Switzerland and Austria – August 31-September 13, 2014

Day 2 - ARRIVE ZURICH

My flight landed on time at 7:40 a.m., and I got through customs and got my luggage in no time. I then walked to the Radisson Blu hotel, which was pretty easy to find if you follow the signs, and it took me less than 10 minutes to walk there. I arrived at the hotel around 8:30 a.m. and went to check in. As expected, my room was not ready, however, I used the ladies room to freshen up, left my luggage with reception and walked back to the airport to catch the bus for the Rhine Falls tour I booked through Viator. As the bus wasn’t picking me up until 9:30 a.m., I got some breakfast and sat down to eat it, and then made my way to the pickup point. When I didn’t see the bus, or anyone else standing around, by 9:20 a.m., I re-read the voucher and realized I was in the wrong spot (the instructions were somewhat confusing and easy to misunderstand). I then ran to the correct pick-up point, and got there just as the bus was pulling in. Fortunately for me, it was 5 mins late, which apparently was my fault as the guide thought she was picking me up at the bus station downtown, and waited there an extra 5 mins for me.

The bus was pretty full, and during our ride to the Falls our guide told us a little bit about Switzerland and the Rhine Falls, and asked us if we wanted to buy a ticket for the boat ride to the rock in the middle of the Falls, which I did. We also drove through a quaint little village (I forget the name of it), but we didn’t stop to take pictures. Upon arrival, we were told that we had an hour to take pictures, have a coffee, etc, and then we were directed to the correct boat for our boat ride to the rock in the middle of the Falls. The boat ride was short, the rock is very small, and there are a lot of stairs to get to the top of the rock, however, once you got to the top, the views were quite nice. I pulled a muscle in my thigh while walking up the stairs though, and it was sore for the next few days. I wouldn’t recommend climbing these stairs to anyone with mobility issues.

The Rhine Falls are the largest in Europe, and are very pretty, however, I have to admit that I was a little bit disappointed. I was expecting them to be a little bit bigger than they are, and after seeing Niagara Falls a few times, I was a little underwhelmed by them.


Rhine Falls

We left the Falls around 11:30 a.m., and I got dropped off at the airport at 12:15 p.m.. By this time I was hungry, so I grabbed some McDonald’s for lunch (it had the smallest lineup), and was shocked that it cost me 10 Swiss Francs for six chicken nuggets and a small fry! I don’t know why I was so shocked as I knew it would be expensive in Switzerland, but I was still shocked nonetheless.

After lunch I went back to the hotel to shower and get ready for our orientation tour of Zurich, and got a phone call from Miranda who wanted to make sure I had read the Trafalgar post and to get my dinner order (lamb or ravioli). I choose the ravioli, even though she highly recommended the lamb, as I don’t like lamb. I met the group on the coach at 2:20 p.m., and we left for our orientation tour at 2:30 p.m. We did a quick drive around the city, stopping by the universities to walk over to a viewing platform and get good pictures of the city. Unfortunately, it had started raining by this time, and it had turned cold, so it wasn’t pleasant to be outside. I had also left my coat at the hotel, as it was warmer outside earlier in the morning, and just had a light sweater with me.

After taking pictures of the city, we got back on the coach and drove to the lake where we got out again to use the restrooms and take pictures. As it was so cold and wet, people only got a few pictures, and then got right back on the coach. We then drove to our drop-off point by the Furmunster church, and followed Miranda to the church to see the famous stained glass windows by Marc Chagall. They were beautiful, but, unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures. Miranda then walked us to Bahnhofstrasse, the expensive shopping avenue that is mostly pedestrianized, and gave us one hour and fifteen minutes to see the sights. As it was a Sunday, all of the shops were closed, so I walked to the Grossmunster church and went inside, and then got some pictures of the Rathaus, the Wasserkirchechurch, and the surrounding area.


Grossmunster

I then walked back to the meeting point and met a few others who were already waiting for the coach. The driver had went back to the hotel to get four people who were arriving late, and he wasn’t back when we got there, so we had to wait about 10 mins for the coach. Once the coach arrived, we headed to the restaurant for our welcome dinner, which consisted of tomato soup, lamb or ravioli, and plum pie. I liked the ravioli, but a few others who had it didn’t like it very much. Everyone who had the lamb loved it. I found the plum pie to be a little too sweet, but others like it. Miranda also used this time to explain the itinerary and optionals to us. We finished dinner around 8:00 p.m. and headed back to the hotel as we had an early start the next day.

