Funny money

One of yesterday's chores was organising a starter pack of Swiss currency for tomorrow's trip to Zürich. I don't know what brought the need to mind, but fortunately I remembered that we're leaving the euro zone. Recent trips to Nice and Barcelona didn't have this complication (and with Malta now also using the euro, our planned trip to Gozo at the end of October won't require money-changing either). Indeed, not having to change currency has become so much second nature now that I could easily have forgotten about getting some Swiss Francs. In day-to-day terms, of course, it'll just be a matter of using my ATM card there like I do at home, but I always like to have some money in my wallet for taxi fares or to buy transport tickets when I arrive.

Swiss banknotes sure are colourful -- and the way they're printed (portrait format rather than the more usual landscape) is interesting too. It's nice to see Le Corbusier featured on the 10-Franc note and Alberto Giacometti on the 100, but I have to admit that I'd never heard of Sophie Taeuber-Arp before. Once again, as I did for Croatia, I've prepared a ready reckoner conversion chart to help work out prices.

It's going on for 10.30 pm as I type this, and I'm actually on top of things. I got the job to the printer earlier this evening, and now all I have to do is some ironing and the dreaded packing. The flight's at 12.15 pm tomorrow, so no need for panic in the morning. The hotel has wireless internet in all rooms, so I should be able to keep in touch with Blipland -- I might even get some commenting done!