Stockholm: Night Two

After an entertaining curve ball of a night, we were back on our feet, well rested and ready to explore Stockholm. We had a quick breakfast of corn flakes and were off to roam and sightsee. Our destinations were planned and we began walking towards the water where we ran into a walkway along the water that directed us right to The City Hall. The massive building was situated on the corner of the river, filled with colorful gardens, and blessed with an outstanding view of the city. We entered inside the courtyard only to find a horse statue that caused a group of Asians some serious troubles. One of them attempted to hop on the horse as the lifeless animal magically bucked her off. Friends gathered around and pushed beneath her for a good several minutes before the happy, drenched in sweat equestrian was able to pose for a picture. We left through the main gate in the front of the Hall and pressed on over a bridge to the next attraction. Across the channel from The City Hall was Riddarholm church,  one of the oldest buildings in the city that dates back to the 13th century. It was a true honor to stand inside this structure but we had one more major site to see.  

Across from this church we found the Royal Palace of Sweden. Apparently it is almost impossible to get someone else to take a decent picture of you when, even when your trying to capture and important lank mark. Luckily, we finally got a family from Maine to give us what we needed and we were back on course. As we circled the palace and passed some royal street performers, we noticed one in particular that was surrounded by a large crowd of people and setting up for his next show. We decided to stay and watch a man whose costume consisted of two people having dinner on his back. This was a particularly amusing site to see, especially when he bent down to pick up his materials. The show was quite intriguing as the man juggled wands of fire and sharp large pirate swords. It was a great ending to our Royal Palace visit as we left the highly populated scene. On our walk back we passed through St. Clara church and other cathedrals on the way back to City Hostel.

We arrived back to our eight-person room (all to ourselves) and sat down to watch the movie Inception. After the movie, we noticed we were running a bit behind schedule for our reservation at the Ice Bar. Our receptionist told us that they would not accept any guests that were more than ten minutes late so we were quick on our feet and in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the hostel did not have any stovetops for boiling water and cooking our pasta so it was up to the microwave to fulfill our appetite. We were able to cook the pasta in the microwave but it took much longer than expected. With only twenty minutes until our reservation and a ten-minute walk, our pasta and sauce were ready. We have never scarfed down food as fast as we did that night. Kobayashi and Chestnut would have had some serious competition. Thankfully, we did not have any hostel member’s pass by our ferocious vulture like feeding as we were out the door in search of the ice. We arrived to the Ice Hotel and proceeded to the bar entrance to receive our Eskimo jackets and high-end gloves before entering the 20 degree farenheit environment. The bar was ice, the benches were ice, and even the glasses that we drank our fruity drinks from were made of ice. We walked through a train of people that were singing and kicking their feet side to side to the music. The Ice Bar was surely the coolest one we had experienced thus far. Pun intended once again. Once we left, a heat wave simmered our faces and provided a rude awakening to our body temperatures before being back on the streets.

As we walked toward a spot for nightlife, we abruptly changed plans as we remembered it was Sunday night. We journeyed back to the City Hostel and caught our last glimpse of the beautiful sunset that Stockholm graciously provided us. 

Training Up To Sweden

With no sleep and a full day of traveling ahead of us, Chase and I slugged some water and got our game faces on. Unfortunately, our journey to Sweden involved several transfers in the Netherlands and Germany before we could relax and sleep. We changed rails in Hilversum, Osnabruck, and Hamburg before boarding our final train to Stockholm. From Hamburg, we took the train right onto a ferry, which  allowed to reach Copenhagen and continue on to Sweden in one straight shot. It was an exhausting fifteen hours to say the least.

