’
m running through the woods as if my life depends
upon it. Outside the harsh circle of light cast by my
torch, the world is black. The only sound, amid the
muffled silence of the tall pines, is the crunch of my
trainers on the dark, gravel path. And something
seems to be whispering to me from among the trees.
In fact, all that’s missing from a real-life enactment
of
The Blair Witch Project
is a shaky camcorder.
Suddenly, there’s a sound, then footsteps thump
behind me. I turn and shine my light into the face of my
pursuer. “Ouch! Oh, Sarah, it’s you!” says a confused fellow
runner. “Come on, we’re falling behind...”
It’s the first night of a long weekend in Zürich and I’m
certainly seeing the sights. So far, I’ve run through two
motorway underpasses, a housing estate, a children’s
playground, and past several airport hotels before entering
this dark, suburban woodland. It’s Switzerland, yes, just not
as you know it. This is no quintessential fondue and skiing
holiday, there are no cuckoo clocks or Lindt. Some people
might think my sightseeing strange; it’s certainly not the
idyllic, chocolate-box visionmany come here for. But that’s
not a problem for me. I’mhere to find out what it’s like to live
like a local.
For some people, the start of the year means some new
resolution or change in lifestyle – but what about trying a
whole new life? My challenge was to take advantage of the fact
that travel today can mean doing more than just ticking off
the sights. Thanks to sites such as
Couchsurfing.com
and the
many home-swapping services, we can find out about local’s
lives, stay in their homes and see things most tourists don’t.
Why Zürich? Well, it’s the place that
Monocle
magazine
designated as its number-one city in the world for quality
of life last year. “A strict corporate culture with a village-
style feel that means it is a microcosm of a well-balanced
city that larger neighbours could learn from,” says their
recommendation.
It’s not just fondue and bankers? I checked with
my friend Debbie, who used to live there. “I love it,” she said,
echoing
Monocle
’
s endorsement. “It’s clean, safe and has
all you’d ever want from a small city. Plus, there are loads
of bars and restaurants; it’s easy to get out of and explore;
and it’s beautiful – really stunning.” There was just one fly
in the ointment. “Swiss people are hard to get to know,” she
warned. It sounded like the fall of a gauntlet.
Love Home Swap (
lovehomeswap.com
)
found me a
gorgeous two-bed apartment belonging to Chaya Jadhav,
Fig 2
Ditch the guidebooks
and get online
I
T H E C H A L L E N G E
Z U R I C H
A. Chair
B. You
C. Tea/Coffee
D. Computer
E. Guidebook
F. Waste bin
G. Desk
0 5 4
