Europe Trip Recap: Zurich, Lucerne and Paris

Some trips are a blur. This one was more like a highlight reel. From late October into early November, Dimple and I flew from Manila to Zurich, wandered through Switzerland, rode the train into Paris, met up with Tin and squeezed in as much of the city as our feet would allow.

This is the one-stop recap of the whole trip, with a link to the full story for every stop. Grab a coffee (or a croissant) and come along.

Getting there: Manila to Zurich

We flew Qatar Airways from NAIA in Manila, connecting in Doha and landing in Zurich, from October 27 into the 28th. A connection in Doha, and then hello, Switzerland.

Zurich: breakfast under the lights, Old Town and a lake cruise

One cold Zurich morning started with breakfast at Luigia, the Italian restaurant inside our Radisson hotel in Opfikon. We expected a plain hotel buffet. We got a dining room lit up like a show, with a neon “The best of Italy” sign on a green wall of plants.

Dimple and Paolo at their breakfast table at Luigia Opfikon, Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich — Breakfast at Luigia, fuel for a cold Zurich day.

Then we bundled up and took the tram into town for our Zurich Old Town walking tour and short Lake Zurich cruise. We walked along the Limmat river, climbed up to St. Peter’s Church and its giant clock face, and admired the Fraumünster’s green spire against a sky that finally turned blue.

Dimple and Paolo by the Limmat river with Hotel Krone and the Fraumünster spire behind — By the Limmat, with the Fraumünster spire peeking over the rooftops.

The lake was low, so the cruise was only a short loop, but we made it count with hot punch, a slice of vacherin ice cream cake and the shoreline drifting past the windows.

Rapperswil: the Rose Town and the castle stairs

For a slower day, we took the train from Zurich HB to Rapperswil, the little lakeside town people call the Rose Town. We walked the promenade, wandered the old town square, and stopped at the bottom of the wide stone castle stairs, with 1894 carved into the stonework, for a photo.

Paolo and Dimple at the foot of the Rapperswil Castle stairs, with the clock tower above — At the foot of the castle stairs in Rapperswil.

Honest confession: the roses were mostly finished by the time we arrived. The castle, the old town and the lake more than made up for it.

Lucerne: Weinmarkt, the Spreuer Bridge and a very blue souvenir

In Lucerne, we walked from Schwanenplatz into Weinmarkt, the old market square with its tall carved fountain, then along the lake and across the old wooden Spreuer Bridge.

Paolo and Dimple at the Weinmarkt fountain in Lucerne Old Town — Weinmarkt, the prettiest square in Lucerne.

This is also where I bought my blue Victorinox pocket knife, the one with a starry night sky on the handle. I slipped it into my bag and forgot all about it. Keep that in mind for later.

Paolo's blue Victorinox pocket knife with a starry night design, bought in Lucerne — Our Lucerne souvenir, blissfully unaware of what was coming.

Paris, night one: Tin, the Moulin Rouge and the Kipling

A TGV brought us into Paris Gare de l’Est, and there was Tin, Dimple’s best friend, waiting to pick us up. That same night, October 31, we were at the Moulin Rouge for the 9 PM show, celebrating our anniversary with the friend who brought us together.

Selfie with Dimple and Tin in front of the lit-up Moulin Rouge windmill at night — The red windmill, all lit up. Of course we took the selfie.

Red halls, a table near the stage, feathers, sparkle and the cancan. Since we do events ourselves, we watched with work eyes, and the production was amazing.

Tin had thought ahead and booked us a night at the R. Kipling Hotel, a short walk from the show. Bamboo wallpaper in the room, an orange toile library lounge downstairs, and Dimple and Tin in matching tan boots without even noticing.

Dimple and Tin relaxing on leather Chesterfield sofas in the orange toile lounge of the R. Kipling Hotel — Winding down in the Kipling’s library lounge.

Montmartre at sunrise, then Versailles

You’d think we’d sleep in after the Moulin Rouge. We didn’t. Dimple, Tin and I went out early for a sunrise walk through Montmartre: the I Love You wall, quiet cobblestones, and then the sun turning Sacré-Cœur gold. Dimple also did a happy dance on the stairs, and we left Pain Pain with pains au chocolat.

Dimple and Tin on the front steps of Sacré-Cœur in golden morning light — Sacré-Cœur in the early morning light.

Next came the Palace of Versailles, at full speed with a tour group: golden gates, gardens that just keep going, and the Hall of Mirrors. See it, snap it, keep moving.

