Zurich Part II: The Trip that gave me Covid

I woke the next morning unshowered, unrested, and unpleasantly surprised. The first sound I heard wasn’t birdsong or silence, but the hairdresser’s radio next door—blaring at maximum volume. My skin felt sticky and tired, and without my ritual shower, I was already off to a rough start.

I did what I could: washed my face, brushed my teeth, tried the shower (still broken), and got dressed. Adventure called. With Maps guiding me—badly, as it turned out—I zigzagged across streets and sidewalks until I gave up and followed the street signs instead.

My first stop: Frauenmünster (Women’s Minster).

From there, I crossed over to Zurich’s other famous church, the Grossmünster (Great Minster). I didn’t go inside, because my eyes (and feet) were already set on Lake Zurich.

And here’s where honesty kicks in: Lake Zurich was… underwhelming. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the season (fall edging toward winter), or maybe Zurich just wasn’t vibing with me that day. So many people rave about the city, but sometimes what sparkles for others feels flat to you.

Still, I walked along the lake, soaking in the grayness, when—serendipity!—I ran into the same American friends I’d met at the kebab place the night before. A nice reminder that travel is as much about people as places.

Eventually, I lined up for a boat ride. Mistake number one: not checking the schedule. I stood in the cold for 20 minutes before learning (thanks to a kind stranger) that I could just buy the ticket onboard. Mistake number two: assuming I’d find a seat inside. The boat was packed, so I braved the outside deck in Zurich’s biting 3–8°C weather. For someone who thrives in summer, I was miserable. By the halfway point, my fingers had turned white-yellow from the cold. The view? Pretty enough, but I was more relieved than anything when the ride ended.

Back at the hotel, I gave myself the gift of comfort: a supermarket pizza, some fruit, a little wine, and later a tarte flambée. I tucked it all into the mini-fridge, curled up, and spent the evening with TV instead of tourist attractions.

Sometimes travel is adventure. Sometimes it’s surrender. This day was a little of both.

This is it for now. Part 3 coming soon.