quilt, so I could have that extra layer underneath me. Not in the morning, though - we were meeting for the tour at half past eight! Just as well I checked the reviews carefully - someone pointed out that the meeting point wasn't easy to find, so I scoured the website and got a good description of it - which wasn't on the ticket.
In the event, we had no trouble finding it - there's only one "large, green wooden building" on Limmatstrasse. Checked in with some minutes to spare - and were far from the last to arrive. It was an hour's drive to Luzern to pick up people, then another, roughly, to Interlaken.. and it was, of course, gorgeous:
One spot on the road had us going under a dramatic overhang of rock!
And when we skirted Lake Brienz, we knew we were close to Interlaken - this is one of the lakes it's sited between, giving it its name:
We were to see a lot of paragliders:
And so, at last, to Interlaken - we parked in a car park off the main road, and first visited a very space-age toilet! Buttons control everything..
It really brought back memories - and as we strolled along, I bought my one and only souvenir, a miniature, keyring-sized, Swiss army knife. Only to have the shop assistant tell me off because it wasn't "the real thing". No, nor as expensive!
Now, there's a variety of routes you can take from here. At about equal heights on either side of the Jungfrau lie Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. We'd booked to go to Grindelwald, which is kind of the basic trip - and there was a hard sell on the outbound journey to get people to sign up for more. Mind you (again, as highlighted in the reviews of this trip), the guide doesn't have a card machine, so if you decide on one of these last-minute, you have to pay cash. Anyway, next upgrade option was to head to Lauterbrunnen and on up to Kleine Scheidegg, then down to Grindelwald - those who stuck with Grindelwald would have extra time there while the guide went with the other party. The most expensive upgrade option would see people heading from Kleine Scheidegg up to the Jungfraujoch, while those who didn't want that, but had come to Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg, would have more time there.
Now, I've never been to Lauterbrunnen, but I was to both Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch before, so I wasn't interested. And my companion didn't feel up to it - even if we'd had the cash. We all had an hour in Interlaken - but the driver was taking those who'd opted for the extras up to Lauterbrunnen and coming back down, so we arranged to have an extra hour, and he'd pick us up there and take us up to Grindelwald. Which gave us time to eat in Interlaken. We set our sights on the Aarmuhle Cafe, with its terrific views - and we sat outside, of course!
Where we had a great view of paragliders landing:
We didn't have time for a main meal - we shared a bottle of wine, I had a lovely pumpkin soup, and she had a "chocolate cake" - more a muffin. And that, sitting in glorious sunshine, with a stupendous view, is what I call living the life!
All too soon, it was time to be on the road again..
And so, finally, to Grindelwald:
My companion was interested in another option presented to us on the coach - not organised by the company, but a suggestion of how to spend our time. This was Grindelwald First, whereby we could take a cable car to the First mountain peak, where sundry adventure sports could be indulged in - not that I was interested in them, but the cable car sounded good. So, when we were dropped off, that's where we headed.
The climb through town was a bit strenuous in parts - it's right up in the mountains, and hilly:
We made it, finally, and had a terrible time trying to work the machine, to get tickets - I eventually managed it, my companion had to get one from a customer service desk. But we got there in the end, and found ourselves on a cable car, riding through two intermediate stops to get to the top of the mountain:
Unfortunately, alighting at the top, I discovered it was all icy.. ah well, that was me then:
Happily, heading towards the restaurant/terrace, we discovered a viewing platform, which made the trip more worth it:
We even spotted some people doing the cliff walk that is one of the advertised adventures! (Even if it hadn't been icy, I don't know I'd have done this - it includes a suspension bridge..)
Photos taken, we took a wee break for a drink - inside; it was chilly out there. Although not as much as we'd feared - we were somewhat overdressed, as it happened!
And so, back down:
Very handy ski-holders they have, on the outside of the gondolas!
We'd fully intended on eating properly in Grindelwald - but of course, I'd forgotten how much sheer time and effort it takes to go up mountains and come down again, and by the time we made it back down to our meeting point, we only had about 10 minutes to spare..
So, back on the road. We had a small wait for the people who'd done the extra trips, and then quite a fast drive down - and although I managed a nap on the bus, I was awoken by us swerving around bends! Got quite carsick for a while - mountain roads are winding. It felt a long, long way back to Luzern:
It was dark by the time we returned to Zurich - and I had my first proper look at the Landesmuseum, which was on our way:
Tired and hungry, we headed for Central 1, which I'd noticed on the tram in the morning. Which turned out to be a bar-restaurant, and the first place we were to have eaten that had live music! A pianist, not visible from where we were sitting, tinkled out classic tunes - and I needed the toilet again. Which is shared with the King's Cave, downstairs, and sports some interesting decor!
