Zurich..hallo, auf wiedersehen

After arriving about 8pm last night, we had just today in Zurich before we take the TGV to Paris tomorrow morning.

We found a café for breakfast:  1x schoggigipfel (chocolate croissant), 1x gipfel (plain croissant), 1x doppel espresso and 1x latte macchiato.  The language is so different to English, it's almost impossible to work out what the words might mean.  For one day, we don't need to worry too much, and the Swiss people we encountered spoke enough English for us both to understand the message.

There seems to be lots going on in the city and I think we would really enjoy spending some time here.  As it is, we have just one day.  Brent already has a plan:  the Katalog Record Warehouse (the whisper among those who know is that this is the best second-hand record shop in Europe!).  I have a read of the hotel brochures and decide on a visit to Im Viadukt - a new local produce and retail development below the railway arches in Zurich West.

Katalog opens at 11am and we're on the doorstep just after.  An audible gasp from Brent as we enter...there's so much choice he doesn't know which way to turn:  will it be to the 12 inch singles on the right...or the 80s indie/alternative straight ahead...or a detour to pop/rock along the wall...rest assured, people, by the time we're done it will be all of those!  An hour and a half later - while I've dug up some Slade, Status Quo and a dvd box set of the UK series The Royles - he emerges with an armful of 80s extended and remixed treasure!  The aim was to find some rarities, perhaps German pressings, that are hard to come by...and Mr B is extremely happy with his Peter Gabriel, B-52s, Cars and Bee Gees finds.  The shop has an extensive Australian/New Zealand section...which you don't often find overseas...and the whole shop is beautifully catalogued by genre, alphabetically and with cross-reference.  

After dropping off the records, we head to Im Viadukt.  It's a really interesting collection of fashion and food shops, galleries, and "hubs" where young people are working on laptops and gathered outside chatting.  In the same area there is what appears to be an artists collective, with a building adorned with slogans, sculptures and graffiti.  I like it and wish we had a bit more time to explore.

It's been a good day, beautiful weather...but we must say auf wiedersehen, pet...