Day Nineteen - Zurich

We wake up, take another walk along the lakeside to a cafe and get ourselves a much needed coffee and pastry. Zurich is our final destination of the trip, that is where we are heading, but on our way we decide to make a stop in the town of Lucerne.

Once in Lucerne we walk the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge) a medieval wooden foot bridge spanning across the Reuss river and adorned with paintings along the wooden cover overhead. There are many shops and cafes along the river. From designer clothes to cheap souvenirs, you can find it here. It's a quiet and beautiful town with a rich history and we are glad we made the stop. But it's time to go now, back to the car.

We arrive in Zurich, a bustling big city, quite a change from the peaceful and serene settings we have been in for the past few days but it's actually a nice change back to urban convenience. We park on the street and walk to our hotel. Thankful again for the ability to check in early. We are hungry, and due to our agreement to eat cheap from here on out, we go to McDonald's. Joke is on us, two value meals end up costing $30. There is no reprieve. To be fair it was really delicious, or maybe I just miss fast food.

Knowing by this point in the trip we would want some pampering I made reservations at Thermalbad and Spa Zurich www.thermalbad-zuerich.ch. It's located inside the hundred year old Hürlimann brewery with thermal water is supplied by the Aqui springs deep below Zurich. We soak in giant wooden tubs then head to the rooftop pool. As we swim to the outside I'm floored by the panoramic views. It felt like a movie, this is not our life. We swim to the edge of the rooftop, a steady layer of thick steam swirls off the top of the water and floats off into the cool air above. We grab on to the edge of the pool and stare at the skyline taking comfort in the warm water and bubble jets. I have included a photo of this place from the website for illustration purposes because naturally cameras are not allowed in the spa.

We have a wrap and steam scheduled. It was pretty hilarious, we cover ourselves in a mud-like substance and are supposed to sit and relax in the steam but we just end up laughing then I start saying I am suffocating on steam, I was not. After the steam we have a couples massage. After weeks of walking, hiking and stress this was really the best way I could have ever ended this trip. It was pure bliss.

We head to the rooftop pool one last time. We watch as the sky turns from deep blue to black as the sun sets. All the lights of Zurich turn on one by one. Headlights, street lights and stop lights flicker below. Tiny, cold rain drops begin to land on our shoulders and it feels perfect. I say out loud "We are in a rooftop pool in Switzerland and it's raining" as if to receive confirmation this is indeed reality.

Not wanting to ever leave, but knowing we must, we head out into the cold night with our wet hair feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Time for a drink. When planning this trip I jotted down a tiki bar called Mata Hari as an option for drinks. Turns out this bar is on the same block as our hotel. We freshen up in the hotel then turn back around and head out to walk the two blocks to the bar.

We are in a tiki bar in Switzerland listening to Dead Kennedys. Very surreal. I order the Mai Tai and it's $25 ($10 deposit on the tiki glass). It's very delicious and potent. We sit at the bar and talk and have more drinks. It was one of my favorite nights of the trip. Good vibes, good drinks, good conversation. Once we are all tiki'd out we walk the two blocks back to the hotel and pass out.