| Just arrived home from Switzerland and I am already | | | | Dulhaniya Le Jaenge" has this scene where Kajol and |
| missing it. Switzerland with all its scenic beauty, cow | | | | Shah rukh khan argue over who got first to the shop |
| bells and marvelous and ever-ready to help people. | | | | to buy the cow bell. I also bought one but smaller and |
| One of my husbands' friend had already been to | | | | more cute. |
| Switzerland and he provided us with a tour plan for | | | | Watches: Rollex, Omega, TagHeuer, Swatch, Mont |
| four days. We had four days and there was so much | | | | Blanc, yes all these brands are swiss. |
| to do and see. We tried to squeeze in everything that | | | | Cuckoo Clocks: Its not a Swiss product, but cliches are |
| we could. Instead of staying at a hotel in Inerlaken (it | | | | stronger than fact. the cuckoo clock has nothing at all |
| was suggested by our friend and all the Indian crowd | | | | to do with Switzerland. It was invented in the Black |
| invariably land there). Interlaken is in the center of | | | | Forest of southern Germany in 1738, the area which is |
| Switzerland, so it can be made base for the tour, but | | | | still the center of their production. |
| my husband had already talked to his friend in | | | | Cheese: It is said that anyone can make the holes but |
| Lausanne and we stayed there for our trip. Lausanne | | | | only swiss can make the cheese. Hard cheese, soft |
| is the Olympic Capital" since 1994. It is home to the | | | | cheese, cottage cheese, cheese made in mountain |
| Olympic Museum, the most visited site in Switzerland. | | | | chalets, cheese made in valley factories, cheese |
| Bjart Ballet of Lausanne is world-famous. | | | | shaved into rosettes, cheese boxed in red pine, |
| From what I have seen of Switzerland, I can say that | | | | cheese melted in wine to make fondue, hot cheese |
| every inch of this country is beautiful, not only the | | | | dribbled over potatoes to make raclette. . . and what |
| landscapes but people too. It is also worth mentioning | | | | not. |
| that the Swiss people don't talk in English but that | | | | Some Interesting Facts About Switzerland: |
| won't be a problem if you want some help. They | | | | Many celebrities have made Switzerland their home. |
| always try to help strangers. I got a rude shock and | | | | Boris Baker lives in Schwyz, in central Switzerland. The |
| back to reality message on board the N2 bus from | | | | great Irish writer James Joyce moved to Switzerland |
| London Victoria station. A drunkard started using | | | | from Paris because of the War. French actress |
| abusive language with a lady with a child, saying she | | | | Isabella Adjani settled in Geneva. Charlie Chaplin lived |
| wasn't a good mother. The baby started crying. The | | | | for over 20 years in Switzerland. Roger Moor, the man |
| lady asked the driver to throw the man off the bus but | | | | who incarnated James Bond has lived in |
| got no reaction, ultimately she herself had to get down | | | | Crans-Montana since the end of his acting career. |
| earlier. Then the guy turned his attention at Ananya, | | | | Former Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher has |
| who was blissfully sleeping through all the clamor, but | | | | been living in Switzerland since 1996. |
| thankfully nothing untoward happened. | | | | Bollywood Connection: On an average, 25 Bollywood |
| THINGS TO DO: | | | | movies are shot in the picturesque backdrops in |
| For adventure sport enthusiasts, Switzerland is a gold | | | | switzerland every year. Switzerland was first used as |
| mine. You can go trekking on beautiful alps, river rafting, | | | | a location by Indian filmmakers in the 1960s, when Raj |
| ice skiing, skating, cycling on mountains. Switzerland has | | | | Kapoor and Shakti Samanta ( both reknowned Indian |
| a cycling tradition which is not generally seen in London. | | | | film directors) went there to shoot "Sangam" and "An |
| Swiss trains even have special space provided for | | | | Evening in Paris" respectively. In 2002, leading |
| cycles. I saw double decker trains for the first time | | | | Bollywood director and producer Yash Chopra was |
| here. There are 3300 km (2046 miles) of well-marked | | | | conferred the Swiss Filmfare Award by the |
