Mari’s Switzerland TR: three weeks of wonderful eating, marvelous drinking and amazing hiking
 

After spending three glorious weeks in Switzerland I find myself deep in the throes of post-vacation depression. As every self-respecting fodorite knows the only cure for this syndrome is (A) constantly talk (or type) about your recently concluded vacation and (B) start planning your next vacation. I fear that option B might not be realistic in the near future after the final accountability of our spending during this vacation is done so I will have to focus on option A.

FYI- my DH is Swiss but has lived on this side of the Atlantic for more than twenty years. DD and I had been to Switzerland before but always to visit and stay with family so this was the first time we were traveling through the country itself.

DD is thirteen and still decent company but does not love hiking. This limited the length of the hikes we embarked on. The more a hike morphs into rock climbing the more she loves it. She does have an appreciation for a good view be that of mountain landscapes or young guys carrying ropes and snow picks. There were plenty of opportunities for viewing both.

I am usually planning (or overplanning) our vacations, determining sights to see, researching activities and restaurants…on this trip I did not do any of this except seek the guidance of the Fodor’s CH experts. Once the major areas had been selected (Bern vicinity, Weggis, Lugano vicinity, Samedan, and Zermatt) we pretty much decided on what to do on a daily basis. We did not target temples of gastronomy or luxurious accommodations (not that we ever really do…) as this was supposed to be a low-cost vacation staying with friends and family as much as possible.

A few impressions before I embark on a full-fledged trip report…

Swiss bread is wonderful. Swiss cheese just keeps getting better bite after time. Coffee might not be the absolute best in the world but they can certainly brew it decent. Allow plenty of time for breakfast; you will not get up from the table in ten minutes as you might have originally planned.

You cannot go wrong with any destination in Switzerland, some locations may be better than others but I don’t think that you can go really wrong. I have not been able to select a favorite area…I will not be able to take a side in the never-ending the Engadine vs. Berner Oberland discussion. DH insists that if we had had as good weather in the BO as we did in the Engadine, the BO would be the clear winner (BTW-he is Bernese….)

Swiss white wine is really good.

My choice of clothes was totally wrong. I should have packed every single short and Capri that I owned and bought some sport sandals. I would have blended in much better and felt much cooler. The only people not wearing sport-type clothes where the poor bankers and high-end sales people in Zurich. It was certainly hot enough to wear only skirts and shorts. People in Zermatt, Samedan or Weggis could have been transported to Moab, Utah and fit perfectly.

There are dogs everywhere and there is almost no evidence on the street. There are clearly marked containers at frequent intervals where the owners of the dogs can dispose of the evidence. These containers have bags in case the owner of the dog has forgotten to bring some with them. I think that these bags do not run out because everyone has several plastic tied to the dog’s leash. Swiss dogs are well behaved. Having four large dogs inside a crowded 40 person gondola will not result in any kind of misbehavior.

Swiss timeliness is not myth, the trains, boats and gondolas will depart within the minute they stated they would. If you are late by two minutes, do not rush…it is hopeless, the train will have departed.

Driving in Swiss mountain passes is not really as scary as it seems as apparently there are well know rules for every possible situation and there is no hesitation to apply them between uphill and downhill vehicles. Naturally there are exceptions that that the average suburban flatlander (myself included) will never know or suspect (i.e. the postal bus will ALWAYS have the right of way AND can drive on the left if the driver so decides). I am positive that the driving exam must be at least 50 pages long.

Swiss white wine can be drunk at any hour and goes very well with almost any type of food.

Hiking trails are clearly marked BUT some interpretation is required for the uninitiated: a trail of 6km and elevation change of 200m that is estimated to take 3hrs will take indeed at least three hours. What the description implies is that the NET change is 200m but the overall elevation could be along the lines of 600m through rocky climbing and descending 20% slopes that does take indeed more than three hours….never assume that there is a typo on the guidebook, the description is quite accurate.

Swiss wine is good at anytime and does not give you headaches after imbibing a little more than you really should have. The natural consequence of this is a steadily increasing consumption rate per vacation night.

Little Swiss old ladies that might even be slightly overweight will beat you to the trail end. EVERY TIME. Do not bet against them…you will not win. They will already be drinking the aforementioned wine at the restaurant before you arrive.

Italian cuisine seems to reign supreme in CH (Swiss red wine goes wonderfully well with pasta and pizza).

Next...The Bernese Oberland: visit the In-laws, the start of a tortellini obsession, observations of a Caribbean teenager inside a glacier and the quest for a public phone.

What fun!! What a great report! I'm thoroughly enjoying your trip!

By the way, did you get a chance to sample the Swiss white wines? Could you comment on them . . .heeeeeh!

s

Mari, this is fun. I am craving that bread and cheese right now. Interesting comments on the lack of hangovers w/ the wine; I just emailed a friend I traveled to Italy and Spain with last year, wondering why I could happily imbibe each night on the trip with no adverse consequences, and yet a few drinks with some of my 'younger' friends last night has me feeling wobbly today.

Must be something in the water...

More, please. I forgot how much I like Switzerland!

I'm loving all of your observations so far, and hope you write more soon. I just love these wonderful trip reports, and I can't get enough of them. Luckily, I have only discovered the Fodor's boards recently, and I am discovering LOTS of these travel reports through board searches...what fun!

Belinda

Oh, Mari, I love your report so far, but please, as a personal favor, and I promise I won't ask for me, please please please mention Swiss ice-cream ;)

And I absolutely agree with everything you've said!

"If you are late by two minutes, do not rush…it is hopeless, the train will have departed." - is this just an observation, or there is a story behind this sentence :))

Swiss white wine is great as an apero.

Love your Switzerland report. We've had the most amazing weather. Last year, you would have used those clothes you packed.

Swiss white wine can be drunk as "gespritze Weisse" too.

Looking forward to hearing more about...

Swiss white wine and the rest!

bookmarking for later reference

There seems to be something about the "well marked trails" that I just did not get! On two trips to Switz. (short stays, I must admit) I went up to Gstaad and attempted to take a trail and just got frustrated. I would see some signs but then would come to places that I had no idea which way to go. I kept telling myself, these ARE well marked trails but ended up before long going to a restuarant and enjoying the white wine instead!

Some trails are marked better than others. It's best to have a hiking map to help sort it out when things get confusing.

The white wine, on the other hand, it all good---no map needed. Never tried it at breakfast, though. . .

Can't wait to read more, Marigross.

Marigross, can't wait to read more! I second all your observations.

The Swiss White wine is indeed fabulous. I recall having wonderful Dezaley, St. Saphorin ... but also excellent Red Wine - Pinot Noir from Lutry, Merlot from Ticino, Stägafässli from Val Poschiavo ...

Btw, I don't think we have a serious discussion BO vs. Engadine. It's more like teasing ;-)

Ingo

I see you've adopted the Swiss habit of shutting down for a few hours. Get this report done stat!!