All species catered for:
I was very well fed, with a lovely Wiener schnitzel and some more gorgeous ice cream - my companion had a salad, and I swapped my coleslaw for her teriaki sauce. And we stayed on until the pianist took a break.
On the way home, however, there was yet more music..
I hadn't a clue, at the time, what was going on, but this fetchingly attired group are the Zurigge Ladykillers, and were in town specifically for the Zurich Carnival, which coincided with our weekend there! No wonder the town appeared to have gone a bit mad.. just a shame I was too tired to appreciate it properly.
Back to the hotel, requested - and received - an extra quilt, and yes, had a greatly improved night's sleep! Less hip pain - but I had to increase the amount of padding under my pillow, as my neck pain was now back, considering I was raised a bit higher.
We each started Sunday doing our own thing - my companion was headed to the matinée of Giselle, at the Opera House, but I figured it was overpriced, considering I could get a ticket for the same show much cheaper in London - so I passed on that, and instead took myself off to the Gran Cafe Motta for breakfast again. Where, of course, I had a croque monsieur - but also, this time, the ciocolatta italiana, which was lovely!
After a leisurely breakfast, I took myself back outside - where a group of Goths was pulling a kind of musical cart, blaring out heavy metal in German. Heading down a sidestreet - whom should I discover but the Zurigugge Ladykillers again, going about their own, loud music-making outside the Hotel Adler:
When they broke up, I headed in the direction of the Landesmuseum - and as I crossed a bridge, discovered they have the tradition here, as in so many other places, of placing padlocks on the bridge as a love token:
And so to the Landesmuseum:
Fascinating old building - and I had a scooch around the gift shop, but neither saw anything I wanted to buy, nor felt like exploring more of the museum - particularly with all the steps I could see I'd have to climb. So I headed back in the direction of the hotel. On the way, I happened to come around the back of the Grossmunster, which we'd come up on the other side of on Thursday, but it was covered in scaffolding.. and I found an open door at that side! So, I popped in.
You have to pay for the bell tower and such, but the general space is free to visit - and they have lovely stained glass:
And then I headed back to the hotel bar, got a glass of wine, and chilled for a bit. Passed the crowds gathering for the Carnival parade, on the way.
Before I left the bar, I made sure to have a word with the guy on reception about how our tea/coffee sachets hadn't been replaced - he grabbed a handful of them and gave them to me! And so, off I went to the Opera House. By the time I got there, my companion was just out, and waiting by the statue in the forecourt:
We had a few hours before our opera - so I'd had a look around for places to eat: but it wasn't easy. It was now before 4 - but a lot of places were closed until 5.30 or later. I had identified a hotel restaurant - Silk - just behind the Opera House, but it only does "snacks" on Sundays, I was told. I couldn't find out what that entailed, but we decided to check it out - and we were most impressed by the cool, elegant decor, and the friendly staff. The "snacks" turned out to include a cheeseburger, so I said I'd have that - and although that menu only included wine by the glass, we managed to persuade them to get us a bottle - a very nice Austrian Sauvignon Blanc. I wasn't really in a burger mood, but ate most - and all the fries - and lo, we had a second bottle of wine. And some more ice cream for me. And had a most pleasant time!
And so to the Opera House - it was dark by now. We discovered a terrace at our level, overlooking the river:
We were on the top level, but the front row - a decent view, although we sometimes had to lean to see the action:
The opera, being Handel, has a convoluted plot. Based on the real-life Agrippina, wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius and mother of Nero, it also features Poppea, who ultimately married Nero, and Otho, who ultimately succeeded and whom she subsequently married.. and who is played by the singer that my companion likes, Jakub Józef Orlinski.
It's based on fact, to some extent - Claudius did ultimately die, rumoured to have been murdered by Agrippina, and Nero took the imperial throne - and duly murdered Agrippina, so the scene where he almost strangles her is quite realistic. Otho was a challenger to Nero, and indeed they were also rivals for the love of Poppea - who is seen in this as Agrippina's protegée, ultimately turning against her.
