Part Vier: Zürich

From the H.B. we tram'd to our place off Dubstrasse: top floor, with front & back balcony, pantry items in various sized jars, toppled high in corners. A wet walk to a nearby co-op for groceries: falafal, corn tortillas, cheese curds, living greens, tomatoes, carrots, apples, bananas, oats, sliced meats, baguette, peanut butter, nutella, coffee ice cream, hazelnut chocolate bars, Italian wine, as much as we could carry home. For dinner: wraps, a hot shower, our maps laid out to plan. Mck is a spark of inquest, able to find pearls from piles. We had to learn a new system, set of transport, payment, navigation each segment. Without Mck it would be like balancing on the cusp of fragility; without her, we might not have seen things of great, intimate value. And I say this, because she found us Bad Ragaz.

Day Zwölf - Espressos from the stove, a light rain. We run along the sihlpromenade, gather a soak. The trees are vibrant, fed. LB makes a pot of porridge, adding muesli, dried fruit, peanut butter, more coffee. We pack bags for a day trip to Bad Ragaz an hour away. To prep - granola bars, apple, loaf of bread, tzatziki, water. Tram to H.B. for lattes & a waldbeerenstrudel (2.90 francs), dusted in powdered sugar. For 66 francs p.p. we have roundtrip tickets to Bad Ragaz via train & bus.

Deposited at Bad Ragaz, the rain still goes. We try asking for directions to the tamina gorge, told different things: wrong area, hours away, etc. We don't listen. We don't pay the 5 franc to poop, we find portos in construction zones and keep watch and think, "Gotcha!" Walking circles trying to just suddenly get it, until, Finally, at the Bambi Inn, a nice man obsessed with crystals pointed us in the right direction, up a mountain 40 minutes. Started the hike in wet, light gray clay, wearing sandals, feet collecting earth.

To our left a stream in light blue, surrounded by steep rock faces, tall trees, fallen leaves. Buses would pass every so often. We filled our water bottles at a spring fountain carved from stone. Walked 3 miles to the top, where the bathaus, a restaurant and the entrance to tamina gorge lay.

"The story of the Altes Bad Pfäfers begins in 1240 when two hunters discovered a thermal spring with a water temperature of 36.5 deg. C. The monks from the nearby Benedictine monastery found the water to have a healing effect."

"The first written record of the spa dates back to 1382. Initially the patients bathed very close to the spring in rock recesses and wooden bathtubs. They stayed in the water up to 10 days at once and left it as little as possible. They believed that the water would soften up their skin so much that toxins would be drawn out of the body. Getting into the gorge was especially arduous. Those who could climbed on ladders, others were roped down in baskets."

Arriving at the entrance, we were met with a token machine requesting 5 franc to pass into the hot springs. We didn't have the fee in coins, and a guard with a jangle of keys laughed at us from his perch beside a small wooden door built into the rock face, the gate keeper of the Altes Bad Pfäfers. He let us in with the promise that we'd pay at the bathaus after.

The entrance to the mystical tamina gorge is just a few metres away from the Altes Bad Pfäfers...where you can, "experience the immense power of the water at close proximity. The pathway leads along the eastern cliff wall with railings shielding the visitors from the dangerously close tamina. The last section of the 450 metre path leads past a small thermal spring, directly through the rocks to the spring water grotto."

 A wet, narrow, wood fenced path that hugged the curves of the gorge. Dark, the only light filtering in from cracks between the rocks above. Traversing the path we entered a cave lit in blue-bulbed light, long and narrow. Deeper in, a glass wall enclosing a thermal pool of exposed rock burned down to rusted brown and sea green, smoothly melted. Haunting.

"The origin of the Tamina Spring remains a mystery. Scientists presume that water trickles away in the todi area (glarus canton) or in the sardona area and soaks approximately 1,000m down into the ground. This warms the water, which rises to the surface again through crevasses in the Tamina Gorge after approx. 10.5 years...The trickling groundwater is warmed by geothermal energy...The area surrounding Tamina Gorge gives geologists a fascinating insight into the earth's history. Current findings indicate that earth is 4.6 billion years old in this location."

"...being here is wonderful...," the poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) meditated during one of his multiple stays in Bad Ragaz.

"The ragazer thermal water has various beneficial effects: for the body, immersion in the water means immersion in a transformed physical world. The water pressure, the buoyancy, the water density and the thermal conditions together with the chemical properties give the water its thermal, healing qualities. After bathing, the skin has a silky-soft feel. Moreover, bathing aids revitalization, relaxes muscles, strengthens the body's immune system and stimulates blood circulation."

We stopped at the bathaus to pay, the halls within cold, before our hike down, some 40 minutes, the clay in splatters up our calves. Back through the city of Bad Ragaz, on bus, on train, back at H.B. for dinner, with all shops, markets and restaurants closed. Chose a pasta spot in the main terminal for gnocchi al gorgonzola e rucola and a glass of barbera (slightly underwhelming). Trained back to our apartment.

We tried to wash a load of laundry and ended up locking our clothes in the washer. Wrote a note transcribed in english, dutch & german asking a tenant to help us unlock us from our predicament. Someone did. It seemed a ridiculous thing; red wine helped.

