The Weekly Watch
A Swiss Watch
I'm back home now...where crickets chirp and the forests drip with rain. In last week's essay I was in the North and West of Switzerland. This week we'll look South and East. I want to try to give my take on the local people rather than the tourists. The title of this essay describes much about the country...it runs like a Swiss watch...with precision. However there are strong regional differences...much like the US (despite it's smaller size). I'm no Rick Steves, but I'll also give you few of my travel tips. So if you would like, join in and take this last ride though Switzerland with me.
Last week we started at the top...the top of the Jungfrau. This week let's start from the bottom...the bottom of an ancient sea in the southern tip of Switzerland almost to Italy...
on Monte San Giorgio.
Monte San Giorgio is a mountain at Lake Lugano known for its marine fossils from the Mid Triassic Period. At that time (about 240 million years ago), the area had a tropical climate and a sea full of coral, fish, (long-necked) reptiles and turtle-like creatures. The fossils of these animals were found well preserved in what had been a sea basin. They tell the story of fish diversity and the evolution of lizards and reptiles.
When mines were dug at Monte San Giorgio in the 2nd half of the 19th century, to extract oil from butuminous shale, the fossils were discovered. Over 10.000 specimens have been found. They include large skeletons of vertrebrae up to 6 metres long. The quality of preservation is very high and a number of 'first discoveries' of species have been made here. They tended to float face down as you can barely see in this mirrored (top and bottom) exhibit.
The museum has excellent displays like this movie that showed the death of these creatures whose projection drifted down to a rock where their fossil was embedded.
To get to the museum you take the train to "Mendrisio" (about 30 min from Lugano) and then a wild mountain bus ride up to the village of Meride...which has an great old Europe feel.
Across Lake Lugano is Mount San Salvatore.
Traveling to the top of San Salvatore is an adventure too...
We like to stay near the train stations. Lugano is a big city, and we're country mice.
The train station is also the location of the funicular down to the lakeside city, buses to all the surrounding areas and hikes, and of course trains to nearby attractions. The day we visited San Salvatore, we caught the bus down for a lake side hike to the village of Gandria.
After our hour or two stroll, we had a beer and then caught the boat to Paradiso.
It was a two block walk to the funicular system to the top....it took a funicular change half way up to make it.
(We also had a double funicular plus a cable car to get to the top of Piz Nair above San Moritz).
Afterward we strolled the promenade back to the City to pick up dinner at a grocery store, and ride the funicular back to the train station and our room.
We did all that travel on our Swiss pass.
Still scraping the bottom...
No need to flip out...sometimes the bottom is on the top. In eastern Switzerland the Sardona region was flipped by the power tectonic plate collisions. Along the "Glarus thrust” line 250-300 mil.-year-old rocks moved over a distance of around 40km on top of much younger, 35-30 mil.-year-old rocks. The Glarus overthrust has one of the world’s largest and most dramatically visible sections through a tectonic thrust fault plane in the Earth’s upper crust. A system of stacked nappes and deep ancient rocks is visible at intervals over a distance of 50 km/30 mi, laid bare by glacial erosion.
a view from the spa...with the geologic unconformity in the background
The heat is still present in the Earth from these ongoing movements. And people have enjoyed hot springs since the time there were people. The Swiss transportation system makes it easy. We caught a train in the morning from Spiez to Zurich (an hour or so) for a train change. Then another hour train ride to Bad Ragiz. Got off the train. Stored bags in the station locker. Went out front and caught the bus to the Therme (hot spring) for a two hour soak before heading back, grabbing bags, and taking a final two hour (very scenic) train to Pontresina. The spa wasn't included, but again all the travel was on the Swiss pass.
I'm still trying to get to the bottom of things, and there's at least one more bottom of interest... Imperia. Her bottom is about all that is left to the imagination.
I discovered her in the Konstanz harbor on Lake Constance (the Bodensee). Imperia is a concrete statue of a woman holding two men on her hands. The statue rotates on its base every four minutes. The two men sitting in Imperia's hands represent Pope Martin V and Emperor Sigismund.
