Ingo

jw, I was on a very unpleasant spring break: we have an influenza epidemic here in Germany and I was not able to escape. I spent four full days in bed. Now I am feeling better.<BR><BR>You do not seriously want to hear about Rovio from me? I mentioned it before. Maybe in this thread! It is indeed a lovely typical village with cobbled streets and old houses (some of them with frescos). I stayed there in the Park Hotel. It was fantastic. The rooms are of different size according to the rate. They have a very large garden with wonderful flowers and view of the lake and mountains. During the week we had several buffets, barbecue and "Ticino evening". By the way, the German writer Gerhart Hauptmann stayed there. Rovio is the village where his novel "The Heretic of Soana" features.<BR><BR>judy, I did a search on the location of Hotel Cecil in Chexbres before. I got a very good rate via www.minotel.ch BUT I found out that the motorway is probably only 100 or 200 meters away towards north. I am not sure if this means noise.<BR><BR>Ingo

jw

Chere Ingo! We've missed you! Glad to read that you are feeling better. Did you really write about Rovio? I am embarrassed -- probably having one of the memory lapses we call 'senior moments'. <BR><BR>I've just spent a few pleasant moments at a little website that has aerial photographs of several small towns in Gambaragno (click on the shield) and links to some good webcams, too. J.

anotherseniormoment!

They're coming faster than I can apologize. The website is<BR><BR>http://home.sunrise.ch/hgebha/<BR><BR>J.

Lenore

Yes, jw, the Elvezia was in a Karen Brown book and it really turned out to be a winner. I don't know the current prices, probably higher than when I was last there. but, depending on the exchange rate, it is probably currently in the neighborhood of $100 per night with breakfast. It used to be about $80 but I'm assuming it has gone up.<BR><BR>The Major Davel was mentioned in an earlier post. That hotel was also in Karen Brown's book and we stayed there but never again. The location is outstanding but the room was tiny, cramped, absolutely no place to put a suitcase. Our room was waterfront but unless you stood at the (small) window you couldn't see anything from the room. And there were a lot of stairs to climb lugging the suitcases.<BR><BR>Regarding the discussion of ATM's vs. traveler's checks, vs. credit cards, I'd like to put my 2 cents in. We always carry as little cash as possible. We pay with credit card for everything. It is very rare that a shop or restaurant or hotel or ski lift or train station etc. etc. doesn't take credit cards. Even the occasional taxi has taken a credit card. And then we can rack up frequent flyer points for our next trip!! And yes, do buy the Swiss Pass when you arrive. It is a considerable savings over buying it in the states, expecially if the exchange rate is very favorable.

judy

well, shoot -- i wish i'd seen that before i went and bought my pass! oh well. i did get free loss protection or whatever they call it...<BR><BR>jw, could i ask you a favor? i have not heard back from the panorama, it's been 2 days and i am getting antsy. do you think i could throw your name around a little? (if you wish to remain anonymous here, you can send your name to my email.) i thought, since you got a fairly quick response from them the other day, i might get more results if i told them you told me about it and highly recommended i stay there.<BR><BR>or am i just being silly and a worrywart? (actually i'm freaking out now because everything else went so smoothly, something has to go wrong now...)

jw

Hi Judy, I'm used to faxing for reservations, and that always took a couple of days. I think sometimes their correspondence piles up, and at the Panorama, Axel is the chef and the manager (or maybe the owner, I don't know), so maybe he falls behind in correspondence. If I remember correctly, they are closed on Wednesdays, so depending upon what time of day your e- arrived, he might not have seen it until today. Wait a day or two and see what happens. J.

jw

http://www.swisscastles.ch/aviation/default.htm<BR><BR>S' are you out there? This is for you, or for anyone else who's easily tempted to spend time looking at photographs -- these are aerial photographs, and they include some of my favorite places. I'm thrilled to be able to compare the sizes of towns I'm considering -- or just get a feel for the lay of the land. I'm hooked. J.

