Thursday 29th August: Weather: 30°C in Zurich and 27°C in Altdorf:
Zurich to Altdorf: QATAR Doha 8.55am to Zurich 2pm. Train to Altdorf Station 2k walk to Krebsriedgasse 1
Ascent and Descent: Ascent 000m, Descent 000m
Time: 8.55am to 5.30pm:
Accommodation: Air BnB Krebsriedsgasse 1, Altdorf
QATAR Lounge Doha Hamad Airport
2 x Gas cans from Transa Zurich
Hot in Altdorf
Our Air BnB studio Altdorf
First Stop Aldi Suisse
Highlight today was arriving in Altdorf at our Air BnB, the start of our Via Alpini journey.
The Brisbane flight arrived in Doha at 6am in the morning and two hours and three cups of coffee later in their amazing Al Mourn Lounge, we’re on the 8.55am flight to Zurich. It’s only a short 6 hr flight with time to watch John Malcovich in a French movie Mr Blake at your Service, together with two episodes of Death in Paradise. We arrived in Zurich at 2pm and took almost an hour to queue through customs with hundreds of tourists, mostly Asians, arriving at the same time. By the time we get to the baggage claim area, our two bags were already circulating on the conveyor belt. We sailed through security area with no problem, and It was then an easy to walk to the airport train station where we purchase train tickets from the SBB Ticket Office to Altdorf via Zurich HB. The train takes only 10 minutes to get to Zurich, and Ian waits with our bags at platform 7 from where our Altdorf train will depart at 4.05pm, while I duck across to Transa, the Sports store from which I had previously ordered two MSR isobutane propane gas cans - for our morning coffees. It’s hot in Zurich - close to 30C° as I walk across the road to Transa to collect the gas cans. 15 minutes later I’m back at the station with time to re-arrange our duffel bags into back packs for easier travelling on the 4.05pm train.
As per Swiss time, the train leaves at exactly 4.05pm and arrives in Altdorf at 5.17pm, travelling around the spectacular Lake Lucerne. It’s 27°C in Altdorf -a tad cooler than the 30°C in Zurich, but still a warm 1.2k walk to our Air BnB at 1 Krebsriedgasse. The small studio, described as a farmstay, suits us perfectly with a kitchenette, dining table and bed in the same room, with a small ensuite. Rotem Marty is there to greet us. They live in a unit/house above and the family is sitting outside enjoying a drink for the nephew’s birthday. We chat for a minute, dump our gear, then walk 500 metres down the road to Aldi Suisse which closes at 6.30pm.
We’re pleasantly surprised that the grocery prices are very reasonable and close to Oz prices and the beer is even cheaper - a can costs 59 swiss cents, about $AUD 1.20 per can. We were expecting much more considering tha accommodation in Switzerland is very expensive - almost twice what we paid 9 years ago. We leave with a few beers, meusli, yoghurt, bananas, cheese, butter and bread - just enough for a dinner and breakfast.
Back in our little studio, a cold beer with a few nuts, cheese and bread is all we need after a long flight with no activity. We force ourselves to stay awake until 9pm, then bed.