the 'cool' kids...

...always sit in the back. or at least that's how it was on the school bus in grade school...

missed...

...the tram...

zurich film festival

The third (yes, it's a fairly new event) annual Zurich Film Festival, which runs until October 7th, kicked off last night and will be showing over 50 feature films, documentaries, short, and animated films. It's a great opportunity to catch a number of independent and foreign films that might not make it to the regular theatres. Films will be competing in three categories: "Debut Feature" "New Fiction Feature" and "Documentary Feature." There is also a series showcasing new Russian cinema, as well as a film series tribute to Director Oliver Stone, who will be making a special appearance to collect an award in his honor. Pictured here is the Festival's info. & ticket center, which was set up on the Limmatquai, next to the Rathaus bridge.

staying dry...

...inside the tram...

cafe/bar/kiosk

This is the new cafe/bar/kiosk (guess they couldn't decide what to put there, so they went for a 3 -in-1 approach) at the recently renovated tram stop at Limmatplatz, at approximately 10 p.m., and closed for the evening (like most businesses in Zürich). You'd think they'd want to stay open at least until the trams stop running at around midnight, since there's a steady flow of people coming and going at least until then. Actually, this 'platz' is bustling until the wee hours, as there are plenty of bars and clubs in the area.

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Just because I couldn't make up my mind over which picture to post today, here's another shot. I'm still not sure which one I prefer...

cinderella/o?

I wonder how this person lost his or her sneaker--running to catch the tram, perhaps?

central

One of the main tram stops in Zurich, where several lines intersect. As the name indicates, it's right in the middle of the city. I spend a lot of time here, either passing through on a tram (at least twice a day), walking by, or waiting for a tram.

tram reflected

on my way to work...

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For those of you participating in the virtual scavenger hunt looking for a certain hotel sign on Neumühle-quai, please go here. Good luck!

because we care

The Zurich transportation authority is so concerned with the health and well-being of its passengers that they decided to post a series of quick and easy stress reduction exercises on the sides of the ticket vending machines. Now we can de-stress as we wait. Or as we ride the tram. How thoughtful of them.

buggy on a tram

Baby buggies and strollers usually ride in the back of the tram because, well, that's where they fit. What appears to be an abandoned sleeping baby in this buggy is actually a doll in a toy buggy belonging to the little blonde head at the top of this picture. Now that's a really fancy baby buggy for a toy!

like clockwork

In most other cities, posted bus schedules are merely an indicator or guideline (give or take, 5, 15, or even 30 minutes) as to when a bus might come by. In some places, schedules don't even exist, and you just stand there hoping that your bus or train will show up at some point in the near future. Here, the tram and bus shedules are exact. If it says that the tram will be there at 17:47, 98% of the time the tram will pull up to your stop at precisely 17:47. I was once asked by a fellow passenger at a tram stop if I knew whether something was wrong with the trams, or whether any schedule changes had been announced, because the tram was already running one minute late! I didn't know of anything. And of course, the tram showed up a few seconds later.