We arrived in Stockholm Central station around midnight and decided to sleep in the train station until we could check into our hostel. However, after two hours of rest on the most uncomfortable and oddly shaped benches, a security guard informed us that the station was closing. We now had seven hours to kill and nowhere to kill it. Once we exited the station, a bright McDonald’s sign caught our eye and essentially called us over to it. No joke, this was the best McDonald’s ever. Great food and fast service put us in a great mood to enjoy free wireless internet and clean, comfortable booths. Now it may sound like this McDonald’s isn’t all its cracked up to be, but it gets better. Along with being open 24 hours, this McDonald’s attracted every group of girls in Stockholm on their way to and from the bars and clubs. Answer this question. When was the last time you sat in a McDonald’s for 7 hours eating Big Mac’s and youtubing hockey fights, all the while being surrounded by dozens of beautiful, blonde Swedes? Let’s just say we had a very happy meal. Pun intended. If you ever find yourself in Stockholm with time to kill, McDonald's is the place for homicide.

Unfortunately, nine o’clock rolled around and we had no more excuses to hang out in McDonald’s. We walked to City Hostel, a hostel close to the train station and located in the heart of Stockholm, and immediately passed out after checking in.  An entire day of traveling and a busy night at Micky D’s really wore us out. We slept until the early evening and hit up the grocery store across the street for essentials once we were settled. Everything is ridiculously expensive in Sweden and we knew that we would have to be conscious of our budget for our entire stay. Our grocery list included: bread, sliced ham, smoked Gouda, corn flakes, milk, pasta with sauce, peanut butter, and two apples. One Big Mac at McDonald’s cost more than half of groceries, which turned out to be enough for around 10 meals. It was eye opening.

 

Once our bellies were full, we finished off the bottle of Chardonnay that Christine gave us and hit the streets around midnight. A hostel mate named Adam tagged along, but, later proved to be of less value than our first friend  named Adam (he accompanied us for the first ten days).  This Adam seemed to be wasted after his first beer and somewhat of a liability. Most places were an hour wait, and the ones with no wait had an age limit that excluded him. He was definitely holding us back.  Two O’clock rolled around and we were next in line to get into club “Oh Oh Oh”. Adam was a little drunk and angry about waiting in the line so he decided to go home. We did not try to change his mind. Next in line, Chase and I got ready to give the bouncer our id’s and cover fee when all hell broke loose. The bouncer began arguing with a large English man right next to us, which halted the entry process. The man was angry that he could not get in without waiting in line, while other locals and friends of the bouncers got in instantly. More words were exchanged and the two men began swinging at each other. We couldn’t have been any closer than that to the fight without being involved in it. The bouncer asserted his dominance and was eventually pulled away by friends and co-workers once the police arrived.  We were excited to have some story to tell people in the bar, but there was one problem. Because of the fight, the police said that no more people were allowed to get in.  O well.

We thought about calling it a night until we passed an outdoor bar at the bottom of a nearby hotel. No cover. No age limit. We were in business. After a few drinks with a group of Swedish girls, we made it to the dance floor before closing and enjoyed the rest of the evening. 

Amsterdamage Control

After calling it an early night at the White Tulip Hostel, we checked out the next morning and walked down the street to the pleasing smell of waffles. We were waiting for family friend, Christine Turner, as she caught up on rest from her long flight  from the States. Stationed in the back of the restaurant was a hostel lobby area where we would catch up on our blog, use free Internet, and watch enough MTV Jams to hold us over until returning to Garrett’s basement in Annapolis. It was getting later in the day and we were eager to meet with Christine so we left the free scent of waffles and moved onward to the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

We arrived at the hotel and were instantly greeted by Christine, as she was just walking out of the lobby to come looking for us. After a warm welcome of hugs were exchanged, we made it up to her lovely room where rum and cokes and plenty of snacks silenced our hunger. Endless amounts of cheese and crackers, fresh fruit, and mixed nuts never tasted so great. An toast was made and Christine continued to present essentials to us from our families back home as we exchanged a few gifts for her. A bottle of chardonnay was another exceptional present we received from Christine, working out perfectly for our long train ride to Stockholm. After we traded our goodies, we shared some stories of our adventures and Christine shared one with us. Hours before her flight was projected to land, a man in the back seat of her plane had a seizure. After the plane searched for a medic or anyone capable of helping the man, an undercover security Marshall took charge to manage the situation. The convulsing man had been treated with the necessary fluids and was instantly back on his feet in good standing. Surprisingly, as they reached the gate, the man was able to walk off the plane unattended and journey his way into Amsterdam medic free. We hope this man is ok. 