Day Dreizehn - A later start, coffees, pastry. A run to lake zürich. Through vivid green parks, alongside beautiful buildings, and the lake zürich boardwalk with the people on benches & swans swimming with ducks. We checked out paddle boat rentals, drew nostrils full of grilled meats at lakeside food carts.

Bought apples, more milk, a couple bottles of Italian wine at the co-op. Homemade lunches. In the shower we washed our clothes, wrung them less wet, hung them to dry on a rack in the kitchen, the main hall, on the wrought iron of the balcony.

Walked to downtown zürich, passing through shops in aim to old town. The walk is cobbled, winding, to St. Peter's Church, one of zurich's four main churches, located next to lindenhof hill. The current building was consecrated in 1706. Peculiarly, the church's steeple is owned by the city of zürich, while the nave is owned by the St. Peter parish.

Across canals, heading for Grossmünster Cathedral. "After Felix, Regula & Exuperantius had been beheaded, all three picked up their heads and carried them 400 ells up the hill. Charlemagne rediscovered their gravesite there in the 8th century. He had been hunting and had followed a deer from cologne to zürich. The deer fell to its knees on the saints' graves, whereupon Charlemagne, learning of their martyrdom, had them unearthed and canonized. Only when the Grossmünster was completed years later were the remains of the city's patron saints returned to their original burial site."

"The Grossmünster was a monastery church vying for precedence with the Fraumünster across the Limmat throughout the middle ages. According to legend the Grossmünster was founded by Charlemagne, whose horse fell to its knees over the tombs of Felix & Regula, zurich's patron saints. The legend helps support a claim of seniority over the Fraumünster, which was founded by Louis the German, Charlemagne's grandson. Recent archaeological evidence confirms the presence of a Roman burial ground at the site."

For 4 francs p.p. we climbed the winding circular staircase to the top of the Grossmünster, which held 360 deg. views of zürich - incredible views on a day most holy in blue.

Further into old town, we stopped at an outside terrace café called, "Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten," drawn to it for the way the sun hit the seats & for the sheepskin rugs draped on every terrace chair. Had: a port tonic with weisser portwein, tonic, limette und minz. Mck had a Hugo (gespritzler mit holundersirup), LB: a glass of pinot grigio from veneto.

Fondue for dinner - Walliser Kellr - which had little red gondola cars you could eat within lining the front of the restaurant. Sat at a white linen table, each of us ordering our own fondue over a shared bottle of creamy white wine. LB & Mck had ready-made pots of traditional fondue (gruyere, vacherin & bergkasse), with sliced brown bread; I had the do-it-yerself fondue with pickled vegetables & small boiled potatoes in a little burlap bag.

After fondue we waltzed ourselves into a salon, where Mck got her bangs trimmed by a fairy nymph in full face piercings.

More cobbles, more shops, the city lit up at night, both deep blue-black and warm orange light. Past closed spice and chocolate shops; groups of Jewish men in big fur hats on their own walks home. A few miles back to Dubstrasse where we ate chocolate bars over wine & card games.

Day Vierzehn - Tired. Washed more clothes in the bathtub. 8 miles through downtown, further along lake zürich, witness to schoolyards, coy ponds, unique water closets, swans, sailboats. Packed sandwiches, hummus & a small bottle of wine in a pack. Took the train from Binz to the H.B. to get tickets to Luzern. A roundtrip ticket to Luzern, bus tickets to Kriens, ticket for the gondola and cable car to Mount Pilatus = 132 francs. Boarded the train from platform 5 with lattes in hand, an hour to Luzern through rolling green fields, the fog in a dance on the passing lake. Bus no. 1 to Kriens, dropped at the foot of a church.

Walked up a winding path to the entrance of the gondola platform, filling our water at a clown decorated spring fountain. Hopped into a red gondola for an 18 min. ride to the second highest connection on Mount Pilatus. Full in views of Luzern, its lakes, the rolling hills, all made small & picturesque. Passing over large cattle with ever flicking ears, which jostled the bells in song about their necks. Sheep already thick in white and brown winter coats. Past ferns and the tips of trees.

We stopped at Frakmuntegg (4649 ft.), where the clouds were so thick you couldn't see 100 ft. in front. Tobaggens curved down steep aluminum pathways & zipliners did figure-z's. Boarded a bigger gondola to the hotel pilatus-kulm, with its panoramic gallery, café, ice cream stand & network of trails.

It was so thickly clouded that we sat down in the panoramic gallery and ate our cucumber sandwiches, waiting for it to clear.

Upon walking up and out of the gallery, we were welcomed by an alp horn playing Amazing Grace. In the hours we were there, he never played again & we were thankful to have experienced a moment of seminal tradition. We walked to the Oberhaupt (6913 ft.), sightless. A scope provided points of reference on the range. To Chriesiloch, where the clouds finally began to burn off, for peek-a-boo views of the alps. Then, the sky opened, and we saw everything in such clarity. I hoped my eyes would burn to memory the vivid landscape.

