Deadly serious

We appreciated the cooler air but unfortunately just above the Gorge some workmen were blasting away at the stone meaning the continual spray of water was mixed with a very fine dust that settled on everything: your face, camera lenses, eyes, throat. The views were unsurprisingly impressive and deep down the hole you could easily see millions of years of sediment as slate and how the ground rose and fell churning eons of Earth in constant motion. I felt like a fleeting speck of dust. The stairs back up were tough on the heart. 

In the hotel I asked for the best place to go to see the Alps and they suggested a local gorge which I'd also noticed in the guide books. It was only 20 minutes away by car. Outside there was free parking that was limited to one hour, which didn't seem sufficient, but the whole trail is designed to be a single timed loop so we were reassured it was plenty of time. We began our descent. A sign at the top of these stairs indicates that in the 50s the flooding water level reached the top. It makes you think. 

A two minute drive from the high street (because who wants to walk in this heat when you don't need to), and up a hill overlooking the tiny centre, is Vaduz Castle, the home of the monarch, the Prince of Liechtenstein. Built first in the 12th century it has been extended many times. It's probably the main medieval sight in this country of less than 40,000 people. We couldn't go inside, it's occupied, but we and a handful of tourists took some photos with the beautiful backdrop. Back at the car we drank our cool beers trying to cool off in the car's overworked air conditioning. 

We first head into the capital city, Vaduz, about five minutes drive from our hotel. Most places in Liechtenstein are not much further away. Vaduz's centre essentially consists of two roads, one of which is pedestrianised. We park our car (again) next to a twin and explore some of the shops including an unusually pretty tourist shop where we bought a couple of bottles of local craft beer. Our feet are obviously grateful for the lack of walking distance especially given the persistent 30 degree summer heat. 

I'd seen photos of this breakfast room on the hotel website and it's why I chose it. The view did not disappoint. Who would not want that beside you while your eating breakfast. It was the usual Swiss/German affair with cold meats, bread and eggs. And coffee, juice, cereal, fruit salad and so on. 

After arriving in the dark I had hoped the morning would be a pleasant surprise and it certainly was with a view of the mountains from our balcony and large patio doors. Despite being in Switzerland two days already it's the first time we've got to be properly in the Alps. Although I suppose this is not Switzerland. Apparently this is the only country in the world named after the person who bought it: the Liechtenstein family. 

And so once again we're back in the car and off to our first Alpine visit, starting in Liechtenstein, a tiny principality enclosed within Switzerland. It wasn't a long drive, maybe an hour as we snaked up the mountains and through tunnels with the help of our satellite navigation. Our hotel was at 1000m but we couldn't tell with the scenery around in pitch black. Our room is very large with a wide glass window but nothing yet to see. 

The ferry was only 15 minutes where we were deposited inside a park beside the lake and the ferry continued on its long loop further south. It was time to eat so we walked some more looking for something that wasn't an insane price. In the end we used more of our travel card riding up and down the street reading menus and eventually settling on a sushi restaurant and each having noodles. It was just what we needed. We've taken it very easy today and not rushed around trying to see everything. I don't think we could if we tried. 

Our whole plan with a buying a travel pass in the morning was to get the boat bus back to the station where our car was parked. It was a 20 minute wait at the central pier before our boat arrived and the tourists spilt on board. This is local public transport but difficult to identify any locals using it. We were fortunate enough to find seats at the rear and watch Zurich drift into the distance.  Zurich sits at the top of Lake Zurich which is supplied by the River Linth in the east and outflows through the city as the Limmat River. There's no shortage of water here. The alps breaths life into everything.

Towards the end of our old town walk we came upon this stunning early medieval church. Sadly it's closed by the time we arrive (as today has been a slow day) but nonetheless its outer beauty is still impressive, including stained glass windows designed by the modernist artist Chagall in the 1970s.

We take many rests and then settle on a coffee. It's hardly cheap but we find something acceptable and take an advantage with an extended break. The coffee is good. 