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delays...people at work are interfering with my writing. They expect me to come back after three weeks and actually work!!! Are they crazy???

I am writing the report as I post so it might take a little while...hang in there I will do better over the weekend.

Faina - Swiss Ice Cream....what can I tell you? I thought Berthillion (sp?) had the world monopoly on Ice Cream perfection. How mistaken I was! I, the chocolate queen, did not really eat chocolate on this trip except in the form of Ice Cream. Hazelnut Ice Cream is the best,but Caramel comes a close second. Pear IC is also good....

Day 1 - the arrival
After checking the ‘not to forget before you leave the house’ list left by DH and checking it twice, DD and I left our home for San Juan airport. We were as prepared as you can be for the 20 hr trip to Switzerland. Why twenty hours? Well…San Juan to Newark is four hours, then a seven and a half hour layover in Newark and then eight more to Zurich (don’t you just love the wonderful alternatives offered to FF users?????).

After watching two World Cup games in EWR we finally boarded. DD slept through much of the long flight but since she was laying against me, I did not. After breezing through airport control in Zurich and picking up our luggage we found DH who was waiting to pick us up with the rental car.

DH had been is Switzerland for a week so that he could visit with his mother and extended family as well as take care of all the little things that you have to do when you are at your parents….

The first stop was the travel agency in the airport to purchase the Swiss Flex Pass for DH and me and get the Junior Card Pass for DD. There was much debate regarding the selection of the type of rail pass we would buy. DH wanted to have a car while he stayed with his mother so we had decided if we would keep the car all the time or ditch it after our arrival? Keep the car one week? Two weeks? We read comments on Fodor’s, we looked at the SFF website, and we changed our minds several times until we found a solution that I think was the absolute best for us. We kept the car for a week and a half more and then used public transportation.

The flex pass allows you to have four non-consecutive days of train travel while letting us enjoy all along the half-price discount for us and free pass for DD on all ferries, trains, gondolas and lifts. Considering the EXTENSIVE use we made of public transportation, this card paid for itself twice over.

We drove to DH’s home near Bern and met with his mother and aunt. We then drove to a restaurant near Barage Schiffenen (between Dudingen and Murten) for lunch in their terrace. DD, MIL and Aunt had chicken while DH and I had and awesome steak from a four-legged animal that is not commonly consumed by humans in the US. The day was absolutely beautiful! Even though MIL and AIL were hot, the temperature for me was just right. Hey, I live in Puerto Rico, I am used to hot AND humid. So warm and dry is 100% OK with me.

We returned to MIL to gather DH’s stuff and head for DH’s friend’s house where we would be staying (MIL has a small apartment and the tree of us would not fit ;) ) for a week. Frau V. was waiting for us with a pork roast. DD opened her eyes wide….red meat? No thank you, I only eat white meat….DH chimes in and says that she can eat whatever side dish has been made. DD agrees and sets to eat salad and bread. Frau V. is ready to smack DH for not telling her that before that DD is quasi-vegetarian. She offers to make something else for DD. At this point and to my ever-lasting motherly pride, DD politely announces that she will make an exception on her moral stand against consumption of large animals and she will eat the Pork Roast. We clearly establish for the duration of the vacation that Pork will be considered Pink Meat and not Red Meat and will be consumed when necessary as long as it did not come in the form of sausage.

After a Ice Cream, coffee and three bottles of wine had been consumed between the four adults, Jet Lag finally kicked in and DD and I retired for the evening

next - Day 2: Grindelwald

Oh, goody, marigross! Another distraction from my back-to-school prep. You're off to a dandy start. More please. (I've been lecturing my brother about how much better behaved the Swiss dogs are than his. I sat next to one on a train, and that precious HUGE animal was more of a gentleman than most men I know. His owner gave him instructions with the tiniest movement of her index finger, never a word was spoken. I was so impressed!) J.

Day 2: Grindelwald

Next day after slightly oversleeping we finally got up, had breakfast got into the car and drove to Grindelwald. Weather was beautiful but I have to say that slept most of the drive…this was to repeat over and over throughout the trip whenever DH drove or we were on the train! There is something about the hum of the engine that puts me asleep in no time whatsoever. We parked, got loaded into the gondola and went up.

Our first walk of the vacation was up to Manlichen. After a little huffing and puffing on my part (I am born and raised at sea-level and altitude affects me, it had nothing to do whatsoever with being out of shape and weight-gain), we had our very first magnificent view….wow…WOW…We sat for a bit and looked at the gliders launch from the mountain into the valley.

We then walked towards Klineschidegg. It took about 45minutes of very pleasant, easy walking without notable inclination. The sun was out strong. We stopped for lunch at the first restaurant and ordered the pasta special. I don’t know if I had low expectations as in my experience a place such as this would have a tourist trap, but when the steaming bowls of gratinated pasta arrived I was impressed. Creamy inside and crunchy on top, some ham in it (remember…pork is pink meat!).

As the pasta disappeared, some clouds began to hover on the side of the Jungfraujoch…hmmm….should we hurry up? Anyway, the cloud was kind of inoffensive looking, the view was impressive and the meal was so good….it took a while before we got up from the table.

We walked toward the train station, got our tickets for the train and after a few minutes we were on the way up. Before we disappeared into the mountain tunnel we catched a glimpse of what was now the Big Bad Cloud.

The train opens two times so people can get out and look out huge windows blasted on the mountain side. A little portion of our first glacier could be seen and the view down was still clear. When we finally made it all the way to the top we dug out of our backpacks every single sweater and jacket that we had and made our way to the Sphinx.

We got out of the elevator and faced a 360 degree view of fog. No mountain, no glacier. Just fog/cloud. DD and I are suburban island girls. This will sound ridiculous to a lot of people but just being cold on the outside and being exposed to fog like that is a different and therefore exciting for us (I know…sad!). We bravely stepped out onto the platform, the fog was so thick that I did not realize that we were walking over a see-through metal gill platform and that sometimes when the wind blew a little, the distant glacier could be seen straight underneath (Have I mentioned that I am afraid of heights….really afraid?).
After a sudden stop and quick return to safe and solid ground, we tried our luck with the Ice Palace.

On the way down we saw the exit to the glacier and stepped out. I’m sure is must have been really nice but we did not see anything at all. The sport places were all closing down. DH asked the people there if there was any hope for the weather clearing and they said no, no hope whatsoever.

More huffing and puffing later (this time 100% blamed on altitude), we reached the Ice Palace went inside the glacier. DD got a big kick out this part, sliding on the ice floor on her shoes. We took pictures of the silly sculptures and posed on the corny face-cutout Eskimos.

We then went into the restaurant area and DD had hot chocolate. A little patience resulted in some little views of glacier. I’m sure that the view must have been really magnificent! Sadly we boarded the train back down, immediately got switched to the next train and before we knew it, we were back on the valley floor.

