Monday, January 6, 2025
Rail travel from Otztal to Zurich
In the Otztal Train Station, we waited for the train bound for Zurich to pull in on platform 3 at
16:14. Once the train arrived, we boarded in 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 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). In about 15
minutes, 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 in it. 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 but was delicious. Initially, the service was very friendly and
very fast, but then 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 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
for the airport at 10:30. We hoped to eat breakfast at the airport (as
hotel breakfast was $50/person).
Our hotel was
quite close to Zurich Airport, so we rolled our heavy suitcases to the
airport. Once we dropped off our suitcases, we had to go through
multiple layers of security and passport control.
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 33C (aisle) and 33A
(window). Alex wanted to upgrade to Business Class or Economy Plus but
it was too expensive to do so (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). I skipped eating food on the plane, as it did not look appealing to me.
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 very expensive ($130) and there was heavy traffic on US-101 and
Hwy-85.
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