For many years, I had this very scenic country known as Switzerland on my must visit - must see list.
So, when my better half and I were discussing possible places to visit this summer and she suggested Switzerland, our decision was made. What followed was a a very memorable trip that I have chronicled in this blog. My motivation for writing this blog are simple:
1) It will be an external memory aid to us to enable us to review and re-live the trip. It will also help us better respond to questions from friends and well wishers on how was the trip, what did you see etc.
2) for those who are planning a Swiss vacation, they may be able to derive some tips.
Disclaimer: I don't claim to be a writer neither I am paid to endorse any brand of hotel or restaurant and neither am I a brand Ambassador for any city or country .. if you still insist on reading this blog, then please do so at your own risk of being terribly bored. I think its only fair to let you know.:-)
May 5 thru May 9, 2015
Day 1:
We took a JET Airways flight to Zurich via Paris. The Paris -Zurich flight was code share with Air France and put us in Zurich at 10:15 pm. That night we had planned to stay near by Airport and found a reasonable Holiday Inn express at Rumlang about 4 miles away.
Day 2: Zurich & Lauterbrunnen
Train network in Switzerland is quite extensive and run by SBS. A short distance from our Hotel was the Rumlang train station and we took a local train to Zurich HB which is the main Zurich station. We had to lug our luggage ourselves for about 10 minutes walk to the station and then at the station up a flight of stairs. So, will strongly recommend anyone wanting to use public transport to move about, that please carry a backpack and a roller preferably 22 inch carry on types.
Like many other large stations in Switzerland, Zurich HB offers a reasonably priced luggage storage at Euro 10 per piece for the entire day. We used that facility to store our luggage and headed to the nearest Tourist information center which was close by the station. They guided us to take a 2 hour Zurich City tour via a trolley which offers an excellent introduction to the main attractions in the city.
The Old City is very lovely with cobbled streets, many of them pedestrian only!! Along side the main street is the river Limmat that originated at Lake Zurich and flows in north westerly direction. It add a distinct charm to the city. Lots of very historic buildings, churches and clock towers. Refer the pictures alongside.
The helpful lady at the SBS office at Zuroch HB also suggested that we purchase a 3 day Swiss Rail Pass that is valid on all trains, Cable cars except at Jungfrau train for which this pass offers a 25% discount. Apart from the cost savings, the pass also saves you a lot of time and hassle in purchasing tickets at the station. We headed out to our destination for the next two days - Lauterbrunnen gate way to the high up Jungfraujoch in the Alps. To reach there, we had to change trains twice first the ICE (Inter City Epress) from Zurich to Bern and then in 6 minutes to IC (Inter City) from Bern to Interlaken and then in 8 minutes to Regional rail from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen. Again lugging the bags down and up the stairs and ensuring that we made the connecting train was a real challenge which we were thankfully able to meet.
Lauterbrunnen is a village which is located at an altitude of 800 meters in the Alpine valley. It is a narrow cleft with steep mountain walls rising on both sides. There is a lot of vegetation and being spring time, we were lucky to see some tulips too.
As the name suggests it is place to a number of waterfalls amongst them the Staubbach falls which drops over 800 to 900 feet and is considered one Europe's highest unbroken falls.
Trummelbach falls which are ten glacier waterfalls inside the mountain. It alone drains the melt from glaciers like Eiger, Monch and
Jungfrau.
We stayed at Hotel Jungfrau which is a cosy little place. We found this to be very conveniently located from the train station although the road on the way to the hotel is at a slight incline and having to pull the bags up the incline takes some doing.. Another reason we thanked our good sense of packing light and using a backpack and roller suitcase each.
We had a good dinner at the hotel restaurant itself and with plans made to visit Jungfraujoch, went to bed early to be able to wake up early and catch the morning train up hill to Jungfraujoch.
Day 3: Jungfraujoch & Trummelbach falls.
Although we had Swiss Rail passes, we still had to purchase the round trip train tickets for Jungfraujoch train and caught a 8:30 am train which would take us up to 11,333 feet Jungfraujoch station. This is the highest train station in Europe. It takes about 2 hours to reach up to almost 4000 meters. Along the way, the train makes a few stops the first being at a very scenic village of Wengen.