It was time to head towards our host home. I asked DH if we were expected for dinner. No he replied, followed by…at least I think we are not!...hummm…OK, I say, should we call them and let them know that it is five in the afternoon and we are still in Grindelwald so we will not be coming home for dinner? Yes, we should call them, DH agreed.

A note about cell phones and vacations – I had my entire family with me on this trip (DH & DD). My mother was house-sitting at home and had the phone numbers of all the places we would be staying in case of an emergency. I have slowly trained my mom over the years not to expect regular phone calls while we are away. I had just been through some traumatic weeks at work before I left and I wanted to make myself inaccessible. For all these reasons I chose not to carry or arrange for a cell phone in Europe. In retrospective, there were a few instances where it would have been helpful to have a phone but we certainly worked our way around them without major inconvenience. I will stick by my decision, no cell phone.

First step: find a pay phone. This seemed easy enough; hah! After several attempts we decided to look in the train station. Yes, there is a pay phone…Second Step: put money in pay phone. Wait, there is something wrong! Where do you put the money? There is no space to insert coins or bills. A card? What kind of a card? Any card says the innocent bystander…OK...Visa, Master Card go in…nothing. Swiss ATM goes in too, nothing, US ATM follows with the same result. Innocent bystander insists that any of them should work. Could the pay phone be broken? By now it is quarter to six.

We get back into the car and try to find another pay phone. We get into the car and go to the next bus station. No pay phone. There is one in the next train station so we try. The same sequence of events described in the previous paragraph is followed. This time a second innocent bystander volunteers that maybe a phone card is required. Where do we buy one? Where is the kiosk? Closed at six? Hummm missed it for about two minutes.

At this point DH announces that by now our hosts would realize that we were not coming home for dinner and we should change the quest for the phone to the search for a place to eat. The innocent bystanders get questioned for a pizzeria (we wanted something small, remember the scrumptious pasta bowl?) and one is recommended in Interlaken.

Off we go, but the recommended places were not to be found. After driving through town two times (and therefore a visit TO Interlaken was not required anymore) we got on the highway and off we were. A detour on the road took us to a smaller street along Spiez. A Pizzeria was spotted but the parking was so full that there was no hope of going there. Finally a restaurant was selected randomly, the Seeblick, and we went in.

We were seated lakeside and I must say that the view was amazing. DH and I ordered some rosti and sausage with onion sauce and DD ordered ‘Tortellini Antonio’. While we watched the slow-motioned sunset and sipped white wine, DD was throwing bread at the water fowl that were swimming right next to us. Our meal was good but nothing memorable; on the other hand, DD’s tortellini redefined her view of the culinary horizon. I will admit that they were REALLY good (that she let me try one was proof that she still likes her mother). In her opinion, no other meal consumed during the vacation came even close.

We finally arrived at our host home after ten in the evening. We apologized for not coordinating better but they said that it was perfectly fine and that they were not expecting us for dinner, not to worry. Within half and hour, I was soundly asleep!

Next: Ballenberg (Ballenburg?!?!?!?.....yes, indeed)

Day 4 ¡V Ballennberg

I was up around eight in the morning and not feeling very jet lagged. DD had to be woken up every morning of the vacation but I consider that normal and not related to time differences as any parent of a teenager will testify. Our destination for the day: Ballenburg.

Ballenburg is an open-air museum showcasing old (really, really old) Swiss houses from different cantons in each of their typical styles. I must admit that I would not have selected this as day trip myself but I trusted DH and his knowledge of what we like. I loved it! DD liked most of it, but it might have been a bit too much for her after the first twenty houses, I mean how many homesteads can a 13yr see and still like. The farms (and farm animals) were a big hit with her (remember our solid suburban upbringing ;) ).

The place is huge. Even knowing beforehand that we would not try to see everything, by the end of the day I was dragging my feet while still enjoying what I was seeing. What I loved about it was the sense of authenticity that each of the ¡¥towns¡¦ or ¡¥homesteads¡¦ had. Most of the houses were fully furnished but the presentations are not an attempt to reproduce an era or a style¡Kthey are the real thing. The people that work there are really practicing their art or craft and not dressed-up, role-playing students on a summer-job. Each house was treated with respect. I bet that the men and women that originally built each of them with their hands centuries ago would feel proud to have them in this place. See¡KI get all romantic around old houses¡K.DH knows me, that is why he takes me to these places :D

We did wind up walking through most of Ballenburg and it did take the entire day. We drove back to our host home, where we were expected for dinner. Frau V. gifted us with Tortellini with Pesto and her very special Penne alla Vodka. Mmmmm. Delicious. Could have them right now (or anytime for that matter). I will try the recipe but I¡¦m sure it will not be the same. There is a special taste imparted to food when you have it with good friends on a beautiful vacation evening that cannot be reproduced anywhere else¡K..

Herr V. and DD took off to watch on TV the World Cup semi-final and after some coffee DH and Frau V. joined them while I happily leapt into bed.

Day 5- Chateau de Chillon to Le Diablerets and Gruyere and the attack of the flies

We got up early to make sure that we picked up DH’s mother at the agreed time. A note here regarding MIL- this week was her 88th birthday. Aside from a little shaking, she is in very good health and lives by herself. Part of selecting Switzerland as our vacation destination was to get DH to spend time with her.

We drove through Montreux and headed towards Chateu de Chillon. We bought discounted tickets (Swiss Flex Pass) and went in. The temperature for us was perfect (cooler and a lot drier than in Puerto Rico) but MIL was uncomfortably hot. We followed the visit program and went into the dungeons first. This was a bad choice for MIL since it was dark and the floor uneven. She turned back and decided to wait for us in a shadowy bench in the courtyard.

The castle was crowded but not awfully so, only two bus loads of Japanese tourist and lots of English spoken around us. We easily followed the visit program on the brochure and took a LOT of pictures. I made my way up most staircases but chose not to go all the way to the tower since I’m afraid of heights. The castle is certainly worth the visit.

We found MIL and got back in the car for our drive to Les Diablerets. I shamefully have to admit that I slept through a lot of wonderful views. We arrived at the cable car station in Col du Pillon. MIL was uncertain of how she would feel up in the glacier and she went into the restaurant to wait for us. We took all our sweaters out of the car, boarded the cable car and went up, up, up.

The view was stunning outside but limited from the observation platforms by big construction scaffolds. We looked around for a while and since we had missed the second gondola down we decided to have a little lunch on the Glacier 3000 restaurant. DD had very good onion soup and DH and I had decent goulash soup. We sat by the panoramic windows and looked over the snowfield. DD had a big grin on her face (there is no snow in Puerto Rico….).

We made it down with the third gondola and found MIL. In retrospect she could have easily gone up with us since we could not really go and walk in the glacier. We loaded back into the car and I proceeded to miss most of our drive through Gstaad and Chateau d’Oex. I woke up when we were almost in Gruyeres.

I have this personal theory that significant changes in elevation make me sleepy (or sleepier) but then I keep falling asleep on the car at other times so I have not been able to prove it! In my defense I will say that I had been working 80+ stressful hours per week for the previous three months before going on this vacation so I had a lot of sleep backlog.

