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Michelle Creasy
Michelle Creasy

Michelle Creasy

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    St Pancras Station
    Indian dinnerWaiting for the EurostarPaddington at Paddington StationFish and chip lunchView from my windowStreet the hotel is in

    To London

    17. syyskuuta 2018, Englanti ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Just one night in Paris. The Eurostar was closed over the weekend for maintenance otherwise I would have travelled straight through to London. I didn’t do much in Paris. I managed to navigate my way from Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord but I was grateful for the experience 2 years ago in using the French railway system. My hotel was by Gare du Nord, an area like many that surround train stations. I did find a really good vegetarian Indian restaurant for tea though.
    The train ride was uneventful, I watched a movie “The Angels’ Share” which was set in Glasgow and came with sub titles.

    My visit to London is really just a transit to Ireland but also to break up the travel. I’m staying in an interesting area. I got off the train at Paddington and to get to the hotel I passed through what look like council flats to get to Prince’s Square. The immediate surroundings are more gentrified.

    I stopped for lunch at a pub. I gave the fish, chips and mushy peas a try to see if either my tastes have changed or they way they prepare the mushy peas has. Alas no, I still don’t like mushy peas. The fish and chips was okay though.

    The hotel is actually serviced apartments. I’d say it is several buildings joined together and a real rabbit warren. I’m in the basement. I’d booked a studio (one room) but have a two room apartment. The kitchen/living are is connected to the bedroom/bathroom via a corridor. I also found a bed made up in the living area. It takes up most of the area and I can’t help wondering if the room was actually prepared for someone else who didn’t like it. When I stopped at reception the two people in front of me were both complaining about their rooms. I’ve asked that they return the extra bed to a sofa tomorrow. It was nice having a home cooked meal.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    Water fountain in Zurich
    Park in ZurichWhite swan on river LimmatGrössmunsterView from Glacier ExpressSheep in ZermattChapel at GornergratCairn at GornergratView on the way down to GrindlewalfMürren cable car

    Ruminations on Switzerland

    16. syyskuuta 2018, Ranska ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Today I left Switzerland. I could have spent more time here, there are so many more places to explore.
    Ever since I passed through Zurich two years ago I wanted to return and see more. It is expensive and it is a pain having a different currency to surrounding countries, mainly because it was hard to find a travel card that I could put Swiss francs on.

    I didn’t get much chance to use any German other than danke (thank you). I only came across one person who didn’t speak English. He was the tech guy in the mobile phone shop. Most people seemed to speak more than English and German (I was in the Germany speaking areas).

    I was surprised at the number of people who smoke. Especially in Zurich they seemed to be everywhere. Another weird thing - I didn’t see any Pepsi products in Switzerland. Their coke products are made in Switzerland so maybe that’s why? Also they have Coke Zero as their diet drink. I didn’t see any Diet Coke at all.
    The chocolate in the supermarkets! An aisle of chocolate, the lollies were in another aisle.
    There are fountains everywhere and the water in drinkable. It’s cold and tastes great. It was the one thing that was cheap in Switzerland. I don’t think I bought a bottle of water outside a restaurant.

    Public transport was made easy with the SBB app. After linking my debit card I could both look up the timetable and buy the ticket through the app. I could buy my ticket as I walked on the train. Travel in Switzerland is expensive but the half-fare card (120 CHF) more than paid for itself.

    The food was mostly good. Expensive, the days I had to buy lunch and dinner I budgeted 100 CHF meals and snacks. I never got to that figure, helped by not having to buy water but I did get to 80 one day. The hotels where I had half board were good, at least I got lots of veggies as it included a salad course. I got to try cheese and beef fondues and raclette. The cheese fondue was good. The beef okay and raclette is literally melted cheese served with potato. It was not as good as it should have been.

    I was lucky with the weather. It was warmer than I expected but Europe has had a very hot summer. What surprised me was how warm it felt at high altitudes when the actual temperature was 0-2 degrees. It felt colder the day of low cloud and rain in Wengen.
    I was also surprised at how affected I was by the altitude. I was fine at 3078m but 3135m at Gornergrat had me slightly breathless. I’ve just looked up the altitude at Jungfraujoch and it was 3571 so that explains why I was so breathless there.

    My main regret is not doing as much walking as I would have liked around Wengen. I managed to injure my calf which has made walking difficult the last couple of days. My hiking poles have made a big difference as has cream from the chemist and resting but resting was hard when there was so much to see and do.

    Tonight I’m in Paris, tomorrow I head to London.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    Cow parade
    Cow ParadeCow paradeCow paradeInterlaken from Harder KulmInterlaken from Harder KulmJungfrau from Harder KulmJungfrau from Harder Kulm

    Cow Parade and Interlaken

    15. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    My last full day in Switzerland.
    I started the day of in Lauterbrunnen. There I found out the data on my phone had run out despite me paying an extra 20 CHF to extend the coverage from 10 days to a month. Given I had to go back the next day to get my phone to work after buying the sim and I paid cash I think the mobile company may not have received all (any?) of my payment. I’m just grateful that if I was ripped off it was only 20 CHF.

    Anyway I sorted that out. I was in Lauterbrunnen for the cow parade. Each year when the cows come down from the alpine meadows they parade through the town. Each herd from each alp comes down on a different day in each area so there are more parades next week.
    I regret not getting video as it was very noisy. The cow bells are huge but I’ve since found out they are special bells for the parade and they normally wear smaller bells.

