SCINTILLATING SWISS

Just to think about – it seems like only yesterday- WOW -it is about a decade ago – a gift from my wife for my golden jubilee birthday – an exotic two week family trip to the dreamland Switzerland. Although I have shared my experience of this country in an earlier blog ‘The Alpine Dream’, – it was only a tip of the iceberg or should I say, tip of the Alps! In that, I covered no more than the top peak of Engelberg’s and the bottom village of Mount Titlis’s – I could not come out of that unparalleled experience of the total landscape of 3 kilometres!!

It will be grossly unjust if I am not going to share in length the rest of the places- my first trip to the richest country of Europe. How much ever I think what to write or what not to write, the balance tilt to the side of ‘write everything’. I am gonna share my entire trip – may not be in the same order of visit. The amazing natural beauty of the majestic Alps, the placid lakes, quaint villages, rugged castles – that’s just some of what Switzerland has to offer. Add to it some shopping, wine tasting, delectable chocolates, ice creams, pizzas and cheeses and the list gets even better and better!

In these trying days of global pandemic and the restrictions on international travels, all I could now do is to sit back, relax and re-live my overseas memories.

May 27^th 2011 afternoon we were flying over snowclad mountains of the mighty Alps. A great escape from the sweltering mid-summer heat of good old Chennai- the next two weeks our stay was going to be in the chilllllll ‘playground of Europe’. The shuttle bus to the hotel was waiting for us at Cointrin Airport in Geneva. The cool breeze with light drizzles welcomed us – I inhaled deeply my first breath of the European air! After a quick change over in the hotel, we took a stroll in the picturesque neighbourhood. I couldn’t believe it- I really was in Switzerland – just 13 hours back I was in my motherland!

We were to move to the interior places of the country the day after. All the same, we were determined not to waste more than a day at Geneva, and so arranged a packed itinerary that would touch all the right bases. Later in the evening we visited the United Nations Head Quarters – I had goose bumps on being there; a place which has witnessed several world Heads of States and senior Dignitaries get into historic agreements that support humanity- the ones that changed the fate of mankind for the better ! The line-up of national flags of all the countries in the world, on either side of the pathway from the entrance to the palatial building is a feast to the eyes. Continuous clicking of cameras, even in the drizzle, is a testimonial for the sanctity of the place to the tourists who flock there from different countries. Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhiji’s statue is erected in the sprawling lawns of the UN- a tribute to the noble soul who preached and practised ‘Ahimsa’- an epitome of Non-Violence.  Just opposite to the UN building is an open square with embedded   choreographed fountains. A giant  iconic monumental ‘Broken chair’ adorns the square- it is a mammoth wooden chair with 3 legs symbolising opposition to landmines and cluster bombs – a barbaric action, and keeps it reminding  to politicians and others visiting Geneva. That evening it saved us from getting wet in the brief mild shower- we took shelter under the chair.

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Early the next day we were off to Lausanne situated on the banks of Lake Geneva. It is the home to the International Olympic Committee headquarters, as well as the Olympic Museum and lakeshore Olympic Park. The 2012 London Olympics was round the corner and that garnered lot more interest in going through each and every exhibits and the literature. The interactive displays on the Olympic Games, its history, organization, and athletes were very educative. A large landscaped lawn studded with several statues of sportsmen, symbols are things which can never be forgotten. The panoramic view of the Geneva lake was astounding!

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My inner voice is sounding in high decibel…

Hey Ram..what happened to your typical narrations? You sound monotonous akin to a boring documentary!! Let not anybody mistake you for a genius literate😜 Come on man… Be yourself !

Ok Ok..  I got the point…sigh…

Who would have not tasted Toblerone chocolates- who would have not fallen for the Toblerone chocolates- who would have not noticed the distinctive triangular shape of the Toblerone chocolates …Well. .First I will break one triangle and stuff into my mouth- ssllluuuurrrrpppp- the creamy cocoa melts in my mouth as I am writing this ! This world-renowned Swiss chocolate, a rarity in India a decade back, is available now even in a small potti kadai.. Such is the penetration of this geometric patterned delicacy that creates a magic in our palate. Mentioning about this chocolate has a significance to the Alps – the logo is one of the highest peaks of the Alps glaziers- the Matterhorn, bordering Italy.