DH drove up to the highest parking but there was not a single place to be found. DD, MIL and I got out of the car and started walking into town while he drove back down in the eternal quest for parking.

I think that whenever people are trying to decide if they will rent a car or use public transportation for their vacation in Switzerland, the difficulty of finding a parking space is not stressed enough. People know that public transportation is good in Switzerland, they just don’t know how extremely difficult it is to find parking in old towns.

Gruyeres in my mind is a mixture of Assisi in Italy and Santillana del Mar in Spain with its own unique Swiss flavor. It is a charming, VERY photogenic little medieval town with a great castle on top of everything else. I think I would have enjoyed staying overnight so I could see it tourist-free. What the heck…If I had had plenty of time maybe I even would have gone to the Giger museum to see the alien nightmares…or maybe not, we’ll never know!

MIL was overheated by the time we made it to the fountain in the town square so she opted again to sit in the restaurant while we went into the castle. Again, the place is worth a detour but I am biased, being a self-confessed medievalist.

As we visited the castle we begin to hear the distant roar of thunder. Thunder? It can’t be, it was bright blue sky when we came in. By the time DH and DD were ready to go down the tower spiral stairway and I was looking for alternative routes down, it began to rain. And rain, and RAIN, and thunder. Welcome to Swiss weather, where you can’t see what is coming from the other side of the mountain! We hung around, went in to see some exhibit of Tibetan artifacts in the castle exhibit rooms which we had bypassed before. Naturally all the umbrellas had been left in the car because nobody wanted to carry them when the weather was sooooo nice….

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty….some people run from the castle doors to the entrance gate. Thunder, thunder, thunder. DH says that hail could start coming down. HAIL??!?!? You don’t get hail very often in Puerto Rico. More people run to the gate and after a while, when it seems to be calming down we do so as well.

This is not a Caribbean summer rain shower, the rain is COLD. So we hang around the very small gift shop by the entrance gate for at least another half an hour. When the light rain finally turns into a drizzle we start walking back into town.

The first thing we see is MIL standing in the restaurant door, she was very worried for us as we had been gone for almost three hours. We go into the restaurant and we order some tea and hot chocolate for DD. By the conversation with the waitress we find out that MIL had fretted and worried for the entire duration of the storm. She wanted to call a taxi to come get us but the waitress patiently told her that the taxi could not get inside the castle gate anyway and the only thing to do was to stay put.

Almost all restaurants had closed when the rain started but that one stayed open (maybe because MIL was there?) so they took a few more refugees in. There was a lady sitting that was almost driven to tears every time it thundered. The waitress looked like it was not the first time she had to play calming hostess…

After we had had our tea it was still raining so we finally decided that even though it was still early we would have dinner there (in appreciation of their support to MIL). We relocated to the back of the restaurant where we hoped there would be less flies.

Why, oh why, is it that every single restaurant in Switzerland seems to be frequented by flies??? Nobody seems to mind and nobody pays attention to them. This was and is still my only complaint about an otherwise completely civilized nation. I have never seen in any of my travels as many flies as I did on this trip.

We ordered Fondue and it arrived promptly accompanied by potatoes as well as bread. I guess tourist confuse raclatte and fondue…who knows. The flies started congregating as soon as the food hit the table. At any given point there must have been at least forty flies landing either on the table or over us. I was trying to be polite and not make much of it because they had been so kind to MIL but at the end we did not walk out because it was still pouring outside.

Eventually we were done, DH got an umbrella from the waitress and drove the car into town so we could get in by the restaurant door.

Of all the wonderful things that we saw that day, it will be forever remembered as the day of the flies….

Mari,
you are doing great, keep it coming.

Mari, thanks for the great tips which will come in handy for our upcoming trip...especially the wine! Looking forward to more~

Wine??? did Mari mention wine?? =D>

Great report, thanks for bringing up Ballenberg, it's been on my "must see" list ever since the French magazine Cote Est had it on their cover with a multi-page photo spread inside. http://www.ballenberg.ch/e/index_bb_500.html
FYI, Germany has something very similar outside the congenial town of Detmold in the Teutoburgerwald. We spent an entire day there last fall and still didn't see everything.

http://www.lwl.org/freilichtmuseum-d...rtseite_uk.php

Looking forward to the Ticino portion of your report!

Enjoying your trip report Mari. I too, have often wondered about all those Swiss flies...

Hi. I saw not a single fly during my recent June visit to Ticino and an overnight in Bulach. However, your report reminded me that they were a problem years ago when I stayed in Leissigen on Thun's lake. That's not too far from Gruyeres. Anyone have a theory? J.

Like JMW I don't recall flies during our June visit either. I was amazed at how bug-less the country was- no mosquitoes and no screens on windows.
Someone in a previous posting did note flies in Gruyeres so perhaps we were luckily not to experience them at the end of June. We loved Gruyeres and the surrounding countryside. I agree Marigross, it would be a fun place to stay overnight. I was surprised though at one hotel which was adjacent to the top parking lot-I'm sure the hotel's brochure doesn't show it. Not sure of the name...
Don't flies feed off manure? In the PBS series Texas Ranchhouse they had a terrible problem with flies because the manure was not stowed far enough away from the ranch house. And what about all those black flies in Maine during certain months? I don't think they have manure issues- what causes it? Insects can ruin a trip for me :)

>>>>>Hiking trails are clearly marked BUT some interpretation is required for the uninitiated: a trail of 6km and elevation change of 200m that is estimated to take 3hrs will take indeed at least three hours. What the description implies is that the NET change is 200m but the overall elevation could be along the lines of 600m through rocky climbing and descending 20% slopes that does take indeed more than three hours….never assume that there is a typo on the guidebook, the description is quite accurate.<<<<<<

Yeah, what you said. LOL
Glad no ever asked me this type of question. I'd probally just reply it's a huffer and puffer dude. ;)

The estimated times are usually fairly accurate. They base much of this on rest stops or whatever. See, I 'm not the only one who stops to catch the breath. LOL

Had some British dude oonce ask me in one of those uppty British accents: "About how much of an elevation incerease should we expect".

Since I did not have the map handy , I replied: :A whole bunch"!!

You're not just awhistlin' Dixie on the older Swiss beating us hotshot hikers up the trail. I have seen this many many times. Amazing, but true. Conditioning!!!

Nice report!!!

Hi everyone!
Regarding the flies, it may be a July phenomenon because I had never before encountered anything like that on other trips. This included last year hiking on the Camino de Santiago through Asturias in Spain during June.

Asturias is the only place in the world where I have seen more cows (a LOT more cows) than in CH, and we never, EVER, had problems with flies and we did a lot picnicing lunches on that trip!

BTW...Both times we still marked 'no' on the customs sheet where they ask if the family has been in contact with livestock 8(

By the end of trip it became a game to count the flies in restaurants. Surprisingly and with the exception of restaurants in Zermatt and having a light lunch on the Glacier Express, Remo's Ravioli in Samedan won the meal-with-less-flies-in-attendance award with only two to be seen.