The statue represents a satire of the clerical morals, where Imperia seduces cardinals and princes at the Council of Constance and has power over them all. The story of Imperia was based on the life of an Italian courtesan who died in 1512, nearly 100 years after the Council met. The statue was created by Peter Lenk, and was installed clandestinely in 1993. http://english.konstanz-magazin.de/magazine/Imperia.php
“On the cusp” is about to boat down the Rhine, and last week I suggested I was to see the river's beginning at the Rheinfall. Well we did make it the the falls, but it is far from it's origin. In fact the Rhine flows through Lake Constance (the Bodensee) and past Imperia.
So from top to bottom the geology and geography of Switzerland is amazing. The way the people of the country make use of it is equally interesting. Cows dot the landscape in most areas.
Dairy and cheese production is common.
They cut even yards for hay. There's a long tradition of gathering hay where one can.
Seems everyone with a yard has a garden. The country for the most part is neat as a pin.
Fruit trees are everywhere and apples were prolific this year.
Here's a still making apple brandy...
Vineyards and wine making is common all over the country.
The people are productive. They are precise like their transportation system. They are well educated. Most speak good English. They are happy, healthy, talented and respect privacy. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/07/switzerland_0_n_4038031.html
The library established by St. Gallen about 1500 years ago...
There are regional differences. In the South things are a bit more relaxed...trains are actually late sometimes. Looks like there's more poverty in the South too. It maybe they have more immigrants. We met a Hungarian immigrant on the train one day. She didn't get the minimum 3600 francs per month. She worked as a maid. She thought the Netherlands was a more caring and friendly country... where she had lived prior to following her husband to Switzerland. She found the Swiss people cold. As tourists, we found people usually friendly. The language regions - French in the west, Italian in the South, and German over most of the north each had their own vibe. They look you over, but don't really look you in the eye. However we noticed when we made eye contact and smiled, they did too. Perhaps that is human nature. In general, we found the Swiss to be industrious and competent people.
Nuts and bolts of travel...
When it's time to change locations or head home, it is easy to agree with my best travel tip – pack light - less is best!. We each have a carry-on bag and a day pack. We take fast drying clothes we can hand wash along the way. I pack my clothes in 2.5 gallon plastic bags (one for pants, another for shirts, and so on) that I sit on and seal. Carry clothes that are easy to layer to stay warm or cool. I also wear a vest with zip pockets to carry my passport, travel pass, money, maps, and so on. A vest is almost like an extra bag. It is easy to just take it off and run it through the X-ray machine when at the airport. My one extravagance is a coffee rig - kettle, coffee funnel, and cups (they are light weight collapsing silicone). I don't need it at every location, but I used our coffee rig at about half of our lodgings. I also take a small light fabric cooler that fits in my daybag. We buy groceries and make a picnic lunch most days. Every trip has it's own special needs. Often our first stop is a thrift or second hand store to buy goods we need, especially if we rent a car. This trip, the excellent transportation system made the Swiss pass a no brainer - meaning we had to keep it light to be on and off trains. Another advantage of a pass is the flexibility – pick trains, buses, cable cars, or funiculars on a whim.
Eating out in Switzerland is expensive. We normally manage our own meals, but we like to go to at least one restaurant in each town where we stay. Over our September trip we had pork schnitzel, goat with polenta, a shared fish platter on Lake Geneva, salmon and salad in a 500 year old cafe, several soups (including beet and horseradish), potato crusted trout with vegetables to die for, and the last night a bratwurst with rosti (fried potatoes).
For the most part all our travels were as efficient as the Swiss system. We had a few glitches on our travels home. Hey it is part of travel. You have to be flexible. The plane was an hour late. We stand in line to board, but are re-routed to answer some pretty dumb security questions. It's a nine hour flight back into Atlanta, and we arrive after 3 pm. They have the security facial recognition machines shut down since last Friday and the exit lines are huge. We make it to our car about 5 pm just in time for Atlanta rush hour. Took us 3 hours to drive home rather than the usual two. That's the way it goes sometimes. ..the price of travel.
Yet from top...
to bottom....
it was a great trip - beautiful, educational, and satisfying.
It is enriching and that is really what makes traveling worth all the hassles. It is a lens into the past, the present, and the future... and a means to connect all those realities. Travel causes us to grow...to evolve and find ourselves reflected in other cultures, ecosystems, and people. I wrote about a sense of place a couple of weeks ago. Well traveling provides a greater sense of place, and adds to our relationship with the planet and its people. Here's hoping you enjoyed a little of our trip, and you'll share some of your travel adventures below. And in the words of Dorothy - there's no place like home. Wishing you all a lovely Sunday!