A three hour drive from Geneva through the scenic beauty of the thickly vegetated country side brings us to Zermatt- the base station for us to reach Matterhorn through the village Gornergrat , a rocky ridge of the Pennine Alps. The cog wheel train was ready to haul us to the upper hills of Zermatt to one of the most stunning destinations in the world. In under an hour travel up the mountains, wading through the mist we reach a typical small village of medieval Europe as seen in old English cinemas. Horse drawn carriages, bicycles, hand pushing luggage carts, buildings with high chimneys… I was flabbergasted! Just a couple of hours earlier we were in the midst of the hustle bustle of the city and now it was as if we were rewinding the years in a time machine. Yes! that is the way the Swiss wants to conserve their heritage and also have an unhindered view of the mammoth mountains and its peaks that surrounds the place. On any day, the beauty of the almost near-symmetric pyramidal ridged rocky peak -The Matterhorn  perfectly sculpted by mother Nature can be seen without any hassles – the scary pollutants created by the human race. Matterhorn stands tall in the midst of the alpine panorama- an iconic emblem of the Alps.

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Before taking on the rails to the yonder hills to have a close view of the giant, we were treated to an authentic pizza made as it should be and the thin vegetable soup served in a flat hollow ‘plate’. Without remorse I ordered for a second serve even before gobbling my daughter’s share as well – a soup-hater!! The boiled celery, carrot, peas and corn in the crystal clear liquid -never can it be erased from my memory. I am a modern era Obelix -yearning to fall in that cauldron of magic potion (read: soup!!) The café was a straight lift from a cowboy movie – rugged floors, high ceiled wooden roof, clangs of glass, haze by/of  nicotine (probably they think it does not add to polluting the atmosphere ) and the white-skinned people all around!!

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There we are on for the most spectacular voyage by the open-air funicular rail to view the tallest peak in the Alps. The roof of the train compartment is plain glass- we are treated with the panoramic view of all sides and could see the engulfing thick tall trees on either side and under which the train slowly cogs. Any words to describe the voyage can only be deficient of alphabets. We could see the tall conical snow clad rocky peak in perfect isolation in the midst of an alpine cluster-no wonder it is an iconic emblem of the Alps. From the train station we strolled on the slippery pathway to a flat rock facing the towering mountain. All that separates us from it is a deeeeep gorge. The howling noise of the chill wind amidst the hollow, deafening silence brings a creep in the spine. Though the chillness was penetrating the thick clothing to the bones, the sun was super shining – the eyes were strained because of the glare due to the reflection of the sun’s rays on the snowy mountain. Certain great things are much great when watched from a distance. That was the end feeling I had after visiting this place- I could not withstand the pounding headache – an aftermath of the burning ball of gas of our solar system played on the white mountains! I was glad to be back in the train – I slept for rest of the journey😴

Someone in the train was telling that the Hollywood’s yesteryears star Terence Hill was holidaying at Zermatt. The magnum opus of the mid-seventies ‘Eiger Sanction’ of Clint Eastwood was filmed in and around Gornergrat and Matterhorn . These places have been the locations of many movies cutting across the language barriers – in fact, in one of the shops in Gornergrat they have listed the movies shot in these locales- a rough count a decade back was 140!