...hummmm, not that many cows in Zermatt....

Sunstar - we were usually quite close to the times posted on the trails with one notable exception that will be discussed later in the report ;) . I do very well on even slopes, I do OK going up stony paths, but I am very bad when I have go down steeply and even worse on stone-to-stone. I guess I even out the fast and slow portions of a trail as long as I have my trusty pole with me.

HIKING POLES RULE!!!!!

Thanks for sharing this! It's so much fun to read.

Day 6 – the race through Bern and strolling through Murten

Today as we got into the car a few clouds were seen so we made sure that we had our umbrellas and foldable raincoats with us as we headed towards Bern.

We drove in without problems and into a parkhouse in town. DD (and myself I must admit) was so impressed by the light system that indicated where parking space was available. As you parked the little light over the space changed from green to red and the count of open spaces for that lane and floor went down by one. WOW, if that is not civilized I don’t know what is! Now this will nag me every time I uselessly circle for parking….

We walked down through a market where DD got her first official souvenir: a necklace with a glass charm of a bear climbing a tree. The guy wrote her name on a grain of rice and put it inside the tree trunk and sealed it. To this day she is still wearing it so I guess she really liked it (the grain of rice has disintegrated though….)

We walked through the ample streets and arcades admiring the fountains and guildhouses and we made our way to the bear pits. I don’t know if I was expecting such a sad spectacle that I found it to be not so bad after all. The lazy bears did not even twitch while we were there…

Next stop was uphill to the Rosengarten. I could have spent the afternoon just admiring the roses and overlooking the city but after being there for fifteen minutes, DH wanted us to see the clock tower in action (this was not a manly excuse to run away from a garden because DH does like flowers and we have a garden (his) to prove it). But we had to huuuurrryyyy because we only had twenty minutes. Down the steep slope we went at double time.

Well, we made it with five minutes to spare. As soon as we found a good place to stand, we immediately were surrounded by different groups of Japanese tourists vying with each for the best picture spot. A minute before the hour the rooster came out and did its thing, then the man in the tower banged the bell, the guildpeople turned around and around, etc. It was OK….I have seen the clock on Munich’s Rathouse in the Marionplatz and was impressed; the one in Bern is OK.

Note to DH – I know that you will read this and I want you to know that I DID like Bern, it is a beautiful city even if its clock is not the most showy one in Europe…I’m positive that it is the most accurate one and it does justice to Swiss pride.

Next stop was the Munster. Very nice and absolutely worth the visit! The portal is outstanding and beautifully preserved. The construction is impressive. The interior is light and airy in true gothic style but the decoration is, well….Reformation. The carvings were noteworthy but after marveling at jewels of Italian Renaissance and Spanish Gothic and Romanesque there is no comparison for church splendor….I know, I know! that that is precisely the point of Reformation, but boy! Catholics can certainly put in a show. This is not intended to be a discussion of right or wrong, faith, or religious correctness…it is just an aesthetic observation of what I find impressive as a travel destination.

I decided on a whim that I want to go up to the tower. Have I mentioned before that I am afraid of heights? I have been ‘dealing’ with this fear for several years now and I think that significant progress has been made. Most times I still embark on adventures even though I know that I will be scared. I have finally realized that it will seldom be as bad as I fear it will be. Last year I did not climb to Notre Dame in Paris because I was kind of scared (I was by myself and I did go up to Eiffel Tower) but this time I was armed with my security blanket: DH.

Romantic Note - I repeatedly tell DD that a good indication of having found ‘The One’ is that everything is better and not as scary when he holds your hand :D

We find the little door and we start climbing up, and up, and up the spiral staircase. Everything is nicely enclosed until the interior of the church is surpassed. We reach the first set of bells and then the second. The openings on the staircase sides begin to get bigger and bigger but due to the presence of a continuous, sturdy handrail – it was OK. As anyone that is afraid of heights knows, going up is tense but going down is when the knees start to shake, I admit that I worried about the return trip. We went into the first terrace and the view was worth the almost 300 steps, as I said before – it was not as scary as I feared it would be, we were already up there so we decide to go the nearly 100 steps more to the second terrace. WOW! No wonder people climb these church towers all the time. The old city could be admired in all its splendor.

The way down was made bearable by the trusty handrail and DH in front of me. We had to stop a few times because I got kind of dizzy from all the spirals! Once we were safe back on the ground I could be fully happy that I did make it all the way to the top!

As we began strolling through the garden overlooking the river the first raindrops remind us that it is time to find shelter in the form of a lunch place. Bern is a wonderful place to be when it rains as all the streets are arcaded and you can go from one to the other without getting wet.

After several discussions we finally settle down on an outdoor café with a huge umbrella for a pizza. I think that I had almost a half a liter of wine to recuperate from all that tension climbing up and down the tower.

Maybe and hour and a half later we left the table and strolled around some more around town. We went down to the train station to see the ruins. We came up and wandered some more. By now it had begun to really rain. Time to say BB to Bern.

Since it was rather early DH decides to head for Murten to pass the rest of the afternoon. Best decision of the day! As we approached the town, the clouds began to clear and the sun came out for its long decent into evening. We were just in time to find a parking space in the lot outside the walls. It was the opening night for an outdoor movie festival and the locals were arriving en-masse! We strolled through town and lower walls before going down to the lake. It was very pleasant, the temperature was high but OK. After promenading for a while we sat down in a restaurant to have a drink (well….it was not cool either!). DH had some Rivella (after all he was the one driving) and I had some white wine (I had started at lunch so there was noooo wayyy I was changing back to soft drinks).

The view was so nice and the place pleasant enough that we just stayed until it was time for dinner. I had some Sautéed Egli fillet (perch) – OK and DH had fried Egli fillet – his least favorite meal of the entire trip. DD had a green salad. After more wine, coffee and ice cream we headed back up to town.

As we went back to gates we walked the backstreets and found the entrance to the ramparts. We immediately went up. It was certainly worth it. You can circle approximately a third of the town up on the wall. It seemed to be quite popular in the evening! We looked at the rooftops and peered into people’s gardens. The light was just right and it was cooling down nicely….the perfect way to finish an evening

next: search for the sun on the other side of the mountains and the detour to Neuchatel that never was....

Thanks so much for sharing, I am really enjoying your report - so easy to read.

Looking forward to the next installment.

Day 7 – Kandersteg rail into the Valais in search for sun

A thing must be said about Swiss precision and accuracy: it includes weather forecasts. When they say that it will rain in the afternoon, you do not need an umbrella in the morning and when it says that it will rain for the entire day, bring the old chess set out!

As had been forecasted, the sunrise was hidden away by the clouds. After analyzing the options available and listening to some additional forecasts, it was decided that the weather looked better in the Valais and that we should head to the other side of the mountain for the day.