Paolo, Dimple and Tin in the Marble Courtyard of the Palace of Versailles — All three of us at Versailles, under a clear blue sky.

Eiffel Tower day: lunch, a glass floor and a knife that came back

Tin stayed behind at Versailles for some time to herself, so the afternoon was just Dimple and me. Lunch came first, at Il Angelo, a trattoria a short walk from the tower: truffle risotto and lasagna, good and fast.

Then the Eiffel Tower. Remember the Lucerne knife? Security does. They kept it at the entrance, and I went up quietly saying goodbye. When we came down, they handed it back. I held it a little tighter after that.

On the first floor’s glass floor, some people tiptoe. Dimple posed. Arms out, big smile, totally unbothered.

Dimple, arms out, on the Eiffel Tower's first-floor glass floor — Dimple vs. the glass floor. Dimple won.

After a long day like that, we wanted something sweet. At Amorino, the crêpe machine broke, the lady at the counter kindly refunded us, and we spent it on a chocolate gelato rose with a macaron on top. No complaints.

Paolo and Dimple with their Amorino gelato in Paris — The crêpes got away. The gelato didn’t.

Paris after dark

Dimple, Tin and I walked Place Vendôme at night with a guide, past the Ritz, Chanel and lit-up jewellery windows. Everything sparkled, nothing was for sale, and nobody’s wallet got hurt.

Selfie of Paolo, Dimple and Tin in Place Vendôme at night, with lit boutiques behind — Window shopping, the safe way, in Place Vendôme.

At Trocadéro, we caught the Eiffel Tower night lights: the golden tower burst into sparkles, the beacon swept the sky, and music nearby played what sounded like “Time to Say Goodbye”. Paris, slightly over the top, and somehow perfect.

Dimple and Tin at the Trocadéro wall with the lit Eiffel Tower behind them — The tower glowing gold behind Dimple and Tin at Trocadéro.

Then the coach pulled up to the Arc de Triomphe at night, glowing at the end of the Champs-Élysées with traffic swirling around it. Dimple and I got our proof-we-were-here selfie.

Selfie of Paolo and Dimple in front of the lit-up Arc de Triomphe at night — Proof we were there: the Arc de Triomphe at night.

Getting around, the Seine and a very long Louvre walk

We got around Paris by metro, tapping an iPhone with a Navigo pass in Apple Wallet. If you’re a first-timer, our Paris metro guide explains tickets, tapping in and which way your train is heading.

Our hotel for the Paris stay was the H4 Hotel Wyndham Paris Pleyel in Saint-Denis, just north of the city, where breakfast at Le Chopin came with neon signs at every station. Dimple’s pick: yogurt with granola, and a croissant, naturally.

On a grey day, we took a Bateaux-Mouches Seine cruise. On the quay, a dinosaur skeleton stood on a barge with the Eiffel Tower behind it, so obviously we took the selfie. Up on the open deck, Dimple appointed herself our tour guide.

Paolo and Dimple on the quay with the Eiffel Tower and a dinosaur skeleton on a barge behind them — A T-rex and a tower in one frame. Only in Paris.

Then came the Louvre, starting with a selfie at the glass pyramid. In the Denon wing we walked the Grande Galerie and saw Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks and the Mona Lisa. In the Sully wing we met the Venus de Milo, the Great Sphinx of Tanis and the walls of the medieval fortress. We still ran out of time before closing.

Paolo and Dimple outside the Louvre, with the glass pyramid behind them — Every Louvre visit starts at the pyramid.

Paolo, Tin and Dimple with the Great Sphinx of Tanis in the Louvre's Sully wing — Saying hello to the Great Sphinx of Tanis.

After a day of masterpieces, we were hungry, and somewhere between the croissants and the cheese we had started missing rice. So we walked to Sapporo for ramen, curry rice and gyoza. Rice: found.

Notre-Dame, reborn, on our last day

We saved a special one for the last day: Notre-Dame de Paris, open again after the fire. The last time we’d seen it, we were floating past on the Seine. This time we walked right in, past the great rose window, the new altar, painted chapels and the Crown of Thorns reliquary.

Paolo, Dimple and Tin taking a selfie in front of Notre-Dame — The three of us at Notre-Dame. A perfect way to say goodbye to Paris.

Heading home

Then it was time to fly home: Qatar Airways QR 038 from Paris CDG to Doha, then QR 928 to Manila, landing at NAIA Terminal 3.

Homecoming photos are coming soon. Until then, thanks for traveling with us. Zurich, Lucerne, Paris: merci, danke, and see you again.

Our Europe Trip Recap: Zurich to Paris