Day 4 - SALZBURG – VIENNA

It was another early morning this morning, and we were on the coach heading to the Eagle’s Nest by 7:30 a.m. As advised above, I decided to skip this optional as I had been to the Eagle’s Nest before, so after dropping off the group, me and two others drove to Berchtesgaden with Miranda. We had an hour to walk around the town of Berchtesdaden, which was quite quaint, however, as it was cold and wet again, I only walked around for about half an hour, and then did some shopping. I found a nice jewelry store, and ended up buying a nice pendant and earrings. By the time I paid the bill, it was time to go back to the coach.


Berchtesgaden

We picked up the rest of the group at 10:30 a.m., and made our way to Vienna, stopping for lunch at another Rosenburger at 12:30 p.m. We had an hour for lunch, and then we got back on the coach for a short drive before stopping to get a photo of Melk Abbey by the Danube. We then drove to our next comfort stop in Durensteine, which is the place where Richard the Lion Heart was captured by Duke Leopold and locked up for 3 years.


Melk Abbey

We arrived at our hotel in Vienna at 4:45 p.m., got our rooms keys, and then Miranda showed us our first hidden treasure in the hotel, which was an opera house used by Emperor Joseph to entertain his guests. As our hotel was across the street from Schonbrunn Palace, his guests used to stay at this hotel, and it was convenient for him to entertain them there.

We left for our optional dinner in the woods at 6:30 p.m. Miranda removed the visit to the Schnapps Museum from this optional, and decided to take us for a drive around Vienna by night after dinner instead. The main course with this dinner was the traditional Viennese schnitzel, however, as it was veal, which I’m not a fan of, Miranda got me pork schnitzel instead. The pork was good, but I have to admit, I tried a piece of the veal schnitzel, and it was better. It didn’t taste like veal at all. Dinner was a little rushed though, and we didn’t have time to finish our coffee/tea, etc, as we needed to leave for our drive around the city. The drive back to the city was short, and we drove around the Ring seeing the major sights of the city. I have to admit that it was nice to see the city all light up at night, and I’m glad I did this optional. We got back to the hotel at 10:00 p.m., and as I was tired, I decided not to join a few others for drinks in the bar, and went back to my room to bed.

Day 6 - VIENNA – GRAZ – PIBER STUD FARM – VILLACH

We had a bit of a sleep in this morning, and I was up at 6:30 a.m. with luggage out by 7:30 a.m. and an 8:30 a.m. departure to Graz. We had our first comfort stop at 10:30 a.m., and arrived in Graz at 11:30 a.m. We parked by the Opera House, and started our short walking tour of the city. Miranda told us about the Landeszeughaus, an old armoury that is the largest one in the word that is still intact, and asked if anyone wanted to check it out. One person did, so she showed him where it was, and advised him to be back on the coach by 1:15 p.m. We then continued our walking tour, stopping at the Landhaus to view the courtyard, and then heading to the main square to see the Rathaus.


Graz

Miranda then asked us to follow her down a side street where there were a lot of restaurants for lunch. I told her that a few of us were going to skip lunch, as we wanted to walk to the Dom and Mausoleum, but she told me it was too far, and that we should just stick to the plan and go for lunch. We later found out that it was only a 10 min walk to the Dom and Mausoleum, and we would have had time to visit both places by skipping lunch. We took Miranda’s advice, however, and went to lunch instead. As it wasn’t raining a group of us sat on a patio for lunch, and a few of us ordered what we thought was going to be a Frankfurt sausage with a pretzel, however, the sausage was white and not what we expected. I ate mine and thought it was okay, but one women took one look at it and pushed it away.

We were back on the coach at 1:15 p.m. and arrived at the Lippizaner Stud farm at Piber at 2:30. This is the home of the world-famous white stallions which perform at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. We had a guided tour of the farm, watched a short video, and got to pet the horses. Our guide explained to us that the horses are born black or brown, but turn grayish-white over a 6-10 year period. Very few horses stay dark, and they only keep one grown dark horse at the farm for luck. I really enjoyed this visit, but I like horses. We did have a few people on the tour who were afraid of horses though, and they could have skipped this visit.