Regardless, other funny stories from the 4^th of July were swapped and our hunger was satisfied. We then began to plan our night and dinner reservations. Christine kindly relayed several dinner options to us but we could not decide on one in particular because they all sounded delicious and any food was perfectly fine at that point. We left the hotel and knew that walking around the streets would surely bring us to a nice restaurant that Christine had recommended. We made a reservation at an Italian restaurant called Casa di David as we continued onward to a nearby bar where we were again treated with a tasty beer. After joyfully watching the Amsterdam city traffic of enraged bicyclists and car drivers, we headed for dinner.

We were seated at a nice window table that looked over one of the many beautiful canals. Our Italian waiter anxiously approached us and firmly inquired for our drinks as we ordered a couple of beers and a glass of wine. We looked over the unique scroll of a menu and consulted one another over the variety of great options the restaurant had to offer. Our waiter returned for our order but quickly left, as we were hesitant to make a choice. We quickly developed a meal plan and were on our toes and ready to present our order. Moments later, we received a salad, bacon and parmesan pasta dish, and a large ham pizza sided with a bottle of red wine. Lastly, we enjoyed a tasty desert of Tiramisu. Thank you Christine!

After this great meal, we took back to the streets and captured several pictures before heading back towards the Crowne Plaza Hotel. On the way, we ran into two of Christine’s friendly flight attendants that were on her flight and we felt it necessary to grab another beer at an Irish Pub next to the hotel. After sharing stories and explaining our trips mission of spreading democracy, we received a call from Garrett’s friends that were in town. We promised the ladies to bring our friends back before we went out for the evening so we met with Matt, Tyler, and Ari at the Flying Pig Hostel and returned back for a quick hello. Following our cocktail at the Pub, we left with Garrett’s buddies from Dartmouth and headed out on the streets for the Red Light District to see all that Amsterdam had to offer. Our first stop was at a nearby bar called Black Tiger where we toasted drinks “for the boys” and got completely rejected by the attractive bartender to get in one of our pictures. “What will I get from taking a picture with you guys?” she sighed. Her time was up and we were back on the streets in full force. After making a pass through the Red Light District, we decided to hop in a cab and transport to another bar called Paradisio. This small box of a bar was pretty overhyped as we found ourselves with another cheers with the boys before heading back to the Flying Pig Hostel for another round of drinks and a farewell goodbye to the Dartmouth crew. We may or may not have poked our heads into a sex show at some point in the night.

We arrived back at Christine’s Hotel early in the morning without having the chance to lie down on the comfortable beds and said our thanks and goodbyes. Christine’s hospitality and generosity was unbelievably helpful to our trip. Seeing our family friend, receiving dinner and drinks, and chatting about current happenings back home in Annapolis was greatly appreciated. This was the perfect supplement for us prior to leaving for our train to Stockholm.  

Pra hahaha ha

After an epic night at the beer factory and a healthy breakfast at Starbucks (we could afford to eat at the one in Prague), we found ourselves near Old Town Square for the very first tour of the day. A friend of Zach's told us that groups of college students run free day tours around the city and highly recommended that we check it out so we jumped on the opportunity, even if it was a 5 hour commitment. Once 11 o'clock rolled around, the tour guides began dividing the large crowd of tourists into groups of 30. Luckily for us, this meant we would have a more intimate tour with our guide, Karel (pronounced Carol). It took us about 30 seconds to realize that Karel was a champion. Definitely the best guide in the game. His energy was off the charts and his knowledge of the city bested any guidebook we could find. 

