We get up nice and early to try and get something done so that we remember our time based in Zurich fondly. The tummy bug has mostly calmed down (still not 100%) and therefore decide to go through with our plan to train down to Luzern for a bike ride around the lake front. We pack everything we think we'll need into our bags and go into town to the central station. The great thing about Switzerland is that everything is within about 3 hours by train and the helpful lady at the information desk tells us the way we can get best value from this trip and the other train expeditions we are planning is a Swiss Pass. She then asks u
s for either our 'travel card' or our passports. At this point Shona becomes much much less impressed with Swiss Rail and restraint is needed to hold back expletives from resounding around the rail station. Their point is that identification is needed to prove you're the correct user of the card... and it's obviously easier for them to NOT accept the NZ drivers licenses we showed them. It is, however, maddening that we don't need to show a customs officer a passport to come into the country -yet they need it for us to buy a train ticket. Shona is still pretty dark on it all and because it would take about an hour and more tram tickets to go back to the get the passports. We decide to bail on Luzern in favour of something more local that might cheer her up... so it's off to the zoo we go! However, before we take the tram up the hill, we do one of the other things that cheers Shona up -shopping. Sure, it's just for a Christmas momento from Switzerland (this time it's a Swiss cow) to
go with the Christmas decorations we're getting from each country we visit... but it's a start! Plus we kill two birds with one stone by at the same shop getting a Swiss Army Knife for MikeGyver (the rule being that every time it's used in Switzerland it's to be accompanied by the MacGyver sound track, helps appreciate just how often a Swiss Army knife is used!) Zoos are pretty cool places in general -and although this one gets pipped by Copenhagen, it's by a pretty small margin and definitely brought some love back to our Zurich opinion. Highlights included the
size of the enclosures (some animals even had space to hide from us... which can be seen as a downside!) the awesome king penguin display, the spectacled bears, the massive otters and the walk through rainforest. Even the zebra that tried to eat Shona's icecream didn't detract from a great afternoon. The last grumbles from the tummy bug meant we didn't get up to any adventures in the evening... however a relaxing day WAS ultimately achieved -just in a different city than we imagined.
s for either our 'travel card' or our passports. At this point Shona becomes much much less impressed with Swiss Rail and restraint is needed to hold back expletives from resounding around the rail station. Their point is that identification is needed to prove you're the correct user of the card... and it's obviously easier for them to NOT accept the NZ drivers licenses we showed them. It is, however, maddening that we don't need to show a customs officer a passport to come into the country -yet they need it for us to buy a train ticket. Shona is still pretty dark on it all and because it would take about an hour and more tram tickets to go back to the get the passports. We decide to bail on Luzern in favour of something more local that might cheer her up... so it's off to the zoo we go! However, before we take the tram up the hill, we do one of the other things that cheers Shona up -shopping. Sure, it's just for a Christmas momento from Switzerland (this time it's a Swiss cow) to 
go with the Christmas decorations we're getting from each country we visit... but it's a start! Plus we kill two birds with one stone by at the same shop getting a Swiss Army Knife for MikeGyver (the rule being that every time it's used in Switzerland it's to be accompanied by the MacGyver sound track, helps appreciate just how often a Swiss Army knife is used!) Zoos are pretty cool places in general -and although this one gets pipped by Copenhagen, it's by a pretty small margin and definitely brought some love back to our Zurich opinion. Highlights included the
size of the enclosures (some animals even had space to hide from us... which can be seen as a downside!) the awesome king penguin display, the spectacled bears, the massive otters and the walk through rainforest. Even the zebra that tried to eat Shona's icecream didn't detract from a great afternoon. The last grumbles from the tummy bug meant we didn't get up to any adventures in the evening... however a relaxing day WAS ultimately achieved -just in a different city than we imagined.
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lol - only gonna retain the theme song for the knife in Switzerland? After that you can have the rule be that you have to point out to everyone that YOUR Swiss Army Knife was actualy bought in Switzerland.
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