Jungfraujoch tour is an interesting one. Its usually very chilly and windy outdoors. Inside the building there are multiple floors and at the top is the Sphinx observatory. We spent about 2 hours and took the afternoon train down to Lauterbrunnen. The view from the top is very breath taking. Luckily the weather cooperated and we had clear visibility of several peaks in the Bernes Alps region.
Once at Lauterbrunnen station, we quickly found that there is a bus that can take us to the Trummelbach falls and got on it. Trummelbach falls are waterfalls that drain from inside a mountain. To access those, there are steps that we had to climb. the place is provided with artificial illumination. The awesome volume and roar of water that you see & hear at close quarters leaves you dumb struck. It was some thing that we had never imagined. Later we read that the falls drain more than 20,000 liters of water per second. This is all the melt from the glaciers like Eiger, Jungfrau and Monch. Since there were hardly any other people around, it was only us and the falls and we witnessing it in dim yellow light standing barely a few feet away from the falling water....All I can say is this is absolutely must see manifestation of the intensity, power and vastness of nature.
There after we again boarded the same bus which took us a little further to the base of the mountain from where one can board the Cable Car to Murren and much more.. We took the cable car which almosts ascends vertically up the face of the mountain. We sat at a lovely cafe enjoying food and the scenic view from the top and were even treated to a few colorful para gliders that were gracefully gliding down to the valley below.
Day 4: Off to Lausanne
We had a leisurely breakfast, checked out of the hotel and again lugged our bags to the train station on our way to Lausanne. It turned out that we had to go thru 2 train changes to get there but by now we were used to 6 minute transfers between trains running with our luggage in tow. Some how the body had adopted and we got on just fine.
Lausanne is the 4th largest city in Switzerland, It sits on the shores of a lake that extends all the way to Geneva where it is known as Lake Geneva. There are alps for backdrop and these are French Alps. We walked thru the town which involves a lot of uphill walk as well. Ouchy is the port and is about 15 minutes walk south from Lausanne station. We had selected a Hotel close by to the station called Hotel Victoria Eco which turned out to be a very spacious and comfortable place. There are two metro lines running thru Lausanne; one runs East West and other North South. As a resident of the Hotel in Lausanne, you get free tickets to travel. The Hotel gives you those tickets.
Lausanne is also the seat of International Olympics Committee (IOC). There is an Olympics museum that chronicles all data of all olympics. It is located in Ouchy. We only saw that from outside as we were late getting there and the museum closes at 6 pm. That evening was a early dinner and early hitting the bed since we had a 3.5 half hour travel to Paris coming next morning.
PARIS: May 9 thru May 14
Paris - the city that evokes abundance of History, art, culture, food and fashion. That would be our home for the next 5 days from May 9 thru 14 of 2015. The 3.5 hour high speed and I mean really high - 310+ km/hour speed that brought us from Lausanne to Paris. We reached Gare de Lyon station a little before 4 pm on May 9th, got into the Taxi and headed to this small cosy apartment in the Latin Quartiers region of Paris.
In a short time of 15 minutes we were in front of our building and our host was awaited. He, Alexander, turned up around 4:40 and we went to the Apartment on the second floor of the building and set that as our base for the next 5 days. A lot of internet research had led me to the conclusion that for Paris visit, staying like a local Parisien will enrich our experience even further. That proved to be the case indeed. Just for information, I will recommend creating an AIRBNB profile and then searching that site for apartments that suit your budget and location. I located this one thru Airbnb and am happy that I did!!
The apartment was very conveniently located near by a METRO and RER station. In Paris the Metro network runs underground and each route is identified by a number running from 1 thru 14. RER on the other hand runs on the surface and travels much longer distances. Tickets are valid on both. You can buy 10 tickets which sell slightly cheaper or a 1, 3 or 5 day pass. We purchased a 3 day pass.
The first priority was to visit the near by grocery store and stock up on bare necessities like cereals, milk, bread or should I say Baguette...There after, we stepped out for a leisurely walk exploring the vicinity and headed along the banks of River Seine towards Notre Dame Cathedral. Before that we visited a couple of natural islands. These are premium addresses in Paris. Since it was a great sunny afternoon, all street side bistros and cafes were buzzing with people. The mood was very vibrant and every one seemed to be really enjoying themselves. Being early days of summer the daylight extends up to 9:30 pm so more time to have fun.. People seem to be making up for the lost daylight hours during the 4-5 months of blistery winter weather.
