>Flew to Zurich last weekend to meet up with friends from Australia who are visiting Friends and Family and at the same time incorporating a whistle stop world tour (again). Andrea & Darren run the hostel, My Place Backpackers I called home for 7 months in Adelaide, so we arranged to meet up in Zurich. Flew out on Friday morning leaving behind a rare day of sunshine in the UK (which bathed the new T5 at Heathrow in a yellow glow, showing off the inspired architecture of the terminal) only to arrive to a very grey and very wet Zurich.

On arrival, and having negotiated immigration etc, I took the train to Zurich HB for a very reasonable 6SFR. From there is was a short walk to my hotel, x-tra. After checking in and sorting some things out I met Andrea and Darren, of all places, in an English bar, Nelsons. It was great to see them both again. I hadn’t expected to see them so soon on leaving Adelaide in October. That evening we met up with some of Andrea’s other friends from Zurich for more drinks and dinner, before heading to a nice bar I don’t remember too much about, except I did eventually crawl under a table…

Saturday Andrea and Darren invited me to meet them in Konstanz, a town located on Lake Constance, Europes largest lake, situated in southern Germany, just a 90min train journey from Zurich at a cost of 30SFR (one way).

Sunday I spent walking the streets of Zurich, chiefly Hofbahnstrasse, which could be ranked as one of the most exclusive shopping streets in the world, with coverted designer labels flanking the 1.2km or so from Zurich HB to Zurich see (being a Sunday all shops were closed). From there I crossed over the river and walked the back streets and wound my way up to the University with its broad concourse and city-wide views taking in the spires of the many prominent churches that are dotted around Zurich, including one which I believe has the largest clockface in Europe.

Monday Andrea had asked if I’d like to join them for coffee in Winterthur, but having missed out on the shopping the previous day due to closure, and having a late afternoon flight, I decided to spend Monday shopping. The weather had picked up considerably, being a warm 32C (although at this point I had the beginnings of a cold which took the edge of things). The Rathauscafe offered a picturesque spot to have a coffee or two and soak up the afternoon sun and rest my feet. It would prove, more than likely, to be the only bit of good sunshine this side of next year given the awful summer of Britain. How I long to be travelling again, somewhere warm…