    After that I went into Interlaken. Actually as a town it wasn’t that exciting. I was planning to take a boat trip but I missed the boat by about 20 mins and the next one wasn’t for another hour and a half plus it would take three hours so I’d be back in Wengen quite late.
    Instead I took the funicular up to Harder Kulm where I had a great view of the city and Jungfrau. The Eiger and Mönch were behind clouds though.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    Heading up in the cable car from Wengen
    Looking back down at WengenLooking down towards GrindelwaldIn gondola on the way to GrindlewaldOn the way to Kleine ScheideggBeef fondueBeef fondueBeef fondue

    Wet in Wengen

    14. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    It was wet with low cloud cover this morning. I decided to spend the morning at the hotel as I’ve been doing quite a bit each day and needed a break.
    After lunch I went into Wengen. I took the cable car to Männlichen and then a gondola down to Grindelwald. It’s the first gondola I’ve done this trip and had forgotten what they were like. They have small cabins for 4 and they don’t stop. The cabins are moving really slowly as you exit the building but then it speeds up and seems really really fast. There were gorgeous views down into the valley.
    From Grindelwald I took the train to Kleine Scheidegg and then Wengen. Even though the clouds were low I still had good views and it looked rather beautiful.

    Tonight at tea there was the option of beef fondue. It was okay but really just cooking hunks of steak in boiling oil and then eating it with one of the many sauces provided. The oil didn’t add any extra flavour to the beef. I put this in the category of “tried it once, won’t bother again”.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    View from Mürren
    From the cable car on the way upWengen from Lauterbrunnen1Trummelbach fallsTrummelbach fallsTrummelbach fallsTrummelbach fallsTrummelbach fallsTrummelbach fallsOn the way up to Wengen with the weather comin in

    Murren and Trümmelbach Falls

    13. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Today started out as another lovely day although clouds were coming and going in the morning. Irene and I decided to stick to the plan of visiting Mürren. We took the train to Lauterbrunnen and then a cable car to Grütschlap and then a train to Mürren. The train stops at one end of the village and you walk to the other end to get the cable car either up to Schilthorn or down to Stechelberg. Schilthorn is where one of the James Bond films was made and is famous due to that. The live webcam showed it was mostly covered in cloud so we didn’t go up. Had I been a James Bond fan I probably still would have gone. I met a guy this afternoon who did go up and said even though the view wasn’t great it was still worth it. Irene if you are reading this he also went paragliding at Mürren.
    The views from Mürren where amazing. We could see the peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

    So we went down and along to the Trümmelbach falls. These are a series of waterfalls inside a mountain. As it turns out I don’t really like being in a confined space where it is dark, slippery, wet and very noisy. 20,000L of water hurtles down every second. So after two falls I left Irene to it and waited outside. I did meet the couple from the Glacier Express inside the falls.

    As we waited for the bus back to Lauterbrunnen it started to rain so we timed it well. At Lauterbrunnen I said goodbye to Irene as she was heading back to Zurich.
    As I’ve said multiple times I like travelling on my own but it has been nice to have a companion for a few days. Travelling with someone else means I saw things I might have missed if I’d been on my own. I probably wouldn’t have been brave enough to walk out onto the packed snow at Jungfraujoch and I certainly wouldn’t have sat in one of the deckchairs on the snow. It’s also been nice to have someone to talk to at mealtimes. I really felt it tonight when I went down to dinner and found I didn’t have a reserved table. The other two nights my room number (and Irene’s) was sitting on a table. So I was given a table right by the salad bar so it wasn’t the best in the room.

    Anyway after arriving in Wengen I went and did my washing. I was lucky that there was an available machine as there is only two washers and dryers in the whole town and when hotels want 8CHF to wash a pair of pants and 3CHF to do undies lots of people use it. Unfortunately the instructions didn’t make a lot of sense to me and I ended up putting my washing in the dryer (with powder). In my defence it did look like a washing machine and the washing machine like a dryer. I got some help and got it sorted out. It took about 2 1/2 hours and the washing still isn’t dry but I had to come back to the hotel.
    Three other guys came along after a while so it was nice to have someone to chat to. They had all tried to do washing yesterday but couldn’t get an empty machine.
    They were all from the USA and it was good to swap stories of what we’d done and planned to do. We also talked about the differences in the industrial systems in both countries. I continue to astound people with my description of long service leave. One of the guys had been saving his leave to be able to afford nearly three weeks off.
    It stopped raining long enough for me to walk back to the hotel.
    I’m not sure what I’m doing tomorrow. It will depend a bit on both the weather and what time I get going.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    Ice Sculpture
    On the way upJungfrau is on the leftSnow (hard packed so it resembled ice)Alpine SensationIce sculptureWaterfall with snow on the way backStaubbach fallsAlpenrose Hotel

    Jungfraujoch

    12. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    Last night after discussion with Irene (the lady I met on the train) and checking the weather we decided to book the train to Jungfraujoch. The Jungfrau is the highest mountain around here.
    We started out by taking the train to Kleine Scheidegg then changed trains to Jungfraujoch. From Wengen it took about an hour, the last 20 minutes or so through a tunnel.

