Before we left the U.S., we always planned to explore the city, the country, and the continent during the weekends. As Jo works during the week, I have focused on making the most of such an open palette. While our first weekend in Zürich was dedicated to setting up shop, I wanted the second weekend, our first trip, to indeed introduce us to Switzerland: Mount Pilatus.
Our destination rested at 6,801 ft, although the whole region is replete with competitors to that title. We certainly had no idea what we had gotten into when I booked this one-night trip, but it was easy using the SBB Mobile app. I will pause here to sing the praises for - perhaps - the most fantastic utility app I have ever used. Once connected to an identity and a credit card, I can plan a trip almost anywhere, not just in Switzerland. It provides everything needed to make a multi-step journey. As an example, this trip has five (!!) individual steps to complete, one way: tram, train, bus, gondola, gondola. The pricing was low, and the timing was perfect. It even provided a map at each transition, showing where to walk from one platform to the next.
The city’s central train station is Zürich Hauptbahnhof or Zürich HB. The word “Hauptbahnhof” means “main station” and is a giant barn of a space with multiple levels of tracks, shopping, people, and organized chaos. It even has a well-staffed medical facility and pharmacy, which we needed recently (that’s another story). It’s also not enclosed on the main level, so it’s pretty cold if you wait for your Jo to return from a business trip to Frankfurt. Like so many things, now that we understand the basics, we don’t mind the HB at all.
The train trip through Lucerne to Kriens and then up the mountain was easy. The green scenery and lakeside views are so abundant that it is easy to take them for granted. I spent my time reading and ensuring we didn’t miss our stop.
The gondola ride had two parts, both of which provided excellent views. At the start, the weather was cloudy, fogged-in, and misty, with cold and rain. As the car ascended through the clouds, we rose above to clear and glorious views.
The hotel felt more like a cozy inn, and once the day-trippers had returned for the evening, the quiet of the space and the views enraptured us both. I had several questions, though. How did people transport all the materials necessary to build this? How easily can this be supplied? How do the bathrooms work, and where does the waste flow?
The views from the top exceeded anything I expected and dreamed of before ever coming to Switzerland. I had this idea of these mountains in Central Europe, and standing on the outer balconies and vista points, I was met with so much more, as I couldn’t possibly understand the scale of everything. The jolting freshness of the air, the sounds of far-off echoing, and the bright crispness of the sunlight capturing a melange of colors that shifted every few minutes as the sun moved across the sky all left me in awe.
The hotel was kind of fancy, and we enjoyed a delicious multi-course meal. I wasn't always sure what I ate, but that didn’t matter. Note: I have been taking pictures of food lately.
One more item about the hotel should be expressed here: a “pillow menu” in the guest room. To repeat: there was a “pillow menu” in our guest room.
The pillow menu begins with this golden nugget: “An optimal pillow is essential for a completely restful sleep because a good pillow does a lot - a bad one even more.” OK, now I am intrigued… please, go on, sir! “During your stay, we will provide you with the right pillow free of charge. Choose your favorite and enjoy a healthy, relaxed sleep at 2132 meters above sea level!” Woohoo! Let’s Roll! On to the options:
Your standard pillow: A down pillow with high-quality filling that adapts well to the neck's contours and is not too firm.
Spelt pillow: Particularly helpful for tension due to the natural massage effect.
Millet pillow: This pillow is ideal for sleeping disorders, migraines, and rheumatism due to the minerals it contains (magnesium, iron, silica, etc.).
Swiss pine pillow: It allows for stronger vegetative recovery, so you sleep better and wake up more relaxed and rested.
Health neck support pillow: Gentle support with two edge rolls of different heights for back and side sleepers.
Mountain herb pillow: Spelt pillow enriched with fragrant mountain herbs lets you sleep like you're in a meadow of flowers.
Lavender sleeping pillow: This positively affects sleep and the psyche and is a healthy and natural sleep aid.
We chose the lavender pillows because I was too tired to reread the options by the time I reached the end of the list. Alas, our time with the special pillows was brief, as we had only a one-night stay.
Before we booked this overnight trip, I had a whim and purchased tickets to a show in the city for Sunday afternoon. We were pretty tired when we arrived home, but at least our psyches were lifted from the previous night’s sleep pillows. The show? It was a Beatles “musical,” with musicians playing the songs live as they acted out the band's history from their early days in Liverpool through their touring in Berlin and reaching the heights of superstardom. We had a blast.
We’ve since taken other trips, which are the subjects of future posts, but this will always be our introduction to Switzerland.