We loaded ourselves into the car and drove through the Oberland into Kanderstag. The clouds were so thick that the happy trio – Jungfraujoch, Monch and Eiger- could not be seen at all.

We arrived at the station in Kanderstag and got in line to load the car into the train. It was entertaining to watch the absolute mastery of driving big vehicles exhibited by bus drivers as they unloaded from the train and took the sharp turns that would put them back into the main road. After maybe thirty minutes we began driving into the train platform.

This was a new experience for me and I was expecting that we would ride in a passenger car but this did not happen. We just sat in the car while we drove through the dark and stuffy tunnel for what seemed a very long time. Since the car has to be turned off the A/C could not be run. The windows had to be closed because of the high-pitch screeching of the train. I kept in mind that we were in the quest for sun so a little sacrifice can be endured...thank God, I’m not claustrophobic…I think it could make some sensitive people quite uncomfortable so I would ask before I recommend this route to anyone.

As we emerged to the other side, we were not greeted by the warm rays of the sun but by slightly less thick clouds….well, at least it WAS better. We drove to the Bettmeralp cable car station, bought our tickets and up we went….into the fog and cold.

First step was to take put on all the sweaters and take out the rain gear. Second step was – find a place for lunch. We went into a restaurant that I’m sure must have a wonderful view but nothing was to be seen! We ordered a ‘croute’…….OMG! This delicious and simple concoction is similar to an open-faced sandwich composed of a humongous slice of bread soaked in wine, layered with ham, smothered in melted cheese and crowned with an egg. A few pickled onions and cornishons were served on the side. Maybe it was because the weather was wet and cold but BOY, did that hit the spot! By the time we demolished the croute (I cant’ believe I ate the whole thing!!!!), imbibed the wine and had coffee…the fog had mostly lifted and the rain was a mere drizzle. I must admit that at that point we did not particularly care about the weather as much since we were pleasantly buzzed from the drinking wine plus the wine in the croute!

We happily embarked on our walk for the day: Bettmeralp to Rideralp. The route was nice and fairly level going through the countryside. The long-distance views were hidden away by the clouds and mist but it was still pleasant. Cowbells were ringing everywhere! We walked about 45 minutes under our umbrellas until we reached Rideralp. We took that cable car down to Morel and then we rode on the train back to the Bettmeralp station to pick up the car.

We had some time to kill so we decided to drive through the Valais and aimed for dinner somewhere in the Neuchatel vicinity. The drive was beautiful! I even stayed awake for a significant portion of it. Rows and rows of vineyards and little towns up in the hills.

We were expecting nice views of the Lac Neuchatel as we drove by but what we encountered were kilometer upon kilometer of tunnels….this detour was not worth it! We were not even sure of where to get off to find a place to eat. The answer, keep driving all the way! We finally returned to Murten and looked for a light meal since we were still half-full from lunch. We decided on pizza, which is our family’s default meal. As with our previous meal in Murten, this was not a memorable meal either. The restaurant did not even have Swiss wine….only Italian (which is OK but Italian we can find at home while Swiss wine is impossible to get!)

After walking a bit up and down the main street and enjoying the evening we headed for our host home.

Next: Good-by Bern and the best home-cooked meal.

Did I miss something....when were you there? All this rain, hail, etc...I had two incredible weeks from June 10-June24 with nothing but sunny skies and 70 degree weather. It only rained very late one afternoon. We were lucky to see and do everything we wanted. This is a great review and I'm enjoying DD a lot!

Day 7 – Schwarzsee and the first good-bye

For today we needed a short day-trip so we could go and visit one last time with MIL in the afternoon and pack our bags for our next morning departure to Weggis. We drove to Schwarzsee and parked. I looked up for that cable car and what do I see….a CHAIR LIFT. Yup, that’s right…the kind in which your feet dangle into the open air! DH looks at me (feigning innocence) and asks if it is OK with me to go up. Weeeellll, OK as in really OK, it was not! But we were there and what was I supposed to do? Grin and bear it. Thankfully DD is not afraid of heights (or anything really for that matter, God bless the uninformed courage of 13yr olds!) so she sat by herself in one chair and I sat with DH on another. Once again, once you do it, it is not as bad as you think. If I’m to be totally honest….it was not even scary.

At the top we walked around for a bit. The view was really nice and some paragliders were taking off from right next to us. We could have hiked down but the plan was to walk around the lake so down we came with the chair lifts again.

One word here…the Schwarzsee (‘black lake’) was NOT black, it was rather Emerald green. DH says he remembers it being a lot darker but this day it was positively and unequivocally bright green. This 40minute walk is completely flat, goes through a little forested area and crosses the river that feeds into the lake. It was quite easy but it was rather hot, I was wishing for the first time that I was wearing shorts as everyone else. We had mixed salad and beer for lunch; I must say it was a bit too hot for wine.

We drove back to DH’s mother to visit and have afternoon tea. I do not speak a word of German and MIL doesn’t speak much English, so I Sudoku’ed the afternoon away while smiling at the conversation. DD napped, a clear benefit of being 13!

After hugs and kisses we waved bye-bye to MIL and went over to our host family for one last meal: Bernerplatt. A bizarre way to describe this meal would be a Main Lobster Boil gone Swiss…smoked pork, sausages, potatoes, carrots and snow peas (the traditional green beans were not in season) in epic proportions. DD had a chicken breast cooked for her by the very indulgent Frau V. which was eagerly devoured.

The carrots and peas had lived in the garden up to that morning so I cannot even begin to describe the freshness….DD must have eaten three potatoes and four whole carrots smothered in Béchamel! DH is recognized on both sides of the Atlantic as being a prodigious eater and this night he explored new limits to his capacity. The night was cool, clear, and the moon was shining.

Needless to say, this was another three-bottle meal for four adults. Coffee was drunk during World Cup semi-final halftime…schnapps…more coffee….It was voted unanimously as the best home-cooked meal of the vacation. Coming in a very close second was Sister-In-Law’s Lasagna in the Ticine…but that is still in the future of this TR!

Next: An education on the obscure rules of driving on Swiss mountain passes…and a safe descent onto Weggis

Linda, we were there from July 2nd to the 25th. I still think that we were lucky with the weather as it only some days rained heavily in the afternoons after our hiking was done. This weather pattern kept us from oversleeping too much in the mornings...

As much as DD denies it, she is a morning person (she would really like to be a night owl as it would be cooler-seeming) so that helped a lot getting started early.

I will 'interview' her and try to get her opinion on 'twenty things you learned while in Switzerland'


One of the most endearing anecdotes was one evening while we were having a multi-language post-dinner conversation at DH's friends house and DD was playing with their dog, the old grandmother (92 yr old and living next door) walked by and started talking to DD. Frau V. told her mother that DD spoke only Spanish or English. Her mother's reply was: "It does not matter that she does not understand what I say, she still likes it here and that makes it alright!"

The wonderful thing...DD really did like it.