    I was writing this in the lounge of the hotel but then Irene and I started discussing our plans for tomorrow and I got sidetracked. Irene is returning to Zurich tomorrow but as it’s only a two hour and a half hour trip she was trying to decide what to do. I’m hoping to do a circuit on the other side of the Lauterbrunnen valley that involves buses, trains, cable cars, hopefully some walking and waterfalls. Providing the weather cooperates (it is thunderstorming at the moment) and Irene will probably join me.

    Anyway back to today. Jungfraujoch is simply amazing. I don’t have enough superlatives to describe it. There’s a lot to do up there. They have an observation deck that gives you 360 degree views. From there we went to the snow fun. Walking on packed snow in sneakers was not easy. Where are my nailed boots when I need them?
    I made it the two metres or so down the incline to some deck chairs. We sat in them, with cold backsides from the cold coming up from the snow and warm faces and legs from the sun beating down. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. There were people zip lining and well as on donuts, skis and something that looked like a tiny ride on mower with no engine.
    From there we went to the Alpine sensation which was just weird. They had various wood carvings and an alpine display in a dome. We went through much of that on travelaters. Then the ice palace and theat was COLD. The floor was icy but not necessarily ice. There were various ice sculptures throughout. From there it was the Lindt store where I didn’t buy anything but did see how they get the liquid inside the balls. We got a Lindt ball as we left the shop. We had some lunch and then came back down to Wengen. The ticket checker on the train gave everyone a Lindt ball as he checked their tickets. While waiting in line for the toilet the woman in front of me said “I recognise you.” Unfortunately I couldn’t say the same until she reminded me they had sat across the aisle from me for part of the way on the Glacier Express. They are also staying in this hotel but I didn’t see them at dinner.

    Irene and I parted ways, she got off in Wengen and I kept going to Lauterbrunnen. I knew if I went back to the hotel I’d just have a nap and I wanted to make the most of the beautiful day. At Lauterbrunnen I walked to the other end of the village to the Staubbach falls. At nearly 300m are simply stunning. I was there quite a while before returning to the station and back to Wengen.

    Irene is lovely, she Canadian and also a solo traveller so we’ve compared notes on what its like. Fortunately we seem to be interested in the same things so travelled well together. See does seem to regard me as a bit of an expert on all things Wengen and surrounds which is a bit of a worry when all I am is quoting TripAdvisor a lot of the time.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    11Climber memorial

    The Matterhorn

    11. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Today has been another busy day. I’m currently sitting in the garden on the Alpenrose Hotel in Wengen writing this. It’s 6:30pm and the sun is just disappearing behind a mountain. I can hear cowbells.

    Today was purely set aside for travel from Zermatt to Wengen but when I looked at the travel time (3 hours) and the checkin time (4-7) I realised I had time to look around the Zermatt area. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to do both Gornergrat and Kleine Matterhorn. Gornergrat offered better views but Kleine Matterhorn offered snow to touch (and a different, some say disappointing view of the Matterhorn). I went with the experts on TripAdvisor and took the cog railway to Gornergrat. My cabin on the train was filled with Americans on a National Geographic tour. Fortunately they had a very loud and informative tour guide so I got the info as well.

    It took about half an hour to get up to the top. It’s 3135m at the top and for the first time I noticed the thinness of the air. My walking poles came in very handy for the short walks I did at the top. My knees have been giving me a lot of trouble the whole trip but the poles definitely make it easier on my knees.

    The views were spectacular. I can see why the Matterhorn was a challenge to be conquered but (from a distance anyway) it looks like sheer rock. I had a 360 degree view and the photos I took will not do the views justice. I did however finally learn how to take a panoramic photo on my phone. I’ve only had my phone for 2 years.

    On the way back to the hotel I came across the Zermatt graveyard. One section is for graves and memorials to those who have died while climbing in the region. Apparently a group of 7 where the first to get to the top of the Matterhornin 1865. One member slipped on the way down and took three others with him. The rope broke or all would have been killed. The graveyard was quite poignant.

    I had stored my luggage at the hotel while I did this so I returned to the hotel to pick it up and got a lift to the station. Apparently they are only allowed to pick up/drop you off at the station when you check in or out. The station was only a 15 min walk so easy without luggage. As I was waiting for the driver a man came to the desk and was wanting a lift to the station. When it was explained they weren’t allowed to give him one he asked for a taxi. The receptionist said by the time it arrived he could walk there plus it would cost 15-18 Swiss francs. I told him I had just walked it no trouble so he grudgingly decided to walk. I left him demanding instructions on how to get there. Google maps is great!

    I had just over half an hour before my train so I had lunch at an Italian place at the railway station. The wait staff seemed to be speaking Italian so I ordered Gorgonzola gnocchi. It was very nice.

    The trip from Zermatt to Wengen was mainly uneventful. It was quite hot. I’d worn my jacket up to Gornergrat but as soon as I did some walking I took it off and didn’t put it back on again. It was apparently zero degrees at Gornergrat. As I’ve said before the cold is very different to the cold at home.

