The last time I was in Switzerland, I flew home on September 11th 2001.

Yes that day.

My friend and I were visiting another friend who'd recently moved to Zurich, he was working that day so we were staying in his apartment killing time till our flight. We turned on the TV with the sound off and saw what we thought was a re-run of "Towering Inferno". I'm not a big fan of the film so we switched channels to see Captain Pugwash on the children's channel.

When we switch back, we realise it isn't a film and start to understand what is really happening. We catch live one of the planes hitting the towers, we are in shock.

Later, we arrive at the airport to the most deathly quiet terminal I have ever encountered in my life, we see a line of passengers queuing at the American Airlines desk complaining about the service and exclaiming they'll never fly AA again. They don't know.

We catch our flight home, but it's the most quiet airplane I've ever been on in my life.

Driving back through the city of London, we pass Docklands with it's gleaming towers, slightly nervous as to what might happen.

When I arrive home my landline answerphone, is full of messages from a friend who's parents is holidaying with my parents in the U.S. I'd totally forgotten and so call her back.

My parents had to extend their holiday to the US as no flights left America for several days.