Zurich's old town is extensive and on a larger scale than any of the previous few days. But somehow we still keep it simple. Our feet couldn't take another day of excessive walking so despite the size of the city we actually walk less. Perhaps the scale means it's impossible to do it all so no need at all to try. 

Another descent and we are left to explore the rest of the old town. But before that we seek out some reasonably priced food. It's very easy here to spend £100 on an average meal for three so we settle for a stall selling burgers. In the end it was the falafel burger that beats the beef. But still everything is a silly price. It's the price of a gourmet burger back home for something a little average. 

Once again we reach the top of a tower and see the expanse of a city below. This time however it is a huge capital that extends to all horizons. Zurich is no Luxembourg or Strasbourg. There's an impressive number of spires and clocks and plenty of old town. The tower's top level has a clear four sides each with their own panorama. It's busy but no so much that we can't get all the shots we want. 

The stairs up were mostly wooden and quite spacious, without those very tight stone spirals and with a few spacious floors to take a break and capture shots of Zurich below. This is all welcome as after days of abusing our feet we are trying so hard today to take it easy. It might be a capital city but we don't need to see everything. 

And so once again on first arrival at a city we find ourselves at a cathedral and the foot of a tall tower. We obviously won't resist. The cathedral itself did not allow photography so we just sat and rested our feet (it's actually midday already as it took a while to sort out our journey, park and ride the tram). The cathedral has the usual Protestant simplicity but with the addition of stunning stained glass windows that were neither stained more glass but very thin slices of colourful transparent stone. And then the tower begins... 

It was a park and ride again and we first drove to the central train station where we got some advice which took us to another train station a further 2km south where we left our car in an open air car park and went to buy an all day pass. However, as usual the ticket machine made no sense and took two train guards and a rail employee to finally figure it out. We took a tram to the centre. Sorry, no photos. 

For our day in Zurich we slept in a guesthouse just outside Baden in large room with three beds and plenty of space. Despite finding a few flies and mosquitos when we arrived we got no new bites overnight. Maybe we'd killed them all. Breakfast was the usual German affair with plenty of cereal, breads and cold meat, with fresh eggs and a little covered pan of boiling water. Then it was time to return our bags to to the car for a drive to Zurich. 

I forgot to mention we had a small crisis as we tried to purchase tickets for the tram. Although we selected the right ticket there was no buy button. We asked for help and eventually gathered a small crowd of people who each also tried and failed to select the ticket. Eventually a woman came buy and figured out it wasn't working but pointed to another machine further away where she was going for her own ticket. We followed her where she selected the correct ticket for us by tapping between screens at lightening pace unlike our own struggle with half English and German instructions. Back at the car park we find our car opposite its twin. Everywhere we go we find the same model car not too far away. They do say its one of the most versatile of cars. And so we continue to our next destination a town outside Baden a short distance from Zurich. 

And so we return to strolling the streets of Basel where the roads wind their way to a park and platform overlooking the old town with our feet probably reaching their limit. We eventually find our way back to the tram that will take us the 2km journey back to the adjacent town of Saint Louis in France where we can collect our car. We watch as the road signs change from German to French as one street extends from one country to the next. 

Our stroll around Basel brought us to the Rhine many times, this city being our second of three visits to this great river this holiday. While Strasbourg had a narrower stretch, here in Basel it was a much grander experience. To cross the Rhine there are of course many bridges and then also this ferry powered by nothing but the strong current and a rudder. There were only a handful of us as we drifted across at a decent pace avoiding swimmers who cast themselves like refugees into the water. It was quite surreal. Katarina took the opportunity to cool her overworked feet. 

With the cathedral and tower complete it was time to explore the rest of Basel and have some lunch. We quickly discovered that Swiss prices were astronomical. Near enough everything was double the price of the UK. We felt very poor. We settled on McDonald's but even a meal each totalled more than £40! A proper restaurant seemed like a crazy indulgence. But saying that it was better than a normal  McDonald's burger. But walking at least was free so we took advantage and wore out our feet some more.