About Zurich and Swiss history

Well, things are in ordnung here. When I arrived to Zurich and took a tram to Youth Hostel for the first night, two street musicians came in and started playing guitars. They were pretty good with latin-american stuff. Anyway next morning the same guys at YE breakfast table were complaining that the police had come and now they have to leave Switzerland in 3 days. They don't tolerate begging in Z. Guys had french nationality, but originated from Morocco I would guess. Anyway they had done ok in Geneva, but decided to come to Z for the big bucks. Back to France it is for them...

Another thing I learned today is why Swiss are rich and why there is lots of money here. Anybody?

It's not the chocolate industry, it ain't the watches, it's because of textile industry the Swiss have the money. Never heard anything about Swiss textile industry!? Me neither. In the second half of 19th century they were huge exporters of textiles to the USA and Asia. By doing that they accumulated lot's of cash which needed of course good banking system. The textile industry was the main driving force for Swiss chemistry industry and the University also here at Zurich who had to produce the dye for textile coloring. Also Swiss precision machining was developed to feed the textile factories with motors and stuff... So the success story of textile. Who knows, maybe they produce textile goods even today...

...because stuff is expensive: bottle of Coke (0.5l) was 4.50 CHF (=45EEK) at city centre, as was cup of tea, so beware those who come from eastern Europe.

Have to go to train museum soon. The history museum had no clues why the trams in Zurich have so ugly blue color on them.