zurich

what can i say about this incredible city? Zurich just well and truly blew me out of the water with its beauty, i was so overwhelmed by what an amazing place this is! i mean, don't get me wrong, i was excited to visit Zurich just like i would be excited to visit any european city, but Zurich was just so much more than i expected!

beautiful scenery and architecture, and the PEOPLE who went out of their way to help me when i needed directions or needed recommendations for a good place to eat -- just so NICE!

i was there on a sunday, so the majority of people weren't working, and so everyone was out on the streets, enjoying their city, and just positively
S-T-R-O-L-L-I-N-G!
i'm talking about the kind of stroll where you're taking one step every few seconds, and there's absolutely nowhere else these people would rather be than where there were right at that very minute, with loved ones, strolling along the river, taking it all in -- ZURICH!

i'll be back here -- just as soon as i can arrange it, I need to come back to this place, maybe even with a pair of skis under my arm, so i can go make a fool of myself on the slopes!

there was a really loud group of people driving around and around Zurich, beeping their car horns and waving red flags with a black insignia on them, i really had no idea what they were screaming about, but by the time i left the city centre, their numbers had grown into the hundreds, and now all you could hear was car horns and excited screaming, everyone just screaming and shouting, it was pretty incredible to see! -- a quick internet search when i got home tells me that these people were celebrating Kosovo being recognised as an independent country, please don't ask me what this has to do with Zurich and car horns, because my knowledge on this topic ends there, unfortunately!


my adventures in Zurich:
catch a train into the centre of town -- their trains are more like REALLY stretched out limousines, they're so plush! so naturally, i popped open a bottle of champagne and tried to recruit the nearby passengers to be my "entourage" (oh god, please don't believe that for even one second -- but seriously, the trains are amazing) . purchase the obligatory fridge magnet for the collection . watch a street performer, and be proud of the fact that you've learnt from previous experience that they never appreciate my joining in on the sing-a-long, and therefore you keep your mouth shut and let him earn his salary . eat swiss chocolate, in Switzerland! . eat swiss cheese, in Switzerland! . buy a swiss army knife, in Switzerland (ok i've gone too far with the swiss things in Switzerland, haven't i?) . buy a sausage (something called "cervelat", maybe?) because, well, how can i ever resist street food?? (and you've heard it from me folks: the sausage was GOOD!) . walk along Zurich's famous shopping strip, Bahnhofstrasse, which is, according to wikipedia, "one of the world's most expensive and exclusive shopping avenues" -- thankfully all the stores were closed, and my wallet stayed firmly wedged in my pocket (that's right mitchell, tell yourself it was the fact that the stores were closed that you were unable to buy anything, never mind the insane prices) . lose your mobile phone, but don't mind, because you've lost your mobile phone in Zurich!! (*sigh* i'm trying to work out if i'm getting worse at keeping a hold of my belongings, but i get the feeling that i've just always been this hopeless)


here are the photos:


stay tuned, next week: SOME AS-YET UNDETERMINED MYSTERY LOCATION!!!


let the good times roll!!

a fling with a singapore sling

Singapore! Home of the Singapore Sling, the Merlion, and one of the best 24hour-a-day food courts that i've ever encountered (though I must admit, my knowledge of 24hour-a-day food courts is quite minimal, but ya gotta give credit where credit's due, people)

I was in Singapore during their celebration of Chinese New Year, which meant that shopping was pretty much out of the question: the majority of shops and restaurants close for three days to celebrate the welcoming of the New Year, but this didn't put a dent in any of the sightseeing that I could do -- so, with map in hand I went a-strolling

i had hoped to catch up with my friend Holly who lives in Singapore, and i had every intention of letting my keen map-reading skills lead me to her house, but by the time i admitted to myself that i was hopelessly lost, and no longer anywhere near her place OR my hotel, it was time grab a cab and start heading back to the holtel to prepare for my next flight

so Holly, i promise i'll get there next time (in a CAB driven by someone who knows his way around Singapore!)


here are the photos:


stay tuned, next up: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND!!!


let the good times roll!!