Comments
Great write up
Makes me want to travel more. Rick Steves would be proud.
Makes me remember all those PBS documentaries like 'Great Train Journeys - The curvy tunnel switchbacks of a Swiss 'rack drive' train'.
Have a great day.
I want a Pony!
Thanks!
Do you return to S.A. soon? Hope you've been healing quickly and with no pain.
Travel in Latin America is a horse of another color. But we love that area too...so many great birds, landscapes and so on there...but much less infra-structure.
Well all the best! (what kind of pony?)
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Beautiful work, thanks for sharing!
We have been to Suisse numerous times but only return to visit Swiss Germanfriends, who in turn come visit us. Have not traveled in the country as extensively as you did though, so expensive. But oh so scenic! Just rather spend travel funds camping in our tent and photographing wildlife in countries where we can travel more in line with our budget.
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Beautiful work, thanks for sharing!
We have been to Suisse numerous times but only return to visit Swiss Germanfriends, who in turn come visit us. Have not traveled in the country as extensively as you did though, so expensive. But oh so scenic! Just rather spend travel funds camping in our tent and photographing wildlife in countries where we can travel more in line with our budget.
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Thanks d. o.
We found lodging to average about $100/night, used our passes for transportation and museum entries, and ate on the cheap from grocery stores most of the time. Both Britain and Ireland were at lest as expensive...but I did get a fairly inexpensive round trip flights this time around.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Lugano - Southern Switzerland - Italian Culture
Hi, lookout, happy you enjoyed Switzerland. Members of my family have been to Lugano, Pontresina, Arosa etc. mostly way back in the sixties. Back at those times you could clearly see a difference in architecture of the buildings, different kind of 'neat' and 'clean' and may be gaps with regards to poverty levels, between the German speaking and the Italian speaking areas. French speaking areas I don't know well.
I prefer the Italian parts of Switzerland. All in all I think the Italians are friendlier and less 'swiss clock ticking precise'. The food is always excellent, but as everyone seems to be too rich, and tourists are exceptional demanding and rich as well, it's no fun to eat in a restaurant anymore.
When it comes to transportation systems, I like me my public transportation to everywhere and from anywhere. I would advise anyone to use trains, bus and not rent a car. It's working well and you meet people, which is the most important part of travelling in countries you don't know, imo.
Anyhow, the best part of your essay is the last sentence of Dorothy (I assume your wife) saying that there is no place like home. Having a home and knowing it's where you feel most comfortable in, is the thing that counts most in my books and it's lovely to witness someone being happy coming home again.
Welcome back !
PS. Oh, there is a difference between most Americans I have met and us 'ugly' Germans, when it comes to 'smile'. I remember well, when I was new to the US in the early eighties, that I found it awful that people told me I should smile more. I thought what the heck they think they can tell me, a stranger they have no connections with, that I should smile. I got used to it, but still don't like it. Last time that happened to me was in Hawaii by woman I was trying to apply for a little job. She was from TX I think or AZ and ran a restaurant at a beautiful place 'top direction' , but I knew from the first minute she talked to me, it wouldn't work.
At the end of the conversation there was something that made me laugh out loud. And the darn woman told me: "You have such a beautiful smile, why don't you use it more?." Luckily I was still too German on the one side to not say what I thought and on the other side thought what I couldn't say, that being, you know, 'I smile when I feel like it, not when you feel I should.' Oh, well, I should be nicer to Americans, I think. ... Yell at me, lookout, and be less polite and more honest, that's what I sometimes like to tell the Americans, but of course do not say openly. Just here at C99p I dare to be 'me'.
It's fun being here. See you again, my friend (if I may say so).
I have a lot of smiles for you and people here though.
https://www.euronews.com/live
US southern culture is friendly....
...but you rarely tell anyone what you really think because you might offend them. So we use other people as message bearers. You tell one of their friends in hopes they will convey your thoughts. I always found that to be a classic flaw in the way southerners relate to each other. We smile and speak pleasantries...rarely our real thoughts.
PS Dorothy is the main character in "The Wizard of Oz". She merely has to click her magic shoes three time saying there's no place like home....to suddenly return.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooM-RGUTe2E]
I am lucky to have a home...one which fits and feels right. All the best to you friend in your home across the sea.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Lovely trip and essay! Thank you.