Day 8 – Weggis

After feeding the donkeys and horses across the street for the last time, rolling with dog one more time and picking the cherry tree clean, DD finally agreed kiss the humans goodbye and get into the car for our trip to Weggis where we would be staying for the next four nights.

Our route was AMAZING!: Bern, Langnau, Schupfheim, Sorenberg, Giswil, Sarnen, around Luzern, Rot Kreuz and Weggis. DD slept through most of it but I managed to stay awake. What a beautiful countryside.

There were hundreds of ‘swarms’ of motorcycle riders going through the mountains. I guess that the curvy roads are attractive to them. It was quite curvy and there were some narrow stretches.

As he drove DH, instructed on the hidden rules of driving in CH – well, they might be known to everyone but not to Puerto Rican suburbanites that only drive on flat highways!

1. Whenever possible, everyone will drive on the center of the street. No, they are not playing chicken…they will move to side when they are near enough. The rational is that this keeps you the furthest away from rocks falling from the top but also away from the 1000 meter drop.
2. It is perfectly OK to maneuver from one lane to the other as long as you do not interfere (directly) with other vehicles heading the other way
3. The vehicle coming up ALWAYS has the right of way. This means that if you see a car driving up half a kilometer away on a narrow stretch and you do not see a passing point….you stay where you are and wait for the car to pass.
4. A notable exception to rule #2 is that the Post Bus ALWAYS has the right of way regardless of their direction. They have soooo much the right of way that they can pass on whichever side of the road that they chose to.
5. There is no need to slow down because it you are high up and the drop on the other side is scary. Swiss drivers will only slow down when there is danger of not taking the turn correctly and falling into The Void. Otherwise they will proceed at normal speed resulting in a roller-coaster type of ride. Best advice for flatlanders…let the cars behind you pass or you will cause a traffic backup reaching two mountain passes back.

I liked Weggis at first sight. I think it is simply a pleasant place filled with ‘good vibrations’. We stayed in Seehof Hotel du Lac. The hotel had been selected because (1) it had a triple room, and (2) it had free parking. It was OK, nothing memorable but perfectly serviceable. The room was quite ample by European standards and had no A/C (we knew beforehand and it was not really needed). It was also facing the street and was a bit noisy. We settled in and after a while went for a walk along the lake promenade – stopping for Ice Cream along the way.

DD was hungry by six so we decided that we would go into a restaurant so she could eat and we would have an aperitif. She decided on Bernie’s Poulet because she wanted chicken but wound up having her standard green salad and pizza combination. We were seated lakeside and after DD had finished her meal we decided not to surrender the table and have our meal there as well. I had a veal schnitzel with mushroom risotto (mmmm) and DH had it with potato gratin (mmmm too).

During our dinner DD asked if she could be allowed to go for a walk by the lake by herself and go back to the hotel. DD is very independent and quite street smart so after a few second’s hesitation (on my part) we allowed her to go. For the record, this would never have happened back home where it is not safe to let a young teen girl out of your sight! I would not have let her do this in Zurich or Luzern either but Weggis is a very small town, the sun was out for several more hours and there were kids everywhere.

When we finished dinning DH and I returned to the hotel to find DD (insert sigh of relief here) already showered with her PJ’s on ready to watch the World Cup Final..go Italy!

We spent two nights in Vitznau around the same time you were probably in Weggis, and we could not believe how beautiful the setting was! The only reason I was able to pull myself away was that our next stop was Wengen, and I figured that I'd have more jaw-dropping surroundings to console me! I also had a 13 year old daughter with me (and her two brothers), and she loved the trip, too. She, too, loves adventure but not necessarily hiking, but we were able to find a few thrills for her (ropes course at Pilatus, river floating in Zurich, water skiing in Vitznau and falls at Trummelbach) and she did appreciate the beauty, and even some of the hiking! her favorite part of the trip, I think though, was the french fries. They definitely have different potatoes there (all the fries, or should I say pommes frites were yellow), and that's what she wanted to bring home the most! I agree that the only way to ward off post-vacation depression is to keep talking or writing about it.

Day 9 – Rigi

Hiking day! After breakfast in the hotel we headed for the Rigi gondola station. It was a ten minute walk from the hotel. Once again, a flash of Flex Pass and we got half price rate and DD was in for free. We were not even at mid-vacation day and the Flex Card had paid for itself (just on the Jungfraujoch bit we almost broke even!).

This was one of my favorite hikes during our trip. DD was not too keen but she is a sport and keeps walking. We started on Rigi and went to Kaltbad and then to Kulm (all uphill). While being on the top by the antennas we were treated by the Swiss Army to a spectacular air show. There were six fighter jets doing all kinds of group tricks. Wow! Our point of view was about halfway from the valley floor and their maximum height so it was truly a prime spot for viewing. The view of the mountains and lakes was astounding. The old bridge in Luzern could be seen with binoculars.

From Kulm we walked down through farmlands and cows to Klosterli and had lunch on the restaurant. It was hot so wine was skipped and a few bottles of beer were drunk instead. I skipped the ice cream in favor of carrot cake, mmmm! We had descended sooo much into the valley that Kaltsbad was now uphill again.

After a little huffing and puffing we reached Kaltsbad train station and boarded the cogwheel to go to Vitznau. Next we boarded the ferry boat to return to Weggis. WOW! It is almost unbelievable; every direction we looked at was picture perfect.

Day 10 – Pilatus and Luzern

As soon as we were ready we jumped on the boat to Alpnachstad and on to Pilatus. Even without hiking or having other plans, these ferry boat rides are a trip by themselves, they are so beautiful! The boat was a little crowded and upon docking the multitude jumped out and the entire group headed to the Pilatus train station. A little scrambling to get on the train was required but we managed to get in (again ½ fare for adults and DD was free).

WOW – nothing else needs to be said! We reached Pilatus Kulm and looked around. There was a big bad cloud to one side but the views to the other were unobstructed. We walked a little on the path but turned back when it began to get rocky as I was not wearing hiking shoes and did not have my trusty pole. This path made me a little uneasy as it does have a sharp drop down and it is not too wide. It is not terrifying but it made me a little tense.

DD was hungry anyway (and not looking forward to hiking again) so we went to the self-service for lunch. The big bad cloud rolled in and then rolled out as we sat by the panoramic windows. This was a spectacle by itself.

We went down by the gondola to Kriens and took the bus to Luzern. This ride was VERY hot and lots of people looked to be suffering. Upon arrival we followed the Eyewitness Guide walk through town. The bridge was just as beautiful as in the pictures and we had to wrestle with tiny but fierce Japanese ladies once again to take our pictures. We wandered around some more taking in the painted buildings. We went in to the Picasso museum (no charge with Flex Pass). This is more a museum dedicated to a photographic study of Picasso’s life rather than one displaying his work. I liked it but as I am not a big fan anyway…I most likely would not return.

