Monday, March 02, 2009 @12:10 am
Today I set out to take a walk in Zurich. I took the tram to the start of Zurichsee, took a look at the two concert halls I didn’t get to see the last time I was here, and then continued to walk down one side of the lake.
It was a nice walk, the air was nice and cold (not too cold), the water was clear and sparkling, the swans and ducks were foraging, and the snow covered mountains in the distance made a magnificent view. I gradually moved away from the built up of the city and into pretty parks and sailing clubs. All around me were families out enjoying their Sunday, old couples holding hands and walking along, the occasional individual cycling along the path. The more I walked, the more I felt a sense of loneliness setting in. The kids had their siblings to play with, the couples had each other, and even the rare loners had their dogs. And there I was, alone in a foreign land. There was a tiny hole in the ground, I jumped into it, and then made stepped out of it, just for significance’s sake. I continued feeling sorry for myself for a while. While walking back, I laughed watching a pair of dogs having fun chasing each other. Weird as it may sound, seeing those dogs slowly shook the feeling away.
Back in the city, I was attracted by a crowd and music, and people in funny costumes standing around. Lo and behold, I’ve walked into the Zurich Carnival, Fasnacht. It’s a kind of parade, very much like our Chingay, to send the winter away. Different groups of people dress in their costumes (more than half were dressed as different representations of witches) and walk along the streets playing their music live and dancing. The bands were good, music lively, and it was altogether a very very enjoyable afternoon :D
As I was walking, this old man came to comment on the fun I seemed to be having and we started talking as we walked along. While parting ways, he wished me very sincerely all the best in my future endeavours. The main station wasn’t very far away, so to there I walked, where I bought my favourite truffles from the famous shop “Sprungli” and did some grocery shopping.
I like the European Hauptbahnhofs. Like airports, it’s where you’ll see all sorts of people, a fantastic platform for people watching. But unlike airports, it has a more homely feel about it. It’s hard to describe, or I’m lazy to describe it, but you’ll know if you ever spend 5 minutes in one of these main stations.
And this, was my day out in Zurich.