Five big churches face each other across the Limmat River in Zurich’s Old Town.

Hidden inside each church’s almost impossibly slender spire is a set of large and very bossy bells, and at regular intervals throughout the day, the bells let fly.

One set will start, then the others enthusiastically join in, until the narrow streets of the Old Town reverberate with an extraordinary rolling, discordant clamour that you simply can’t ignore. It’s as if the bells are vying with each other, bellowing across the river and cowering the locals into submission. Except that the locals just totally ignore them. It’s only the visitors that are transfixed – especially this little heathen from the colonies. I just love that noise!

Zurich has turned out to be a great first destination for our trip. We’ve walked ourselves stupid (as usual) in the Old Town’s twisting, hilly streets with tiny fountained squares around every corner, taken a boat down long Lake Zurich to the 12^th Century castle as Rapperswil, and climbed up to the university terrace overlooking Zurich Old Town just for the view. And our legs have not yet forgiven us for yesterday’s climb up old, worn stone steps inside one of the church towers for wonderful views directly over the top of the city and lake (see the two towers at the far right in the photo). It was at least gratifying to realise that the gorgeous young things that followed us up the church tower were just as exhausted at the top. Standing on a narrow ledge 10 stories up a five century-old old church tower is a smidge outside my comfort zone, but it was worth it.

During our meanderings, Ian has discovered a number of local brews that are extremely enjoyable, and has made the odd discovery that in Zurich you can get very satisfyingly drunk on Swiss beer for less than it costs to buy a little tiny block of Swiss chocolate. Go figure.

Tomorrow, we leave Zurich for one of Europe’s most scenic rail journeys, through the Arlberg Pass to the Austrian lakes district. It’s a trip I did almost 50 years ago and can still remember well.