Philipp

I just read your messages about switzerland and it's sights. And while reading I found out you know much more about Switzerland than I do (I'm Swiss, living near Z&uuml;rich). I'm impressed about your great knowlege (I hope it's written corectly) when I read your texts. <BR>What I wanted to say to: You have to visit Sch&ouml;nenberg ZH the next time you're in Switzerland. It's just above W&auml;denswil (Lake Z&uuml;rich). You have a fantastic view when you go up one of the several hills. In the south you see the Glarner Alps, in the east Z&uuml;rich City and right infront you the whole Lake Z&uuml;rich. It's really worth a jounry.<BR><BR>http://www.zimmerberg-sihltal.ch/Schoenenberg.htm<BR><BR>Theres not much on the side, but at least a photo<BR><BR>Greetings<BR>Philipp

ph

just look at the following photo, isn't it wonderful?<BR><BR>http://www.swisscastles.ch/StGallen/Photo/rapperswil1.JPG<BR>

Josie

Did you know ...<BR>When you rent an apartment, it's common that you bring your own "closets" ie wardrobes, bathroom cabinet (not plumbing)and light (ceiling) fixtures?<BR><BR>When you build a house in Switzerland, you are required to build a gov approved bomb shelter and keep in supplied (random gov inspections) ... also the builder chooses you, you apply with others to have the builder select you?<BR><BR>We've spent lots of time in Zurich -- just love it there. Can't remember the name of the park at the top of the hill but there's huge carved brightly painted Safari animals. Great bar. Breathtaking views of Lake Zurich. Pretty funky!

jw

Thanks Philipp, I'll visit the Schoenenberg site as soon as I finish working on final exams for my seniors. I must finish that chore before school resumes Monday. ph' I have not looked at the Rapperswil aerials yet, but I spent an hour early this morning looking at towns in the areas of Vaud and Bern. I'll check out the Rapperswil photographs tonight. Best wishes to all you good people. J.

s

jw,<BR><BR>****ssssnnnnnnnaaaaarrrrrllllll****<BR> <BR>Those are fantastic (!!!) photos. I took a look at Clarens, Chillon, Corseaux, Territet, Rivaz, St. Saphorin, & Lutry, and it was wonderful to see some of my favorite places with such a new perspective. I saw some things I've never noticed before (staring, as usual, out to the water) about the towns -- like parks, swimming pools, etc.<BR><BR>Some of the towns looked remarkably similar, and remarkably beautiful: cozy groups of tan buildings with red roofs next to deep blue waters. <BR><BR>Yeah, this'll help alot to control my yearnings. Humph!<BR><BR>judy,<BR><BR>If you're still uncertain about where to stay in August, I found two beautiful looking b&bs on the website that jw has given us (www.bnb.ch). These are in Corseaux, right in the middle of the vineyards, and the prices run about 50 - 80 chf per room. One of these b&bs has balconies, tvs, private bath, etc. Seems very, very nice, and I'm thinking of staying there soon (if not on my next trip, then on the one after). Anyway, go to the bnb site, then select "Vaud" and click just west of Vevey. The two b&b hosts are Anne-Dominique Egli, Chemin du Petite-Centenaire 8; and Maja & Hansruedi Zehnder at Route des Cypres 11. There are photos at the site. You can map these addresses at mapblast to see where they fall in the Lavaux.<BR><BR>Are you sure that you'll pay a fee for cancelling your reservation at the Cecil? Most hotels have a 24- or 48-hour advance policy. <BR><BR>Well folks, it's been a bad week (seems like a rash o'them going around, eh?). I'm out for the day.<BR><BR>s

judy

hi s, thanks for that info...how close are those b&bs to train/bus/etc? i may just stick with the cecil, it is right by the train which is important since that's our mode of transport.<BR><BR>i am going to email our friend in zurich tomorrow, he said he will gladly call the panorama for me to see if he can book us a room. cross your fingers that there's one available!<BR><BR>must go play mah jongg now, my mother is nagging me.

jw

http://mypage.bluewin.ch/karl.baer/album/pano/<BR><BR>Thanks to Philipp I had a glimpse of Schoenenberg, and then I did a search for additional images and voila, I stumbled upon these beautiful panorama photographs of places I've never even heard of. This will keep me busy with my map for hours (but I'm supposed to complete my parents' income tax forms today! alas).<BR><BR>Judy, have you rec'd a reply yet? Perhaps it is a good idea to have your friend call the Klomanns. Your mind will rest easier. I think that we Americans always seem to be in such a hurry for everything. Perhaps a couple of our Swiss contributors to this thread can tell you that it is not unusual to have delays in responding from the small hotels where one person usually does everything. I hope the end result will be pleasant for you. Keep in touch. J.

