hb on fire?

noooooooo!....It was just the sun setting behind the Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich main train station) yesterday evening, giving its windows a fiery glow.

chicken bride

A few days ago Eric in Paris showed us a picture of a Parisian bachelor/bachelorette party. Here's one I spotted in the Zurich train station last week. Much like bachelorette parties elsewhere, some form of public humiliation is involved: she had to wander around dressed as a chicken and request donations from strangers. They don't really call it 'hen night' in German, so the chicken outfit was somewhat of a coincidence. I'm not sure what it is with the Swiss and their apparent obsession with chicken costumes.

the train station and the castle

Pictured here is the Zurich Hauptbahnhof (main train station), seen from across the Limmat River. I took this picture from the bridge near the Central tram stop. The fairy tale castle on the right is actually the Landesmuseum, or the Swiss National Museum, which is devoted to Swiss history and culture. In the summer the museum hosts a concert series in its courtyard, and there really is no better setting for an outdoor concert. In December the courtyard comes alive with Christmas lights, an ice-skating rink, and stands serving gluehwein and hot chocolate.

guardian angel II

Every single day, this little old woman stands in the exact same spot at the Zurich HB (train station). I've heard that she goes there to pray for all travelers and to send out her blessings to passers-by. Most people don't even notice she's there. Every once in a while a well-wisher will stop by and give her a small gift, like a flower, some chocolates, or a jar of jam, as a token of appreciation.

guardian angel

This huge angel by Niki de Saint Phalle protects all travelers passing through the Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Zurich main train station).

sunday underground shopping

All stores in Switzerland are closed on Sundays, with the only exception being small shops and grocery stores at major transportation hubs, such as train stations and airports. Pictured here is part of the ShopVille-RailCity shopping area below the Zurich Hauptbahnhof (aka Zurich HB or Zurich main station), which houses an assortment of cheap-y clothing stores, souvenir shops, shoe stores, newspaper kiosks, a small electronics store, and some other random shops. The Migros store is the main grocery store in the Zurich HB, and if you absolutely must pick up some groceries at the Zurich HB on a Sunday, be prepared to brave major crowds and long lines at the registers!