Monday, January 6, 2025
Rail travel from Otztal to Zurich
At the Otztal Train Station, we waited for
the train bound for Zurich to pull into platform 3 at 16:14. Once the train
arrived, we boarded the 2nd-class wagon #307, seats 41, 42, and 43.
Our 3-hour journey to Zurich was uneventful. On the train, I watched an
episode of
Shogun
on my iPad Pro and read some of Ian Fleming's Biography.
Our train pulled into Zurich train station, and we ordered an UberXL to take
us to the Hyatt Regency Zurich Airport, The Circle. A white Toyota Prius showed up (thankfully, it was the larger version that
could accommodate all three large suitcases). About 15 minutes later, we were
dropped off in front of the Hyatt Regency. After checking in, we dropped off
our luggage in room #827, rested, and descended to floor #2 for dinner.
We decided to try the Lebanese
Babel restaurant at the Hyatt and sat down inside. We looked at the
menu and decided to order the
Experience Menu:
- Golden Beet Hummus
- black sesame, rapeseed oil
- Salmon Kibbeh Nayeh
- alpine salmon, cracked wheat, olive oil
- Arayes
- beef flatbread, pine seeds, pepper paste
- Jawaneh Dajaj
- chicken winglets, garlic, coriander, lemon
- Mulwarra Lamb Shank Tagine
- onion chickpea jam, vermicelli rice, pine seeds
- Um Ali
- baked pastries, nuts, dried fruits
The Golden Beet Hummus was the best (even better than our
favorite Oren's Hummus in Los Gatos). It was creamy white, with
small bits of sweet white beets. The Salmon Kibbeh was ok.
The Arayes flatbread was nothing special. The Jawaneh Dajaj chicken wings were
delicious, but the portion was tiny. The Lamb Shank was excellent, and
Alex eagerly devoured it. The Um Ali dessert took a very long
time to make, but it was delicious. Initially, the service was very friendly
and speedy, but then it became super slow, and we had to wait forever for the
Um Ali dessert.
We checked out the fitness center and the spa at the Hyatt Regency. The
Fitness Center has a couple of workout machines, and the spa has a tiny sauna
and a rest area. We decided not to bother with them.
Our hotel room #827 is small but has a nice bathroom and a rain shower. The
shower was excellent, and I was happy to take a shower before bed.
After waking at 08:00, I showered, shaved, and dressed. When Inna and Alex
awoke, they showered and dressed. We checked out of our room and headed to the
airport at 10:30. We hoped to eat breakfast there (since the hotel breakfast
was $50 per person).
Our hotel was quite close to Zurich Airport, so we rolled our heavy suitcases
there. Once we dropped off our bags, we had to go through multiple layers of
security and passport control.
We saw an interesting two-seater car called
Microlino. It was
small and cute, with a fascinating design (no side doors).
Eventually, we reached our "E" gates and stopped by for a quick
breakfast/lunch at Pret A Manger. I had a small quiche and an espresso, while
Inna drank a latte with a small quiche.
Our boarding for Swiss Air LX38 (ZHR to SFO) was scheduled to start at 12:15
but was delayed until 12:45 (though Inna boarded earlier as she was flying in
business class). Alex and I were sitting in Economy, in seats 33C (aisle) and
33A (window). Alex wanted to upgrade to Business Class or Economy Plus, but it
was too expensive (the Economy Plus upgrade was $500/person; Business Class
was $1200/person).
During the flight, I watched the following movies and shows on my iPad Pro:
I enjoyed watching both Reagan and
Shogun (Season 1), but I skipped eating on the plane because the food didn't
look appealing.
We landed in San Francisco at 16:00, breezed through passport control,
collected our suitcases, and ordered UberX to take us home. The UberXL ride
was costly ($130), and there was heavy traffic on US-101 and Hwy-85.
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