We had heaps of laundry to take care of and our apartment offered that facility which we used very happily and once more our wardrobe was renewed in anticipation of the next 5 days in Paris.
Day 2: It was Sunday and we noticed a lot of rush for viewing Eiffel tower and museums in Paris. So we replanned and decided to visit the Palace at Versailles, which is about 45 minute travel on RER C line south east of Paris. However, once we reached there, we noticed large groups of Tourists there.
None the less, we were able to get a priority access tickets and headed out to the Palace and gardens.
A practical tip: The Palace grounds are huge and so is the garden. Its important to estimate your own walking stamina and plan accordingly. There are self drive electric buggies very similar to the golf carts that you can sign up for or a road train.
King Louis the XIV and Marie Antoinette lived here. The place is very tastefully decorated and the halls and other chambers are highly opulent. The gardens with its dancing fountains are a real treat to watch.
Versailles is also known for the famous 3 Treaty of Versailles that was signed after World War 1 end. The Palace was chosen for this since the number of people expected to attend was very large. The Hall of Mirrors was able to hold the large number of leaders who came from Germany, England and France.
The Day 2 sight seeing ended at around 7 pm. Our feet were hurting real bad.. we had walked a lot and were constantly on our feet since afternoon., came Tired and hungry we dragged our selves home and managed to grab a bite somewhere along the way and crashed in our beds.
Day 3: We had booked a TGV (high speed train) to REIMS. The TGV speeds exceed 300 km/hr. This is in the Champagne-Ardenne region and is famous for its Champagne houses most of whom offer the tour and tasting. We found that Tattinger offered tour that suited our schedule and taking the city bus arrived at the Taittinger facilities. They offer a hour tour taking you down the stairs almost 20 meters and walking thru a labyrinth of tunnels where hundreds of thousands of bottles are stored - Some still ageing and some ready to ship. The whole process of how this world class bubbly is created is laid out in front of us in the tour. At the end of the tour is tasting time and you sample some exclusive bubbly.
We got back on TGV and returned to Paris by 600 pm and headed straight to Eiffel Tower. There was small line and we easily purchased tickets and got into a large Sky
lift that rapidly ascended to Level 1 where we halted briefly. we went up to Level 2 and then right to the Top which is at 300 meters and once considered the tallest structure until Empire state building came along. It was commissioned in 1889 and named after the engineer whose company built it. It is an icon of France now.. Strangely, this was supposed to be temporary structure created as part of the contest whose rules specified that the structure should be easy to demolish at the end of its lease period of 20 years when it would revert to City of Paris. However, it continued to remain due to its value in communications and rest as they say is history.
After a bird's eye view of Paris, we decided to take a cruise on River Seine and got onto the top deck of the boat that cruised towards the west where magnificent historical buildings along both sides of the river were pointed out. While returning to Eiffel tower, it had become dark and we got to see the tower golden in color because of the illumination. It looks like a flame shooting up all the way into the night sky. What a sight?
That was pretty long and interesting Day 3 and by the time we came back home, we were very tired and worn out but very happy to have savored some select champagne, been on the Eiffel tower and watched the transformation of the tower from silver to gold in the illumination.
Day 4:
We decided to take the city bus and head to Musee de Louvre or Louvre Museum. We alighted at Palace Royale Louvre stop and stopped to peruse some souvenirs. During a casual question asking for direction to the museum, the shop owner told us that all Museums in the area are closed on Tuesdays. So much for our planning!! However, we decided not to let this set us back but look at what we can do extempore. We were on Rue De Revoli which is like New York's Fifth Avenue sporting famous brand name stores along its entire stretch. We also were close to the Tourism office and thats where we headed. At the Tourist office, we booked tickets for the LIDO show that evening at 9 pm, got 2 day tickets for the Hop on- Hop Off bus and also next day's Louvre museum tickets.
