Tuesday, July 15
Weather was not on our side again today with the morning rain. We started with a walking tour of the Old Town and the guide did her best to tuck in to covered areas for her stories. Our first start was the Old Arch Hall fresco wall painting of Fraumünster Church.
We continued to the Lindenhof Hill lookout in what was now more of a drizzle. Nice views of the city and Hedwig Fountain. The helmeted statue of a woman beside the fountain was made by Gustav Siber. It was built to honor the Zurich women, allegedly led by Hedwig ab Burghalden who defended the city by duping the army of Duke Albert I of Germany during the siege of Zurich in 1292. They dressed in full battle gear in order to trick the Habsburg army into thinking that the city was well protected while their men were busy campaigning at Winterthur.
We walked back down the hill past the quay of the Limmat River whose waters flow through the city's heart. St. Peter's Church boasts the largest church clock face in Europe. We could see Rathaus, built in 1690, and Fraumünster and Grossmünster, founded by Charlemagne.
The Zentralhof and its fountain with the water-spouting winged lions is a beautiful oasis of calm right next to Bahnhofstrasse. In the 1800's it served as the main post office.
We continued the walking tour past Zürich’s bustling shop-lined main street and then it was time for the Zürich Lake cruise.
It was cool and rainy so we all tucked into the inside cabin instead of the open upper deck. I'm the view would have been more beautiful without the nagging rain. Küsnacht is the town where Tina Turner lived and was one of the ferry stops. We sailed past her house's location. The rain stopped with an occasional drizzle.
We were left at the harbor for our free time. We had the option to stay in the Old Town or be taken back to the hotel.
We chose to stay in town and grab some lunch at a traditional Swiss restaurant. We hopped on a tram to get there.
Restaurant Zeughauskeller was built in 1487. The name "Zeughaus" means that weapons and war equipment were stored and repaired here, because unfortunately the Swiss knew more war years than peace years in the Middle Ages. Legend even says that the crossbow of our national hero William Tell was exhibited here. Since 1926, the Zeughaus has been a peaceful and sociable house. Today, the weapons are only used for decoration and strangers from all over the world are welcomed as well as hospitably entertained.
The food and atmosphere were awesome! The seating is all large family style tables.
Our goal for the afternoon was to do a self-guided walking tour of Zurich West, but we got turned around and managed to have a very nice afternoon exploring another area. (turns out the hotel was located in Zurich West)
We stopped for a gelato break and I tried the black sesame gelato and a chocolate one. Both were very good. Then we went inside the Fraumünster for the Chagall and Giacometti stained-glass windows.
We walked to a Pub that was closed yesterday for dinner. Yum!
We stopped at Coop again to pick up dessert. I finally got a clear evening to get an outside shot of our hotel and some of the quirky artwork on our floor.
Zurich https://photos.app.goo.gl/atQ3cptatsgymD2j8
Tomorrow, we leave for Chur to board the Glacier Express train to Zermatt.
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