Some thoughts on train travel

Note: this was written on the train from Zurich to Strasbourg on Friday, June 13..
As I walked into the large central Zurich train station (HB) today on my way out of town to Strasbourg, I utttered the words, "I love this place!" It is full of life and vitality! Shops that are open when other stores have long closed in the city - grocery stores close early in Switzerland so if you need eggs or wine or bread, a quick trip to the to the Zurich HB or stop in between trains will meet more than your transportation needs. Needless to say, the station is quite busy with almost 60 tracks carrying people all over the city, country and to other places in Europe. After spending so much time on the European trains in the last week (Belgium, France and Switzerland), I have come to love the smooth, quiet and fast ride and on-tine efficiency of the system. It is so much less stressful than flying - and so much more comfortable, to say nothing of the opportunity to actually see the country instead of flying over it!