The TGV
To get to my next stop of
Zürich, Switzerland, the only way I found acceptable was via the French version
of high-speed rail travel, the TGV. I
was told that the TGV was better than the Eurostar, and I found that to be true. The TGV is quieter still than the
Eurostar, and more comfortable and smoother.
Here, a set of headphones would be something to have with you as there
was onboard music and radio. They
sell headphones, but standard portable headphones will work just fine. The TGV has a maximum speed of around
155mph. The TGV also has mobile
(cell) phone repeaters in the business carriages (cars). This allows cell calls to have much
better clarity than could be obtained with the built-in antenna inside a
fast-moving train.
During the 6-hour trip
through southern France and western Switzerland, we made several stops. These were right on time, according to
the supplied schedule at each seat. European
trains are renown for their prompt arrivals and departures. Except for the late arrival of the
Eurostar to London, this was very true the rest of my rail travel. Most stops in Europe are 2-3 minutes for
passengers to get off and new ones to board.
My arrival in Zürich was on time. A
"restaurant" car called "Le Bar" was provided for meal
service, which consisted of a wet bar and sandwich counter.
One thing that really
impressed me was the houses along the track.
The further I got from Paris, the more picturesque they began to look. Many homes had either above or in-ground
swimming pools. And the homes themselves could have jumped right out of any
travel magazine picture. Flower
boxes on the windows with a multitude of colors reaching for the sun. Most had small, neatly cultivated
gardens. Livestock seemed to be
even more relaxed. The picture you
just can't get at 35,000 feet and 600mph. Now,
you can begin to understand why I chose the train, even though a bit more
expensive and longer travel times. A
decision, which I am glad I stood by, as you will see later from Germany.
Too bad, I could not get
photographs from the fast-moving train. The
double-pane windows created many reflections from the lights in the train, light
through the windows on the opposite side of the train as well as being able to
see people's images reflected in the glass.
This, along with the blurred images of the trackside poles and shrubbery,
were things that a two-dimensional photograph just won't allow your eye to sort
out and ignore.
Your eye, on the other
hand, is a marvelous tool. After
just a few seconds looking out the window, it tells your brain to ignore
everything that you are not focusing your attention on. So, all the close in movement becomes a
non-issue, as do the reflections on the window. All you see is what you want to see off in the distance.
Upon still another on-time
arrival, I found a taxi and was taken to the hotel. Again, located on a street designed for
one-way traffic, it was located in the "Old Town" area of Zürich. Later, once I got my bearings, I
realized that the taxi driver had taken a less-than-direct route to the hotel,
but in Zürich it was not much of a difference in the fare.
Zürich is very beautiful
and a place I plan to revisit. I was scheduled for just two days there, but after checking
the weather forecast; I realized that there was no need to pay $75 for the
second day if all I would be doing would be sitting in the room while it rained
all day. So, when I bought my
ticket for Kempten, I cut my visit short by one day. I sent an e-mail to Kempten informing
them of the change. I hoped that
they would get the e-mail before I arrived.
Again, in Zürich, I took
the city tour via bus. This trip
also included a cable-car ride up a mountain northwest of town. This was not for skiing, but just an
easy way to get to a much higher vantage point to view Lake Zürich and Zürich
itself off in the distance.
Zürich uses a network of
Trams (streetcars) and busses, as there is not enough flat land to dig an
underground system. These Trams and
busses will take you anywhere in the metropolitan area. Zürich is well known, but what is not
known, is that it is a very small city, relatively speaking, when you think of
major European cities.
Now, I am beginning to see
more normal clothing requirements. A
cigarette in one hand and cell phone in the other, are still very typical. Fido is also a common, but not quite as
many as were seen in Paris. Bicycles
and roller blades take second place to people walking. As I said above, Zürich is not that
big, so many places are easily reached by walking. Plus, Zürich is built on either side of
a river valley. Several blocks away
from the river, the terrain starts going straight up.
