This space is reserved for Faina's Switzerland report!
 

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I am up at 3.50 am with a caffeine deficiency headache :) It's good I have a "buffer" day today to (somewhat) recuperate.

Off the top of my head a few observations:

I chose the wrong country to visit! After seeing all the beauty and consuming all the food, how can somebody go to any other country? I am in love with it!

It's good I left my heart in San Francisco. Otherwise the first cup of Swiss coffee would give me a heart attack! (strong, strong)

You can't go wrong chosing a "base place" for your stay, they all have something to offer.

And a question to all chocolate lovers/addicts: would you hate me for not eating Swiss chocolate?

Hello Faina!
No, I will love you even if you don't eat any chocolate. I will also feel sorry for you and will recommend therapy when you get home.
Hope the headache goes away quickly!
((L))Scarlett

Hi FainaAgain, I live in Switzerland and never eat Swiss chocolate. But luckily, most people love Swiss chocolate. As for the coffee, a lot of Swiss drink hot milk with their coffee (called Schale), which makes it easier to drink. I personally prefer the Cafe Schnapps (or better said: Zwetschgen "prune" Schnapps).

How do you access the internet at 3.50 a.m. where you're staying? I'm looking forward desperately to a really detailed trip report. I love strong coffee. I love Switzerland. Surprise, surprise. Thanks. J.

One thing that I found out very quickly about Switzerland was that Switzerland is tourist friendly.

I mean the trains, the buses and the whole deal is just so damn easy to use that the novice traveler should be able to move around easier than Howie Dean can say: YEEAAAHHHHH!! ;)

As for the chocolates, I usually wait until my last day in Switzerland. Then I load my travel bags with chocolates!

The hiking trails and the network of lifts, funiculars and such have been set up with the hiker in mind.

But you do not have to hike to appreciate Switzerland and what she has to offer the traveler.

Welcome Home Faina,

I am happy you had a wonderful time. ((Y))

Very sorry to read about your headache. :`(

I have always wanted to visit Switzerland, so I am very much looking forward to your report.

Wishing you a pleasant transition back to SF. Tiff

Welcome Home Faina!! Looks like you had a Fabulous time.

jmw44: "How do you access the internet at 3.50 a.m. where you're staying?" Pretty sure she is checking in from home out here on the Left Coast having just returned from her trip.

Hi, welcome back!
Rest a little, drink some coffee and then tell us all about it. (Please)

Welcome back Faina!! I can hardly wait to hear about your visit to Switzerland. Get a good rest today, imagine you have to go back to work tomorrow.

Hello, all, I am slowly coming back to life and soon will be able to reply to everyone individually. Will post bits and pieces as I recall them or stumble upon notes or things. Now I have the telephone card. So let's talk

Telephones.
It was easy to find a kiosk and buy a card. Our first hotel did have a public phone and to call USA I dialed 001-415-xxx-xxxx. Can't tell how much is a call, maybe 1 or 2 Sfr - I could see the numbers change. And I love that beep-beep-beep sound to remind to pull the card out when you hang up. I think they have those cards in 10 and 20 Sfr. And if you're really afraid to mess up, press L twice for instructions, have you noticed if you press L only once it turns to Spanish (I think) and only after 2nd press it's English? Or is it me?

This was in Zurich only, where the hotel had a public phone. And when I called my dear husband 2nd time, he said I don't have to call him every day, he doesn't miss me that much! He had the nerve!

In Interlaken and Zermatt the hotels didn't have public phones, can you believe that?? To call from the hotel would cost 5Sfr to connect even if you have a free dial-up number, so you better confirm with the hotel if they charge for local calls. I couldn't call from Zermatt because of the time difference and my evening activities and husband's schedule. But this hotel had 24hrs free Internet access, so I shot an e-mail to my oh so considerate children to call dad to let him know I am fine, just no connection with the outside world. Oh, well, at least I tried, and everything turned out fine.

I also sent a short e-mail to LoveItaly as I didn't have the password with me to post on Fodors just to rub it in: live from Zermatt :) Thank you, LoveItaly, I saw the post, but now can't find it. Oh, well, must be the jet lag ;)

Here it is Faina! ((F))

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34626370

Hi Faina, glad to see you are up and alive. I always have jetlag when I return from Italy. And then the luggage with all the dirty clothes sits in the corner and glares at me because it wants to be unpacked.

