We arrived in Zurich in the morning after an all night train ride from Venice, Italy. We immediately noticed a drop in the temperature. It seemed to be at least 15 degrees (Fahrenheit) colder in Switzerland than it was in Italy. We toured the main shopping area in Zurich, known as the Bahnhoffstrasse (train station street). We saw some of the same designer boutiques we saw on the Champs Elysees in Paris. We checked out a couple of nice restaurants for lunch. But, the cigarette smoke really turned us off. We ended up eating at a nice, smoke-free cafeteria, called COOP on the top floor of a department store. The COOP cafeteria also had nice, clean, and free restrooms, which was something we valued by this time in our trip. The name COOP reminded me of the name of a now-defunct, member-owned grocery chain that used to exist in California decades ago.

After lunch we walked towards Lake Zurich. We passed the famous clock tower with the largest clock face in all of Europe, and the twin-tower cathedral of St. Gallen. Large boats offered lake tours every hour or so. We boarded one of the boats to take a gentle cruise on Lake Zurich. There were hundreds of beautiful white swans congregating near the shore. Sailboats glided by on the placid waters of this very large lake. The boat made stops at various points along the shore, taking on and dropping off passengers. It was apparent that these boats not just for touring, but they were also used for ferrying Zurich residents to and fro across the lake.

We knew we wouldn't get a real taste of Switzerland by just staying in a large city like Zurich. After considering several possibilities, we decided to visit the mountain ski resort town of Engelberg, which is located in Central Switzerland about 2 hours away from Zurich. We checked out the train schedules and fares and made plans to visit the next day. In a travel brochure that the hotel provided, we happened upon a tour package to Engelberg. The package offered a guided tour by bus and included a brief stop in Lucerne. The price of the whole tour was less expensive than just the train fare from Zurich to Engelberg. Also, had we taken the train, we would have had to transfer at Lucerne, whereas the bus was a straight shot to Engelberg.

The tour bus picked us near the train station and museum in Zurich. The tour guide was a young man from Thailand who had emigrated to Switzerland 7 years earlier and had learned to speak Swiss-German. His English was heavily accented, but passable. We left Zurich under overcast skies. Within a half-hour we were in the lovely Swiss countryside. Our tour guide seemed to be well versed in the history and economic makeup of the cities and towns that we passed through. The beautiful fall colors were apparent everywhere. The farther we got from Zurich and the closer we got to Engelberg, the weather kept improving with every kilometer. Finally, as we neared Engelberg, the skies cleared and the sun shone brightly. We couldn't have orchestrated it any better.

There were green meadows around the Engelberg that were walled in by tall majestic Alpine mountains capped by icy peaks. Every camera angle yielded dazzling scenic photo opportunities. Engelberg, which means "Angel Mountain", certainly looked the part on this day.

We took the ski gondola halfway up Mt. Titlus to a ski lodge called Trübsee. There were some wonderful vistas from that elevated location. As we were coming down on the ski gondola, we heard loud metallic clanging sounds from the ground below. These sounds were coming from large bells worn by all the cows grazing below us. Later, we heard the same bells as the cows were herded down the mountain trail. No doubt for the benefit of the tourists, the cows also sported Swiss flags on their collars.

Lucerne

We headed back from Engelberg to stop and shop in Lucerne for a short hour. During the bus ride, we learned from our tour guide that in Switzerland, it's not uncommon for guided tours to be cheaper than trying to do it on your own. That's contrary to most everywhere else in the world. He added that his company, Meier Tours, offered multiple-day tours that included stays at 5-star hotels, such as the Hotel Sweitzerhoff in Lucerne. The price seemed very reasonable to me. We thought we would keep that in mind the next time we were in Switzerland.

As we entered Lucerne, we passed by the bed 'n' breakfast place we had stayed at nine years earlier. I was amazed that I even remembered the place after all this time. Lucerne was such a beautiful city. We walked on the famous Chapel Bridge next to the Water Tower. Nine years earlier, the Chapel Bridge had been inaccessible due to a fire. It was nice to see that it had been rebuilt.

We were all encouraged to shop at the upscale gift store, Bucherer. The multi-story gift store had everything from relatively inexpensive trinkets to fine jewelry and watches that cost over $100,000. The bus tour gave us a free coupon that could be redeemed at the Bucherer for a souvenir teaspoon.

Farewell to Europe - Homeward Bound

On the last evening in Zurich, we had dinner at a restaurant in Old Town, called Adlers, that was famous for fondue. The menu included various types of fondue, including the traditional cheese fondues mixed with minced hams and spices and more exotic fondues made of pear and other fruits. We dipped pieces of bread and potatoes into the cheese fondues that we ordered. It was delicious and quite filling

It was time to say goodbye to Europe. As much as we enjoyed the places we visited, we felt glad to go home. It was not that we were being xenophobic. We were just weary of the cigarette smoke-filled restaurants and public places, pay toilets, and the struggles to communicate with people who didn't speak English. We just felt so blessed to live in the U.S.