On this day (October 11^th) 1904 James Joyce and Nora Barnacle arrived in Zurich.

Having left Ireland on October 8^th they had first travelled to London. Joyce was hoping to meet an advisor, Arthur Symons, to discuss potential publishers for his first book of poetry, Chamber Music. But Symons wasn’t at home so the disappointed couple set off for Paris on the night of October 9^th. Their money was almost gone. In Paris Joyce spent his time scrounging money from acquaintances of his so that they could continue their journey. He didn’t do too badly. He was experienced at that!

But when Joyce called to the Berlitz School in Zurich on the morning of October 11^th to make preparations to take up his job as an English teacher he discovered that, due to some communications error, there was no job there for him. The young couple were devastated.