Have a good nights sleep Faina.

FainaAgain, this is great! And I love your thread title - definitely caught my eye!! I hope there's more. Glad you had such a great trip. More and more I am intrigued with Venice.

Faina went to Switzerland, not Venice.

Faina, welcome home.

As I am heading to Switzerland in July, I can't wait to read your report on the chocolate milk cows. My parents will be accompanying DH and me on this trip (their first trip overseas), and I've got them convinced the Swiss have these special cows. LOL!

Thanks in advance for a great report!

No Swiss chocolate?

As a hopeless chocoholic, I've never been able to visit Switzerland without some serious chocolate consumption. Not to mention the loads I bring home with me. I admire your restraint.

Did you try any hot chocolate for breakfast? A nice change from the strong coffee, although I love the coffee as well (with lots of steamed milk as mentioned above)

Welcome back - looking forward to the details.

Hi Melnq8! How are you?

Hi Scarlett - all is well here in the sticks.

LOL, tell me about Sticks! :D
We are moving to Fainas side of the world ~

Scarlett -

Sticks = a remote camp on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. A long way from CA - good luck with your move.

How long will you be there?
We are in the sticks of north Florida now :)
Scarlett
[email protected]

Sorry Faina, and you even said that this space is reserved! ((F))

Scarlett -

Possibly four years - only three years and three months to go!

Must sign off now - it's just after 10 am here and I've lots to do today.

Back to you Faina - apologies for hijacking your thread. Will tune in later for your trip details.

Welcome back, Faina! Looking forward to hearing all about it. (What percent of the $2.99 do you have to give to fodors?)

ttt

Now, that I can see the floor in my office cubicle (not the desk yet) let’s continue.

Chocolate. I ate those 2 candies they put on the pillow in Sofitel Zurich, and a tiny candy they served with coffee at the Top-O-Met in Interlaken.

In Zurich first of all I went to the HB train station to get some local cash. On the way from Sofitel there is a small Chinese take-away near the museum, picnic tables and an ice-chest outside, filled with ice-cream. I got a cone (drumstick) and got hooked instantly. Since then, 2 ice-creams every day!! And have not gained a pound! Walked it off. The ice-cream is heavenly! I am a proud addict now!

And I usually bought pre-packaged, different flavors, except once. I went upstairs to Top-O-Met for a coffee, and opened their dessert menu. Forget cakes, they have “Coup Jackous” and luckily I knew how to pronounce this (can’t spell though :) ) Cut up pears with ice-cream scoops and whip cream all drowned in rum syrup. Ahhh… my mouth is all water now :)

When in Interlaken, go to this place for the view only, not for food – everybody’s opinion in our tour group. Have coffee and dessert, but not a meal. By the way, it was the only place where they serve water with coffee – to make it less strong I think. Schuler, but even if you drink it with milk, you still get the same amount of caffeine, right?

As for chocolate… we have Lindt and other brands in San Francisco, so I will not be deprived! Scarlett, I will eat European chocolate with my therapist :)

Hotels.

Zurich: Sofitel. Very nice hotel, good breakfast buffet, I could see the street only, with the Greek restaurant across. The location is fine, but you can get better. Easy walk to the HB train station.

If you’re staying in this hotel the shuttle is Ben Bus (thank you, TravelNut for the e-mail address!) 19 Sfr 1 person, 25 Sfr 2 people. I didn’t wait for it for more then 5 minutes. And did not make advance reservations. I was so glad didn’t try to figure out how to use the train. And the trolley stop is 2 blocks away. The shuttle is so much easier to take! And the price is reasonable. And A/C.

The bed was so soft – I sat down on it and sank in. Managed to get out by myself :) There was no bedspread, remember that long thread on “other” where people kick them off with their feet? What would they kick off there, the duvet? I’d pay to see that :) Down pillows, down blanket, down mattress. Heavens! The room was as small as I had in Boston at Tremont.