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Yet another marvel was the Trummelbach falls- a spectacular Swiss adventure. An unbelievable feat of the Engineers in building stairs and erecting elevators penetrating the mountains from inside. What else…we are going to view thundering water falling from heights in the cave-like environment inside the mountain at ten different stages. Can you even imagine any such thing of waterfalls inside a mountain, and that too open for the tourists to enjoy. It will not be out of context in mentioning the quote of the Saivite saint Thirumoolar in his epic work Thirumanthiram – “Let the world enjoy the bliss I attained! “ It is just not the planner’s vision, it is the Authorities execution to offer an unforgettable scintillating spectacular experience to the globe trotters! The tread on steep narrow ledge just adequate for two people to cross over, the yellow bulbs throwing just enough light, the roaring sound of water-the deafening noise of the crashing water and its spraying from all sides, the enormous chilliness of the place and slippery floors brings jitters. It is a ten stages spectacle of glacier-fed waterfalls gushing down from the heights. Imagine …. it is all inside a mountain! The foamy milky water straight from the nature’s deep freezers of the glaziers. In a couple of minutes the fingers became numb and the piercing cold had penetrated all warm(?!!) clothing in a jiffy – a “trembling” falls indeed! The more we stood there, the more was the chances of us becoming ice statues. It was awfully cold as it was windy inside. The treading back was still more hazardous. Clinging on to the railing all the way down to the elevator shaft. What was more difficult for me was my specs lens getting foggy and wet and I did not have a dry cloth to wipe it- was like driving a car in heavy rains without a wiper!   

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Writing on the adventures, I forgot to mention my jittery experience in Glazier 3000 even on the second day of my visit … All was fine with me from going on the largest gondola to the peak and gaping at the sceneries, sipping hot chocolate, running through the souvenir shops, using the corner room. The next was the taking the open 2-seater winch over the snow filled mountain to a reach a valley below to view eye-catching vistas. All that separated the seat and the snowy slope was a steel rod. We were forewarned to sit tight as the gradient was steep. It was such an exciting ride that I took a deep breath and stretched my limbs…Oh lo…. The lock opened and so was the rod. My teenage daughter was with me! We were bewildered and grasped our one hand and the other hand was clutched to the sides of the freezing seat with our already chill hands. Every second moved liked an hour and there in the vicinity we could see the base. We thanked the stars reaching it in one piece. Needless to say, for the rest of the day, I was the dart board for the flechette of glaring stares by my co-tourists’ leave alone my family!!

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I somehow want to wrap up the Swiss affair, but more I think-the more I remember; the more I write- the more I am getting on your nerves!!! The Swiss cuckoo clock reminds me of the time and the Swiss knife dangles on my head to complete this episode of the blog ! Just bear with me-the couple of paragraphs to come will be more of a precis writing.. Sigh.. I will try to condense…

The stay in Montreux- the town on Lake Geneva- the evening stroll along the lake-the live band performance on the banks- – the XII Century  medieval castle  Chateau de Chillon on the island of the vast lake – the dungeons and steep steps, the witnessing of the cycle marathon, the yummy food spread in our hotel Hmm.. I will definitely try to draw parallel with these in my future blogs.

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The bear pit in the capital of Switzerland-The Bern, the long walk from there to the Zytglogge Tower which has the clock sending a hooting noise with steam and a sculpted Swiss soldier coming out of the clock with an hammer and gongs the bell- an hourly spectacle. The museum of Albert Einstein – the house where he stayed for a few years and where he  founded his famous ‘Theory of Relativity’ ( Physics also was one of the subjects I did not get well with! We were not in good terms!)-  I glanced at  that house with a grudge(?)..the Parliament and the famous Swiss banks lined up in the Commercial square. I had taken a sack with me to take the stacked monies-but being an holiday, they wouldn’t give it. Also I did not have time to wait for the next day to collect it!

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The Lion Monument and the mini Niagara – the Rhine falls are worth mentioning in Zurich. Buying chocolates and the shopping original Swiss watches  and the two hour evening cruise in the Lake Lucerne, the unlimited home-made wine and dinner thereafter in it are moments that never can get off my mind.

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The airport hotel in Zurich was yet another pleasant experience before we bade goodbye to the exhilarating Switzerland. Although we visited Swiss in the next couple of years, the impact it had in me on the first time is etched deep in the heart.

Fondly waiting for the world conditions to become conducive inasmuch as I cannot wait any longer for more explorations of different places of our Mother Earth.

Till I lace up for the next…

J.Ram