Day 25 Calabria to Zurich, Zurich Day 1; October 2, Wednesday, Metho Day

Day 25:  Calabria to Zurich, Zurich Day 1; October 2, Wednesday, Metho Day

Quote of the Day: It must be a "red carpet" 

Weather: The usual in Lamezia, cool and rainy in Zurich with intermittent sun

THB is up at around 5, well ahead of the alarms. We finish the last minute packing, drag our own bags up to reception at 6, wait for the coffee machine to start up, and the croissants never arrive. THB has a yogurt, then at the airport a chocolate croissant and thimble of coffee, $5

Plane leaves pretty much on schedule, arrives on time. We decide to taxi to the Hotel Ambassador de Opera because we are rustling 5 bags. Normally it’s pretty easy and efficient to take a train to within two short blocks.

Our cabbie takes us the Hotel Opera right around the corner from our destination, two hotels with Opera in their name must cause endless confusion. $75 (a Swiss Franc is conveniently exactly worth a dollar, and Zurich is very expensive).

Lunch at Tibits, a buffet of vegetarian dishes. We take mild amounts and share a water, $33.

Walk for a bit, find our fave bakery, John Baker, near the train stop and envision our breakfast for tomorrow. Walk a bit further on and stop at Movenpick for excellent gelato, share a coffee and chocolate combo, $8. Back to hotel for a snooze and blogging, and at 6:25 we brave the 2-3 block walk to Kronenhalle for dinner. It’s a reco of SMC's from our collective last visit, an old famous, fancy restaurant.

Half your small chicken with fries is served first, the second half is served with another portion of hot fries

Mixed green salad for DB, potato leek soup for THB, and we each have the Mistkratzerli: small chicken with fries. Excellent if a bit salty. No alcohol, just still water as DB joins THB in a no alcohol Wednesday. $175...food and transportation is way more expensive here than anywhere else on the trip or at home, double or triple the cost. 

Of note: these people (mostly locals in groups in the group we are dining in) are LARGE! Way bigger and taller than the  Italians we just spent 9 days roaming around amongst. Really noticeable. 

Some red carpet event tied to the Zurich film festival is going on in a plaza between Kronenhalle and Ambassador 

The turn-down mints at hotel are decidedly American, and not in a good way per THB's aesthetic