Lippizaner Horses at Piber

We left the farm at 4:00 p.m. to head to our hotel. Miranda had advised us that morning that we would not be staying in Villach as originally planned, and that we had been moved to a hotel in St. Veit. On our way to the hotel, we stopped at our second hidden treasure, the Church of St. Barbara. Miranda told us that it was similar to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, but I didn’t see much of a similarity, other than the use of waves. In fact, Miranda advised us all to watch our step, as the ground was uneven in order to look like waves in the water. The Church was very colourful and almost childlike in appearance, and while the inside of the church was nice, the outside of the church is what makes it stand out.


Church of St. Barbara

We got to the hotel around 5:45 p.m., and I went to my room to unpack and freshen up. A few people decided to walk to the old town of St. Veit, but as it was raining again, I decided to meet a few people in the bar for a drink before our dinner at 7:45 p.m. Tonight was our first included hotel dinner, and it was a buffet which was pretty good. The only downside was that the dining room only had tables of four, and when we tried to put two tables together, as there were eight of us who wanted to sit together, the staff got upset.

After dinner a few of us went back to the hotel bar for another drink, and then I went to my room around 10:00 p.m. as I was tired and we had another early start the next day.

Day 8 - INNSBRUCK – ST. MORITZ

We left at 7:30 a.m. this morning for the Swiss border, stopping at the Austrian border at 8:50 a.m. so that anyone who had a VAT tax receipt could get it stamped. Five mins later, we arrived at our coffee stop at the Swiss border. We had half an hour here, so after using the restrooms, a group of us walked around to take pictures of beautiful scenery. From here we drove to St. Moritz, arriving at our hotel at 11:05 a.m. I went to my room to freshen up, and then met a group of people in the lobby to walk around the town. First we all went to Bucherea, a watch/jewelry store, to get our free spoons with the coupons that Miranda had given to us, and one women bought herself a watch. After getting our spoons, we had lunch on a patio since it was a nice day. I ordered a grilled cheese and ham sandwich, and was surprised to see two sandwiches on my plate when the food arrived. Food might cost more in Switzerland, but at least the portion sizes are huge. I couldn’t eat both sandwiches, so one of my travel companions, who had just ordered the soup, ate the second sandwich.

After lunch we walked down to the lake to take pictures and see the sights. We took the long route down (by mistake), and were glad to have found the escalators to get back to the top of the hill, otherwise I don’t think we would have made it back to the hotel in time.


Lake in St. Moritz

When we got back to the hotel, I went back to my room to freshen up, and at 1:40 p.m. we left for the Bernina express optional. All but four people did this optional, and as far as I’m concerned, they really missed out. We had wonderful views of the mountains and glaciers, but, unfortunately, I was sitting on the wrong side of the train, as all of the good views were on the right side. People were nice enough to let us in to get pictures though, so I was able to get a few nice ones. The train ride lasted an hour and forty mins, and then we stopped at a hotel to sample some wine, cheese and meat in their back garden. The weather today was warm and sunny and the wine and food were excellent!


Views from Bernina Pass

The coach picked us up at 4:30 p.m., and we went back to our hotel to pick up the four people who didn’t come on the optional, stopping twice to take pictures. We arrived at the hotel at 6:00 p.m., and were given 15 mins to freshen up before leaving for our Be My Guest Dinner. It was only a 20 min drive to our dinner in a barn at a local home. The meal was barbecued pork, chicken and beef with side salads, corn, and polenta, and we had unlimited homemade wine. We also had cake, pudding and tiramisu for dessert. It was all very good, but it was a little cold in the barn, and it smelled bad. I got used to the smell after a while, but some people wouldn’t stop complaining about it. We finished dinner around 8:30 p.m. and were back at the hotel by 9:00 p.m. I met a couple of people in the bar for a drink, and then went to bed.

Day 10 - ZERMATT FREE TIME

We didn’t have a wakeup call this morning, and just had to be outside by 9:20 a.m. for our group photo. After the group photo, we got in our electric cars to go on the Klein Matterhorn Excursion. All but two couples did this excursion, and I was shocked that not everyone signed up for this optional. I couldn’t imagine going all the way to Switzerland and not going to see the Matterhorn, but maybe these people were afraid of heights.

