Day 3 - Too Much Reliance on my SatNav?

Woke up early despite not finishing my blog until 1.00am. I started reading through the social media and realised that I had made a mistake in my blog for Day 2, because NMA did play ’Deserters’. Videos of 3 songs, ‘Deserters’, ‘Idumea’ and ‘States Radio’ had already been uploaded to YouTube from last nights gig. I couldn’t add any video to my blog because any uploaded videos to Penguin can’t be longer than 2 minutes. Noted for next time.

I checked out of the hotel around 10.30am & bumped into a German also checking out in his NMA hoodie. The lightweight admitted his next gig was not until in his home town at the end of the year. I listed off my itinerary until his eyes started to glaze over.

I headed out of the city faithfully following my SatNav which I had set to arrive at the Green Marmot Capsule Hotel in Zurich on the ‘Windiest Route’ setting again. In the outskirts, I found a huge U supermarket, so I parked up for breakfast. In the cafe area my eyes were bigger than my belly & I ordered an enormous poulet curry roll & a cafe au lait. Sadly the roll was too soft and sweet for my taste, so I picked out the filling out & ate just some of the base. To console myself I bought a 3 litre box of Cab Sav (to avoid paying Swiss prices) and a couple of packs of biscuits and sweets.

With the panniers now heaving at the seams, I continued my journey only for less than 30 minutes later my fuel gauge told me that I needed to stop for petrol. After filling up, I went up to the cashier & in my best French accent I announced “Pumpf six’. She looked at me rather strangely and asked “Do you mean Pump Six?” I was slightly taken aback but I told her “I did”. After paying up & feeling a little miffed I returned to the forecourt to discover that all the cars were German and I was now in fact back in Germany. I had no idea.

I continued south following my SatNav & it took me into alpine country. All the buildings were chalet like and the route took me through valleys alongside rock strewn fat flowing rivers. All was going well until the SatNav decided I had had it too easy. It directed up mountain roads that got narrower, bumpier, steeper and of course windiester!!

The road got so narrow and bumpy with a steep unbarriered drop on my side that I prayed I didn’t meet a car coming towards me at any sort of speed. Luckily I only met one car coming the other way & he was kind enough to stop to let me pass. I was starting to curse my decision to do windiest route on my SatNav.

Finally I arrived back on a wider road, but at the top of a cold mountain where all the signposts were for ski lifts. Luckily the now wide smooth roads had me racing towards Zurich and I was making good time. Unfortunately this didn’t last long, my route tried to take me along a road that was closed.

I chose an alternative road which after several miles came to a muddy dead end. I then chose a 2nd road which took me on a 5 mile loop back to the road closure. By now very frustrated, I took a 3rd road in the opposite direction to the road closure, hoping that the SatNav would find an alternative route. After an approximate 10 mile loop, I again ended up back at the same bloody road closure.

In the end I set my SatNav back to Fastest Route’, re traced my route all the way back to a major road, then turned east on to it until the SatNav finally gave in and properly rerouted me. As it happens the remainder of the journey was a pleasant experience. The border into Switzerland was almost non existent & if you had blinked you would have missed it.

I finally arrived & parked up free of charge outside my Green Marmot Capsule Hotel at 4.45pm. The capsules were a bit of a shock to me. They were MDF boxes with a large single bed inside, but only a privacy curtain for a door. I was forced into paying nearly £10 a night for a large locker. The hotel is divided into men’s and women’s areas. At the end of our corridor is a changing room similar to in a shop, but the bathrooms are well catered with shower cubicles, toilets and basins. They even provide free towels!!

I got changed then headed straight out for a walk around the city. I 1st crossed the Quaibrucke Bridge over Lake Zurich & followed the footpath around the lake. As I walked and looked out across the lake I saw what appeared to be a naked man on a pontoon jump into the lake. As I got nearer, I discovered that it was an obviously gay sauna establishment, where a whole load of naked men were flouncing about in and out of the water on the end of the pontoon. My mate, Alka, would have loved it there. Surprisingly, none of the other pedestrians took a blind bit of notice.

I then headed inland to take in the FIFA Museum, Paradeplatz, several impressive churches & bridges that I will revisit in the morning in the light. I also came across an impromptu shrine for Alexei Navalny where people were leaving flowers, lighting candles and saying prayers for him. It was his funeral in Moscow earlier today.

Before returning to my capsule, I bought a litre of orange juice (for some much needed vitamin c) and some Fairtrade Madagascan dark bitter chocolate.

I returned to the capsule that soon became nice and cosy. I had a chat with Jackie as she walked home after her work shift, then settled down to several cups of red wine, all the Twiglets, half a packet of Biscotti biscuits & some faux liquorice allsorts.

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