Oh no, Ed Jew! We didn’t expect the Tourist Information to tell us that Zürich was full, unless we wanted a 350 Euro/night room. So we were rerouted out to a hotel that they didn’t mention was an Evangelical Christian retreat center. It was at least an environmentally awarded Evangelical retreat, but it was still a bit creepy getting up and seeing prayer in progress by the ladies sitting on mats in what looked like a children’s classroom. We’ve been surrounded by Christianity and churches this entire trip, so I’ve been trying to pinpoint why I found this place disturbing. Maybe it is just that Christianity was being presented wrapped in IKEA furniture that was causing me distress.
On the positive side for the hotel, the ladies working the front desk were wonderfully patient as I asked 20 questions about how to use the phone to call back to the states to get our credit card working again. Oh, and they had a fine cheese selection in the morning with a great view of what would have been the Swiss Alps and Lake Zürich, if only the clouds weren’t in the way!
Food prices near Zürich were astronomical, about 100-200% higher than San Franicsco. We found a very casual Greek restaurant to eat at and made a meal up of just hummus, pita and dolmades with a salad on the side, no main entree. The bill hit 50 Euros. Hmm, we were going to have ATM issues, if we stayed in Switzerland much longer. So, between the rain and the costs doubling, we decided to head back towards Italy, where the hotels were cheaper, the food very inexpensive and the weather.. magnificient.
On the way out of the rain towards Italy, we hopped off the highway and checked out the Burger King (and its restrooms). The basic hamburger (that one that usually ends up in the kid’s meals) was 3.75 Euros, instead of the 1 Euro advertised everywhere in Austria and Germany. The food prices didn’t seem like they were stopping folks from eating out, but with the foreign exchange rate in place, spending $5 dollars for a mediocre Burger King burger just doesn’t compare with hopping over the Swiss-Italian border and spending $6 dollars for a fine plate of Taglierini al Spinaci e Pancetta or Capellini Arrabbiata. But, hey, that’s just my opinion.