Once everyone arrived, we got into our bubbles and ascended 10,000 feet, with great views of the Matterhorn. We got lucky with the weather today, as it was a clear, sunny day. Upon arrival at 10,000 feet, we took another group photo, along with individual photos, with a St. Bernard. There were originally two St. Bernard’s, but when a couple passed by us with another dog, one of the St. Bernard’s attacked. It would seem that she was a little territorial! They took her away, so our photos were with just the one dog.


Matterhorn

From here most of us took the cable car to 12,400 feet, and then we took the lift to a viewing platform where we had great views. After spending time taking photos, we went to the back of the building, where the ski slopes were located. After taking a few pictures I noticed that there were a couple of guys pushing people down a small hill on tubes. I went over and asked how much it was, and he said we could tip as much or as little as we wanted. I ended up going down the hill which was a lot of fun! After our tube ride, we went into the café for a hot chocolate, however, I found it too hot in there, so I just used the restroom and went to take some more pictures of the views. At 12:15 p.m. we caught the cable car back down to 10,000 feet, picked up the people we left there, and got back into the bubbles and headed down to ground level.

When we arrived back on the ground, Miranda gave us the choice of going back to the hotel, or being dropped off downtown. Since it was quite hot outside, I decided to go back to the hotel to change into lighter clothing. After changing, I met a few people in the lobby, and we headed to the graveyard which was close to our hotel. We spent some time walking through the graveyard, and noticed the wall containing plaques with the names of all of the people who died trying to climb the Matterhorn. There was also a cute little dog lying in the shade that I had to stop and pet.


Graveyard in Zermatt

After visiting the graveyard, we sent to the church, and then went to get a gelato. I got a min-cup of gelato and it cost me 4.50 Swiss Francs! I didn’t realize the price before I ordered it. I didn’t finish it all and gave it to one of my travel companions, and then I bought a small sausage in a phyllo pastry which was really good. We then walked around the town making our way to the photo shop were we could pick up our pictures from the Matterhorn. I bought the individual photo, but not the group photo, as we were getting a free one from Trafalgar that had everyone in it. I also tried to look for a place where I could sign up for paragliding, which Miranda told me would be around the photo shop, but I couldn’t find it. After getting our pictures we walked around a little bit more, and then I finally found the place for paragliding. They did have an opening for me in half an hour, however, that didn’t give me enough time to go back to the hotel, get my coat and boots and some cash (they didn’t take credit cards), and get back so I passed. As it was a nice day, we then went for a drink on a patio before walking back to our hotel for dinner. For some reason, Miranda didn’t offer the Fondue Dinner Experience optional, which I was a little bit disappointed about as I was looking forward to this optional dinner, so we decided to eat at the Thai restaurant at our hotel, however, when we saw the prices, we decided against eating there. We were later told by the wait staff at the hotel that this was one of the most expensive restaurants in Zermatt.

After freshening up, a group of us met in the lobby and walked back to the main square for dinner. We found a pub that had a three course meal for 19.99 Swiss Franc. The meal was pretty good, and the beer was cheap, so there were no complaints. After dinner, we went back to our hotel and went straight to bed as we had another early morning the next day.

Day 12 - LAKE GENEVA (EVIAN) – BERNE – INTERLAKEN – LUCERNE

Because I was going on the optional to Chateau de Chillon, I was set my alarm for 6:45 a.m., which meant I got a bit of a sleep in today. Well, I was wrong. Miranda had arranged for a 7:15 a.m. wakeup call for everyone going on the optional tour, however, the hotel sent the wakeup call at 6:15 a.m. At first I thought it was a mistake on the hotel’s part, however, when I heard the phone ring in my neighbours room (they were from my tour and going on this optional), I thought that I had gotten the times wrong and started to panic and think that luggage had to be out by 6:45 a.m. not 7:45 a.m. I jumped out of bed, showered and got ready, and put my luggage out. I then went downstairs to read the board, only to find out that I had the correct times after all. Since I was ready, I went down to breakfast early and met a few other tours members. It turns out we all got our wakeup call an hour early this morning.

