TRAVEL TALK: Switzerland 2009

On our 2007 visit to Switzerland, a photographer called Mannfred (who reminded me of Einstein, all wild, white hair) recommended that we visit Bern. "You'll find it interesting," he said.

Left: Me in contemplative mode, staring out the hotel room window in Geneva, watching a boat float down the Rhone.

This visit started in Bern and how right Mannfred was! A mixture of old and new, Bern struck me as an example of how opposites – past and future; tradition and technology – can co-exist in a seamless harmony.

From the ancient clock tower, the Zytglogge, which acted as the city’s western gate from 1191 to 1250, with its face criss-crossed with overhead tramlines and staring down at the streets dotted with statues that are also water fountains (see left below) to the crack addicts lighting up in a darkened doorway, Bern is a city of the unusual.

As the capital of Switzerland, Bern is clearly a city, but also has a bucolic atmosphere and its quaint streets, crowded with ancient buildings , have an artistic soul.

Best Experience: Sitting on the Münsterpromenade (built in 1334), soaking up the weak, warm sunshine as I ate handmade Swiss chocolate and watched my husband take photographs of the river Aare.

Left: Beric (bottom left hand corner) strolling along the Munsterpromenade in Bern, loaded with his camera bag and carrying his monopod.

Worst Experience: This was a problem throughout Switzerland: everyone smoked everywhere. For non-smokers, there’s nothing worse than walking into a crowded, hot room filled with clouds of smoke.

After Bern, it was off to Geneva for a few days of work. In addition to several business meetings, my husband Beric presented a paper at a conference for Swiss bankers. His talk, and the new orange silk tie (see left) I gave him for good luck, was well received!

I spent the time re-visiting old haunts and discovering some new ones, as well as enjoying a solitary walk along the Rhône. I could have done without the howling wind, which felt as if it had come straight off the Arctic!

Best Experience: Once again, the highlight was attending a morning service at the Russian Orthodox Church with Beric.

Left: The Cathédrale de l'Exaltation de la Sainte Croix (Russian Orthodox Church) in Geneva.

Worst Experience: After listening to the Geneva Chamber orchestra give a wonderful performance of Die Schӧpfung (The Creation) by Haydn in the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, we went on an unscheduled, unguided late-night tour of Geneva because (wait for it) my husband followed his nose and would not ask for directions back to the hotel!

Our visit to Geneva ended on a high note with the conference formal dinner at the beautiful old Hotel d’Angleterre: a discreet atmosphere, a great table of fellow guests and delicious food made for a good ending!

Below: Beric taking a break from photographing the famous water fountain in lake Geneva.

The next day we left for Zurich. With only half a day available for exploration we didn’t have much time for anything other than a stroll down Bahnhofstrasse to the lake and, on the way back to the Hotel Schweizerhof where we found a handmade chocolate cake welcoming us back for our second visit, we dawdled past the Fraumunster and the Grossmunster.

Right: A swan on Zurich lake

Best Experience: The white, white swans drifting past on a lake framed by the snow-capped alps.

Worst Experience: Zurich has a plethora of the saddest looking dogs I’ve ever seen.

Left: A yacht skimming Zurich lake with the snow-capped Alps looking on.

Then it was a quick nine minute train journey to Zurich Airport in time to catch the plane to Zagreb in Croatia. But that's another story...(continued in next post)