    I spent most of the trip trying to undo the padlock on my suitcase. I’m travelling with a suitcase, backpack and handbag. To carry my walking sticks I use my backpack so I emptied it and only put in the things I would need today. As I was checking out I put my handbag in my suitcase. Absentmindedly I put my purse with the key for the suitcase lock in my handbag which I only realised once I’d locked my case. The owner of the hotel managed to open the lock with a pair of pliers which made me wonder about the effectiveness of the lock. All good? Yeah it would have been but I tested the lock and it seemed to work so I put it back on my suitcase. I used it again at the train station with no problems. Once on the train I tried to open the lock to get my iPad out and realised it was broken. Of course I did what most people do, kept trying and trying and trying, getting more frustrated in the process. I debated trying to find someone in Interlaken to remove it but I was hot, tired and frustrated so I left it until I got to to the hotel.
    The porter had no problem using his hacksaw to remove the lock. He’s done it before.

    On the train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen I sat next to a Canadian woman. She heard me call the hotel to ask them to pick me up from the train station and did the same. She is staying at the same hotel as me. We had a lovely chat on the way up. She’s visiting her nephew who lives in Zurich and is just staying two nights.
    We are going to have dinner together shortly as we both have half board (breakfast and dinner). Half board is great. I had it last night in Zermatt and you get a 4 or 5 course meal with only two choices. Last night I was so tired it was lovely to not to have to think too hard about what I wanted to eat. I even chose the tomato soup of the beef carpaccio which normally I would have because it is something different. One of the courses is also salad. Last night they called it a rich salad buffet. I rolled my eyes. It it was rich. They had a prawn salad as well as 7 or 8 other creamy salads plus plain salad veg. I would have been just happy with the salad course.

    Time to go inside as it’s starting to get cold. I’m just waiting for Irene to come down so we can have dinner.

    All the photos except the last are of the Matterhorn.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy

    Glacier Express

    10. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    There isn’t a lot to say about today. It’s all about the pictures.
    The Glacier Express was stunning. It’s is the “slowest fast train in the world”. There wasn’t much fast about it. A lot of the line is single track so we pulled over quite a few times.
    It took just under 8 hours to go from St Moritz to Zermatt. We dropped down to 600m and at the highest were about 2000m.
    Most of the passengers in my car were Canadian, American or German. The guy sitting opposite me was German and his English was better than my German but only just.
    I started out sitting with my back to the direction of travel but there were some empty seats so I was able to move. At Chur we changed direction as we went back the way we came and that was only 2 hours in.
    It was a long day but very much worth it.
    Zermatt is a car free town I was picked up in an electric vehicle that was more or less an oversized golf cart.

    The pictures don’t do it justice, please forgive the glare/reflections, all the photos were taken through a window.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    1View from Piz Nair
    CowsSt Moritz lakeSt Moritz LakeOn the way to DiavolezzaOn the way to DiavolezzaOn the way to DiavolezzaDiavolezzaOn the way back from DiavolezzaTea - salmon and bits on a dense bread covered in aspic

    Top of the World

    9. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    So much beautiful scenery today. I need to marry a doctor who runs a sanatorium in the Alps! I’d love to spend a month here.
    I started with Piz Nair, a mountain that overlooks St Moritz. Two funiculars and a cable car got me two the top. On the way up I saw and heard cows with cowbells. The scenery was simply stunning.
    I returned to St Moritz and took the train towards Tirano to Diavolezza. The scenery on the trainwas amazing. It is the first part of the Bernina Express and I can see why.
    At the top there was a glacier. Again stunning.
    What surprised me most about both mountains is that it wasn’t that cold. I had one layer on (long sleeves) and I was fine. I lugged my jacket around all day but didn’t need it.
    By the time I got back to the hotel I was really tired and footsore so I booked in for foot reflexology. Definitely worth it. I had picked up a roll and bits which I had in my room for tea. What I saved on food I spent on the foot massage.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    Zurich to Landquart
    Lake Zurich1Lindt chocolateLandquart fashion outlet villageLandquart to St MoritzIm glad i didnt have to drive over thet bridge. There was a huge drop2Landquart to St MoritzSt Moritz Lake

    Travelling to St Moritz

    8. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    Today was a travel day. I’ve come to St Moritz so I can catch the Glacier Express. Originally I was only going to stay one night and catch the train tomorrow but I ended up booking it for Monday so I have two nights here.

    The train journey from Zurich was lovely. The first leg was to Landquart and only took an hour. There isn’t much in Landquart and according to my train schedule I should have changed trains and kept going. It would have gotten me into St Moritz too early to check in and the seat wasn’t reserved so I could take any train along that route.
    So I took a look through the Fashion outlet which is like a mini villiage in itself. There were so many interesting things but not having the storage the only thing I bought was some Lindt chocolate. I know we have it at home but I chose flavours I haven’t seen before such as elderberry and orange.

    The train from Landquart to St Moritz was stunning. I could tell we were increasing in altitude so I downloaded an altitude app on my phone (yes I know I’m a dork) and we went from 736m to 1829m.
    The hotel is wonderful. It’s a 4 star hotel, I have a single room but I’m sure the bed is a double bed. Everything is just a little bit fancy. After checking in I returned to the train station to get some information on what to do tomorrow as there is a lot to choose from. Fortunately there is a summer special where if you stay 2+ nights you get a complimentary travel card which gives free travel on all the cable cars and trains. I then took the bus just to see where it went. That’s when I discovered that both the public transport app and google maps did me a disservice by having me get off the bus one stop early and having to walk uphill with my suitcase when the bus stops opposite the hotel.

