Zurich Morning

Our first visit to Zurich 10 years ago did not provide lasting impressions - maybe the city expected us to be a bit more mature in tastes! Over the years, we have repeatedly visited this beautiful country and began loving it on each visit. On the current second visit to Zurich, we stepped out for a morning walk, having been woken up by sound of chirping birds that drifted through open windows of our friendly, conveniently located, quaint and compact hotel  Rex Sorell.  It was a summer morning in Jun and the weather was bracing especially for us from Dubai, UAE. As we walked a short distance from the hotel, we were greeted with the view below -

But then, let me start at the beginning. We flew on the Emirates A380 for the 6 and a half hour  flight with a bunch of friends that landed at Zurich at 2030 hours. By the time, we reached the hotel and finished depositing our luggage in our respective rooms via the minuscule elevator, we were quite famished. True to European standards, the small hotel restaurant was closed and shut down and the receptionist pointed to nearby pizzeria. 

 A morning walk to explore the city was our thought to start the day.  A gentle morning breeze was cool and crispy. The road was empty except for an occasional car going by. Walking down briskly by the road, we noticed bunches of Geraniums in pink and purple. These beautiful flowers adorned the pavement in front of the shops.

We reached the cross roads where we could see the criss cross of cables in the skies . Trams, cars, cyclists and pedestrians all moved in complete harmony and precision on the roads of Zurich.

We could see the river Limmet that runs through the city of Zurich The water was clean and sparkling . The morning sunlight flitted through the water creating ripples. The tall churches and spires cast their shadows in the still water. We walked along the foot path close to the river. Except for an occasional jogger, we had the river front to ourselves. Most of the coffee shops situated were yet to open for the day.

As we walked further we were pleasantly surprised to see a colorful skyline under the skies. Grand church structures dominate the skyline of this city . Colorful spires peeped between building. Huge clocks adorned these spires. Near the lake, on the left bank of the Limmat River, with its twin towers, is the Grossmunster Cathedral. To the right of Grossmunster, across the river with its green steeple is Fraumunster. It has an iconic green steeple, large clock-faced church tower, and many stained glass windows. We could spot the St.Peter's church with the largest clock in Europe.

We crossed the bridge to explore the other side of the town . The iron railings of Bridges were lined with locks symbolizing the love struck promises of young lovers . From the vantage point on the bridge we could see the peaks of the alps mountain ranges. 

The old town was a colorful maze of narrow streets , cobbled roads and gorgeous shutter windows . There was so much to see in very turn of the road . The chocolate show windows were so fascinating and colorful. We promised ourselves to make  a trip later in the day to buy some of those delicious cholocolates.

Strolling past the streets of Zurich we returned to our hotel room refreshed and ready for breakfast. The morning life had started in the streets of Zurich. As we walked along the river side we could see the ducks swimming ready to welcome the new day.

The saunter, though impulsive, had taken us more than 2 hours and we were still quite fresh but gnawing pangs of hunger and the thought of the rest of our friends still lounging at the hotel, prompted our return. We thought we would personally escort the gang through these sights, having familiarized ourselves! 
We  are morning persons and each city that we travel to, we love to take morning walks. Somehow, this imbibes us with great peace of mind and we revel in these early morning saunters!