Chicago– Zurich and Lucerne 芝加哥-苏黎世和卢塞恩

May 20 -21, 2022

We were packing light on this trip inspired by a few videos from Rick Steves and others. We each had only one carry-on luggage and one backpack for our two-month Europe trip. The time would tell whether it was a wise decision or not. Usually, we ask our friends to drop us at the airport when we go out for an extended vacation. Since the flight was in the early morning, we decided to schedule an Uber ride at 5 am in advance. It was the first time for us to reserve an Uber ride. We were not sure how reliable the Uber reservation was. It turned out to be great. The Uber driver showed up 5 mins before the scheduled time. Going through the security at the airport was fast without any problem. We were on the way to Chicago for a connection flight to Zurich.

Seven months ago, when planning this trip, we found a good deal from United Airlines on the business class fare to Zurich. Once we landed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, we went directly to Polaris Lounge which is part of the benefit of flying international business class. The United’s Polaris Lounge typically has two dining options, a self-serve buffet, and a sit-in café. Since we had a 3.5 hours layover, we opted for lunch at the café. We had an iceberg wedge salad, rainbow trout, burger, and fried ice cream, which were delicious. After being refreshed, we boarded our flight to Zurich. What a difference these last few months made. Not many people wear masks either at the airport or on the airplane. However, with precaution, we still wore the N95 facemask for the duration of the flight. We lay flat on our seats and had some good sleep during a long nine-hour flight.

We arrived at Zurich Airport at 7:50 am and met our old friend Vivia from Philadelphia, who and her friend from Germany (comes later in the afternoon) joined us on the Switzerland portion of our Europe trip. We hopped on a train to Zurich downtown to officially start our Europe trip. A short 10 mins train ride from the airport to the Zurich central station was easy. We stored our luggage in a locker at the train station. However, it wasn’t cheap, costing about 15 Swiss Frances. No longer having the bags in hand, we headed out to the old town area around Lake Zurich/Limmat River. There are many historic sites in the area. First, we walked up to a hill, Lindenhof, over the bank of the Limmat. We had a breathtaking view of Zurich’s old town at the elevated spot. Then we walked back down to find a lunch spot recommended by many people online. We had curry sausages, bratwurst, and a schnitzel sandwich at Sternen Grill. To be honest, our first meal was just okay. Along the way to the café, we stopped by a few tourist attractions.

After lunch, we went to the Lake Zurich area for a few photo shots and strolled around the old town and by the river. We visited most tourist attractions near the river, Grossmunster, Fraumunster Church, Church of St. Peter, etc. Amazingly, we had covered most sightseeing places in the city during the short six hours. It was time for us to go to Lucerne, where we would stay for the next seven days and meet our new friend from Germany.

The train ride from Zurich to Lucerne is about one hour, with beautiful scenery along the way. With a Swiss Travel Pass, traveling in the country is easy and convenient. Typically, we check the timetable and the platform the train stops at on the phone and then just get on the train and find the seats. Sometimes, a train conductor may walk through the carrier to check the ticket or the pass. But for a short ride, no one comes to check. It is an honor system. The apartment we rented from booking.com was a short walking distance from the Lucerne central train station. Our unit is on the sixth floor, with a tiny elevator going all the way to the room. The flat seems to be newly remodeled and has a fully equipped kitchen, a dining/living area, and two good size bedrooms. The washer/dryer in the bathroom is such a plus and so convenient for our week-long stay. While we were waiting for the arrival of our new friend, Haili from Germany, suddenly, the church bell, not too far away from our place, started to ring for a long 15 mins. Is this an everyday thing, we wondered.

We had our first dinner at a Vietnamese Restaurant as there were not many choices near the flat at the time. The summertime sunset in Switzerland is very late, after 9 pm. The Chapel Bridge over the Lake Lucerne/Reuss River is the most famous landmark in Lucerne. This wood bridge, built in 1365, crosses the Reuss River at an angle. It is the world’s oldest surviving truss bridge and the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe. We walked over the bridge towards the Mussegg Wall. But the towers on the wall were closed for the day, so we walked along the wall and turned around to get back to the riverside.

As the sun set, we wandered through the outdoor seating area of many cafés and restaurants where people were drinking and laughing. Everyone seemed to have a good time and leave COVID behind, and life started returning to normalcy. It was our first day in Switzerland, and we felt we had seen so many places and were impressed by the beauty and easy access of the cities. An excellent first impression!