I woke up in our hotel, hot, sweaty, and just coming out of a nightmare where an old friend tried to get me fired at my new job. It was 5:30 in the morning and I could see the sky starting to lighten and give way to daytime from the crack beneath our drawn blinds. I say there in bed for a while catching up on Reddit and wondering what everyone back home was doing. At 7 I fell asleep again but was up and dressed by 8.
The first stop of the day was breakfast, free, in the hotel. They had all kinds of cheeses and meats and yogurt and cereal and juice. There was a basket of giant eggs and next to it what appeared to be a deep fryer but what was actually an egg boiler. Of course I had to try boiling an egg with it but failed to leave it in long enough and got a just a touch raw center. No problem. Salami on hard brown bread and a croissant along with peppermint tea and mixed fruit juice was plenty.
After breakfast I had to decide on what we did for the day - sledging or no sledging. I thought about it for a moment. I could go and try it out or I could rest my sore body, which had taken quite a beating the day before including three bloody knuckles. The muscles in my back twinged at the thought of another day of gravity introducing me to the ground so I opted for a walk around town instead.
We set off towards the train station and then walked along the main road. Most of the shops were closed but we did stop inside a few. The prices of winter gear were astronomical but I did get to feel a pair of carbon fiber skis up close. We window shopped for watches talking about our ideal pieces and styles.
Suddenly I looked up and we were back at the restaurant we had been to the night before that was near our hotel. I suggested we stop for a drink and hang out before heading back for the train home. We sat on the outdoor seats, each of them had a sheepskin hung over the back of the sofa and a fleece blanket laid on the arm rest to keep your legs warm. The bright sun shone down on us and we ordered a couple cappuccinos while chatting and admiring the dogs that people had with them.
After the last few drops of cappuccino foam we grabbed our things and walked back down to the train. A quick stop at the restroom and then a long walk down the length of the train and we were on our way back to the city.
We got on and I noticed two things. The first that Swiss can be very rude and run you down just to get inside a doorway first and the second that a group of guys were having quite the picnic in the train. I watched closely at what they were enjoying and made some mental notes on what I could pick up at the grocery to try before my flight in the morning.
The train was otherwise uneventful. I slept a bit and stared out the window a lot. The sun was brilliant until we got on the other side of a tunnel and the grey skies of the city greeted us. Once off the train we walked through the Zurich HB station to make our way home, stopping on a grocery store to grab a few things for dinner.
In the grocer I found the three things I had noticed this weekend - mixed fruit juice (mystery juice from the hotel), rivella (which the train picnic was chugging from a liter size bottle), and paprika flavored chips (also from the train picnic and for my own comparison to the amazingness of holiday flavor chips in Sweden). I'm still not quite sure what rivella is. It tasted sweet like juice but was carbonated. The ingredients said it was made from milk syrup and caramel coloring. I thought it was very good but very dense for a drink.
Groceries in tow we got back to Karen's flat. Once there Karen began cooking and, unsure what to do but knowing company was coming over, I decided to organize and pack my things. As I wrapped up my packing Karen said that she was headed out and would be back in a bit. I sat on the couch catching up on Vice and watching bad movies on tv. When Karen came back there were three more people in tow, and they had just come back from running 5k in preparation for a mini marathon they have planned in April. Right away everyone got to work in the kitchen finishing the meal and after a while there was a gorgeous Chinese spread waiting on the table.
We ate dinner and enjoyed some wine. They were telling stories of work, wedding plans, and trips both past and future. Everyone was lovely and the food that Kim and Karen made was amazing! After dinner we cleaned up and soon the coworker running buddies were running out the door to get home and get ready for the workday tomorrow. Karen and I finished the evening listening to music and talking. It was a wonderful way to wind down the weekend.
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