Fluntern Cemetery in Zurich

Cemeteries usually get a bit of a bad rep, especially around this time a year with Halloween and all. Me, I find them quite peaceful and I just love wandering around them. On my stopover in Zurich I read about the Fluntern Cemetery and decided to go check it out.

Fluntern Cemetery is only a tram ride away from the city centre and is located in the Zurichberg district. The tram ride there was lovely, meandering through a leafy residential area with glimpses of the lake popping in and out of view.

It took a bit of detective work to find the entrance gate and to work out how to open it, but once in I was in for a treat. Not only is Fluntern Cemetery the final place of rest of James Joyce and his wife Nora Barnacle, but it is probably the most artsy cemetery I'd ever been to.

The grave sites were neatly laid out along well kept paths and grassy plots. Trees were lining the walkways and when I was there, were ablaze with fiery autumn colours. But what made this cemetery so special was the abundant pieces of art adorning many of the graves. I saw a stone carving of a shepherd with sheep, a metal sculpture of angels soaring through the sky and stone statues of two children huddling together and one of couple that seemed to be consoling each other.

There was hardly anybody there, which made the experience feel even more peaceful. I spent a good couple of hours walking around admiring the art work and taking in the tranquil atmosphere before heading back to the busy city centre of Zurich. The contrast couldn't have been any bigger.

La Zoupa in Zurich

When I travel I love trying out the local cuisine. So during my stopover in Switzerland I indulged in lots of chocolates, cheese of course, but also in some Swiss soup at this lovely place called La Zoupa in Zurich.

As I wandered around the little 'gassen' or streets in Zurich, I stumbled upon this place called La Zoupa, a homey lunch cafe that specialises in soups and hotpots. From their website I learned that they started out as a catering company that delivers frozen foods and apparently that venture was so successful, they opened up two delis in Zurich.

The one I went to was on Torgasse in the centre of town. There is outdoor seating which is an excellent spot to people watch, even if the temperature drops a few degrees you can cosy up under warm, woolly blankets. Inside the atmosphere and decor was welcoming too due to the warm red and orange colour scheme, the wood furniture and the fragrant flowers on the tables.

Their menu featured soups from various countries around the world, but also exotic salads and hearty stews. From the list of soups I opted for the local and very Swiss Bunder Gerstensuppe, which is a filling barley soup with leeks, carrots and bacon accompanied with some fresh wholemeal bread. The soup was so filling in fact that I could only finish half a bowl.

I would have loved to have stayed longer at La Zoupa to sample more of their menu, but I had only one day in Zurich and places to go and sights to see. Next time I'm stopping over in Zurich, I will be back for more.

The Angels Wine Tower at the Radisson Blu

Airlines, you hate them or you love them. I particularly loved Swiss on my way to Hongkong last week, when they were looking for volunteers. The flight was overbooked and they were offering passengers to fly the next day with paid accommodation, meal vouchers and 751 Swiss francs in cash. I thought about it for three seconds and took the offer. And that's how I ended up in the Radisson Blu at Zurich airport.

Nothing to write a blog about, you might think, but this Radisson Blu is not just another Radisson Blu. This one has a massive, glass tower reaching all the way to the lobby ceiling, measuring 16 metres in height. And get this: the tower is filled with bottles of wine, over 4,000 of them. It's called the Angels' wine tower. It's quite a sight to see, especially at night when it's lit up in various colours that change with the beats of the loungy music that resonate throughout the hotel.

And if you're wondering how they retrieve the bottles from the top shelves of this awesome glass structure, well that's where the angels come in. When dining at one of the restaurants in the hotel you can pick your wine or champagne from an extensive wine list. When you've made your choice, your waiter sends the order to the tower where the Wine Angels pick it up. One of them straps into a what looked to me like an uncomfortable looking harness, and soars to the location of your chosen wine, while putting on a Cirque du Soleil type show. After which she brings the wine to your table.

I didn't actually order a whole bottle that night, but the angels did go up and down quite a few times which kept me mesmerised for a good while. Until I realised I had a free hotel room waiting for me to enjoy, making me soar to the fifth floor of the hotel where I acrobatically jumped up and down on my free bed a couple of times. I love you, Swiss.

Seebad Enge Bar in Zurich

Going to Zurich this summer? Dig out your trendiest bikini, board shorts or speedos and  pop by fashionable Seebad Enge bar in Zurich, right on the banks of the Lake, where gazing out across the water seems as if you're looking at a massive  postcard.

Photo from Seebad Enge

 This lake bath is a little bit of everything; beachclub, bar/restaurant and spa. On sultry summer days, splash about in the’pool’ that’s surrounded by pontoons floating on the lake. Summer evenings are spent at the pool side bar, sipping on a colourful cocktail or cold beer while listening to the latest tunes. Splashing around in water and sipping on alcoholic beverages makes a person hungry, but luckily Seebad Enge also offers a light lunch menu featuring salads and the sorts and in the evening the Seebad Enge barbecue is fired up for dinner.
The bar, bath and restaurant close during the winter months, but they remain open for relaxing massage treatments and yoga sessions.

Photo from Seebad Enge

One word of warning: The bath next door is a one where visitors bear all. Just to avoid any raised, err... eyebrows.

Photo from Seebad Enge

The bar and restaurant will open on the 1st of may and the bath will open on the 9th of may 2013.

Find more info on the Seebad Enge webpage here.