Then we got onto the Hop on - Hop off bus which eventually brought us infront of Musee dOrsey. I had read that this museum has the famous Monet painting 'Water Lilly' and we hopped off the bus there and headed into the museum. We were lucky to make it in time for the Guided Tour and for next 1.5 hours, we heard a lot of Impressionist and post impressionist and Academic painters and their styles, differences and which painter falls in which category etc. Some much needed education on appreciating art.. We saw many Monet, Manet and Picasso paintings. After a quick trip back home, a shower and dressing up - yes, LIDO expects you to be in in Business casuals - meaning no teeshirts, shorts or tennis shoes.
LIDO is an experience. The theatre has been running shows since 1929. It is located on Champs De Elysees, that famous avenue which has the Arc de Triomphe at one end of the avenue.
The show uses a lot of technology, props, costumes. The dances are so well choreographed. The Opera singer who hits all the right high notes and the lights dazzle you. They serve you champagne which is anyways is part of your admission ticket. via The show ends and we head home via the Metro which is right outside the LIDO theatre. Worth seeing and experiencing this!!
Day 5: Today is the Day for Louvre Museum visit. We land up at the museum at noon and our tour is guided by the Map that we picked up at the entrance of the museum. There are 3 levels housing 3 different wing. Each wing is on all the three levels - so if you want to see this Wing by wing, then there is considerable climbing up and down the stairs. We chose to see all three wings in each level. Denon wing on level 1 is where we start since thats where Mona Lisa is!! As we get thru various sections, we are impressed with the sheer size of Louvre collection. A cursory visit to each section, will easily take about 2.5 hours. It took us about 3 hours and then some for lunch and some occasional rest for feet breaks.
That was pretty much the last of the tours that we took. We then decided to spend our remaining time walking around the Latin Quartiers and old city area, sipping coffee watching the city go by and soaking in the ambience & vibrancy.
Day 6: We leave our apartment and take a WECAB to Rossie Charles De Gaulle airport. I will recommend this cab. It can be booked via phone or online and because it offers a fixed fare paid by you in advance using your credit card, you are always assured of what you will spend. Incidentally, this cab also works out about 20-25% cheaper compared to regular cab since it shares the ride with up to 2 more people.
We boarded our JET nonstop flight to Mumbai on 14th afternoon and got back home by 10 am next morning.
A total of 10 days (Switzerland and Paris) of trip and some very memorable sights that we will treasure.
Some Tips on Food etc.
We are vegetarians and you would wonder what would these people get to eat. Let me share the variety that we savoured: Great Salads with choicest Cheeses, Soups, Couscous based Moroccan food with delightful hot Vegetarian Stew, Italian food, Greek food, falafel and of course plenty of Chinese and allegedly Indien restaurants. Baguette, Croissant, pastries, French Fries and macaroons offer a easy and delicious snack - of course with all the walking, we could calorically afford to indulge in these.
Language is not a barrier if you are willing to learn a few words of French. Any visitor guide will give you the needed vocabulary. French people love politeness and its a good custom to start any conversation with Bon Jour and use S'il vous Plait liberally. Google Translate is your best buddy.
Travel light and carry what you can lift by stairs for at least a couple of floors. Elevators are not as common in most apartments or even hotels.
Most places accept Debit or credit cards..so no need to carry lots of cash. Keeps you worry free!!
Day 3: We started early morning as the previous day and after gassing up our Dodge caravan, we again entered Bryce national Park since the road leading to Capitol Reef branches out from with in the Bryce Canyon National Park. It is called Route UT 12 which is the Scenic Highway and what a lovely road it turned out to be. It is a long drive to Capitol Reef and it will take up about 5-6 hours. So be prepared. Along the way, there are 3 very beautiful towns. Hemley was one I recollect. Its quite picturesque. We did not take any lunch break until we arrived at Tory which is a small town at the entrance of Capitol Reef. We had booked the only available hotel there which is Days Inn. After checking in and having a couple of sandwiches from the only Subway in town, we headed inside to see the Capitol Reef National Park. Unlike any other park, this one does not have any entry charge or even a formal entrance and we did'nt quite realize when we had already entered the park. The rock formation along the hills on both sides were indeed Reef like. There were hardly any tourists there. We stopped at the Sunset point and waited for the sun set to snap a few pictures and then headed back outside to our hotel for the night halt. Having warned by the Hotel reception that the only food place in town - a little pizza place, shuts down by 8 pm, we had stocked up on veg. Lasagna as our dinner. However, we were so tired by 9 pm that we ate a little and slept off peacefully.
