Things have been flying past the windows of the high-speed train so fast I almost can't make out the shapes of things, merely the threads of colors woven together. I'm in Zürich, but it seems almost moot since I'll be headed to Tübingen this afternoon with a ride share. It's worked out really well so far, but recently I've been getting a lot of "car's full" responses. But if it's not ride sharing, it's hitchhiking; and if it's not hitchhiking, it's taking the train. Methods of travel abound, crammed densely together like the towns piled on top of towns in the Swiss countryside. Or the German countryside. The French countryside seems a little more spread out, but I still like the density of each town, even if, en masse, they are further apart.
I've spent almost 2 days here and have gotten a good sense of the city. I think it would be really fun to go out in--there seem to be a lot of night clubs and the like--but as a city to visit, I don't think it merits much more time than a couple days.
First, it's expensive. I was desperate for some coffee (see how our addictions force us to go out there and interact with people) and found some restaurant with a woman drinking a cappuccino at the bar. Lots of Italian restaurants in Zürich, and this was the same. I realized that the coffee might be pretty expensive here compared to other places, and, sure enough, it was 5CHF. A Swiss franc is 90% of a dollar, so the exchange rate is in my favor, but still...90% of 5 is still $4.50 for an espresso. Turns out, though, that the same drink costs 4.50 CHF at Starbucks; the prices of things are just that high. Cheap restaurants have meal prices that start at 15 CHF, and I saw a burger at and Irish pub advertised for 25 CHF. So it is.
And there are bikes, though not as many as in Antwerp or even Paris. Probably about the same amount as in Chicago. The city's a little denser, so it's more apparent. But bikes are not the correct way to get around. There are bike lanes and other infrastructure, but the way around Zürich is the tram. Everything seems to bow down to the tram system, with it's streetcar tracks embedded in the pavement and spidery electrical cables overhead. The tracks are, in fact, a danger to cyclists, and the trains coming every couple of minutes make it difficult to walk around. The intersections, in general, seem to prioritize trams and cars over walkers, making walkers sometimes wait at 2, 3 or even 4 separate lights before crossing one street.
I finally found the Niederdorf area--the altstadt--which, though similar to a lot of other old cities I've been to, was nice to walk through. I got another coffee at this place called teecafé; a single was 4.60 and a double was 5.50 CHF. So I got a double--also because I needed it.
I took the tram several times with no ticket and had no problems. The first time was simply because I was too tired from hitchhiking and training and being outside all day and sleeping on a mountain to care. Just like in Geneva, nobody ever checked tickets. And then I found out that one ride costs 4 CHF! The problem with their system is that you don't even know if you're doing it right; there's no affirmation for playing by the rules. At least in Paris and Chicago there are barriers to cross that make you feel accepted by the system, even if it's simply mechanical feedback. At some point I realized that a day pass--24 hours--was only 8 CHF, so I finally started playing by the rules.
I've decided that Zürich, like Chicago, is a good place to live. Get a monthly pass on the tram, get a good job at a bank to pay the bills, and go swimming in the river at night. It seems like a good mix of hustle and bustle and tranquil family and friends time. But to visit, I think it's probably best to come in for the nightlife and then sleep all day.
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