Zurich Airport waiting hall

After my blog about traveling from Paris to Geneva I spent a few relaxing days back in La Courneuve, just outside Paris. Those days were really valuable. I got to hang out with the community, swap stories, share meals and have a good laugh. Being around people from my hometown made me feel good. Gave me some much-needed energy before my flight back to Kathmandu.

At first I had planned to ride my bike from Geneva to Zurich and make the most of my few days in Switzerland. As someone who loves cycling every new road and city means something to me.. Then I realized that Switzerland although amazing isn’t the easiest place to stay in for long when you’re on a tight budget. Everything is pretty expensive. I was running out of time. My flight from Zurich Airport was already booked,. I had to find a balance between my love, for cycling and the practical need to get back on time.

Choosing the Road by Bus

I decided not to ride my bike across the country this time I would take the bus instead. This was not a decision for me because I love riding my bike on the open road.. When you travel you have to be able to adapt to new things.

I bought a ticket from Paris Bercy Seine Bus Station. This bus station is always full of people going to places in Europe. The bus ride was long. Took all night.. It gave me time to think about all the roads I had already ridden my bike on.

I thought about the time I rode my bike from Paris to Geneva. I rode my bike through towns and big cities. I rode my bike when it was sunny and when it was raining. I made a lot of memories on those bike rides.

When the bus got to Zurich the weather was gray and cloudy. It was raining hard when I got off the bus at Zurich Roissy Bus Station. But I did not feel frustrated I felt calm. The rain has a way of making everything seem slower.

Zurich looked really nice and clean, in the rain. The streets were shiny and wet. People were walking quickly with their umbrellas.

Exploring Zurich on a Rainy Day

My flight was scheduled for 5 p.m., which gave me a few hours to explore the city. I stored my luggage safely and decided to ride the tram. Zurich’s tram network is famous for its punctuality and ease, and it was the perfect way for me to see the city without worrying about the rain.

The ride was really simple. I will always remember it. The tram went through different neighborhoods. I saw how well the old things and the new things went together. I saw streets with houses, the Limmat River, old church towers and big modern buildings with a lot of glass. All of these things went by my window on the tram like a picture. It was. People were still out and about doing what they needed to do. This is, like Switzerland and the Switzerland lifestyle people are very disciplined.

I couldn’t cover much ground, but even that short ride gave me a sense of Zurich’s charm. Sometimes, travel isn’t about visiting every landmark; it’s about absorbing the atmosphere of a place, even if it’s just for a few hours.

At Zurich Airport

I had to go to Zurich Airport. Zurich Airport is a good airport in Europe. It was just like I thought it would be. When I got there I saw how well everything was set up for travelers. There were signs so I knew where to go. The security checks were easy and fast. It was really quiet and calm not like some busy airports I have been to.

Zurich Airport was not a place for me to catch a flight. It was also a place where I could think about my trip. As I walked around the terminals I thought about my time in Europe. I like to travel by bike because it’s a slow way to see the world. I get to feel all the sad moments.. Now I was about to get on a plane and fly a long way in just a few hours. This made me think about how different ways of traveling can change what we experience. My flight was from Zurich to Doha airport, with Qatar Airways. Then I would go to my next place.

Reflections Before Boarding

I was sitting near my gate. I started thinking about how things do not always go as planned when you are traveling. I had really wanted to ride my bike from Geneva to Zurich. I ended up taking a bus instead and I saw the city in the rain.

Was this a thing? Maybe it was.. It also reminded me that traveling is not just about doing everything you planned to do. It is about going with what happens. Like the rain that makes you get on a tram or the bus ride that gives you time to think about things and the airport that is quiet and lets you reflect on your trip.

When they called my flight to Kathmandu I felt happy. Zurich had given me one story to tell about Europe. It was not about biking a long way or going over big mountains but, about walking in the rain riding on trams that always run on time and the quiet sound of the airport getting people ready to go on their trips.

When the plane took off I looked down one time at the Swiss landscape below the clouds. My trip from Paris to Geneva from La Courneuve to Zurich was over.

I will always remember this route. The people I met the roads I cycled on and even the bus rides I took. These memories are part of my world tour story. Sometimes going back home is a new part of the adventure.

Zurich Airport was my connection between Europe and Nepal between my cycling trips and my return, as a traveler.