Interlaken: Metropole. Good location unless you want to be closer to either train station. I had a room with the view of Jungfrau, and it was actually visible! One of those rare days, I was told. The room was a bit bigger, but tougher. No public phone downstairs if you have one of those phone cards without 800 number. Breakfast buffet lacked fresh fruit. It was only OK, no A/C. I wouldn’t care to stay there again.

Zermatt: as the end of May is not the season hotel Alex was closed, and we used the better Schlosshotel. The room was on the smaller side, but with a comfortable bed – dawn, dawn, dawn. I had a balcony with the view of the Matterhorn! It can’t get better then that! Excellent breakfast buffet. Great location really close to the train station, but you need to know how to walk between the old houses. Free computer access 24/7 (hello, LoveItaly, thank you for posting!). No public phones though. The bath robes were far from fluffy (is Muffin still around?). One day I bought a picnic lunch and just sat on the balcony watching the cloud on the Matterhorn change. Did get a little suntan. Instead of A/C – opened the balcony. I would stay there any time! Loved this hotel!

Before going home spent 1 night at the Movenpick Airport. The room was spacious even by US standards, all modern, like lights in the walls. When I walked it – the TV was on, bad housekeeping I thought, then realized my name is on the screen, and this is their way to greet the clients. Neat, huh? Oh, and it was the only place ever where you can’t watch TV being in bed, it was on the opposite wall facing the window like the bed, parallel it. Very good breakfast buffet. A/C as a dial with temperature in C (set to 15-20 if you don’t know better and go from there, had to explain it to our group :) ) I doubt there is a connection with Zurich. Maybe the shuttle (they have free airport shuttles) and train. For 1 night before departure it was fine, but for location I wouldn’t use it again.

Hi Faina! Enjoying your trip report.
Hope you are all settled in at home and work now. Talk to you later. Take care.

Taking a tour.
I took the Globus tour of Switzerland only. It was my personal choice to go with an organized tour group, I knew what I’m getting myself into, the only difference – instead of traveling with a budget tour I’ve decided to try something more expensive. The only difference was that the hotels were different. How much time do people spend in the hotel room? I did not get the feeling of my money well spent. I am not disappointed, just another experience for me, but I’m going with a budget tour next time. By the time the bus brings me to the hotel I am ready to crash, so it doesn’t make that much difference where the hotel is. And I can really survive without a bathrobe or a fireplace. As for the balcony… I had them with Cosmos and Elderhostel, besides, there is always some yard and pool area.

I bought my tour through an Internet agency Affordable Tours. Easy to deal with through e-mails and 800 phone. They give 10% discount on land only, and more then that if you buy air. Also if you’re 50 or over, get AARP membership for $12 or so a year. Only for this one tour their discount was $50.

Air reservations.
This was the 3rd tour that proved I was right in getting my own air reservations. On the first one the air was the day later then the tour had ended. On the 2nd they had only 40’ to connect. This time one couple was a day late – their plane was 6.5 hours late leaving Chicago because of the weather. Happens, right? They flew Chicago – something on AA and then to Zurich on Swiss. Forget the rule that the luggage must fly with you – their luggage was 4 days late, and AA and Swiss each blamed each other. I asked them, when all got resolved of course, why did they use 2 airlines, they said as their daughter is a travel agent they’ve used an agent out of solidarity. Now they know better.

Sunstar, let me respectfully disagree. I was on a tour where the tour guide took care of most of the issues. Still I felt uneasy not speaking German. So many places have their menu in one language only! Even the word “vegetarian” was a Martian language in some places. Don’t know about train schedules, but on the flight back the woman sitting next to me rented a car for Northern Italy and Switzerland. She said it was not easy for their party of 3 to navigate, especially in Zurich. I’ve heard the trails in Zermatt are clearly marked. I hope so, because the street signs are often absent, I was looking for something going in circles.

I wholeheartedly agree with you: despite all, Switzerland is THE country to visit!

Kopp, I got it all figured out regarding the cows. Milk comes from white cows, chocolate milk from brown cows, if a cow has spots then it’s a swirl, and if a cow is black – this is where we get Coca Cola from! If seriously, the Swiss cows look different from the happy California cows, not unhappy, just different.

Melnq8, I did try hot chocolate once, seemed to be the same as in USA. Coca Cola is different, tasted awfully oversweetened. Should I replace my taste buds? They do knee replacements after all!