judy

hello jw -- no, i still have not received a reply! and you got one so fast, i am so jealous. i will indeed send our friend an email and have him call. (i thought it was just me, i didn't think it was an american trait! but i would like to everything finalized, i would like to be able to sleep at night without having weird dreams about hotels and switzerland.)<BR><BR>i cannot wait to go -- august seems so far away! reading these posts has made me so ready to see everything that everyone has talked about!

jw

http://www.ticinoinfo.ch/control/search?menu=3,0&group=hotels&topic=0<BR><BR>Hi Judy, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. The reasons I've mentioned previously may account for the Panorama's delay in replying, and I really do think that is the case. However, if your friend doesn't have any luck by phone, that will mean that the European vacationers all want to stay at the Panorama in August, and a) they're booked, or b) the hotel doesn't want to reserve a room for fewer than 3 or 4 days during that popular month.<BR><BR>Have a back-up plan. You might find that a small place on Lago di Lugano might be more convenient. Go to the site I've copied above (you've probably already visited it on your own), and click on the town of Castagnola to see a couple of the hotels we've mentioned on this thread. If they are not already booked, they would be delightful places to stay -- the boat stops at the Elvezia and the Fischer. Or look at the Locanda and the Miralago in Gandria -- good restaurants, and the rooms are probably very basic, but the location -- wow! Or e-mail the tourist offices in Ascona, Locarno, and Lugano, and ask their help in finding rooms in a private home. Don't give up. The Ticino is worth the effort. J.

judy

hi jw -- wow, the miralago looks beautiful! i have sent off an email to the ticino tourist office asking for help -- i don't like their website. it's not the most user-friendly place...it's nice for looking up information, but it doesn't have very good online booking services. <BR><BR>i got mail from switzerland yesterday -- very exciting! i requested some brochures from the montreux-vevey site (a much nicer one!) and they came yesterday in a nice big fat envelope...it was very fun to open it. of course, one of the brochures was all in french, so my husband gets to read that one <BR><BR>i hope i hear from SOMEONE about a hotel in ticino soon...i am bound and determined to go there if it kills me!

judy

hello all! wow--it's so quiet here! where is everybody? spring break is definitely over...<BR><BR>well, i just thought i'd let you know that i FINALLY found a hotel! i think we are going to stay at the moosmann in gandria -- it's quite lovely (if a little pricey). right on the lake, jw, you've probably seen it. so i am sighing in relief that i'm all set -- now if it would just hurry up an be august!<BR><BR>oh, i did have one question -- when they say "twin-bedded", does that mean 2 twin beds, or double bed? i have been kind of confused by that, some places only say "twin" while others say "double" and some specify queen or king bed.

jw

Hi Judy, Yes indeed spring break is just a memory. By Monday afternoon, I was already behind again, and deadlines are piling up and crashing down faster than I can write to-do lists.<BR><BR>So glad you've got a place. You will love being in Gandria at night, so you can explore the place before and after the day-tourists come. I'm still puzzled as to why you didn't hear from the Panorama. Did you ask your friend to phone? I'd really be interested to know if you've found out why. By the way twin beds are probably twin beds -- sometimes they are pushed together and sometimes not. I'm so excited for you. Does the Moosman have a site so I can take a look? J.

judy

hi jw -- i did get a brochure from the panorama, but never a response to my email. i don't know why. also ronan seems to have forgotten about me, since he never told me he called them. oh well.<BR><BR>here's the moosmann web site -- it is so beautiful! it is a little expensive, but i figure we'll probably never do this again, so why not splurge a little? (after all, that's what credit cards are all about, eh?)<BR>http://www.hotel-moosmann-gandria.ch/<BR><BR>thank you all again for all your help in planning this trip -- everyone has been lots of help and i cannot wait to go! i will be sure to come back after i've returned and put my two cents in about the actual country!!