Trip Overview
April 27 - May 18, 2011

_{To go Back at any time,}
use Browser’s “Previous Page”

• This three-week jaunt had twin “firsts”: the first time Patty has ever been in Switzerland and the first time we have ever utilized the UNTOURS travel group. It is certainly not hard to find reasons for a visit to Switzerland. Though an expensive destination, the country has great natural beauty, clean cities, pretty countryside and a public transportation system that makes getting around very easy. UNTOURS is a group that arranges apartment lodgings and Swiss Rail Passes, provides ideas, maps and trip information and then generally leaves you alone --- while providing whatever guidance you might need during your vacation. For us, UNTOURS’ primary value was in saving us the time and trouble of renting accommodations and planning activities. At this, UNTOURS does an excellent job.
  
  For the first week, our lodgings were in Locarno in the canton of Ticino, close to Italy. With only six days here, we crossed into Italy just once. Had we more time, we surely would have traveled to Milan and Lake Como, at least. For the second and third week, our chalet apartment was in Lungern, a small town between Lucerne and Interlaken. This area is called the “Swiss Heartland” by UNTOURS (and perhaps by a few others) though it is not one of the 26 cantons. With the help of the Swiss map below, both Locarno and Lungern can be located.
  

  

  
  Our Swiss Rail Passes were well-used. Patty counted 40 different train boardings alone. The passes also covered almost every bus, ship, gondola and funicular on which we traveled as well as free entry into many, many museums and historical sites.
  
  With no expectations of “seeing it all,” we hoped to simply enjoy each day as it unfolded, rain or shine. As a consequence, this narrative is not a documentary on Switzerland but merely a description of some of the unique, beautiful or funny things we observed.
  
  Our three weeks in Switzerland did bring us a few surprises. Here are some:
  
  
  • At about 16,000 square miles in area, Switzerland is less than half the size of Maine. However, this diminutive country has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
    
    Banks charge no ATM fees in Switzerland! Moreover, ATMs are abundant even in smaller towns. A debit card would have kept us going for our entire trip.
    
    Dining out is very expensive. The reason must be, simply, that the Swiss can afford restaurant prices.
    
    Swiss drivers yield to pedestrians --- even to those who have not yet made up their minds to cross! What a welcome change from our experience at home.
    
    We saw not one squirrel in Switzerland; actually, we spotted no wildlife at all except birds. Coming as we did from central Pennsylvania, that was a surprise.
    
    Graffiti is widespread in Switzerland. We observed this eyesore even in small-town Lungern! While not as common as in Italy, it is still easy to find. Why such ugliness should be tolerated by the Swiss with their squeaky-clean reputation is difficult to comprehend. Tourism brings in huge revenues and it is driven by the country’s superlative natural beauty. Why then do the Swiss not make any attempt to rid themselves of this nuisance? You’ll have to ask the Swiss.