Zurich Day 2 - Pt. 2
08 September 2017, continued
We dropped in a few of the shops along the viaduct, though of course most were well over our price range. We did find a café among the shops, and they had a couple of old style plush chairs set out facing the park that looked so comfy! We got the café's specialty called a "shakado", which was a bit like a Frappuccino but without the crushed ice. We relaxed out in the chairs overlooking the park and chatted with Sebastian, the guy running the shop, about politics, Swiss vs US culture, living in Zurich, affording Swiss prices, relocating to Europe... we sat in our chairs enjoying our coffee and conversation. He showed us the bag he carries, made by a Zurich company called Freitag that uses all recycled materials from the trucking industry. They use a type of heavy tarp to cover their trailers here in Europe, instead of the solid plywood and metal trailers like we have back home. Freitag gets the old tarps, along with seat belts and tire parts also reclaimed from trucks, and uses them to make their products. Products made from recycled materials has become common these days – from old drink cartons to sails from boats – but apparently Freitag was one of the originals. Sebastian's bag was about 6 years old, and it was the replacement for the last one which lasted a bit over a decade, so they've been at it for years. He said they were located right up the street from the viaduct, and the shop itself was made from old shipping containers. We decided to check that out once we left the café, but for the time being the weather was perfect, the iced coffee refreshing, and the chairs so comfy, that we hung around a bit longer and enjoyed our stay.
We left the café with a few postcards of their artwork and passed down a gritty street that led further away from the old town, north of the viaduct. We passed by a badminton hall (yes, a badminton hall) and saw a stack of shipping containers ahead of us. Must be it! We went into the shop and browsed their stuff. Really nice stuff, actually... but as you probably guessed, it was expensive. I did find a nice green and white wallet that we picked up to replace the one I had since around 2003, so yeah it was time for an upgrade! As we walked through the multi-level shop, we saw a sign that said "Go Truckspotting". Up the next level, another saying the same thing, pointing up a staircase to the observation deck. The shop itself was four containers high, but an additional three above that and we found ourselves on the roof! The view looked out over the trainyard, where the railway tracks curved around under construction cranes and electrical lines to create interesting patterns of cityscape. Down below was a little biergarten type place, and next to that was urban surfing in a wavepool!
The viaduct had two levels to it, the higher part was for the train, but the lower part was a walking trail. We followed the trail back down towards the river, passing by that park and, at some point, walking directly over the café where we just spent part of our day. Would have been nice to see Sebastian again to thank him for the tip on Freitag. The trail crossed the river and would eventually take us back towards Niederhofstraße. As we crossed, we looked over the Unterer Letten.
Zurich is known for its public “pools” along the lake and river. Not enclosed swimming pools with their own water like we would be used to, but more like sectioned off areas where you swim in the actual lake or river. The Unterer Letten is one of these, a bath house with full shower and changing facilities, lounge areas, and a large dock-like boardwalk built out over the river, where the water is rushed through past the hydro-electric plant creating a potent current. Sunbathers were out on the wooden decks clad in swim shorts and bikinis enjoying the pleasant weather. There were people jumping in the river from the dock, others getting what must have been an amazing workout swimming stationary against the strong current, and one guy jogging across the narrow concrete barrier past the plant. These swim areas are found all over Zurich, and while Beth was looking unconvinced at the ladies in their bikinis thinking it was way too cold, I think in the summer it would be a great place to stop and enjoy. It would probably take a bit to get our heads around it, as I wouldn’t dare think of swimming in the rivers through the city back home. But the water here is very clean - even for European standards - and swimming is safe and very popular. We crossed the rest of the bridge and, with our backs to the Unterer Letten, we followed the river bank down towards the old town, watching more sunbathers lounging in the grass on beach towels and swimmers working their way through the current. We did bring bathing suits on this trip, and the more I watch the more I want to jump in. It did look like a lot of fun… but also the water did seem really cold! It was nice out, but not hot exactly, and certainly not warm to where I’d want to go swimming. Maybe the Swiss are a bit more used to it, but we’re standing dry on the shore looking a bit skeptical. I sure would love a free swimming spot right in the heart of the city though…
So, something came as a surprise to me – there are lizards in the city. I’ve seen lizards running around in Florida, where I used to actually be fast enough to catch them (a loooong time ago). I knew they lived in warmer areas, but I had no idea they were in Zurich. But as we walked along the river, sure enough these little lizards would dart across the sidewalk and up the walls. Really cool stuff, and I had no idea we would find them here!
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