The end of year Vielfliegertreff Stammtisch fondue evening is always worth making an effort to visit. Vielfliegertreff (VFT for short) is the German language equivalent of Flyertalk, a web based talkboard full of useful information about flying. I am not aware of Flyertalk offering so many dinner time meetups in different cities in the way VFT does, although there have occasionally been Flyertalk "do's".


Christmas market in the hall of Zurich main train station


SWISS ticket office in downtown Zurich, near Bahnhofstrasse


The interior of Pizzeria 99 at Zurich; I did not include any pics of our group for privacy reasons

I went to both Stammtisch dinners, on 25th November and on 16th December. In November, we met at the Brasserie Federal in the main station for a beer. Just outside the Federal, in the main part of the station, was a small and very busy Christmas market. On the way to the restaurant, while changing trams at Paradeplatz, we had the opportunity to admire the rather ostentatious Christmas decorations and lights of central Zurich. I am no fan of so called Italian restaurants and pizza places in Switzerland, but tonight's place, Pizzeria 99, was a real winner. Not only was the restaurant totally welcoming, with none of that service attitude so typical of Switzerland, the food was excellent. In fact, they offered a two course menu for CHF28, a price unheard of in Zurich, let alone all of Switzerland. It was a really nice evening and I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express at Rümlang near the airport, which I thought I had reviewed but apparently didn't. It was a run of the mill HIX night, although I find the Rümlang HIX to be a cut above the other HIX properties.


Entry to the Holiday Inn Express at Rümlang near Zurich, with pleasant Christmas decorations


I was upgraded to a "better" room, although I was not aware that HIX hotels had superior rooms that you could be upgraded to


The room was a decent standard HIX offering with a comfortable bed

The next Stammtisch was on 16th December and was the traditional annual fondue evening at the restaurant Baracca Zermatt in Kloten, the town closest to Zurich airport. The meeting place was at The Circle, an upmarket shopping mall in front of the main terminal of Zurich airport, which was transformed into a Christmas village with Dubai type bling, dazzling lights and a huge over decorated Christmas tree. Most people in our group had a cup of Glühwein (mulled wine), but I opted for a big amber Chopfab beer. Baracca Zermatt was a short bus ride away and other some other participants arrived there directly from the Hilton hotel. The fondue evening was nice enough and I found myself on a table that ordered the deluxe version of fondue with champagne and truffles. This really isn't my thing, a proper Swiss fondue is a fondue with Swiss cheese, not all these unnecessary and unrelated extra things in it. Like the previous year, the cheese quality declined with each successive fondue that they brought out. They presumably thought we were too drunk to notice as the evening progressed (we all ordered unlimited fondue). I found the evening rather expensive, mainly due to the drinks, and I ended up paying CHF104. This is one of the reasons why I don't come to each and every Stammtisch, but it's nice to show up from time to time (some of those nuts roam all over German speaking Europe, trying to attend every dinner).


This is the excessive Christmas tree in The Circle shopping center at Zurich airport


The fondue at Baracca Zermatt at Kloten, near Zurich airport


I can safely post this pic of the Stammtisch at Baracca Zermatt, because I am the only person who is almost recognisable; several bottles had been consumed by this stage