By design, our first stop was the Prague Astronomical Clock because of how close our starting point was to Old Town Square. At a glance, the clock looks like an enormous, stone tower with too many confusing dials to comprehend. But thanks to Karel, we learned how to make sense of all of the various parts. For starters, the mechanical clock and astronomical dial were constructed in 1410 by clockmaker Mikulas of Kadari and an astronomer from Charles University by the name of Jan Sindel. Pretty impressive. The three main components of the clock mechanism include: the astronomical dial, which represents the location of the Sun and the Moon; "The Walk of Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the apostles; and the calendar dial, representing the months.  We were also lucky enough to see the trumpet player that performs at the top of each hour. He was ok.

After teaching us all he could about the clock, Karel led us all over the Old Town and New Town of Prague, stopping at other notable sights along the way to give his two korunas on the matter.  Whether it was discussing the Tyn Church, the main church of Prague since the 1400’s, or the National Museum on Wenceslas Square in New Town, Karel quenched our thirst for knowledge. Other memorable stops included the Powder Tower, original entrance to the city of Prague, and the world’s only cubist café.

Moving away from the Old and New Town attractions, Karel decided to take us through Josefov, the Jewish quarters of the city, which was also remarkably beautiful.  Karel explained that Josefov is home to some of the oldest synagogues in Europe, the oldest being the the Old Synagogue of 1270. We found this hard to believe because of Prague’s Nazi occupation during WWII. However, Karel informed us that during the war, Hitler decided to compile Jewish artifacts from all over Central Europe and place them in a Josefov synagogue. Unfortunately, his goal was to create a museum for what he believed would be an extinct race after the war. Obviously this is a terrible reason for compiling such artifacts, but the collection turned out to be more positive than its original purpose. It is now seen as a badge of honor for the Jewish population in Prague and Central Europe for that matter. 

Next came Charles University and the Opera house.  While the opera house bored us, Charles University picked up where Josefov left off.  Founded in 1348, Charles University was the first university in Central Europe and is the largest and oldest university in Prague to this day.  The university was inspired by Charles of Luxembourg and is conveniently located near the Charles Bridge on the Vltava River. Once again, Karel dazzled us with his knowledge for Czech history. But our tour was approaching the end and Karel was about leave us right next to the Charles Bridge with so many questions left unanswered.  Karel first explained that tour would not include the bridge or the Prague Castle (2 of the oldest and biggest attractions in Prague), and then informed us that he would be accepting tips after his final story. Suddenly this free day tour wasn’t so free. Anyway, he began commenting on the Czech uprising during WWII and relayed extremely fascinating information to us. According to Karel, the Czech uprising after Hitler’s death came in the form of confusion and force.  To confuse the Germans, groups of nationalists organized the removal of street signs in the city. This disoriented the officers that were occupying the city and allowed the resistance to move around them with ease. The forceful part of the uprising occurred when a group of 30,000 Czechs took over the main radio tower in Prague, despite the 80,000 German soldiers that attempted to stop them. The Czechs were able to get in contact with the U.S, who informed them that Russian soldiers were on the way to help. Once the Germans caught wind of this, Prague was completely deserted by Nazi’s. Side Note: The U.S would have come to Prague’s aid sooner but the demarcation line of the Czech Republic fell just west of the city, meaning that Russia was responsible for Prague.

The tour was finally over and despite having to pay on a free tour, it was one of the most informative and fun days of the trip. Karel pointed us in the direction of the Prague Castle (largest in Europe) and said his goodbyes. We no longer had his guidance, but decided to push through to the castle and bridge before calling it a day. After walking up several hundred steps to castle’s cathedral, we realized that having no guide did not matter. The site of the cathedral was amazing the view overlooking Prague was breathtaking. We didn’t need words to describe it. We returned to our hostel via Charles Bridge content and ready for a siesta.

