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| From the Train |
Next stop: Switzerland. The land of chocolate, the Alps, Roger Federer, and cheese with holes. We made our way from Salzburg to Fribourg (via Zurich). This was certainly one of the most scenic train rides we had. Spectacular views of mountains and lakes throughout. Also, as we crossed the border from Austria into Switzerland I instantly felt an aura of peacefulness and neutrality sweep over me…so Swiss...
- First note of warning about Switzerland…it is incredibly expensive. Don’t get me wrong, it is very clean and beautiful, but you definitely pay the price for it. For example, our bill at McDonald’s in Fribourg for a cheeseburger, drink, fries, and a side salad came to 18 Swiss francs, or 22 U.S. dollars. The expense was the main reason we cut our stay in Switzerland down to 2 days, and chose Fribourg over Zurich or Geneva (not that there’s anything wrong with Fribourg…I quite liked it actually). I do wonder, however, how people with non-lucrative jobs (say McDonald’s employees or waiters) manage to survive. I might be mistaken, but I don’t believe Switzerland has the most robust welfare state, compared to some of its European neighbors.
- One interesting travel note on Fribourg, their public bus system seems to operate completely on the honor system. You buy tickets at the little electronic machines at the bus stops, but tickets were never checked in any way. I guess that’s one way of saving money.
- Speaking of Fribourg buses, we were engaged in conversation by an older gentleman who sat across from us on the bus…completely in French. I think he made some kind of joke when he sat down. We laughed, but I guess it wasn’t too convincing (or come to think of it, maybe he said something like, “I just came from my wife’s funeral” for all I know) because he then realized we didn’t speak French. As he didn’t speak English (which is unacceptable frankly, the nerve of some people, how do they expect to communicate with us superior human beings without speaking our language!), he instead decided to point out all the sights and things to do in Fribourg as we drove along…once again, all in French with a bit of charades thrown in for good measure. I think we basically got the point. Nice guy…I’m pretty sure he wasn’t telling us to screw off or anything…I think.
- Our main outing while in Switzerland was down to Gruyeres, a small medieval-era village that features a beautifully preserved and restored castle. This was perhaps my single favorite location on our trip. The castle was excellent with a nicely maintained or restored interior and beautiful views in all directions. We were able to get some nice photos…notice that I manage to rep the UCF Knights at every opportunity.
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| Town square in Gruyeres |
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| Reasonably large castle fireplace |
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| Representin'! |
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| The Castle Gardens from above |
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| Awww... |
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| View from up high |
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| Castle situation |
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| Gardens |
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| Self-portrait |
- One other thing that I love about Swiss towns…they have copious horse troughs. I believe the one I posed with was in Bulle. No worries though, I made sure to keep my eyes open for Andy and Barney to make sure I didn’t get nabbed for a 10-17…dipping a hat in a horse trough. (For you non-Andy Griffith fans out there…is there such a thing?...I feel like, in my humble opinion, this is perhaps my most inspired reference yet.)
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| "If I any horses come along, I'll be sure to yield the right of way" |
- What more can I say about Switzerland…hmmm? I’m sure I’m missing something, but that’s what you get Switzerland for being so darn neutral and prosperous. I would definitely recommend a visit…but do be prepared to open up the wallet.
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