A perfect Swiss Moon

Apologies for a much delayed post..Had been busy with the much dreamt of busy Married Life!
However Its never too late to share an experience...especially of a Dream Moon in Swiss Alps!

31st December 2007

Anshul and I are back from one of the most mountainous regions in the world, Switzerland to the most windy region ( so it seems!) Bristol :-). exploring Switzerland is such a philosophical experience - you suddenly realize that nature has so much to offer in abundance. whatever wonderful thing one hears about the Swiss alps has not a pinch of exaggeration in it. It is indeed impossible rather than difficult to capture the whole experience in words or photos or videos - you have to be there to immerse in the beauty that is alps.

24th December,Christmas eve my Husband Anshul gifted me our Swiss Moon

Day 1 - We land in Geneva and buy the swiss pass - it is a necessity, not just convenience - you are entitled to travel throughout Switzerland on trains, buses, trams, and boats(!). there are only a few special routes where you need to buy tickets (and with the Swiss pass, you get a 50% reduction) e.g. if you are going to Jungfrau, highest rail station in Europe, Interlaken to Grindelwald is free on the Swiss pass, Grindelwald to Kleine Kcheidegg and Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfrau and return is not, but you get 50% discount on the tickets and yes these tickets are expensive, so a 50% discount is lot.

The Swiss trains are legendary for their service (timings, connections, frequency, views) and we had planned to cover at least a couple of special routes . Luckily, Anshul had selected a hotel in Interlaken for all the 7 nights and i think it was a very good decision (Interlaken is perfect if you plan to travel a lot on the trains to various other parts of the country). after luzern, we were treated with the breathtaking views of the Swiss alps from the panoramic trains. The train windows are huge, clear and look out through them from any seats in any direction and you will see the numerous lakes (clear and huge) and mountains all around (snow capped, waterfalls) and the vast expanse of greenery. Small towns with different types of houses (those made out entirely of wood are beautiful) scattered far flung.

Handy tip : don't forget to collect the train timetables from the main stations or the stations that you will be using often to take the trips. Each of these timetables have the train times for all the main cities in the country and if you also get the train map, it is very easy to plan journeys.

On the way to Grindelwald, there are numerous touristy towns with hotels aplenty and you can spot a lot of them. When we got down at the small station at grindelwald, we were amazed to find the crowd - a variety of them, many with the skiing gear and soon we realized that we are going to a very cold place completely covered with snow. It was not covered with snow, it seemed the mountains were made with just ice and snow. Skiers were having a fantastic time. We did not take the Jungfrau train immediately, instead explored Kleine Scheidegg for an hour. Anshul and I were unusually excited with all the snow around and we did the normal tourist's rites - taking lot of photographs. I am not a skier, so cannot speak for the facilities there, but it did seem to be good ones with lots of cable trolleys taking the skiers up the mountains from where they can ski down

Handy Tip - coop and migros are two superstores (and some small outlets) if you need one (they dont give out plastic bags for free though and i thought that is a very good way to avoid too much use of plastic bags - esp. when you compare the supermarkets in UK- anyway, it is a good idea to have a couple of carry-bags with you).

The trains which take steep rides up are cogwheel trains, they have a special track in addition to the two for the outer wheels. It was amazing how easily the trains take you 4000m on snow topped mountains in arduous conditions. How else can we mortals(non-snow-mountain-climbers) have an experience of what goes on at that height.. the facilities provided at that height are great, and it is money well worth spent. the last train from the top leaves at 16.55, so you understand why it is very important to start early for Jungfrau.
The Jungfrau region is superb, with the mountain towns of Zermatt and Lucerne also being excellent value to visit!

Going further, what I recall of Zurich is Anshul and my first snow fall and its Zoo!At Zürich Zoo in winter, when it drops below 10 degrees (which is often!), they take the King Penguins for a walk around the zoo! The wonderful creatures toddle along, happily saying hello to the enthralled people watching

Switzerland - famous for its chocolate, cheese and breath taking scenery! Switzerland does offer all this and much more - it is a romantic and unforgettable place to spend your honeymoon. So no matter what you both do, curl up in front of the fire and enjoy all that this land has to offer.Having a honeymoon in Switzerland is your chance to experience the stunning alpine landscapes, beautiful towns and cultured cities! Switzerland is a blend of French, German and Italian cultures. Switzerland is a tranquil haven perfect for a romantic honeymoon. ...A perfect Swiss Moon from my husband...

Thank You Anshul for this absolute visual treat!