First of all, a system that doesn't - trying to finish packing at 2:30am for a 5:00 am departure. I did some packing on Tuesday night, but ended up finishing on Wednesday night with the last few things in the case. We went out to have a meal at Klosterhof and then on to Star Room for karaoke. They close at 12:00 on a Wednesday, so I would have plenty of time to go home, pack, get up at 5:00 am, leave the flat at 6:00 am and be at the station for the S-bahn at 6:30 am and on the train to Zurich from Haupbahnhof at 6:50 am.
Except someone managed to convince them to stay open until 1:30 am. By that time there were no trams and we missed a night bus, so ended up walking home - which takes longer if you're trying to shepherd a group of rather drunk people. Got back in at 2:30 am and did more packing and for some reason finally got around to patching up the rip on the inside leg of my favourite pair of jeans. Set the alarm for 5:00 am and got into bed around 3:30 am. Woke up at 5:00 am, stretched and thought that I could really do with a few more hours sleep, looked over again... and it was 5:30. Threw stuff into my bag in a total panic, and managed to forget everything in the kitchen (chocolates, parmesan, vitamins, medicine) and somehow, my music player. By the time I realised it, I was halfway to the station on foot as there were no early morning buses on a bank holiday. So, kept on going. Lugging a suitcase over Frankfurt's tiled pavements is not fun.
I got there just in time to see the previous train leave - so I'd made good time - and when I got up on to the platform I decided I needed a drink. (It was feeling thirsty and thinking about my effervescent vitamin C that I hadn't taken that made me realise I'd left all the stuff in the kitchen behind.) There were three prime sample of Frankfurt youth at the vending machine, one of whom asked me in excellent English if I'd mind throwing my suitcase at it as it was refusing to vend.
In the end I decided to walk through the station and down to the tram, where there was an earlier service to Hauptbahnhof that gave me enough time to grab a coffee and some pastries on the way to the platform. The journey was nice - we didn't go through the Rhine Valley, but still some nice scenery. My plan to read Splendid Monarchy for my MA was a total fail, and I spent most of the time staring out the window or snoozing. The train was never anywhere near full.
When we were nearly at Zurich, I texted David and asked him to come and meet me, as I was too tired to try a repeat session of "lug case and bags via public transport". He came out and we went back to the flat, then he went to get some shopping while I snoozed. We then headed out in the evening to a barbeque at some friends of himself's, all Google employees. They had a very interesting little barbeque, Son of Hibachi.
This morning we headed into Zurich Hauptbahnhof to get a Halbtax card for me and if possible a commuter pass for himself. We piled out of the flat in 10 minutes after waking to get there before our 24-hour passes from the previous day ran out, and himself forgot his passport photo. I had no problem getting the Halbtax card, which entitles you to half price tickets on everything except commuter passes - it is available to everyone, even tourists. Himself thought he couldn't get his pass with no photo, but the lovely man at the counter told me that when I got a commuter pass, they could issue it to me without a new photo as my photo would be on file... so himself, who already has a Halbtax, was able to get his commuter pass. We were given temporary cards until ours arrived in the post, and the wallets they go in have the Zurich transport map on the outside! A system that truly works.
We then spent the rest of the day in Ikea, restraining ourselves from getting anything but what we needed - some crates to move and some lights. I also got a cute set of hanging files. And the obligatory plate of meatballs. Will purchase lots when I go there again next week. We're going to get a sofabed to sleep on until we can get our stuff over from the UK. The plan is to get a Transit and take over most of the furniture, then get the flat redecorated and rented out.
So, I'll be here until June 2 at the earliest, or maybe a few weeks more depending on how delayed my project is in Frankfurt. They'll let me know and I can head back up, and I have another 8 weeks on my contract for this year. We'll see when I'm where!