    It’s been a long day so I’m due for an early night I think.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    Grossmünster from the river
    LandsmuseumKnitted minceKnitted smallgoodsLocustsPark behind the museumOn the boatOn Lake Zurich looking back towards the cityBoat used on the riverRaclette

    Zurich Aldstat

    7. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Today’s been a good day, if a little slower paced than yesterday. I was awake at 5:30am and by the time I’d had breakfast and gotten ready I had some time to kill before heading out. I may have had a nap.
    I started at the Landsmuseum. I got a great overview of the history of Switzerland and can now understand why there are 4 official languages of Switzerland (basically numerous cantons came together to form a federal state.
    I also learnt that Switzerland may have been politically neutral in the past but that didn’t mean Swiss men didn’t fight. They just did it as mercenaries.
    I downloaded an app which gave me an audio tour of the museum and was well worth it. I also got to see a Swiss bank vault. It wasn’t all that exciting, just a bank of fancy lockers but interesting for what it represented. I also found out they have 200, 500 and 1000 Swiss franc notes. That’s nearly $1500 in one note!

    They had a special exhibition “what Swiss eat” and had a lot of memorabilia from the past. They had a small goods store set up and it was all knitted. From a distance it looks like the real thing.
    On exiting that exhibit they had someone handing out samples of insects. He had crickets, locusts and mealworms. There were a couple of guys there already and I watched them eat it before I tried. The cricket was okay, the locust not so good (even after removing the wing and legs) and the mealworm tolerable. If they were in a dish with other ingredients I think they’d be fine. They’d give the dish some crunch similar to nuts. They’ve only been legal in Switzerland for a year or so and still have a way to go before becoming a cheap protein source. The server indicated a bag of 50-100g would be 20-40 CHF.

    It was time for lunch, there was a cafe in the museum but as these can often be plain and expensive I thought I’d eat at the cafe just outside the museum. There were too many smokers sitting outside so I went inside. It was only when I sat down I realised it was the museum cafe. I picked out what I thought was a roll with cheese and some type of cured meat (no English translation here) but it turn out to be cheese with purple cabbage.

    Behind the museum is a lovely little park. I went and sat there for a while. It was nice and peaceful. I sat there a little too long as I got to the dock for the river boat just as it was leaving. So I sat for a bit longer.

    The next stop was the Grossmünster (Great Minster). It’s a grand church and again the audio tour was very informative. I wanted to go there as it played a major part of the reformation movement in Zurich and it was alluded to at the museum. I did feel slightly disloyal though as they talked about the great rivalry it’s the Fraumünster (Women’s Minster) and I didn’t have time for both.

    I was going to catch the boat back to the museum as it’s not far from the hotel but my ticket was on my phone and by phone was down to 1% battery power. I was hopeful it would hold as the decrease in battery power isn’t a steady decline. It was a moot point as I also just missed that boat. So walking it was. My phone was still on when I got back to the hotel.

    After a brief rest (and recharging of phone) I again set off for the museum to catch the boat. This time I got it right and arrived a couple of minutes before the boat. We then went down the river towards the lake. They say the boats are built especially to fit under the bridges and it looked like less than 30cm clearance. I had expected we’d stop just inside the lake but we kept going to Zurichhörn. I could definitely feel the difference from being on the river compared to the lake. It was choppier.
    The driver/pilot/captain/not sure what he is called and his conductor/offsider were having a great time, waving to all the other staff on boats we passed. They certainly seemed to be enjoying their jobs.

    I got off the boat and went in search of dinner. I found a place on the list of Swiss restaurants I got from the hotel staff last night. It wasn’t one of the ones personally recommended though (last night’s was). I had a half serving of raclette. I don’t think I would have coped with a full serve after last night’s cheese but I’m glad I got to try it. It was very nice. The same can’t be said for the main meal. I’m not sure whether it wasn’t well made or just not to my taste. It was mushroom sauce with some veal in it and rosti. Supposedly a Zurich speciality. I was kind of regretting not just getting some of the Indian two doors up from the hotel. The smells tempt me every time I leave the hotel.

    Tomorrow I head to St Moritz.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    Looking down on grapevines and Rapperswil from the castle
    Lake ZurichLake ZurixhLake ZirixhLake ZurichRapperswil castleInside Rapperswil castleFondueZurich by night

    Rapperswil

    6. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    I started the day early as I was awake at 4:30am. It meant I was up and going by 9am as I had to go back tpthe mobile phone shop. My SIM card hadn’t kicked in. No idea what the guy did but he got it going.
    I then walked down Bahnhofstrasse. It’s the shopping street of Zurich. By the time I got to the end the shops were all very high end - Burberry, Hermes, Cartier, Bvlgari.
    I was heading down to Lake Zurich and if I didn’t use Bahnhofstrasse I would have been walking parallel to it.
    I had planned to do a round trip on the Lake but overhearing a tour guide talking to her group I decided to get off at Rapperswil. The boat trip was very scenic. Rather than a tour with a commentary it was more like a commuter trip. My ticket was just an all day/all zones public transport ticket.
    Rapperswil is at the other end of the Lake/the beginning of the upper Lake.
    There were a lot of Italian restaurants there but I did manage to find a Swiss one.
    After lunch I walked up to the castle. It is now actually a Polish museum celebrating both Poles in Switzerland and Swiss in Poland. I don’t actually know that much about the history of Poland but am interested in finding out more after today.
    The castle itself is gorgeous. I was able to go all the way up into the tower.
    By the time I made it into Rapperswil I was rather tired. I came back to Zurich via train.
    The receptionist was able to recommend and reserve a table at a fondue restaurant. It was a short walk away and very delicious. Even though my portion was smaller than that for a couple it couldn’t have been only half the amount. I watched several couples scrape the bottom of the fondue pot. I had the traditional version with wine and kirsch.
    I did discover I was doing it wrong though. I would use the long fork to dip the bread in the fondu and then transfer it to my dinner fork. Everyone else was eating from the long fork which didn’t seem very hygienic to me.
    After I finished I walked down to the river for a gentle stroll back to the hotel. It’s a beautiful night, very summer like.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy
    River Limmat, Zurich
    View from cafeMy open sandwichSwiss coinsTimmed ravioli2Not quite sure what this is3Boiled eggs