We left for our tour at 8:45 a.m. and arrived at the Chateau at 9:00 a.m. The Chateau is set on the eastern short of Lake Geneva, and was built for the Dukes of Savoy in the 11th century. It was eventually captured by the Bernese, and it was the seat of the Bernese bailiffs for years. It was also used as a prison, and it’s most famous captive was Francois de Bonivard. Lord Byron wrote his famous poem, the Prisoner of Chillon, about him. Upon arrival we had a guided tour of the rooms, cellar and prison, and then we had 15 mins to walk around on our own. I walked to the top of the keep, took some pictures of the lake, and then rushed back down so I’d have time to use the restrooms before leaving. The rest of the group were dropped off at the castle at 10:00 a.m., so they could take pictures of it from the outside. 


Chateau de Chillon

At 10:15 a.m. we left for Berne. On the way there, Miranda handed out maps of Berne, in case some of us wanted to wander into the old town, however, she advised us that this was meant to be our coffee break, and that all we were meant to see in Berne was the Bear Ring, which our coffee shop was beside. She also advised that it was a steep walk to the clock tower in Berne, and that she didn’t recommend that we walked through the old town as there would not be time. She knew, however, that some of us would want to walk through the town anyway, which is why she handed out the maps. She told us we’d have 50 mins in Berne, but when she saw how many people wanted to walk through the old town, she gave us an extra 5 mins. Upon arrival, we took a few pictures of the bears in the Bear Ring. The first Duke of Berne decided to name the town after the first animal he killed in his next hunt, which happened to be a bear, which is why they keep bears in Berne. After taking pictures of the bears, we walked to the clock tower, and arrived just in time to hear the chimes, which begin 4 mins to the hour. After taking pictures we walked to the cathedral, and took a quick peek inside, then three of us decided to walk back to the coffee house, as we wanted time to use the restroom before leaving. Overall, it was an easy walk (not steep at all like Miranda suggested) and we had more than enough time to see some of the sights. In fact, we were back on the coach with mins to spare, while two women who just stay at the Bear Ring ended up being a few mins late.

From Berne we headed to Interlocken, arriving at 1:25 p.m. for lunch. They had paragliding here as well, so I asked how long it would take and was told I would need an hour and 15 mis. As we only had an hour in Interlocken, I had to pass. We then checked out the menus of various restaurants, finally settling on a pub. This was one of the best and most reasonably priced lunches I had in Switzerland. I got the special of the day, which was a mushroom pie with fries, and it was excellent. My total bill, with a small beer and tip, was 15 Swiss Francs.

At 2:30 p.m. we left for Lucerne. On our way there, Miranda gave us all a Lint Chocolate as a gift from Trafalgar. We arrived in Lucerne at 3:40 p.m. and went for a quick orientation drive through the city, stopping at the Lowendenkmal (the lion monument) for a quick picture. The lion monument is a massive figure of a dying lion pierced by a spear, and it is a monument to the Swiss Guards of France who died during the revolution.


Lion Monument

After taking pictures, we went to our hotel to check in, and Miranda gave us 20 mins to freshen up before leaving for our lake cruise optional. This is part of the Mount Stanserhorn optional, however, Miranda decided to split the optional into two. Almost everyone did this optional, and we arrived at the boat at 4:30 p.m. The cruise lasted an hour, and we had nice views, however, it was a little bit foggy at times.

After our cruise, nine of us decided to stay in town while the rest of the group went back to the hotel. We went to the Jesuit church, which was beautiful. The interior is decorated with stuccowork, and the ceiling paintings depict the apotheosis of St. Francis Xavier.


Jesuit Church

We spent around 15 mins walking through the church, and then had to leave as they were closing. We then walked through the Chappell Bride, which once formed part of the town’s fortifications, protecting it against attack from the direction of the lake. The octagonal tower that joins the bridge was used as a lighthouse, a prison and a treasure. The bridges roof panels were painted with scenes from the history of Lucerne and episodes in the lives of St. Leodegar and St. Maurtius, martyrs who become the town’s patron saints. This is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe, and the symbol of Lucerne. It was partly destroyed by fire in 1993, however it was rebuilt and most of its paintings were restored. After walking through the bridge, we went to Bucherer to get our spoons, and then to Cosagrande, a store that caters to tourists. We then walked around the area, waiting for the rest of the group to pick us up at Bucherer.