Our train for Amsterdam was early the next morning so we knew that it would be our last night to see the Prague nightlife and experience some authentic Czech food. For this reason, we decided hit a bratwurst sidecar for dinner on the way back to Beer Factory for the night. Amsterdam here we come.

Czeching In: 4th of July in Prague

Awaking at the butt crack of dawn was very rewarding, as we understood that we would be off to a place that so many friends have raved about. After an hour into our train we were unexpectedly stopped due to our car coming close to flailing off the tracks. Someone that sat a few seats back from us noticed that the wheels began to smoke and pieces of metal were flying out from under the train. As we hurriedly moved forward to the next car, two American voices behind us asked if they could join us in the six-person suite we had just entered. It was the 4^th of July and we knew that the bigger crew of Red, White, and Blue the better. We met Micah and Zach from Los Angeles and were quickly sharing travel stories and asking where we could find a place to stay for 2 nights. Luckily, they had rented a 4-bed room hostel that they had only ended up needing for themselves. With little negotiation, they agreed to let us fill the other two beds at the Pension Corto Hostel and fulfill American pride throughout the streets of Prague. 


We made it to the Prague train station with our bags secure and asked the information desk where to head for our hostel. With little help and a grunting voice, the bearded man pointed off into the distance to what could have been leading us in either direction. We continued out of the station and walked in direction of our gut feeling. Fortunately, we ran into another crowd of Americans along with an Argentinian couple who Garrett made special conversation with about his country proud button down he had bought on a previous trip to their hometown of Buenos Aires. The group enjoyed our presence as we exchanged 4^th of July cheers and was helpful in guiding us to Old Town Square where we would find our hostel.

On the way, we stopped to get some change for our stay and were instantly rich. At least the 1,000 labeled bill made us think so. The US dollar to Czech exchange rate was approximately $1 to 17 korunas. Upon reaching the street where our hostel was located, we noticed a really long outdoor market, remarkably crowded and contained stands of fresh fruit, handcrafts, jewelry, etc. We received our keys and entered a long dark hallway that veered to a staircase, seemingly endless as we fought four steep flights of stairs. Our next couple nights would be spent in this relatively older building that was all we needed and had a great view of the daily street market and famous Astronomical Clock on Old Town Square. We dropped our bags off in the room and were ready to grab a bite to eat. The receptionist referred us to their restaurant that was 20% off and was located outside of the hostel on the sidewalk parallel to the market. Our experience of Czech’s finest Pilsner Urquell drought beers was in hand along with a delicious tomato mozzarella carpi starter and ham-topped pizza, instantly curing our hunger. With our stomachs content, we decided it was time for a brief siesta back at the hostel before we presented our American culture to the Czech Republic.

We woke up in the early evening and were destined to the Beer Factory. Thanks to all the messages from everyone on Garrett’s Facebook, you did not lead us in the wrong direction. We made it to the Beer Factory within 5 minutes from our hostel after passing several inviting Schnitzel stands. An enthusiastic man greeted us upon descending down the staircase into the long narrow cellar. Instead of taps filled with Guinness, like the pubs in Dublin, the tables at the Beer Factory dispensed premium Pilsner Urquell for all to enjoy. We sat down at a four-person table and poured our first pint while analyzing the scene around us.

Surprisingly, a D.C. United soccer game was on the big screen and our American tunes were playing. Located next to the game was a screen that relayed different numbers with tally marks underneath which brought up some curiosity. We ordered very American food, Buffalo wild wings and Baby back ribs, for dinner and were eventually informed about the second screen of the Factory by our waitress. The numbers on the screen represented the table you were sitting at and the tally marks pertained to the number of pints consumed by each table. Greatly satisfied by the portions and the quality of the food, the challenge had  now begun. We were table # 12 and we made the presence of American’s known with a bang as we held down first place for most of the night. After several hours passed, a few playful confrontations occurred between our outnumbered table and the fierce German competitors at table # 10 until we fell behind in the rankings.  Nevertheless, we continued to dominate the Beer Factory, this time on the dance floor. Our performance of Nationalism was noteworthy and well respected by the dozens of smiling faces that surrounded our table. The 4^th of July could not have been any better outside of the United States. We came, we saw, and most importantly, we spread democracy!