    Arrived in Zurich

    5. syyskuuta 2018, Sveitsi ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    I’m desperately trying to stay awake. It’s nearly 8pm and I’ve spent the last hour telling myself I cannot go to sleep yet.
    The trip from Dubai was pretty uneventful. I did manage to take a shower in Dubai and I felt much refreshed.
    I slept a lot of the way to Zurich, apparently the flight attendant tried to wake me a couple of times for lunch. I woke just as they were serving it so didn’t miss out.
    I still find the lack of scrutiny at passport control/customs a bit strange. Apart from asking how long I was staying and did I come for a holiday there were no other questions asked. We didn’t have to fill out a landing card either.

    I’m staying in the Old Town in Zurich. It’s very centrally located.
    After a shower I went for a walk. I wanted to buy a SIM card and managed to find my way to the shop to do that. I then walked along the river and stopped for a snack at a cafe. It was still quite warm and it was nice just to sit and watch.
    I stopped at a small supermarket and found the different foods quite interesting. They had a lot of Swiss chocolate but it was all what we can get at home.
    I did get a bit lost coming back to the hotel, only realising I’d gone wrong after I walked to the top of a hill.

    First impressions
    The route from the airport was quite industrial and not pretty. Even here in the old town there are a lot of modern buildings.
    The smoking. So many people smoking.
    Lots of dogs. Someone even took their dog into the supermarket. No idea whether that’s allowed or not.
    Lots of bikes. No one wears helmets.
    The coins are tiny. The receptionist at the hotel gave me 2.5 Swiss francs in change and it looked like 25 cents. I’m going to have to be careful with cash.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018Michelle Creasy

    On My Way

    4. syyskuuta 2018, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I’m currently at Perth airport waiting for my flight to Dubai and then Zurich.
    I’m again flying business class and feeling a bit like I’m not using all the privileges that come with it. The main reason I’m flying business class is for the seat and the room it comes with on the plane.
    I have an allowance of 40kg and my bag weighed 18.5kg so lots of room for souvenirs.
    I thought this time around I would be able to find the water in the lounge but I was looking for plastic bottles, not glass.
    I’ve had a very nice dinner and am now people watching. It’s still an hour before we board but I can’t see any other single female travellers. There’s a few single men but mostly couples with a few family groups and a group of guys returning to work.
    I did think I saw a solo female traveller just now but then saw three glasses of champagne and two glasses of water in front of her. And then I realised I should not be drinking my water from the bottle...

    I should be in Zurich in just under 24 hours.

    Later - I made it to Dubai. The flight was fairly uneventful, some mild turbulence and I probably managed about 6 hours sleep/doze.
    It took me a bit of time to find my way to the lounge. First I could se the signs to my gate but couldn’t workout how to get there. I then realised I needed to go through security.
    After a train ride I found my gate at the very end of the terminal without seeing the signs to the lounge. I asked someone and headed back the way I came. If I looked slightly to my right when I got off the train I would have seen it.
    I’ve had some breakfast (I skipped the plane breakfast) and am about to go and see how complicated it is to have a shower as I am hot and sticky.
    The plane was warm and it’s 35 degrees here.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy

    Wollongong and Home

    31. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    The main reason I wanted to visit Wollongong was to see the bridge/road over the ocean.
    I was able to walk across it which wa kind of cool.
    I had lunch at a gorgeously house on the coast. You could eat outside facing the ocean.
    The set up was weird though, it took talking to 3 or 4 different people to just order the meal.
    I drove up through one of the National Parks to somewhere in the south eat where I could return the hire car and catch a train to the airport.
    Photos
    View from cliffs
    Where I had lunch
    Wollongong bridge
    Wollongong bridge
    Weir in national park
    Wollongong bridge    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    Batemans Bay
    UlladullaGerroaGerroaGerroa

    Coastal towns

    30. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Today was the last full day of my holiday. My iPad isn’t charging properly so I started with a visit to the Apple store and then sat at a cafe writing my postcards.
    I then headed to Batemans Bay and then up the coast via Ulladulla and Gerroa to Wollongong.
    I’m staying in a very nice hotel on the harbour. It is very windy.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    Pool of relflextion at the War Memorial.
    WindmillOrange "crane"at the museumWentworth Falls, dingoes, Sydney Nolan, McCubbin, Monet, Degas, Sisley

    Culture and War

    29. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Another leisurely breakfast in Manuka before starting with the National Museum.
    I’d forgotten how museums like to store animals and fetuses in glass jars. It certainly wasn’t my favourite part of the museum. I’ve spent the last couple of days driving around Canberra thinking there was a massive orange crane in the distance, turns out it is part of the artwork of the museum.
    The museum is certainly comprehensive, from indigenous Australians, through colonialism, to the present day. Apart from the bodies in jars, I enjoyed it.

