Switzerland: Chapter 1

Zurich has the most amazing public transport I've ever encountered. We've made use of it right from the beginning, and it's really very very good. There are multiple options for getting to most places, and the connections are awesome. And it's not very expensive, either, despite our fears that everything in Zurich would be ridiculously more expensive than Australia.

In general, our fears about the costs of living and excessive Swiss bureaucracy have been largely unfounded. Don't get me wrong - it's not cheap, and there is a fair amount of seemingly pointless paperwork, but it hasn't been as bad as we thought it might be. The mail system is heavily relied on for the distribution of official documents, and it's about as reliable as you'd expect from the Swiss. Renting is definitely more expensive than Melbourne, but with two salaries we're fine. Eating out is more expensive, though we've found a couple of places that are affordable on a regular basis, and will probably uncover more as we get to know the city better. Supermarket food doesn't seem to be too much more expensive - some things are even cheaper than Australia (like chocolate and yogurt), but the meat prices are enough to make you vegetarian (and since we've been here, we largely are).

All in all, things have got off to a very good start here. We managed to secure the first flat we inspected and applied for, and moved in last week. So much for the tough rental market! We've got mobile phones, Swiss bank accounts, health insurance, an internet connection and we're almost through our fourth week in the new jobs. Now we just need a social network!!

We went out last week to see a crazy Russian punk/ska band called Leningrad with one of Martin's colleagues, which was fun even though I speak even less Russian than I speak German (which is pretty much none!). Being in Europe and surrounded by so many people who easily speak three or four different languages makes me acutely aware of the enormous distance between Australia and anywhere else.

It's getting cold here now. Last weekend we had some snow, and even though it didn't stay on the ground, it did make our bargain purchase of two sets of cross country skis for 20 francs (about 20 AUD) seem well and truly worth it!!

So, that's a first snapshot of life in Zurich...