The DadLadTour (Now Actually In Switzerland)

Day 2 (Part 2) – Zürich to Genève. 3 Trains And Teeny-Tiny Shower.

The Match – The hosts Switzerland take on the Finns

July 10th 2025

OK. Still with us? Good….

We’ve left behind FIFA’s self-congratulatory shrine to itself. As much as I am impressed by the delights Zürich has so far shown to me, she can keep the museum.

It’s time for a journey of three trains and roughly three hours before we arrive in Genève where we will be bedding down for two nights at the Hotel Astoria. Liam tells me to lower my expectations; it seems this hotel will not be as good a last night’s apartments were. To be fair, Liam hasn’t led me to expect an awful lot from any of the rooms he has booked for our trip. Availability and cost played a major factor in him choosing them. But last nights apartments were great; spacious with a kitchen/seating area, a bath and shower, and a large bed. All quite stylish and – very importantly – with cool (so cool, so cool!) air-con. He did well in picking last night’s and I have faith he will come through again today.

Just across the road from FIFA’s FIFA tribute is Winterthur station where we catch a train into Zürich HB.

That is where we will board our second train of the day, the 1130 IC5 service, to Lausanne. Originally we had planned to get the earlier, 1004, train but this was before we found we could fit the – underwhelming– museum in to our schedule.

Leaving the IC5 at Renens VD, we swap to our third train for this leg of our adventure, the IR90 to Genève-Aéroport. We will depart this train at Genève. The Astoria is just a minute across the road from the tracks that will bring us into the city.

Each train we ride gathers increasing numbers of Swiss fans. Their flaming red shirts and flags adorn the carriages. They seem in good spirits if not, a little like us the night before, somewhat apprehensive about the approaching match. I hear one or two cries of “Hopp Shwiiz” as we navigate the transfers between our services.

While on the third train we enjoy our Lidl picnic. The baguettes are torn in half and shared. Liam has brought several packets of Mini Cheddars from home. It is a simple meal, washed down with the water we bought. The bottles have been warming in the heat of the day but we don’t care. Our food is delicious and, as the Swiss landscape whizzes past the windows of our top deck seats, we could not wish for a more picture-perfect setting in which to eat.

Switzerland is beautiful. Sure, we pass a few areas of industry, but the vast majority of countryside is a swathe of wheat fields and field upon field upon field filled with tall corn ripening under the bright sun. Heads of yellow sunflowers can be seen everywhere. I am surprised to see ranks of vines filling dozens of fields. I didn’t know that Switzerland had grapevines – the prospect never occurred to me – and I am unsure if these grapes are primarily meant for wine bottles or fruit bowls. Pretty houses with beautifully detailed windows and roofs dot the countryside.

My room at the Astoria isn’t as bad as Liam had hinted; it’s not the best room I’ve ever stayed in. Neither is it the worst. It is small and narrow and rather warm. The lights and, more importantly A/C, switch off when you remove the key card. So, on leaving for the day, the room will – and boy does it! – heat up.

We agree to meet up in 45 minutes. In the interim, we go to our own rooms to store our packs and to relax and recharge a little.

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WARNING…..THIS IS WHERE THE DADLADTOUR BLOG CHANGES BRIEFLY FROM A PG CERTIFICATION INTO A MORE MATURE 18 RATING.

SCENES OF A NAKED NATURE FOLLOW….YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

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I place my pack on the single bed and then strip off to my boxers. My shoes and socks come off from my feet – my feet are never in the best of shape – and I breath a sigh of relief.

I lay down.

Then, moments later, I get up and crank the A/C as high as it will go. This isn’t far but the mere action of turning the little dial fills me with hope that the air in the room will soon cool. It doesn’t.

I decide to take a shower and, quick as a flash, my boxers are off too. I step into what has to be the smallest shower ever – little more than a large sink in both width and depth – and take a refreshing shower.

Then – still stark naked –  I lay on the bed to pen some thoughts in my little red DadLadTour notebook. Yes, dear reader, some of what you are now reading may have been originally jotted down while I was as naked as the day I was born. I trust that doesn’t put you off continuing with us on our adventure.

Please don’t let it.

After a while, I rise and dress.

The Switzerland shirt I acquired back home comes out of my pack and, after dousing myself in Lynx, I pull it on. Deciding against my England bucket hat for tonight’s match, I choose between the two England snoods I packed. Picking the red one with “ENGLAND” repeated in white, I drag it over my head. I now look like a footballing pirate. Or, given my belly, I may be a pirating football.

But, to your tender eyes, at least I am not naked anymore.

Liam knocks. He’s been out to buy some water and fruit. I forget to put the water into the room fridge. I will regret that later.

Then, with BantamMonkey safely secured, we are off again. Another match and another adventure awaits us.

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THE REST OF THE DADLADTOUR BLOG WILL NOW RETURN TO A PG RATING.

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