Days 81-84 - Zurich, Frankfurt and Luxembourg

When I last left the blog it was time to start making my way to London.  I am nearly there (Luxembourg tonight) after spending the last four days traveling at a feverish pace.  Following a travel day I spent one day in Zurich, one in Frankfurt and one in Luxembourg.  It has of course been rather tiring to head to a new city each day (especially with getting up to watch the Giants) but it has been well worth the effort.  Here are my impressions of each of the cities.

Zurich

The largest city in Switzerland is located to the north of the country in the middle of the Alps.  With 370,000 residents it still felt like a small town. 

The city is constructed at the mouth of the river as it opens up into a lake.  The river was one of the clearest bodies of water I have ever seen. 

The main tourist attractions of Zurich (other than cheese and chocolate) are the various churches.  The one above has the largest clock face of any clocktower in Europe.

A view of Zurich from near the city center

No trip to Switzerland would be complete without an attempt to open a bank account.  Unfortunately I was just short of the minimum 1,000,000 Dollar minimum balance so I left empty-handed. 

The only downside of Switzerland is the cost of living.  It remains the most expensive place I have visited in the world.

Frankfurt

Frankfurt is the financial capital of the EU and one of the only cities with a large amount of modern skyscrapers.  This means that most things are translated into English which is a nice sight for a weary traveler. 

The financial center

A brief walk from the train station through the red light district leaves you at the city center.  Most of it was destroyed during WWII but it was rebuilt in its original style. 

Frankfurt is certainly worth seeing and I am glad I randomly decided to spend a night there. 

Luxembourg

Do you know what country is located between Germany, France and Belgium?  Until yesterday I had no idea.  The sole reason for coming to Luxembourg was to cross another country off of the list.

The city of Luxembourg is absolutely worth a visit.  I did not think I could be impressed by scenery after seeing so much of it but Luxembourg somehow managed to make an impression. 

The setting feels straight out of a Disney movie, especially with the fall colors. 

As I sit writing this I have come to the realization that this is my last night in a hostel.  (I will be staying with family in London.)  The trip to London tomorrow morning will be my last train journey of The European Adventure.  What a ride it has been.

I will have a post from London and then one last one after that to say goodbye to Europe.

The trip is almost over?

Scott