We climbed the rock path to Esel (6953 ft.), which put us at the center of Pilatus, witness to a 360 deg. panorama: alpmassif, the black forest, santis & views of the six lakes.

Spent a couple hours climbing and descending breathlessly. Wanting to see Luzern in daylight, we boarded the multi-gondola  journey back down Mount Pilatus, sharing the mini bottle of red wine.

Luzern straddles the Reuss, where it drains the lake. It hosts several bridges, the most famous of which is Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204m/669 ft. long wooden, covered bridge adorned in bright pink and red flowers. Originally built in 1333, it is the oldest covered bridge in Europe. Much of it had to be replaced after a fire in 1993. Partway through there's an octagonal water tower (wasserturm), fortified from the 13th century. Within the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Luzern's history. We walked through and down Rosengart-Platz, passing diners on elegant sofas having dinner, beneath the church of St. Leodegar.

Picked up croissants and a geflügelwurstli im blatter tieg (2.5 francs); bogarted a latte macchiato machine with several extra espresso shots before hopping on the train back to zürich. Sat on the top floor of the train, on a sofa circled around a small table, sipping our strong coffees, writing.

Stopped for more produce at the co-op for a dinner at home. Lounged on the couches with goblets of rosé on ice with frozen strawberries. Around 1:00 am we fell asleep, throwing it out there that perhaps we'd try to dip into France, just real quick.

Day Fünfzehn - Again, tired. Immediate to the coffee. It was blustery & brisk. A quick 6 mile run. Sandwiches for the train, tickets purchased for the Rhine Falls.

For 26 francs p.p. we got day passes which included the s-bahn ride & bus to the Rhine Falls, plus any other transportation we might need in the city. We landed at the foot of the Schloss Laufen castle, which is host to a youth hostel & restaurant.

The Rhine Falls is the largest plain waterfall in Europe, 150m/450 ft. wide and 23m/ 75 ft high. Along its 1320 kilo length, the Rhine touches on 6 countries: Switzerland, Liectenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Paid 5 francs p.p. to get down the side and literally within the raging Rhine. The water is emerald, powerful. A long climb down a narrow rock face & you stand above the white capping undulations. A swiss flag boasts wet and whipping at the foot of the falls. It was cold & full of off-spray. A rainbow grew in the spit. A wooden boat taking tourists to the center, to stand on the rock which holds its own.

We aimed for Uetilberg, for another hike, another gondola, but fatigued as we were, we decided on something more casual.

Back to old town zürich, we stopped for drinks at Barmünster off Münstergasse, an alley off the main, where they served us endless bowls of pretzels & we warmed ourselves with noirs & monastrell, served in thick crystal goblets. The bartender aided in dinner selection - a spanish place a short walk away. It was packed, fragrant in spices and calamari.

The place was called, "Bodega Espanola." The tables long & wooden - family-seating style. Wedged ourselves between clusters of diners. Two men from zürich helped guide us through the german menu. We got a bottle of a red blend & chose tapas from a small, glass-enclosed bar: marinated mushrooms, roasted potatoes & chorizo, pickled vegetables, potatoes & squid, chicken skewers. Each was warmed in an oven and placed in front of us in white eye-shaped dishes. Deep, rich, spicy flavors. The server dropped off a platter of bread, which we broke off in hunks and dipped into the oily sauces of each tapa. Everything devoured, more mushrooms, mozzarella ballz. The men sitting next to us suggested we check out "the most beautiful bar in the world," and drew us a map on how to get there. Buzzing, we walked to the bar, where everyone seated was in a 3-piece suit or pearls, and as Rhine-Fallsy & buzzing as we were, we didn't want to enter the place ragged. We headed home, albeit in a windy manor, in the black of night, giggling, asking each another deep questions.

At our apartment we savored a bottle of chianti as we laid in bed together, ridiculing Mickey, laughing deeply.

Day Sechszehn - Cleaned the apartment, gathered our belongings. Took the train to H.B., the s-bahn to zürich airport, plane to Frankfurt (short, turbulent), where we were gifted chocolate vanilla creme wafers for the delayed flight. A 15 min. bus ride to Frankfurt's main terminal, another couple hour delay, latte's from a button machine. LB paid 5 francs for hot milk foam. From Frankfurt to BC it was 10 hours of 5 movies, a couple glasses of red wine over awkward breaded plane chicken, cold potatoes, cheese, a warm pretzel, a danish, coconut pudding. Feet swelling, bloat-belly, no sleep. We landed in BC in a frenzy of rain, the BC highway collecting rain in rivers, the border wait long, before arriving at home at 9:00 pm on Thursday, October 6. Even that night, alone for the first time in weeks, I wanted to be on a train to the next place where I could learn something more deeply than what Home proffers, about myself, about people. It was weird, suddenly, not to wake up next to two beautiful women. A new kind of lonely. I think a story like this is the kind of place you go when you want to remember a few simple things: you enjoy people deeply, be them few. You have hunger in your eyes. You are very small; there's so much to learn. Running is a way to traverse a place twice as intimately. The notion of Home will always be a comfort. LB & Mck, ich liebe dich.