At 7:35 p.m. we met the group at Bucherer and walked to our restaurant for the Folklore dinner. Miranda arranged for me to have chicken again, as I can’t eat fish and don’t like veal, and the meal was pretty good. The show was excellent though and a lot of fun, and they also served really large jugs of beer, which made the optional worthwhile! After dinner I went back to my room and went straight to bed.

Day 14 - LUCERNE – EXTRA DAY IN ZURICH

I was up at 5:00 a.m. this morning, and luggage had to be out by 6:05 a.m. I didn’t sleep well because there was a pesky mosquito in my room that kept me up all night. When I turned the lights on to find it, it would disappear, but as soon as I turned the lights off, it would come buzzing around. It even managed to bite me a few times!

Miranda arranged for an early breakfast for us, however, when I went to the dining room, everyone was standing in the lobby waiting for it to open. It finally opened at 6:15 a.m., and I ate a quick breakfast and then went back to my room to get my coat and carry-on luggage. We left at 7:00 a.m., and got to the airport at 8:05 a.m. After giving people directions, Miranda walked a group of us to the Radisson Blu, showing us a shorter way to get there. I was the only one spending the night there, but a few people had later flights, so Miranda suggested that they leave their luggage at the hotel so that they can go off and see the old town while waiting for their flight. I checked in right away, and was happy to find out that my room was ready. I had requested an early check in, but I didn’t think my room would be ready upon arrival. I then asked to use the phone, and called the Best of Switzerland to confirm the Viator tour I had booked for that day. I knew that there was a chance of it being cancelled, and I didn’t want to rush to the bus station downtown for no reason. It turned out that there were only two people booked on the tour, so it was cancelled, which worked out well for me as it meant I could spend the day seeing the city with some of the tour members spending the day in Zurich. I then went to my room to drop off my luggage, and met the group in the lobby. There were seven of us going downtown, and we decided to take two taxis, because Miranda told us that the cost of the taxi between three/four people would be the same cost as taking the train. We later found out that this was not the case.

We found the taxis fairly easily, and took two to the train station downtown. It ended up costing us 50.00 Swiss Francs, which was more than we expected based on what Miranda had told us. We picked up a booklet with a map and list of sights to see, and walked to the old town. As a few people didn’t see inside the Grossmunster the first time we were in Zurich, we went there first. According to legend, the Grossmunster was founded by Charlemagne, and there is a huge statue of him in the crypt. The best part of this church, for me, were the stained glass windows. They were not your traditional, religious themed stained glass windows, and some of them contained optical illusions. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures.

After the Grossmunster, we went back to the Fraumunster, and, at this point, three people left us to walk along the Bahnhofstrasse back to the train station. The remaining four of us went for a coffee/hot chocolate at Spingers. Miranda advised us on our first day that this place made the best hot chocolate, and she was right! Of course, she didn’t tell us about the hefty cost for this hot chocolate, which was 7.50 Swiss Francs! After our coffee break, we said goodbye to one more person, and three of us walked to St. Peter’s Kirche, known for its large clock face. This was my favourite church in Zurich, with dark panelling, red columns, white stucco and pretty chandeliers.


St. Peter's Kirche

After St. Peters, we decided to walk to the Chinagarten in the Zurichhorh Park, accidently coming across the cloisters on the south side of the Fraumunster. The cloisters are decorated with frescoes that tell the story of the convent’s foundation and illustrate the lives of Felix and Regula, patron saints of Zurich, and the city’s link with Charlemagne. The cloisters are very pretty, and I’m glad we game across them.


Frescoes

We continued towards the Chinagarten, stopping again at the Opera House. We went inside, and even though it was closed for construction, we still managed to look around and use the restroom. The workers saw us walking around, but no one said anything.

We continued waking along the waterfront, and finally made it to the Chinagarten, which was very nice but very small. It took us 15 mins to see it all, and that was with taking our time and stopping to take pictures. If you have a whole day in Zurich with nothing to do, I would recommend seeing the Chinagarten, but if you don’t have a lot of in Zurich, I would recommend visiting other places.


