Last night we decided to go check out the large stadium-like thing that has popped up on Sechseläuten Platz. After a bag search by some unfriendly security guards (who whipped my water b
ottle out of my purse and into the trash faster than you can say “the ref is blind”), we were allowed into the corralled area. Inside, there were several drink and bratwurst stands, and an imposing wall of stadium bleachers across from a very large screen. It immediately became clear to me what the city was trying to do with this set-up: they were containing the mess. There were piles of trash everywhere – mainly used plastic beer cups and discarded food wrappers. Such rubbish is usually never seen in this pristine city.
We bought a couple caipirinhas at one of the stands and wandered amongst the crowd for a little bit. We sat down to watch the beginning of the Poland-Ecuador game, and noticed the crowd seemed to be pretty evenly split between supporters for the two teams. We ran into Scott’s German teacher, who was there with a Polish friend. A few minutes into the game, we decided to escape the corral and go find some dinner.
After consuming some delicious sushi at the nearby Globus, we wandered around the area and came across a large, outdoor restaurant/bar which was also showing the game on several screens. It was a beautiful night out, so we had a seat and watched a little more of the game. This was a much more enjoyable experience than the big corral had been, since we were in comfortable chairs and drinking out of real glasses. And not surrounded by piles of trash.
Along with many other locales around the city, the corral will be showing all of the World Cup games live. Entrance is always free, but actual seats in the stands costs CHF 10 for all of the Switzerland games and for the finals. And, it is “mit food und drinks”, as announced by a sign outside:
