BUDAPEST TO ZURICH

We left Budapest on Helvetica Airways.

The sun was setting at 3:45PM.

Junk meal with red wine and Johnny Walker Black Label Whiskey.

Flew into Switzerland.

Zurich Airport.

Marriott Zurich.

M Club.

Walked 3597 steps today.

Breakfast was universally European and adequate.

Zurich isl a  hub for both planes and trains.

• Founded by the Romans, settlers were here from around the time of Jesus, although early settlements go back 6400 years.
• Highest recorded temperature was around 100F in July of 1947, although the average low for July is 57F.

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  Zurich has long ranked high in world quality of life and similar ratings. 
• Mercer's quality of living assessment has Zurich at #1 in Quality of Living.

Zurich rose to the top of the list due to its outstanding public services, low crime rates, lively cultural scene and commitment to sustainability.  However, Zurich is also ranked among the most expensive cities in the world.  Zurich #3 to Hong Kong #1 and Singapore #2.

• The 2024 Economist world livability index has this country at #3, with Vienna #1 and Copenhagen #2. 
• The highest U.S. city was Honolulu at #23.  
• Our next trip will be in the spring of 2025, to the Osaka (ranked #10) Expo, followed by a cruise from Yokohama to Vancouver (#7).

About Zurich.

• Buying bottled water is a waste of money.  Switzerland cities have the cleanest drinking water.  Zurich has 1200 drinking fountains.
• A bowl of breakfast here is Muesli, which has apples, oats, nuts, lemon and condensed milk.
• I one of the happiest cities in the world, at #2 to Aarhus, Denmark.  Berlin is #3,  Minneapolis the highest U.S. city at #18.
• Has a museum dedicated to nothing.

“In this age of information, where daily we are flooded with images and noise, moments of quietude, emptiness, and self-chosen silence become more and more important. Many artists respond to this mass-media sensory overload with a range of strategies that reduce, empty, decelerate, or take on an attitude of complete refusal that is more than just a mere artistic gesture. Better NOTHING than such a thing!”

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  Has the largest church clock in Europe.  In the heart of town is St. Peter's Church.  The diameter is 28.3 feet.
• Zurich's cuisine includes Swiss specialties like Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (sliced veal in creamy mushroom sauce), Swiss chocolate, and an array of Swiss cheeses. Also, fondue and raclette are famous traditional Swiss dishes you can enjoy in Zurich.

• Two famous people are Albert Einstein, who spent his early career here, and James Joyce, who is buried in the city's Fluntern Cemetery.

Tomorrow our walk through the Christmas market os Zurich.

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