Scarlett you owe me $2.99, the warning was posted on the top of this thread :)

Marilyn, if only I get a broken penny, will be glad to share :)

Faina,
as soon as we get ourselves moved over to your side of the world, I happily will bring you the $2.99 !

Let’s get to the real thing. Reporting.

Day 1 Thursday May 19. Took off on Continental early in the morning. Figured out why I got an e-mail reminder to check-in on-line for an international flight: once you check in at the airport swiping your passport you can check-in on line in the future. Good to know. Didn’t buy the $5 ear phones, watched “Are we there yet” without sound all the way to Newark. On Continental international the ear phones are free, and they have 20 music channels in addition to TV. Arrived around 8 am into Zurich, they only looked at my passport, didn’t compliment me on how young I was at the time my picture was taken, and just waved me in. Easy to find BEN bus, still don’t know if it should be capitalized, checked in at the hotel and took a nap.

Day 2 Friday May 20. A bit hazy – what was I doing all day? After the nap went to the train station for cash and phone card. Ice-cream on the way – instant addiction. Lunch at the station: do you speak English? No. Pointed to the wrap – same taste as at home, only ½ the size, priced about the same. Mineral water, please. “Wasser mitt gas?” she asked. Yeah. Turned out I do know some German. Strange, being so jetlagged, my childhood Yiddish came back instantly :) First day just walked around windowshopping, looking at everything with my mouth opened :) Nice stroll along the river. Shower, meet my group for dinner at 6 pm at the Sofitel.

This dinner requires a special paragraph. The food was really good! Salad, main dish – I had fish, don’t remember now what for dessert. Wine – white or red – or beer. I chose white wine, it was excellent, I think local Zin (zinfandel?). One man in the group ordered Coca Cola and was highly offended by it being served without ice. Instead of politely asking for ice, he started to bang his knife on the wine glass. Everybody was stunned. Took a while for his wife to stop him. The same man later was mad: a hamburger meal at McD in Interlaken was 11 Sfr. The same man ordered meat loaf at Top-O-Met in Zermatt and said it was just warm bologna. The same man… oh, well, life would be dull without some characters.

Day 3 Saturday May 21. Walking tour of Zurich with a local guide and Chagall’s windows. I love Chagall, and I am Jewish, and so was he, so aside of being in awe looking at his original (partially replaced) work, couldn’t they find a famous Christian for this?? Must be: who am I to judge! Swiss Museum, it was interesting, but would be much better if they’d have maps of the museum to navigate easier. I enjoyed the museum, but can recommend it only if you are a museum lover.

In the afternoon I got the daily trolley pass and went to the lake. By the way, I didn’t have coins, and went to the kiosk across the street. Was given coins without a wink, which is shocking to me! Here, in USA, you have to buy something to get change. It’s nice to have a pass to get off and on as you’re pleased. Went to the toy museum, a small free place, highly recommended. Toys starting from 1800, so lifelike, so well preserved. Coming back stopped at the Co-op, being jetlagged didn’t want to go anywhere for dinner. In the Co-op I was almost impolitely reminded I need my own shopping bag! And I had to pack it myself. So that’s why I could see so many people, men and women, lagging large shopping bags! And what is it about women of certain age carrying huge packages of toilet paper? Was it on sale that day only? And I missed my hotel trolley stop, but it was easy to take another trolley back.

Day 4 Sunday May 22. Off to Lucerne in the morning. The Lion monument is amazing, and even more amazing is the story behind it. Walked the Chapel Bridge, of course, why not to do all the touristy things, after all I am the tourist for whom it all was built :) After walking around got tired, sat down on a bench in some plaza close to that bridge. A (local?) man came up to me, dressed in a suit, speaking German he asked something about the casino. “I don’t know where the casino is”. He wouldn’t leave asking if I speak French, Italian. Then he said something pointing to his watch. “1 pm” I said showing him my cheap Walgreens watch. Still he wouldn’t leave saying something about Casino again. “I don’t know where the casino is” said I , this time with lots of metal in my voice. He took off. Help me to figure it out – have I missed my chance for a date :) Was he after my money? He didn’t behave like he’s mental.

