DAY 9 & 10 (23rd and 24th September 2022)
St. Gallen, Zurich and Goodbye
After breakfast at our AirBnb unit, we packed up for our final journey all the way back to Zurich. It was a long, uneventful three-and-a-half hour train ride. It was “uneventful” only because in the last week or so, we had already immersed ourselves fully into the Swiss landscape of quaint villages, lofty snow-capped mountain peaks, flowing streams, rolling meadows and all things Swiss. If we had touched down in Zermatt instead, and travelling the opposite direction to Zurich, we would have oohed and aahed at the beautiful sceneries.
We arrived at the main station of Zurich and walked a short distance to our hotel along Stampfenbachstrasse. We had plans to visit the famous library of St. Gallen named Abbey Library of St. Gall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And since it was our last full day in Switzerland, we had to make the most of it. Tomorrow, we head back home.
St. Gallen
So, after dropping off our stuff at our hotel rooms and grabbing a quick bite, we boarded the train bound for St. Gallen, which took almost 90 minutes. St. Gallen is a town with population of approximately 75,000 people, located in northeastern Switzerland, very close to the German border. St. Gallen was founded in the 7th century by an Irish missionary named Gallus, who first came to this region to build a hermitage. From this humble beginning of just a hermitage, people trickled in until a century later the Abbey of St. Gall was built. This drew even more people to settle in the immediate locale of the abbey, and it steadily grew over the centuries into what it is today.
Due to its location in a valley, the land in and around St. Gallen is relatively soft unstable turf ground, hence many of its modern structures today are built on piles. Well, it was originally supposed to be just a hermitage.
We walked through the picturesque town soaking in its sights and sounds, heading in the general direction of the Abbey Library of St. Gallen. The imposing towers of Katherdrale St Gallus greeted us from a distance as we approached the Abbey. Not unlike some of the bigger towns throughout Europe, we see murals painted on the frontage of buildings, which add colour and personality to the building and the surroundings.
Abbey Library of St. Gall
The library and the abbey itself were founded and established around the 8th century by St. Othmar, a medieval monk and priest. Although the abbey was destroyed in the year 937, the library remained intact. In 1983, both the library and the reconstructed abbey were jointly designated as a World Heritage Site. The library is also one of the oldest monastic libraries in the world, and holds 160,000 volumes, including manuscripts dating back to the 8th century. Not all the volumes are available to the public, though.
To preserve the ancient wooden floors of the library, visitors are required to put on these oversized rubber-soled slippers which effective wraps whatever footwear you have on. Aside from reducing the wear and tear of the floors, the slippers also dampen the sound of footsteps inside the library. Unfortunately, no photographs and videos are allowed inside. Flash photography in particular, may damage the ancient scrolls and manuscripts.
Abbey Grounds
Once we were done with the library (Bro. Ray: another tick in the “Things To Do in Switzerland” List), we headed outside to the abbey grounds. The glorious sunlight greeted us as we stepped out into the open. The well-groomed grassy area was inviting for picnickers and general public, if nothing else, just to soak up the late summer sun. There was a miniature 3D representation of the entire grounds, which gave us an overall view of the immediate surroundings – it helps “tourists” like us.
While the Hofkeller St. Gallen (function halls) surrounds the grounds on three sides, it is the imposing Kathedrale St. Gallen that dominates the scene with its two mighty towers flanking the entrance to the cathedral. These towers house a total of 9 bells of various sizes and tones, which are rung at different times throughout the day. The Kathedrale is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, where St Gall and St Othmar are buried.
We walked back to the train station via a different route than when we arrived. We walked pass the St. Laurenzen Church building, one of the many lovely looking buildings along the way. Many cafes and eateries were beginning to lay out their tables and chairs along the walkways as the evening began to cool. And soon, we were back to Zurich.
Dinnertime in Zurich
We arrived back at our hotel to freshen up before taking a short tram ride out to our dinner destination. We had chosen to spend our final dinner at a restaurant named Bederhof, famous for its regional dishes, as recommended by some friends. I think we can safely say that we were not disappointed. The food on offer did kinda look different from what we had experienced in the last week or so. See for yourself!
Day 10 – Zurich Walkabout
On to the final day then. Not much time until we had to go catch our flight, so we spent the morning just walking around the places nearby the hotel. The weather had finally caught up with us, but that did not prevent us from squeezing every last bit of Zurich that we can. We ended up in and around the Münzplatz, to look for some souvenirs to get for the folks back home. We couldn’t take too many photos due to the poor weather conditions.
We also took some time to visit the historic St. Peter’s Church, one of the four main churches of the Old Town of Zurich. It was formerly a temple site dedicated to Jupiter, before subsequently converted and refurbished into a church. The clock face on the steeple of the church measures 8.7m in diameter, making it the largest church clock face in Europe. Inside, the church is installed with an elaborate pipe organ in 1974.
We took the opportunity to get some respite from the drizzle by stepping inside the church building. The pipe organ was installed at the upper mezzanine opposite the altar area. We didn’t stay too long though, and we left after taking a few pictures. And then it was time to pack up and leave for the airport. Although we were going home with different airlines, the time difference wasn’t that great. So, we travelled together to the airport, but parted ways when it was our turn to board our flight.
Summary of Day 9 and 10
Having seen the nature parts of Switzerland the past week or so, being in the city has its charm, too. The old buildings, the shopping alleys, the modern facilities and all things city-derived is what Zurich is, not unlike the many modern cities in Europe. Overall, it does remind us that some parts of the world will always want to keep its original form, while the other parts will progress and move into modernity.
Adventure Close Out
This was my third trip to Switzerland, but certainly the most memorable as we covered so much ground compared to my other trips. And aside from experiencing some bouts of bad weather at the beginning, the rest of the trip was almost perfect weather, affording us the time and opportunity to do many activities, and snapping great pictures. Wifey’s acquaintances came to Switzerland and visited almost the same places as we did, but their trip was shrouded in bad weather almost every day! The difference one week makes!
I was hoping that in this trip, I would have my chance to put my hands on the glacial ice, but that did not happen. We were walking on top of several feet of snow above the glacier, but my aim always is to touch the surface of the “ice river”. Oh well, I guess I will have to do that at another place and time. I am sure my opportunity will come, as long as I keep adventuring.
So, you too should get out there and make your own stories! Happy adventuring!
