Oct 24 –

We’d picked up some croissants for breakfast the night before; it was Sunday, many shops would be closed.

It was time for the dreaded COVID test, our ticket home. Would the COVID bus or the COVID funicular be our undoing?

As mentioned earlier, we’d purchased a six pack of the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag home kits before leaving the US and took them with us. We’d also downloaded the NAVICA app, the digital platform that supports the COVID-19 testing.

Bill went first. While there was some faffing about on our part trying to figure out how it all worked, once we got our act together the process was very smooth.

We had to take the tests separately, which involved logging in twice from two different devices, but we were both connected to a proctor within minutes (we signed in around 9 am). We followed the instructions given to us by the proctor, kept the line open for 15 minutes and voilà, we were done.

Our negative tests appeared on the NAVICA app within minutes and we were also sent results via email.

In an effort to be completely prepared, I’d compiled a list of Air BNBs near Zurich with availability, just in case. If one tests positive in Switzerland, it’s up to that person to notify the authorities and quarantine for 10-14 days.

I’d also set up an an account with COOP, just in case we needed to utilize their delivery service.

But…what if our current accommodation was unable to accommodate us? Could we move? What if no one was willing to accommodate guests with COVID? The questions were endless and remain unanswered.

What I did know, is that given the choice, we did not want to be quarantined in the tiny studio in Rapperswil – meal preparation would have been next to impossible. There was no balcony, no private access to the outdoors, we’d have gone freaking mad being cooped up there for two weeks.

Needless to say, I was very relieved when those tests came back negative.

Sorted, we vacated the studio and caught a train from Rapperswil to the Zurich Flughafen, where fortunately our room at the Radisson Blu was available for an early check in. (ZVV single all zone ticket, 8.60 chf each).

After off-loading our luggage we walked back to the railway station (located beneath the airport) and caught a train to the Zurich Hauptbahnhof (ZVV 24 hour, 6.80 chf each).

Once there, we asked Google to find us some pizza. He/she obliged and led us to Stripped Pizza, about a 15 minute walk away, which turned out to be fantastic. Bill chose the Smoky Devil and I went for the Miss Caprese which came with an entire ball of buffalo mozzarella that Bill couldn’t keep his fork out of. It wasn’t cheap, but was one of the best pizzas I’ve had in recent memory (56 chf, two pizzas, glass of wine, one beer).


Miss Caprese

Local beer


After lunch, we wandered around Old Town for a few hours. It’d been a very long time since we last strolled through Zurich – we usually just fly in and out – so to say I was surprised is an understatement.

I already knew that Zurich is one of the world's largest financial centers and is eye-wateringly expensive, yet I didn’t expect the loud display of wealth. One could be forgiven for thinking everyone residing in Zurich is rolling in it, based on the abundance of posh cars parked on every street; Porsche, Rolls Royce, Maserati. We also saw what I’m told is a Jaguar E Type and a Ferrari; I don’t give a fart about cars, but even I couldn’t help but notice.





The streets were also lined with luxury stores; Van Cleff and Arpels with 15,000 franc bracelets in the window (the expensive stuff had been removed from the display case as the store was closed), the usual array of expensive Swiss watches; Breguet, Patek Phillippe, Rolex, etc. And of course the many high end hotels – Savoy, Widder, Storchen.



Zurich

Zurich

Zurich

Zurich


The promenade alongside the Limmat River was a big surprise - brimming with families out enjoying the beautiful day, kids chasing massive bubbles, activity of all kinds. It felt similar to the other promenades we’d encountered this trip – and like those – it seemed a very popular place to be on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.


Zurich

Zurich

Zurich

Zurich


As enjoyable as our stroll was, we were a bit nervous being amongst a crowd, so we didn’t linger. We sought out the Hauptbahnhof - stopping for one last Aperol Spritz (the most expensive of the trip, and rather disappointing) and then caught a train back to the airport. In an attempt to get our bearings ahead of our departure tomorrow, we sought out a Swiss International agent to ask a few questions. The airport was crazy busy; we vowed to get an early start the next day.

To be continued…

Oct 25 -

We had a quiet, comfortable night in the hotel.

Bill was content to drink the instant crap supplied in our hotel room, but I needed real coffee, so I took the escalator from the hotel down to the shopping area beneath the airport. I picked up croissants from the COOP (conveniently located mere steps from the escalator, 3.20 chf for two) and then began the hunt for an open coffee shop. I ended up at a large food court, where I had to show my COVID certificate in order to drink it onsite (6.10 chf).

We eventually vacated the hotel and went up to the airport to check in. We showed our negative COVID results and the US attestation forms (printed at home before we left and signed after taking our COVID tests), but the agent wasn’t interested in these, said someone would want to see them at the gate (no one did).