A Night in Vienna

Dreading another 12-hour night train, Chase and I were in pretty rotten moods from the moment we got to the station.  Our seat reservations appeared to be in a terrible section and we were both exhausted from a full day of walking around Zurich. The train arrived on time, which was nice because we were able to board immediately and grab the two window seats in our train car of six. With four spaces left, Chase and I spent the next half hour anxiously waiting for our other car mates to poke their heads through the door; but they never came. We now had three seats a piece. The trip was looking better already. To make things even better, we were able to plug in the computer (Thanks Sheree) and entertain ourselves for the first few hours of the train ride until we both passed out.  After checking the computer for any movies or TV shows, we stumbled upon a group of videos that would turn out to be a great catch. Everyone knows that the men of Annapolis love their fishing and this video proves it. Each video captures local legends George Turner and Kelly Bjornerud taking on the best fishing spots in Maryland with family, friends and fellow fisherman. The action and commentary in these videos are pure gold Ladies and Gentleman. Chase and I are even thinking of compiling the videos and selling them as tutorials. “Chronicles of an Annapolis Fisherman: The Wardour Files”.  While we’d love to relay all of the major tips in each video to you, we must first consult George and Kelly for copyright reasons; obviously. However, we can leave you with probably two of the most important lessons we learned during our 12-hour train ride.

1.     “Country music always brings em to the boat” – Kel Dog on catching the fish

2.    “You always use the flash baby” – George on posing with the fish after the catch

After some laughs and a good night of rest, we were finally in Austria early the next morning. Once we arrived at the station, we headed to the information desk in order to reserve seats for our train to Prague the next day and locate our hostel. In the process, we ended up running into two backpackers from Dallas, Texas. The two men, Justin and BJ, were making their way South to Madrid and were on the tail end of their 40-day trip in Europe.  Since their train to Interlaken was completely booked, Justin and Bobby decided to come with us to the Ruthensteiner Hostel. We combined forces and split a four-person room in what turned out to be one of the nicest hostels we had seen thus far. The list of luxuries includes: free Internet, tile floor bathroom, nice beds, bar, washer and dryer, kitchen, etc.  We settled into the room and then headed off to the city for some sightseeing.

Unfortunately for us, the weather did not hold up its end of the deal with the sightseeing. When it rains it pours. The rain and powerful winds didn’t let up until later in the evening. Although we were able to snap a few good photos as we walked throughout the city, most were nothing to blog home about. However, we did make it to the center of Vienna where St. Stephans Cathedral stands. Although the outside was under construction, the inside was one of the most beautiful churches we had seen on our trip. Once you walk inside the Cathedral you can truly comprehend and appreciate its massive size. The medieval pillars and arches of the cathedral perfectly surrounded the wonderful displays of art and holy sacraments. A true masterpiece in my mind.

Side Note: Almost every major sight or attraction has been under construction so it has been tough to get pictures without cranes or scaffolding in the way.

We spent nearly an hour inside the cathedral and left feeling more religious and spiritual than before. Our day ended with a few pictures of the Parliament building, the Mozart statue and more rain. As we made our way back to the hotel, an authentic plate of Schnitzel caught our eye at a nearby restaurant. Austria knows how to do Schnitzel.

