Switzerland
Bonjour/Guten Tag!
After leaving, Lyon to venture off on my solo travel, I stayed in a beautiful small village in France, Divonne-les-Bains. It is right on the border of France and Switzerland and I literally walked from one country to the other! This was a house and pet sit arranged through Trusted Housesitters. Some of my travel through Europe will involve a combination of this and hotels. It’s a pretty neat arrangement and gives a unique opportunity to immerse myself in other cultures. I don’t pay to stay in exchange for care of the pets and the house. Here, I cared for two sweet and loving Golden Retrievers, Billie and Bingo. They required a lot of walking and each day, I logged 20K steps! I have 5 of these pet sits planned along the way.
Travel like this can be a little intimidating and I was apprehensive when I embarked on my solo travel, a little emotional when I said goodbye to my friends. I was worried about navigating the trains and buses. But so far, this could not have proven to be easier and I’m now relaxed and feeling confident about the travel. I researched transportation somewhat extensively as I planned travel in Europe. I purchased a Eurail 3 month Global Pass, and studied, in depth, The Man in Seat 61. I joined a Facebook group, Interrail/Eurail Travel Tips, Advice & Planning, which proved invaluable! And then there are the languages. I went to the market in both France and Switzerland, and everything was naturally in French or German. Everything, everywhere, is in the local language - the signs on the streets, the instructions on TV, the overhead announcements. It’s a little intimidating to immerse yourself, but you have to dive right in! I’ve been using Google Translate on my phone, primarily to read what is in writing, but also to try to interpret what I’m seeing and hearing. It’s been a godsend and I’m even learning a little of the languages. I impressed myself as I was able to order a pizza online via Uber Eats, menu only in French, and successfully communicated delivery instructions to an address in a locked/gated community. Since I will be spending a fair amount of time in German speaking countries, I’ve begun to study German using Babbel.
From Divonne-les-Bains, I spent the week traveling by train through Switzerland. It is a gorgeous country of contrasts - from the snow-covered Alps and glaciers to the alpine lakes and picturesque villages nestled in the Alps. My pictures don’t come close to capturing the experience and the beauty. I hope you all have the opportunity someday to experience it yourselves.
My first stop was Zermatt, a quintessential charming Swiss village, pedestrian only, with the exception of tiny work trucks and taxis. As described by someone I was chatting with, it “isn’t on the road to anywhere”, but it is definitely worth it to visit. The major draw in winter (it’s still winter here) is the skiing - throngs and throngs of skiers. And in the summer for unparalleled hiking. But for me, The Matterhorn. I woke up with a view from my balcony to sunrise over the mountain and then took the Gornergrat Railway, a cograil train, up and through the mountains to Gornergrat, with beautiful and changing views of the Matterhorn at every turn and at the top. There is a panoramic view of several 4 thousand meter peaks, the second highest in Europe after Mont Blanc.
I then took the Glacier Express, one of the longest and most iconic scenic train journeys in the world, to Chur (pronounced Kur), the oldest village in Switzerland and a very sleepy village at this time, as it is the shoulder season. At the recommendation of a local Swiss woman I met in the restaurant of my hotel, Hotel Stern, I ate “Capuns”, a traditional dish of chard stuffed with spaetzle dough, salsiz (dried Swiss beef), cooked in milk bouilllon, gratinated with cheese. All I can say is wow. It’s really a fun experience to eat like the locals eat. The hotel was great, too, very convenient to the train station and to the Old Town.
Off the next day on the Bernina Express, a slightly shorter but equally spectacular train ride that connects Chur to Tirano in Italy. The train passes through the Swiss Alps along the Bernina Range, winding through the Rhaetian Alps, with views of rolling hills, forests, and pastoral landscapes. Then it climbs up to the Bernina Pass (2,253 meters), with views of glaciers, snow-capped peaks, and quite dramatic ice formations. The train typically travels to Tirano, Italy, but the last portion of the tracks were under repair for the day, so I had to pinch hit. At the recommendation of my Rick Steeves Facebook group, I planned to spend time in Poschiavo and have lunch there, then get back on the train to head back north. Poschiavo was literally shuttered up, everything was closed from noon to two and I literally saw only 2 other people (Americans) as I roamed the empty streets, dragging my suitcase on the cobblestones, getting a touch grumpy. Not even the restaurants or the grocery store were open! I got back on the next train hungry and disappointed, but it’s all about adapting as I go.
The train to Lucerne, my next and last stop in Switzerland, included a stretch during rush-hour and commuters heading home to Zurich. Quite a juxtaposition from the calm of the previous trains, but I guess community is universally the same chaos and hustle and bustle wherever you are in the world. Lucerne is a picturesque small city, surrounded by the Swiss Alps, including Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus. Lake Lucerne is simply gorgeous. I walked 2 miles out and then back along the lake on a gorgeous 63 degree, clear sky, weather kind of day and then had a local dish of “crispy fish” fresh whitefish from the lake and a signature drink “Rigi Spritz”, made with local Mount Rigi liqueur, gin, Prosecco, lemon, and mint - and maybe other things, I’m not sure, but really delightful.
Overall, and in brief summary, Switzerland is very expensive (I paid $82 USD for a chicken caesar salad, french fries, and a glass of wine in Zermat!). I understand that the economy is strong and that people are compensated well for their work. Here, there is a notable precision (if a train is scheduled to leave at 12:34, it leaves at 12:34.00) as well as many engineering marvels, like their extensive system of tunnels, viaducts, and train system up and down through the Alps. There are four official languages: French, German, Romansh, Italian. It’s been really fun to listen to conversations in so many languages! And I thoroughly enjoyed the many conversations I’ve had with people from all over the world - Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, England, France, Germany, China - and of course the US! I’ve been asked by some about the current politics in the US. In brief, most are baffled about the upheaval. Speaking of politics, which was highlighted when on the Glacier and Bernina journeys, one of Switzerland's distinctive features is its system of direct democracy, which allows citizens to propose and vote on referendums and initiatives, giving them a direct role in shaping policy. The country is neutral in international conflicts - this neutrality is a cornerstone of Switzerland's foreign policy. It is also home to numerous international organizations, humanitarian agencies such as the Red Cross and various United Nations agencies. If it wasn’t so expensive, I’d be tempted!
Please click on the Switzerland Photo Gallery button above.
Au revoir/Auf weidersehen for now.
Stay tuned!
Laurie