We crossed the river again by the other wooden bridge (just as nice sans flowers) and headed to the Rosenkratz museum (no charge). DH passed on this one and waited for us on the restaurant next door. The exhibitions were very well laid out and the illumination is great! Again…I like Picasso’s early work but he work does not give me goosebumps. Give me a painting by an Italian renaissance master or early French impressionists and I will jump through hoops. To each, his own - Diversity is a wonderful thing!

By the time we were done and found DH we had to decide if we would stay in Lucerne for dinner or if we would go back to Weggis. We looked at the ferry schedule and were still on time to catch the next-to-last trip, the last one was only two hours later so we decided to go back to Weggis.

I would have liked to see the museum of transportation but after a day of touring and already two small museums in tow…next time.

Dinner was back in Berni’s poulet – DH had smelled their roasted chicken on our first visit and he was hankering for it. I had a really good pizza. It was washed down with a light red Swiss wine that made the evening glow brighter. DD took off for what was rapidly become a tradition…her very own private stroll. After eating we started to walk the promenade as well and met her on her way back.

She was looking at a game of ‘mill’ that was laid out on the floor. She started asking about the rules and after the people finished playing, DH and her started on it. After at least three games we retired for the evening.

Day 11 – over St Gottard to Lugano

DD jumped out of bed and hurried getting ready so she and I could squeeze in a couple games of mill while DH checked out. We recovered the car which had not been used at all during our Weggis stay and headed for Sister-in –Law’s house in the vicinity of Lugano.

Our first detour was in Einsiedeln to look at the church. I had not researched this location so it caught me by surprise. DH knows me so he takes me to these places. The exterior was of the church did not anticipate in anyway the marvelous baroque interior. It might not be my favorite style (give my gothic and renaissance architecture anyday…) but I can still appreciate a good sample when I see one.

The black Madonna was dressed in her red finery and Mass was being conducted on her little chapel. The square outside is typical of pilgrimage sites and might have been impressive if I had not been to St. Peter’s…I am a tough customer! It was still worth the detour.

We had to backtrack a bit and then we were on the way to Andermatt and St. Gottard. It had been decided that we would go OVER St Gottard and not through the tunnel. This proved to be a smart decision because we would have been caught in the backup for a couple hours. The drive up there was quite impressive. We stopped by Devil’s Bridge to admire all the engineering that went into building this pass!

I tried to imagine all the baggage mule trains traveling through that pass in the past. I guess people had to be either really ambitious or absolutely desperate to embark in such a journey. I could visualize the relief ancient travelers felt upon reaching the Hospice at the top and the joy of arriving safely at the other side of the valley. It is easy to love medieval history when you are comfortably planted on the present!

DD slept through the whole thing….

The decent onto the other side was equally impressive but a bit cloudy. SIL was expecting us late in the afternoon so we decided to drive to Ascona to kill a few hours. We parked and walked to the lakeshore. It was hot and people were everywhere! We stopped in a restaurant for a drink…I asked for a sprite and DD got a kick out of the glass bottle with pressure stopper that I got. She knew of the existence of such packaging but had never seen one ‘live’. Ascona certainly deserved more time than what we had to spend so we departed regretfully.

We drove to the Lugano airport and after considerable hassle finally managed to locate the Avis agent and return the car. We had wanted to pay with a different credit from the one that was used to make the reservation, but this turned into a problem. They did not really have an office there, just an agent; therefore they had no CC equipment. DH finally gave up (the alternative was driving into Lugano and giving the car back there) and paid with the original credit card…the bill has not arrived yet so we are still to see how much money we lost on a simple transaction.

We were picked up by SIL and after hugs and kisses we drove to their new home. Previous home was REALLY NICE; it was a very large ‘house’ right on the lake that was shared with SIL’s husband’s extended family. SIL is as excited as a bride with a new house of their own and really enjoying the spare time of not having to care for the old mastiff...DD was not thrilled at the loss of the old house but recovered when she learned that the family still had use of the boat house and attached garden.

After a marvelous Lasagna dinner with the entire family-happily loud and crowded, we settled down in the spare room for a good night of sleep.

Can't wait to hear all about Lugano. Lots of good info, keep at it.

Cheers

I'm really enjoying your trip report, marigross. How lucky you are to have family to visit. How much richer and more 'authentic' (for want of a better word) your experience must be compared to that of those of us who are truthfully outsiders. Thanks for letting us have a glimpse. J.

Day 12 – Walking from Lugano to Gandria

During our a lazy breakfast I once again marveled at the complete absence of a headache after losing track of the amount of wine consumed and Ratafia (a wonderful walnut after dinner drink) during the previous night’s dinner. There where a LOT of bottles on the bin in the morning but there was seven adults to drink them….What is the difference?!?!? The water…the air…being relaxed on vacation…availability of good quality wine at decent prices…..I’ll never know, most likely all of the above !

We got a ride with SIL to Castagnola (in the outskirts of Lugano) and from there we walked to Gandria on the “Olive Trail” next to the lake. It was magnificent. Old houses and gardens could be seen next to the sapphire waters. The trail is quite easy and well paved, thankfully most of it was on the shade so the temperature was pleasant. I do not remember the path being steep until Gandria is reached.

Gandria is a wonderful mess of nooks and cranies where dilapidated buildings mix with beautifully restored ones. The views of the lake are drop-dead gorgeous! After wandering around for a while we looked for a place to have lunch. They all seemed quite touristy so we decided randomly on one. They had a balcony overlooking the lake and we were seated after waiting a couple of minutes. The restaurant was called Locarna or Locanda (or something along those lines).

DH and I had the absolutely best ever “coniglio” and polenta. The rabbit was tender and juicy with a crispy skin…the polenta creamy and smoky tasting (it must have been cooked with some sort of bacon). Delicious at world class level! Again…maybe the gorgeous view had something to do with it and the fact that I kept being surprised at the high-quality of places that could easily get as tourist traps serving mediocre food. My mouth is drooling at the memory….When DD saw us swooning over the meal she even wanted to taste it (in spirit of full disclosure, she was aware that it was rabbit) and agreed that it was very good.

We skipped coffee in order to make the next ferry back to Lugano. Half price for us and no charge for DD with the Flex Pass. It was a beautiful ride.

In Lugano we wandered around for a while. We mostly window shopped while eating ice cream. I went into a store and bought myself a skirt (I had not packed one) so I could be comfortably cooler in the evening. DD fell in love with some shoes and they were bought as well.

Last time we had been in Lugano the Santa Maria degli Angioli church has been closed for restoration. Now it was open and we went in. The frescoes are magnificent! It is a little jewel.

We found the tram/cogwheel and boarded for a ride uphill to the train station. No charge when the Flex Pass was presented. The tram was packed and hot! Thankfully it is only a couple of minutes to the top of the hill. After wrestling with the automatic ticket dispenser we finally boarded the train. It was uncomfortably hot but it was not a long ride either so we OK. A short walk and we were at SIL’s escaping a raging thunderstorm by not more than ten minutes. The weather in this area turns rather quickly!

Next: Versasca and the bungee jumping that was not.