June 23, 2023 ~ Zurich, Switzerland

I’m exhausted tonight as I’m trying to organize our photos and my thoughts about the day. After only getting around three – four hours sleep for each of the past three nights, I’m running on fumes. Insomnia has been making herself known. I’m really hoping to be able to catch up a bit tonight but it is after 11:00 pm in Zurich and I’m just getting started here. On top of that, Tim and I are waiting for a call from our veterinarian regarding our little dog, Maya.

We are hoping that the digestive issues she is experiencing are only caused by separation anxiety and nothing more serious. But while waiting for her call, I’ll try to keep on track and tell you a bit about another otherwise fabulous day here in Zurich.

As Switzerland’s financial capital, Zurich boasts the highest population in the country. Yet, while it rivals any other European metropolis, the city also has a unique charm. Historic and modern architecture mingle in the streets, all set on the shores of an expansive lake against a background of snow-capped alps.

I’m starting to think that Switzerland is much more of a “Foodie” destination than I had realized which is a dream come true for us as we all love and appreciate fine dining. Our breakfast this morning included both a printed menu of items we could order from the kitchen as well as one of the most beautiful buffets I have ever seen.

Our morning walking tour was led by a delightful young woman who was originally from Barcelona. She was knowledgeable, helpful and a charming hostess. Starting out with a funicular ride down the hill from our hotel (The Dolder Grand) followed by a tram ride to old town, we could not help but once again admire the smooth and efficient transportation system the Swiss have in place.

The walking tour lasted just over two hours and was concentrated on the “Old Town” section of the city.

After our tour ended, the four of us stayed in town to walk and explore on our own. Since Tim and I had been to Zurich and spent a couple days here a few years back, we were quite comfortable getting around.

After walking along Bahnhofstrasse, (the equivalent of their Rodeo Drive), we arrived at the shores of Lake Zurich. Hopping on a local boat that was intending on giving us a one hour cruise around the lake, we ended up disembarking about half way through the tour at a stop right by the Landesmuseum.

The guys were hungry, so we found a wonderful small cafe for a quick recharge. Sorry, I was so out of it by this time that I neither took any pictures of our nice healthy lunch nor got its name. I sincerely wish I had as the quiche was delicious and I would have loved to have been able to recommend it.

By now my feet were also starting to complain that I had not done quite as good of a job as I thought I had of breaking in my new walking shoes. Oops…

The Landesmuseum has an amazing collection and exhibits that trace Switzerland’s history. I must admit I was walking around by now more like a Zombie. I took a collection of photos to try to capture the essence, but my mind would not focus on reading nearly as many details as I might normally have done.

It was time to call it a day so we located our tram, took it to the funicular and then thankfully let the cables pull us back up the hill to our magnificent hotel.

Dinner reservations at the in-house restaurant, Saltz, was another winner. I ordered a Lebanese tasting tray that included five different vegetarian samplers

For a little more food inspiration, check out the Epicure event being held here at the Dolder Grand. Epicure will be hosting the “Best of the best International Chefs” from June 27 – July 2nd. Click here for more info.

GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful that our pet sitters were on top of things and immediately notified us when they noticed that Maya was having an issue. We are so attached to our little Cavapoo, and it hurts our hearts that we are not with her right now, especially thinking that her issues could well be caused by separation anxiety.

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