A magical christmas eve

My trip to Zurich, Switzerland with my friend Alex started off looking like a disaster.

Excitedly meeting at Heathrow on Thursday we checked in and happily wondered around the shops before settling down to chat over a bottle of red. Our flight was delayed but we weren't too concerned...other flights were taking off and they had our luggage...as if that was some sort of insurance...

the disaster struck when we saw the fatal words on the departure boards next to our flight number - 'Enquire Airline'. Our flight had been cancelled due to snow...not in London...but in Zurich. The most annoying thing about the whole proceedure was that we had to enter the gates as if we were getting on a flight before going through customs and re-entering the country - with all the questions and examination that they seem to subject us aussies to. Having to go through the slow lane for non-EU passports is never a good thing and even less so when you know all the EU-ers are going through much faster and rebooking on all the earliest flights before we even had a chance.

The good thing about flying with British Airways is that we were treated like the high-paying customers we were. No sleeping in the airport under foil blankets for us...no. we were shouted to two rooms in the Novotel with hearty 3-course meals provided (no alcohol though - don't they know that their cusomers will need a glass of wine after such an ordeal?)

Take two, Christmas Eve - the flight was ever so slightly delayed but after battling the Christmas Eve traveller crowds through check in and security we were soon cruising our way to zurich with a healthy supply of french champagne in tow...

In all there are eight of us celebrating christmas in Switzerland with Erin and Lauchie..we're all Aussie, and all (apart from me of course) living in London, living the dream. Our hosts live here in Switzerland and have done for several years - living a full and busy ex-pat life with their brand new 4 week old son...

Wondering around the main streets of Zurich under sparkling christmas lights we stopped in a hotel bar for a couple of getting-to-know-you festive bottles of rioja and were transported to a magical Christmas Eve world before heading to our new friends' home town of Zug, a tax haven that just happens to be rimmed by a lake and hemmed in by snow capped mountains...ever so swiss...

It's a magical Christmas Eve...

Till next time.