    Next stop was the National Gallery. I saw the Albert Namatjira and Sydney Nolan exhibitions but it was the small collection of impressionist paintings were what I enjoyed the most. I also say a Degas sculpture.

    I finished up at the War Memorial. It was very confronting, I didn’t realise it was part museum as well as a memorial. The exhibitions are excellent but highlight the horrors.
    I was there for the last post which was a fitting way to finish the tour.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    Parliament House
    Front of Parliamnet House looking towards the war memorialHouse of RepresentativesPortraitsLake Burley GriffenLake Burley Griffen

    Politics and Portraits

    28. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I’m staying in Forrest, next door to Manuka which has a great cafe strip.
    After a leisurely breakfast in Manuka I went to Parliament House. I did the behind the scenes tour which was very interesting. The House of Representatives seemed smaller that the WA legislative assembly but my perspective must be off given it has three times the members. I was able to go up onto the roof as well.
    I had a good chat to one of the security guards who said yesterday was quite interesting but it wasn’t just 5 people affected, they all had staff who are now out of a job.

    I went to the National Portrait Gallery, which while interesting was quite small.
    I drove around Lake Burley Griffin and even had to stop for a mob of kangaroos at one point. Some of them appeared to have collars.

    Back to Manuka for dinner and now time for bed.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    View at Harley
    View at HamptonLunchLake GeorgeLake George

    Travel to Canberra

    27. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    It was a cloudy day today but not foggy like yesterday. Rather than head back towards Sydney and take the highway too Canberra I went west and until Goulburn stayed off the highways. The drive was pleasant. Again I was struck by the difference in the country which, superficially could be described as similar to where I grew up (but greener). This country brought Henry Lawson to mind.
    I happened to come to Taralga at lunchtime and found a gorgeous little cafe. It had various old books dotted around the cafe, I found a guide story, read the first chapter over lunch and fortunately it was for sale.
    I didn’t much enjoy the drive from Goulburn to Canberra, too many speeding drivers.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    Tulips at Mt Tomah
    Eastern high teaLooking into the valley from the Hydro MajesticEvans lookoutGarden at Mt TomahRhododendrens

    Foggy Mountains

    26. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After a beautiful day yesterday I woke up to heavy fog this morning. Shelving the sightseeing I decided to take Katherine’s suggestion of visiting Hydro Majestic. It is a beautiful old hotel and I had an eastern high tea as an early lunch. The mist cleared while I was there. I find days were I don’t have firm plans usually turn out quite well. I can stop whenever I see something that looks interesting. After a stop at a lookout I went into Blackheath to browse the book and antique shops. I didn’t buy anything but had fun looking.

    I then went to the Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens. They were beautiful and the rhododendrons were stunning.
    As I returned to Katoomba the dog was setting in and by the time I finished dinner at around 7:30 visibility would have been about 20m. Certainly a new experience for me.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    Wentworth Falls
    View from scenic railwayOn the forrest floorOn the forrest floorView from Jamison lookoutLyrebird at Wentworth Falls lokout

    Lookouts and walks

    25. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    I started the day at Scenic World.
    Unfortunately the Skyway is undergoing renovations so I didn’t get to test whether my non fear of heights includes a glass bottomed sky rail.
    I started with the scenic rail which is the steepest rail in the world. It certainly is steep, I got such a fright at the steep ness of it when we first went down I couldn’t enjoy it.
    From the scenic rail I did the walk along the Forrest boardwalk. It was lovely but not peaceful. It is so loud, I’m not sure what the insects are but there are a lot of them!
    I made my back up the top via the cableway.

    As I hadn’t really enjoyed the scenic rail I had another go, this time I didn’t incline the seat all the way back and knew to hang on! It was much more pleasant second time around.

    I had lunch at a lovely little restaurant with a great view of the valley. I then went in search of books! I found a lovely little shop full of curios and my sort of books.
    I didn’t buy any though, two that I may have been interested in were locked behind glass doors and judging by the prices of similar books not under lock and key I didn’t bother asking to see them.

    I went out to Wentworth Falls. The walk to the falls lookout contained a lot of steps but the view was worth it. There were quite a few lyrebirds hanging around the car park.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    First photo
    SecondAt sunsetFacing away from the Three SistersFacing away with the sun nearly downSpot the cockatoo

    Three Sisters

    24. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    So today marks the second part of my holiday, travelling around.
    I caught the train out to Penrith and then picked up a hire car and drove to Katoomba. I had planned to check in and then go and explore but I ended up relaxing instead.
    I went out to the Three Sisters at sunset, they are truly majestic. There were a few people there but it wasn’t crowded. I took a lot of photos.
    At one point there was a single sulphur crested cockatoo was flying around. It made the experience that little bit more special. Even though I grew up in the bush, this bush has something extra, almost a little spiritual.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    View from Sydney Tower Eye
    Chess game in Hyde ParkPart of the word Pollination spelt out on the green wallOpera hoise from the ferryView from the bridgeFerry arriving

    Sydney on foot

    23. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    I started the day out at the Sydney Tower eye. It was a lovely day so I walked there. It took me a little bit to find the entrance. The 4D movie that we saw before going to the Observation deck was fantastic. It was short but very good.
    It was a nice clear day so I could see a long way.

