The train itself was interesting, because we rode on the tilting train (ICN - Inter City Neigezug). ICN trains tilt around turns, rather than remaining horizontal, so they can go faster around curves without the discomfort of being squished against the wall. So instead, you can get the discomfort of being on a banking train, which feels a bit like a roller coaster; we're not sure we'd recommend it for anyone who gets motion sick. But if you've always liked Top Gun, it's a blast.
Anyway, we arrived in St. Gallen about lunchtime, and after a quick stop at the tourist information center, we headed off to the old center for lunch and a visit to the ancient cathedral. Along the way, we saw this fountain:
which had this turtle statue that Little Geek Girl insisted I share with you:
We continued on and had lunch at Metzgerei Gemperli, which had a crowd of locals out sampling the classic bratwurst and St. Gallen sausages, both of which are yummy when served hot off the grill with bread and mustard. Auntie Geek, being of the veggie persuasion, grabbed herself a tasty sandwich and we all sated ourselves for the moment.
We wandered through the old town until we reached the UNESCO World Heritage listed Abbey complex, which dates back to the 8th century and houses a beautiful cathedral and the Stiftsbibliothek. The Baroque cathedral dates back to the mid-1700s and is lovely both on the outside:
and on the inside:
Being inside a big church isn't a completely new experience for LGG, who has been to many in Italy, but this time she had just a few questions, like "Dada, what is God?" (I always get the fun ones. Once during a walk in the woods, we were talking about LGG's great grandfather, who died before she was born. "Dada, what happens to people after we die?") We walked around the cathedral and I tried to explain things, while we enjoyed the surroundings and lit a candle for LGG's great grandma.
Soon, they set up for a service, so we headed off to the Stiftsbibliothek. Along the way, we passed a square with traditional timbered buildings:
The Stiftsbibliothek is one of the most amazing libraries anywhere. Auntie Geek and I headed inside while ZMG and LGG rested, but unfortunately you can't take pictures inside, so you'll have to go over here to see one. It's two stories tall, with lovely wood shelves, wood inlays on the floor, and pretty details everywhere. I had a problem, though: it was very easy to imagine myself standing on one of the balconies with a book in hand, wearing a dark suit, while my henchmen bring in James Bond for a little visit. Don't ask me why, but that's what kept popping into my head.
After a while, we headed off to the center for window shopping and people watching. We reached the Bärenplatz and found a group of folks standing alongside the shops, blowing bubbles. LGG chased bubbles for a bit while ZMG and Auntie Geek headed off to the nearby farmer's market to buy some cheese. Here's an action shot:
The weather was turning colder and we decided it was time to head back to the chocolate shop we passed on our walk around the Abbey. On our way, we passed a church (part of the abbey complex) with a pretty tiled roof:
Here's our view as we enjoyed our hot chocolate and coffee. Not bad, eh?
Suitably fortified, we wandered off to (of course) buy more snacks, including a pretty little tart with powdered sugar marking the shape of a bunny. LGG and I window shopped at a toy store while ZMG and Auntie Geek hit the H&M for some tights. Finally, it was time to head back to the train station for our return to Zurich. It started snowing heavily just as we got there - good timing!
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