| interlinked trails, most of which offer easy cycling. | | | | Switzerland government for his role in promoting the |
| Bicycles can be hired at most railway stations and at | | | | country as a preferred location. |
| many other locations. Those hired at stations can then | | | | Switzerland is also home to the huge Nestle food |
| be returned to any station at the end of the tour. | | | | company. |
| Lakes such as Lake Geneva, Lugano, and Neuchtel | | | | Punctuality:Not surprisingly for a country that is known |
| offer sailing, water-skiing and canoing. Rowing can be | | | | for making clocks, the Swiss have a near-obsession |
| done on Lake Zürich. hiking is a national passion in | | | | with being on time, trains are never late. |
| Switzerland, and hikers are very well catered for. | | | | Tour Information Tickets: |
| Approximately 50, 000km of trails lead through all kinds | | | | No need to feel hassled if you missed your train and |
| of terrain in this spectacularly beautiful country. We | | | | now stranded on platform. Ticket counters at every |
| went to Rhein falls on the first day. It is a | | | | station will give full detail (printed on small leaflets)of the |
| photographer's delight. We had luggage with us and | | | | timing, number of train, platform no, trains to be |
| there was no place to put it. So we had to drag it with | | | | changed and at which station to go to your destination. |
| us all the way up and down the stairs. While coming | | | | You can easily plan your journey with the help of |
| back to the platform we found out that the place | | | | these small leaflets. |
| where people were depositing their belongings for a | | | | Geneva is no tourist paradise: |
| ride in boat was very near to platform. Advice: If you | | | | Tourists expect a lot here in the international capital of |
| have luggage with you then go down to the left from | | | | Switzerland, but Geneva doesn't match to those |
| platform, its hardly 50 meters. The person who takes | | | | expectations. Our last day was reserved for Geneva. |
| care for the luggage charges 1 frank per suitcase. | | | | We reached there around 4 p. m. Geneva is the |
| SHOPPING: | | | | costliest city in Switzerland. We got on a ride on city |
| Chocolates: Swiss chocolates are world famous. They | | | | train, similar to the one at Lucerne but were fooled. |
| give good competition to Belgian ones. My husbands | | | | The train only circled round and round in the botanical |
| colleagues at office had demanded that he get them | | | | garden, never allowing us any glimpse of the city. |
| swiss chocolates. We thought of buying them at duty | | | | There are private bus tours which will take you to the |
| free shops at Geneva airport but all the shops had | | | | offices of a horde of international organizations. but |
| already closed except one, (our flight was at 9. 50 pm) | | | | Other than the Saturday flea market in Plain de |
| The shop that was opened had very expensive | | | | Plainpalais, where you can hunt for that rare music |
| brands but we had to buy them anyways. Advice: Buy | | | | record, there is nothing to do in this small city. The |
| chocolates from supermarkets like Coop or Migros. | | | | United Nations building, that neighbors other international |
| Frey is a good brand and not heavy on the pocket as | | | | organizations like ILO, WTO, and UNHCR, is a desolate |
| well. Teuscher (try the champagne truffles) and Sprngli | | | | structure. But like Lucerne, Zürich and Lausanne, |
| are for fat wallets. | | | | you can take a streamer here too and spend four |
| Swiss Army Knife:This knife has a blade as well as | | | | hours enjoying the scenery. Swiss rail pass gives |
| various tools, such as screwdrivers and can openers. | | | | access to all ferries and streamers. |
| The term "Swiss Army knife" was coined by US | | | | CHAO |
| soldiers after World War II, as they couldn't pronounce | | | | There is a lot to write and share, but for now I wind up |
| its original name, "Offiziersmesser". | | | | here. Let's meet some other day and discuss |
| Cow Bells: Of varying sizes, these cowbells are a | | | | Switzerland over a bite of chocolate. |
| great hit among Indian tourists. Hindi movie "Dilwale | | | | |