Switzerland in a day (and half a day's train ride)

now.., as anyone reading this is probably well aware, I'm terrible with names.., and equally terrible at getting round to doing things. I'd intended asking David to remind me of the missing names in this post, but I didn't get around to it.., by now I figure that If I don't publish this partly complete post, I'll probably never get around to it anyway.

Two of David's friends live in Switzerland, .... who did her postgrad diploma in Heidelberg with David and Simone, who was once an exchange student in NZ, and a keen member of the tramping club. The train from Rome to Zurich left at 8:30 from the main station, and crossed the border at the town of c...... the views through the snowy mountains were nothing short of spectacular, interrupted occasionally by a tunnel. (they are just in the process of digging a tunnel that will pass directly through the mountains for 10s of km, shortening the journey, but removing some of the most scenic traveling that I have ever done.
We arrived in Zurich having enjoyed a lunch of potato chips and chocolate and headed straight for ...'s place where we left our bags, and headed into town for a dinner of >>>>>>. a local speciality make of grated potato, fried and covered liberally with cheese. and of course, some local beer. Then cam a mission through town to find a beer for everyone else, and a hot chocolate for me. the beer proced easy to find, but the hot chocolate was a lttle more elusive. Eventually we found it, and not long after, we were crawling off to bed. The next day, we enjoyed a sleep in and a relaxed breakfast with .... and ...... leaving their house in time for a short walk around town

before meeting Simone at the train station at 1:30. where we decided to catch a train up >>>>> the closest mountain to town, complete with amazing mountain bike tracks (but I had no bike)) a viweing tower, amazing views across the alps and lots of other siteseers.

A refreshing walk down the hill, and various gossip with Simone about what's become of many of the old trampers, and we were at the other train station, ready to catch a train back into town, grab a hof chocolate at a cafe with cool playing card-like menus, bid farewell to Simone and head back to ...v and ...'s place for lunch/dinner before catching the train to Heidelberg at 7:30.