Presented in modern dress, it works very well - by the dinner party at the end, everyone except Agrippina is in a sharp suit; she sports a dramatic cape dress. And it's as catty, and as vicious, a dinner party as any power play you could hope to see. A most enjoyable production - and kudos to Jakub, who proves himself capable of singing in a variety of positions as he fights with Claudius and Nero, including lying on the floor, and stuck hiding at the top of the cupboard! Most versatile.
Had a stroll around at the interval:
Now, if only my mother hadn't kept ringing me during the show - I keep my phone on "Do Not Disturb" during events, but list her as an exception. She rang during the first half, I called her back at the interval and explained I'd be at the opera for hours yet.. only to have her call again during the second half! Oops, sorry to those around me - and why she chose that occasion of all of them is beyond me. Each time she rang during the show, I had no choice but to put the phone on flight mode.. Anyway, if you happen to be in the area, this show runs until the 30th.
And so back to the hotel, and the best night's sleep yet, as I finally managed to get the bed to conform to what I needed. Checking out yesterday morning, there was a newbie on reception, who innocently asked whether everything had been all right with our stay - as I diplomatically replied, there had been a few problems, which reception had been quick to remedy when we complained. And so, our last tram trip - my companion sensibly thought that the best thing would be to head to Central 1 again, where we could get food and wine, and which was close to the main station. And indeed, we were efficiently dealt with by an attendant with, fortunately, a wry sense of humour, as we occupied an entire corner with our luggage and wrecked her head with our delayed, and specific, orders. Anyway, we ended up having mostly the same as before. And I see, with the downstairs restaurant, King's Cave, closed till evening, they had it closed off..
And so to the station, where we parted ways - my companion was headed to Geneva, me to the airport. Because my companion is coming back on Easyjet, from Geneva, today - and so, headed there yesterday, so as not to have to leave Zurich ridiculously early that morning.
Me, I had tons of options to the airport - just bought a ticket and headed for the next train I could make. Unfortunately, when I got there, it was to discover that my flight was to Gatwick, rather than City - bah humbug, I could easily have made the slightly earlier flight to City! And of course, the Swissair website, again, had no record of any booking by me - probably because I booked with Booking.com. I had to wait for Swissair to get in touch (having my details, even though they couldn't show my booking..), and THEN they gave me a link I could use. Combine that with an airport that constantly led me to more checkin desks, when all I wanted was a departure gate - no wonder I was peeved by the time I got to Departures.
At least the bar serves double glasses of wine. Slept for most of the flight - woke in time for free water, but missed my free chocolate. :-( Ah well, apart from a trek through Gatwick, it turned out not to be too bad to get home - I just hopped on the Thameslink, which got me to London Bridge in two stops.
Cooler weather all of a sudden, I notice! I have a sociable week planned - this evening, I'm heading to Cineworld Leicester Square with Movie Roadhouse London, to see Marching Powder, with Danny Dyer. It's a comedy about a middle-aged man refusing to act his age, getting arrested for possession of cocaine, starting fights - and all the while attempting to rekindle his relationship with his long-suffering wife. Its rating isn't great, but I have to say, the trailer looks a right laugh - made more of an impression on me than anything else showing at the moment, certainly! And the Meetup general listings said there were no group events today, imagine - they go from bad to worse! Naturally, I'll be eating in Bella Italia beforehand - looking forward to their garlic chicken schnitzel!
Tomorrow, back with that group and their sister group, The Hideout, for their Spring Equinox Social! At the BFI Riverfront Bar upstairs, as usual. And I'll eat in The Archduke beforehand. And despite the expense, it'll seem so cheap after Switzerland..
On Thursday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Son of a Bitch at Southwark Playhouse. As usual, I'm availing of their excellent-value Pay As You Go offer, £75 for five productions, no time limit..
Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. St. Patrick's Day is on Monday, as it happens, and is a bank holiday over there - so I'm taking that day off as well while I'm at it, and will fly back a day later. For the weekend, films are provisionally looking like Mickey 17 for Saturday, a SciFi comedy about a guy who's sent to do dangerous jobs, and keeps getting killed and replicated - problems arise when two of the replicants meet each other, which isn't supposed to happen: and Last Breath for Sunday, starring Woody Harrelson in the true story of the rescue of a deep-sea diver. Both showing in the Omniplex. However, these plans could be completely thrown up in the air by a couple of films, not yet rated, but showing there, and looking good.. watch this space..
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