Then we were off to Brienz to the woodcarving factory – avoid like a plague. They show half-done wooden statues for 5 minutes and then keep you in the store for an hour till you buy something. Without air conditioning. I don’t think anybody in our group gave in. Later I compared the prices… not lower then anywhere else.

Arrived in Interlaken, Metropole hotel, group dinner. The view is awesome! Especially if the day is clear and you can see YoungFrau. The restaurant food is so-so. Go at lunchtime for coffee and dessert only to Top-O-Met. In the summer they have balcony seating. Great-looking chocolate place across the street, but by then I didn’t care about chocolate. I was hooked on ice-cream.

Loving your report--such an unusual perspective! You must have been the hit of your tour group.

Welcome back to SF.

Hmm-- May 21st? Yes, toilet paper was on sale at 50% rebate that week in Coop. Stocked up myself ;-)

Glad you enjoyed your trip

Great report, Faina. I too, love Chagall.
I bought that beautiful thick catalog from the Chagall exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Welcome back Faina - loved laughing my way through your report! I hope you are all recovered from your jet lag by now!

Strange... next part is Murren, and I can't copy and paste!

Day 5 Monday May 23. Trummelbach Falls and Murren was an optional trip, and oh boy, was I happy to join! The Falls were fine, you go up a chimney with that witchy feeling, and then 200 steps down, oh my poor wobbling knees! Honestly I cheated lifting myself down :) With a group of cheery weary travelers. Of course we missed some great views, but… still saw and felt the power of the falls and the beauty of the surrounding mountains. Highly recommended. And there was a flower bed by the restaurant (which I didn’t have time to visit) and I can’t recall seeing such huge white tulips ever in my life!

Next on to Murren, did I tell you I’m afraid of height? And the only way to get there was that cable up in the air. I just closed my eyes and imagined myself on the plane. It worked! I made it to Murren. From what I managed to see the place must’ve been gorgeous in good weather. Not while it’s snowing, huh? And the snow didn’t stay, we waded through the water to the train to go back. “Soak up the atmosphere” our Globus guide book said. We soaked all right! Literally. But from what we’ve managed to see Murren is heaven on earth.

In the evening the group went to another optional. Let me get the guide book to spell it properly. “Fondue bourguignonne” with traditional folklore. I was not in the mood after a day in the snowy rain to be in a restaurant trying to eat while yodeling gets on my nerves. Instead, being in Interlaken, I took the “nostalgic train” which is a funny looking touristy car pulling some cars. This is the best way I can describe it :) But the ride, 7 Sfr, 45 minutes, was actually very good, took us to both train stations, next small town, along the river. And it was narrated, what is very good. I recommend to take this ride. I may have a flier at home and come back with the exact name.

Day 6 May 24. This morning I pulled everything warm I had with me - going to Jungfrau! Very exciting trip, I love trains, I love and miss snow. Well, now I have mixed emotions. The glacier itself is wonderful, but the place is so very overcrowded, if a special car on the trains would not be reserved for our group, we would be standing. Somebody here said something about how easy it is to use the trains in Switzerland. We had a local tour guide fluent in the local dialect. And maybe even doing this tour not the first time. She had to ask several times where and how and what. But we got up on the glacier safely. By the way, why did they make those tunnel stops? Anybody enjoyed them? How many even bothered to get out at the 2nd stop?

Make sure you have strong sunglasses. The sparkling is blinding. Sure, it was cold. The self-help cafeteria food was not bad. Not good either. Hot chocolate tasted the same as in USA. Most of the tourists were from India where the school was already over. I can imagine, if this is off-season and you have to stay in line for everything, how crowded it gets in season. Nobody in our group looked especially happy on the way back. I think now: this was the only disappointing thing. Just not what I’ve expected it to be.

And we came back to the Interlaken hotel on time to see the paragliders landing right in front of my balcony on the green lawn across the street. Life can be good even in the expensive Switzerland :) Oh, by the way, there was an outlet store in the alley, you can see it if you leave the place on the tourist bus, the prices were sky high. Do they use the word "outlet" to attract the unsuspecting tourists or in Switzerland this word means "more expensive then the department stores"?