Zurich, Switzerland is a healthy, wealthy, thriving city. You could feel the sophistication in the air just a few steps from the platform. They were celebrating Oktoberfest when we arrived, which was a jovial introduction to the city. I was sad that we had missed the original Oktoberfest in Munich, but it wasn’t as though we partook in the festivities in Zurich anyway. Luckily this hostel, City Backpacker, wasn’t too far along the cobblestone streets and we were checked into our room before the 10pm deadline.

We grabbed a quick dinner down the street and then settled into the lobby to mingle and take advantage of the free internet. Some more Australians introduced themselves and I entertained them while Leah talked to her mom on video chat.

The next morning, we set out to explore the city and its surroundings. We passed the “Market of Curious Things,” which wasn’t anything too curious at all. Then we went to a souvenir shop along the river. Zurich is actually quite expensive, even the smallest snow globes cost around $14. It is quite a shame because Leah collects them and we were already over our budgets. We took in some of the sights around the river’s edge, which was hugged by stately slopes. Thanks to our beloved Eurail pass, many of Zurich’s attractions were free to us. A river tour was offered, so we jumped at the chance and headed on over to secure our spots. However, when we asked about the River Tour, the lady misunderstood and gave us free admission to a museum instead. We are not ones to turn down something free, so we explored the museum center. And then we gave the cruise a second attempt, but it did not ever show up at the dock. Out of ideas, we walked to lunch and then went back to the hostel to gather my things. It was soon time to head off to Paris. I teared up a little bit at having to leave Leah behind. We hugged and gave each other words of advice. I was terrified of being lonely, but I did surprisingly well as soon as I lost sight of her.