    I then wandered down to Hyde Park, got way to interested in a giant chess game and then onto the botanic Gardens. I visited The Calyx which I had tried to visit yesterday but the rain and getting lost prevented that. It is a fairly small area but very pretty.
    I made my way through the gardens around to the Opera House and then Circular Quay. I was a bit early so I took the ferry across the Harbour to Milton’s point, mainly because I hadn’t actually been on a Sydney Ferry. I then caught the next one back.

    I met my friend Katherine, we had rooms next to each other and shared a balcony when we were in first year at uni. We walked across the bridge and had dinner at a lovely little Italian restaurant. It was so nice to catch up with each other’s lives and chat.
    I caught the ferry back to Circular Quay and the train back to the hotel.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    As it would have looked before colonisation
    Tree in the parkWollemi pinePretty flowersView on the way to Mrs Macquarie's chairMrs Macquaire's chair

    Royal Botanic Gardens

    22. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    I needed a quieter day today so I spent it in the Botanic Gardens. I started with a guided tour and while we didn’t go very far it was very informative. It didn’t just focus on the Australian plants but other interesting ones as well. Towards the end of the tour we were discussing the drought and the guide lamented how dry that particular part of the garden looked, an English woman said it did look very dry. I thought it looked fine but as Sydney gets four times the rainfall of the area I grew up it really is all a matter of perspective.

    After some lunch I made my way over to Mrs Macquarie’s chair. I have to confess I was a bit disappointed that it is really more of a bench than a chair, I was expecting more of a throne style chair carved out of the rock.
    As I was making my way back the the Gardens it started to rain, it wasn’t too bad to start with but got heavier. I went out without an umbrella or jacket so I got pretty wet although it was still quite warm
    I made my way back to the cafe to wait out the rain. It eventually stopped, I was trying to make my way to the bus stop but managed to get myself a bit lost. I eventually made my way out of the Gardens.

    The rainbow trout for tea tonight. It was okay but I definitely preferred the mullet and whiting.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    Opera house from the harbour
    On the west side of the bridgeManly beachLooking north from North headNorth headNorth head

    Sydney Harbour

    21. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    After looking out the window and seeing a blue sky I started the day out with a tour of Sydney harbour. I think I finally have the geography oriented in my head. We went around the southern part of the harbour out to South head then back around towards Taronga zoo, under the bridge and into Darling Harbour, The tour was interesting. The tour guide mentioned Manly can be really busy on a Sunday due to low ferry fares so I decided to visit today.

    The ferry ride was only 20mins. I took a quick stroll down to the beach, it was reasonably busy and not as picturesque as Bondi. I then took the bus up to North Head. I had some lunch and then wandered out to the lookouts. I may have seen a whale, or it may have been a rock, or a dark speed boat. I’m not really sure.
    The scenery was gorgeous.

    Another early night tonight. I had the King George Whiting for tea. Very nice.    Lue lisää

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  • Michelle CreasySydney October 2017Michelle Creasy
    View drom my table, with a harbour view mocktail
    1st course wagyu beef2nd course of mystery imgredients3rd course duckDessert Snow Egg

    For the foodies

    20. lokakuuta 2017, Australia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    It was a very wet day here today. After a late start I went down to Circular Quay and looked around The Rocks. I always try to have one “nice”meal out when I go somewhere new so several months ago when starting to plan my trip I was told by a couple of people at work I had to go to Quay Restaurant and have the snow egg. So I made a booking for lunch today and I wasn’t disappointed.
    Even though there was a cruis ship in that obscured the Opera House I still had a good view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

    I didn’t get a photo and of the amuse bouche of creme fraiche, fish eggs and something crunchy, I forget what. Then came a sourdough spelt roll with butter and salt. I’d never have thought to add salt to bread and butter but it was delicious.

    First course was raw smoked wagyu, fermented chilli, miso, shaved fungi, kombu, cultured cream, dory roe.
    This was delicious, not to spicy and the texture of the beef only just raw.

    Second course was uni, koshihikari rice, cured egg yolk, fish maw, day lily, ama ebi, umami broth. I’ll be honest, apart from the umami broth I had no idea what any of the ingredients were. I could decide between the options so went for the one that would have the new ingredients.
    This was my favourite course. One of those ingredients was a prawn style seafood, all the textures went so well together. The ingredients on there own weren’t all that great but all together it was sooo good.

    Third course was roasted master stock duck, house made koji paste, hatsuka radish, ice plant, orach. This was my least favourite course, there was nothing wrong with it, it just didn’t have the wow factor of the other courses.

    Final course was the snow egg. They change the flavour with the seasons and it is currently strawberry. Strawberry chantilly cream, strawberry granita, meringue ball with strawberry ice cream in the middle and hard outer shell. This too was amazing. Again all the different textures together is what made it so great.

    After that all I wanted to do was go back to the hotel and sleep! Instead I briefly considered a harbour tour but it really isn’t the weather for it so I went to the Hyde Park Barracks instead. The museum focussed a bit more on the history of the actual building that of the people who resided there but it was still interesting.
    I won’t be cooking tonight after that lunch a bath and then bed I think.    Lue lisää

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