From Luzern to Zurich, Meeting Thien Lan and Beverly

In Switzerland public transport is expensive but superior. Their transport system is second to none in Europe, possibly the world. The buses and trains are clean and fine tuned like their watches. It's once in blue moon if anything is delayed or cancelled.

Unless you have a half-fare card or you're under 26, the only reprieve from the high train fares are Supersaver tickets. I always check if they are available online but beware, if you miss the train booked, you won't be able to transfer to another or receive a refund. On the plus side, they can be as cheap as half the normal fare.

I flew to Zurich to visit two girlfriends from Sydney. Thien Lan lives in a village not far from the city. Beverly is on holidays from Singapore. I haven't seen them in years so I was excited to have our paths cross again.

From Zurich I took a train to Stettbach and a bus to Gockhausen Dorf. The train ride was only 9 minutes and the bus departed within a few minutes from Stettbach station. It was perfect timing. I arrived to foresty village and there were not many people around.

Meeting Thien Lan and Beverly again (and their families) was wonderful. The last time we were together, I was about to move to London. That was eight years ago and so much has changed since.

We played with the kids in the backyard, running around shooting water pistols. There was also a play area which Bev and I took advantage of!

The husbands took the kids inside and we got to have a girly catch up with wine. 

I couldn't believe the afternoon flew by so quickly. Soon it was dinnertime. They set up the crepe maker and we got to make our own savory crepes. 

Unfortunately I had to leave at 8.17pm to make my Supersaver train back to Luzern. I would have liked to stay longer. This is me on the bus leaving the village-see how happy I am to have met some dear friends in this pretty place? 

Here's what the trains look like in Switzerland. They are grand machines. Meticulously on time and efficient. Every moving part simply glides because they're so well designed. And look how shiny they are!

In the carriages they give you updates on connecting buses and trains and tell you where to catch them from. This made the day's travels stress-free.

I took the train back to Luzern with my friend who I was staying with. The Luzern festival was on and I've never seen the city so crowded. We went to a rooftop to watch the fireworks. It was the perfect way to end the day.