The Switzerland Traveler

I’m feeling a bit moody, so a B&W shot today.
Bad Tiefenbrunnen is in fact, a jolly place. Located down at the end of the number 2 and 4 tram lines, it’s a very pleasant place to be in summer.
Open from 10 May to 15 September, usually to around 20:00, but that depends on the weather. If it’s warm enough to be there, it’ll be open, if not, it’ll close.
You’ll find places to grill your sausages, and please excuse me at this point for mentioning that there are naturist terraces too.
If you need it, there’s a shop to buy the sunscreen you …read more

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  You can’t really see it in the photo, but there is a new revolving restaurant in Switzerland. It’s in Appenzell, near St Gallen, and if the dramatic qualities of these photos is to be believed, should be well worth a trip. From which you may deduce that I’ve not actually been yet, I still can’t drive with my arm not fully healed. The restaurant is at 1800m (6000ft)  above sea level, give or take, and promises an amazing view across Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and the Swiss Alps. A cable car takes you to the top if you don’t feel like …read more

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Thanks to Jon at the DC Traveler for suggesting a contribution for World Cocktail week.
So here are two recipes, one to drink, and one to give you an idea about the locals. You can choose which is which!
The Zurich Banker:
- Take an elegant, uncomplicated glass and fill with diamonds from the freezer (who uses ice cubes these days?)
- Fill with fresh mountain water from the River Limmat (we don’t want to get drunk with all those foreigners turning up for Euro 08 do we?)
- Add a dash of seriousness, and a twist of arrogant coolness
- Roll a banknote, any denomination, …read more

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Inspired by MJ’s travel A-Z on flyaway cafe, I thought I’d come up with a Swiss version. So without further ado, here’s a list plucked at random from the depths of my brain:
Andermatt – Some great ski runs, and pretty much the centre of Switzerland
Biel – Or Bienne – they are the same place.
Chur – Centre of the Eastern Swiss Ski Resorts
Davos – Economics with skis.
Engelberg – Mountain of the Angel, with a revolving cable car.
Furka – Railway and Pass.
Glarus – Home of the Klausen Rennen, A beautiful pass.
Hoch Ybrig – My favourite local ski resort
Interlaken – Switzerland’s own Interlagos …read more

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Fancy playing at being a Charlie?
Then how about a visit to one of Nestle’s factories?
The Cailler factory in Broc, near Lake Geneva, has a visitors’ tour. There’s a guide, and all stages of production are covered, with interactive and audiovisual aids.
But the question you want to ask is – do they give out samples?
Of course they do!
Cailler
CH 1636 Broc
Monday-Friday 09:30 – 16:00
Tours last around an hour
Photo: Flickr – bru.mato

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Went to the King Tut exhibition on May Day I mentioned before, and was very disappointed that there was not a single original exhibit on display.
Everything is a replica, and although that is mentioned on the website, it’s not obvious from the posters advertising the exhibition.
It’s still interesting though, and contains excellent recreations of many items that have never left Egypt, but on balance I’d prefer to visit the real stuff in London.

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It might sound like a religous festival, but Rabadan is one of Ticino’s more interesting festivals.
It’s essentially the Bellinzona version of Fasnacht. A twist is that the keys of the city are handed over to King Rabadan, who according to tradition is the most notorious carnival king of Ticino (Tessin).
There’s the usual Fasnacht-style procession for girls and boys, but this takes place on Friday, not Thursday as is often the case in German-speaking parts of Switzerland like Luzern.
The carnival bands come out in force on Saturday and Sunday,  based around the Piazza Collegiata.
Food, drink and dancing are catered for through to the …read more

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As in many countries, fireworks at midnight are a tradition at midnight on New Year’s Eve/Day.
Here’s a picture from last night’s celebration in Geneva.
May 2008 find you healthy, and bring you all that you wish for. It’ll probably help if you put some effort in, but wishing may well help…

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Just a quick thank you, to all of those that read this blog. ie you!
It’s been a pleasure writing about a country so beautiful as Switzerland, and hopefully 2008 will give you a wider insight, and an incentive to visit.
If you have any specific (or general) questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
In fact why not say hello anyway?

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On a recent trip to Zermatt, we had occasion to feed ourselves with a decent meal, and opted for the Restaurant Avena, just along the road from the Papperla bar, renowned for its apres ski atmosphere.
The Avena is a traditional restaurant, offering classic French-style dishes, with the emphasis on quality.
The whole party opted for the Chateaubriand, and were far from disappointed, it being perhaps the most tender beef I have ever eaten.
And while it might sound like heresy, we chose a bottle of the local Petite Arvine wine to complement it. The wine is quite similar to a Sauvignon Blanc, …read more

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