Chinagarten

After our visit at the Chinagarten, we decided to find a place for lunch. By this time we were very hungry, and, as it was raining again, we wanted to find shelter. We found a pub close to the lake, and decided to share three appetizers, which were all very good. It was also nice to sit down and take a break after walking around all morning. After lunch we walked back to the Bahnhofstrass, checked out some of the shops, and then we went to the Augustinerkirch. This church was unused for almost 300 years after the reformation, but was restored in the 1800’s and taken over by the Catholics. It was a pretty church, but I didn’t like it has much as I liked St. Peter's. From here walked through the side streets towards the river, and went to visit our final church, the Predigerkirch. This church became a Protestant church after the reformation, and is now the university’s main church. It is very plain, and my least favourite church in Zurich. At this point, it was already 5:00 p.m., and we were tired from walking around all day, so we walked back to the train station to catch the train back to the airport. The train tickets were not as expensive as Miranda said they were, and it would have been cheaper to have taken the train into town earlier that morning.

Upon arrival at the hotel, I went to my room to change and freshen up, and then I met my two travel companions for dinner and drinks in the lobby. They had a late flight, so I sat with them until 8:00 p.m., and then walked them to the airport. After saying goodbye, I want back to my room to organize my suitcase and go to bed.

Day 15 - ZURICH - TORONTO

I was up at 6:00 a.m, got ready fairly quickly, and went for breakfast. I left for the airport at 7:30 a.m., and ran into two people from the tour who had spent an extra night in Lucerne. They were on the same flight as me, and they advised that our flight was delayed by an hour and a half. I could have slept in if I had known! Oh well. After checking in I went to get my VAT tax refund, and then walked around the airport checking out some of the shops. I then caught the tram to my Gate, and hung out in the waiting area until we finally boarded. It was another a great trip, but by this time, I was ready to go home!

Hi Californian, despite the problems I had with the itinerary and tour director, I enjoyed the tour. I particularly liked Vienna, Salzburg, Zermatt and Lucerne. I also liked Innsbruck, although I didn’t see much of it.

I had beautiful weather while in Portugal in May, with only rain one morning during the whole tour, so I couldn’t expect such beautiful weather again. We were told by our city guides in both Salzburg and Vienna that they had rain almost every day this summer and cooler than normal temperatures. This seems to be the case everywhere this year.

I didn’t complain about the tour director in my evaluation for two reasons. One, she was a hard worker, despite the issues I had with her, and she went out of her way to help a few people with special needs during the tour. She also advised us a few times that Trafalgar wanted her to retire, but she was hoping to still do two or three tours next year, and was hoping that we would all give her an excellent review so that she could continue working. I didn’t want to be responsible for her not getting hired by Trafalgar again, so I didn’t say anything. She wasn’t a bad tour director, she was just a little too regimented for my taste. I did, however, complain about the itinerary in my review, but I don’t know if Trafalgar will listen. Miranda did advise that tour directors have been telling Trafalgar for years that Innsbruck should be a two night stay, but they haven’t listened. I will say something to Trafalgar myself when I have a chance.

I hope to get a few more days posted tomorrow, and be done by the end for the week or beginning of next week.

Hi Boop, I’m glad you’re enjoying the tour tale so far. Overall, what we saw was great, we just didn’t see enough of certain places. Oh well.

I’m surprise you had a younger crowd on your B of S tour. On most tours I’ve been on, the majority of people are 50 and over. On this tour, we had a few people in their 30’s and 40’s, but the rest of the group were over 50. I had a young tour director while in France, but she was excellent. She treated every equally, and didn’t gravitate towards any age group.

On my Best of Holland tour, our tour director didn’t give us envelops for our reviews, and collected them once completed. When I asked her for an envelope, she looked at me funny and told me not to worry about it, that she would put them all in envelops. I told her that the review was supposed to be confidential, and asked for an envelope again which she gave me. Of course, she could have opened it, read the review, and put it in a new envelope.

We may not have had the best weather, but at least it didn’t snow! It was hard to dress some days though, as we would travel down south where it was hot in the afternoon, but higher up where it was cooler in the evenings. Layering was key on this tour.

Hi Tulips, I’ve never had a tour director tell me I couldn’t go off and see the sights on my own before either, and I was shocked by her response to me. Another women on our tour told me she would have taken some money out of her tip, but I still tipped her the recommended amount. Like I said, she did work hard, despite the problems I had with her. I did think about it though!

Day 3 is posted.  I'm going to try and figure out how to uploade a few photos as well, but that may have to wait until the weekend when I have more time.

Happy to see that you are on the forum, Tiffany, looking forward to reading about your trip.