After dinner we returned to the hostel and made our way to the kitchen for some drinking and cards with Justin and BJ. After exchanging a few stories from our travels, the Dallas boys told us something that we think needs to be made into an ESPN documentary or something of that nature. Being from Dallas, Justin and BJ are huge Mavericks fans. Since they could not be in Dallas for the NBA finals, they decided to go to Dirk Nowitzki’s hometown in Germany for the last few games of the series. Dirk is the Mav’s best player and an icon in Germany for his basketball skills. Anyway, the main bar in town was at capacity for the final game of the series and too crowded for Justin and BJ to watch. They decided to leave the bar and were eventually awarded for this early exit. After several minutes in the street, they were informed that Dirk’s old high school was being opened for the evening as a watching site for the game. The school was only a few blocks down the street so Justin and BJ went for it. The Mav’s ended up winning the NBA Championship that night and they were in the only other place besides Dallas that was worthy of an epic celebration. Congrats boys.

With an early train to Prague the next morning we closed up shop early and got some rest.

Zurich Part 2

We awoke at 10:00 AM well rested and energized from our wonderful dinner the night before. Bags were packed and ready for check out at 11:00 AM. Our heavy luggage was not something that we wanted to haul around during our quest through the town so we asked the receptionist where we could safely leave them. With quick response from the front desk, “the lobby area is a secure place and we will always have a receptionist here.” We consulted with Bernard to make sure our 2-month travel life would not be taken away from us and he confirmed that the Swiss were relatively kind and self-respectful people. Now comfortable, we strolled out of the ZicZac Hotel directed towards Starbucks once again to pirate some free Wi-Fi and avoid purchasing $10 coffees. We caught up on emails and planned our stay in Vienna prior to strolling the cobble stone streets towards one of many attractions.

With only the small backpack pouch on Garrett’s back, the “Bag Of Important Things”, our tourist appearance did not receive as many outright stares. My huge backpack was not juggling around drumming people in the face and Garrett’s trolley suitcase was not irritating locals with the noise of the hard wheels on the rough cobble stone surface. We continued like pros through the narrow winding streets and found ourselves across from the Lammat River at the Kongresshaus Concert Hall. Upon entering the Concert Hall, our jaws dropped and we looked right at each other in amazement. The luminescent Hall was enlightening with a massive gold chandelier and charming ceiling mosaics. With emptiness surrounding us, it was appropriate for Garrett to lead the nonexistent band with a silent concerto. After appreciation for the hard work and effort that was empowered into this special Concert Hall it was time to move on across the street to the Zurichsee where we would get our first good glimpse of the Lake. Filled with rowboats, sailboats, and paddleboats, we knew we needed to get involved. After several photographs of the lake, we found ourselves at the Burkliplatz, the birthplace for the Lake Zurich boats. With a panoramic view of the lake, we decided to rent a pedalo, or paddleboat, in order to capture a superior view of the lake. The floating red rocket gave us exercise and the ability to observe some of the most beautiful sights of Zurich. 

After some fun on the water, Belvoir Park was next on the to do list. We walked further down the lake’s edge to what we had been told was the largest self-contained park in the city. This park was very inviting and an attraction we were glad to see. Football fields of the greenest grass, gardens, and coy populated ponds with lily pads filled the park. After leaving the park we walked over the bridge and took many more photographs of the Zurichsee Lake and decided it was time to eat a snack. We treated ourselves to a bratwurst that was very good but also very strange as we found white meat inside. Although our hunger was satisfied, we were still skeptical of the different colored meat. Next, we found ourselves at the Zurich Opera house and were able to take in the beautiful architecture but with disappointment it had 
already closed.

After spending a full day taking in all of Zurich’s attractive sites and expensive food, we were on our way back to the ZicZac through the city's narrow alleyways to get our bags. Luckily, our bags were still in the lobby and we had a little more time for one last pit stop before catching our train. We were loaded up with all of our gear and trekked up a sloped road with many stairs to the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.  Upon reaching the top, we noticed the most overwhelming and memorable outlook of the entire city. As we made it to the peak, all of the church bells started ringing simultaneously. This could not have been a better ending to our special visit in Zurich.

We arrived to the train station a few hours prior to our 10:00 PM departure and were able to catch up on our blog.  Here we come Vienna.