It took 40 minutes to walk to the airport, check in, clear security, peruse duty free, go through passport control, take the train to the E gates and walk to the Swiss lounge.

Swiss lounges are very nice; we’d allowed ourselves plenty of time to enjoy it. In addition to their cooked-to-order breakfast, assorted cold options and full help-yourself bar, they offer jars of gummy bears, Swiss cookies and Swiss chocolate. What's not to love?

It was a stress free start to our trip.

Our flight left on time, and as with our flight into Switzerland, we each had and entire row of four seats to ourselves. Sweet.

The flight was smooth for the most part, the food good. We’d been warned when we left Zurich that a storm was brewing in Chicago and as promised, it got rather turbulent as we approached.

We circled the airport for a very long time, not so much as a peep from the pilots, our descent seemed to take forever. The plane was flopping all over the place when we finally came in to land, rocking side to side. Then it felt as if the pilots slammed on the brakes. A bit unnerving, but hey, we landed.

We both really liked Swiss. The pilots and crew were very quiet, a nice change from US flights where pilots and crew seem drawn to the PA system like a moth to a flame. There were no announcements made when seat belt signs came on, no duty free sales, no incessant chatter.

Global entry was a breeze; it’s been further streamlined; no need to show your passport, just your face. Wrecked as we looked we were still recognized, photographed (talk about an awful photo) and on our way.

Unfortunately, that quick entry meant an even longer wait at baggage claim. It took over an hour for our bags to arrive, while flights after ours came and went. Had they lost our plane?

Despite the ongoing announcements that masks are mandatory in the airport, we saw more people not wearing masks in ORD than we’d seen in our entire month in Switzerland. We’re back…

Between waiting for luggage, taking the shuttle to the domestic airport in really bad traffic* and clearing security again, our four hour layover vaporized.

*The train at ORD is under maintenance and is two years behind schedule.

Within minutes of our arrival in Chicago United sent a text warning of possible delays or cancellation due to bad weather.

We sat in the Red Carpet Club for a bit, then went to find our flight. The airport was packed, especially around gates B 18-24, and of course our gate was right in the thick of it. This is a narrow section of the airport where they’ve crammed too many gates into too little space. And it was packed with waiting passengers as many flights had been delayed. The gate agents were making dueling announcements; it was impossible to understand which announcement was for which flight.

Chaos.

Five minutes before we were to board, they made an announcement we could understand. They had no crew for our flight. Say what? They anticipated at least an hour delay.

We walked back to the closest Red Carpet Club and explained the situation to the agent. She was actually very helpful (this hasn’t been our experience with United for years). She offered to make a back-up reservation for us for the next morning. She told us to go back to the gate and wait, and if the flight was cancelled the gate agents could give us a hotel voucher.

We returned to the gate. The departure had now changed to 10 pm; an additional two hours. I spoke to the gate agent who didn’t seem convinced that our flight would actually leave.

So, we walked back to the Red Carpet Club, arriving five minutes before it closed and relayed the message to the same agent we’d spoken to previously. She switched our booking to the next day, gave us a digital voucher that could be used at several airport hotels and four $20 food vouchers. She also gave us an amenity kit that contained a water bottle, two facial wipes, a tube of hand cleanser and the most useful item, a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Hallelujah! For the first time in years, United had actually stepped up! And pre-emptively at that.

We left the airport and joined the fray at the hotel shuttle area, where we waited with a thousand other people. After a long wait and a phone call or two our shuttle finally turned up and took us to the Renaissance, which turned out to be a very nice hotel. Our room was large and had a living area.

About the time we were crawling into bed, I received a text from United that our flight was boarding.

We were up at 4 am and waiting at the hotel's Starbuck’s when they opened for business at 5 am to use a voucher for coffee and breakfast.

Then on the shuttle to the airport which was much quieter than the previous night. United even let us back into the Red Carpet Club since we’d arrived from an international flight the day before.

Switching flights was the best decision ever – we got some sleep, our transport didn’t have to turn up at midnight, we didn’t have to drive the 45 minutes to our home in the mountains in the wee hours, I was able to use another voucher on several slices of that wonderful lemon loaf from Starbuck’s and our replacement flight was on a big plane, not the puddle jumpers that usually fly between ORD and COS.

We were home.

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Glad you got home, but I’m going to miss my morning read!

Sorry that your trip ended with such inconvenience but hope you enjoyed the rest of it as much as we did.

Thanks for joining me.

We're off to Austria, Italy and Germany in a few weeks, COVID willing.

Good to hear that the messed up return home turned out to be quite good really.
Have very much enjoyed reading this and will have another read very soon.
Your trip report does hint at light at the end of the tunnel for those of us shut away down here!
All the best for the Austria, Italy and Germany trip - fingers crossed all will be well.

Annhig: yes that triple clincher is spooky!
Will absolutely be in touch when the time comes.

Feel free to DM me any time.