I am wondering if the remains of the almost twenty-foot long vertebrates found in the sea have anything to do with the legend of Nessie, the Loch Ness creature ("Monster"seems unduly judgmental.)
I am also wondering: If future folk find fossils of humans in the sea, won't they assume, misleadingly, that we tended to float face down? (Coming from someone who learned the "Dead Man's Float" as a very young child, before learning to swim.)
Sorry to be so macabre!
It may be...
Certainly there have been individuals of species which live far longer in an isolated ecosystem.
I liked Vonnegut's story Galapagos - where humans have evolved into seal like creatures. One way in which they were human-like is they all laughed when one of them farted.
And no need to worry about the dead man's float. These early reptiles went down back first, but with their long necks, it was also face first.
Thanks for dropping by.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
You did a fine job of describing
your trip. I will visit Basel only, then will get on a boat, float down the Rhine to Amsterdam, visiting towns in France and Germany along the way.
Packing is beyond a skill, rises to the level of "art form".
While I can pack for a 10 day trip in a tiny weekender bag, I am happy when I can carry my big bag to have room for the gifts I buy for my friends.
I never seem to unpack.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Sounds like a great vacation!
We loved riding the boats in the Swiss transportation system. Have a great river cruise.
Have you heard about the Alabama river cruise? Only $10. When you pay up, they knock you in the head, and you wake up tied to a log floating down the river. Before long you float down and meet a fellow traveler where you ask, "I wonder if they serve meals on this cruise?" He responds, "They didn't last year."
We actually do really have some nice rivers in Alabama..and a few short term cruises. Hope you'll give us a report about your trip upon your return.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Alabama river cruise
I recently joined friends for a 4 day visit to Charleston, SC. I spent $1200.
By comparison, I went on a 5 day safari in Kenya for $1000.
I do not have the time to research for trips on my own, so use various tour companies, let them worry about logistics.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
not a bad strategy...
My routine is to buy used travel books and spend a year or two dreaming what the trip might be. I almost always work with a map of the area too....sometimes from the internet, and sometimes purchased.
We have some local buddies who travel quite a bit. They recommend TravelZoo
https://www.travelzoo.com/top20/
We tend to travel independently...and probably end up spending a little more.
Each to their own. The idea is to have new experiences and gain appreciation of this interesting world.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
The debate of whether to travel with a tour
or independently rages on at tour group dinners when we are all at the same table.
I have designed 2 tours, and they were just perfect. However, it took a lot of time to do the research.
I just returned from Jordan. What I knew about the country would not fill up a thimble. For 5 days, I was lectured by a guide with 23 years experience, a degree, and his knowledge of history, culture, architecture, engineering, religion, science, well, I could go on and on about that man and his capabilities.
I guess I want to be taught, and not self-taught.
The point is to travel and get as fully immersed into the country and culture as possible in the allotted time and budget constraints.
I urge everyone to see something of this world.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I could read your travel essays all day long, please keep them
coming.
Like and agree with your good tips especially traveling light. I've a Rick Steve's carry on designed to fit above the seats and like you carry a soft cooler bag inside a large shoulder bag and carry quick-dry clothing.
When first traveling in Europe, i had maps, Fromer's Europe on $5 dollars a day, my thumb and a five-pound tent and backpack.
Today for anyone traveling in Europe, i suggest becoming a member of travel blogs like Rick Steve's where you can ask other travelers about almost everything, even tripadvisor's blog can be good. The man in seat 61 for train info and so on.
On the blogs, fellow travelers go deeper that Steve's good material sharing wonderful tips on special Boutique accommodations, aibnbs, B&B's, restaurants, attractions, local transportation and so forth.
i developed a couple of guidelines, buy and large, avoid Steve's hotel and restaurant recommendations, most of these attract travel groups, too. Better to plan a year in advance from word of mouth blog folks to find the best places to stay and eat. i prefer to step up from Steve's accommodations anyways because of the fantastic values you can find with lots of searching.. Do plan to book far in advance, at least six months if not a year as those special places book up early.
Always book at least a two-night stay when traveling unless needing to catch a train or something; booking three to four days, i think is best. Don't travel too far by train each trip, around two hours works well; again unless you are going far, then take a night train and get it done. Nothing worse than spending all those precious hours commuting.
Spend money on private guides, available at most major attractions. Often they can take you in special entrances, especially very early in the mornings.
Build in a rest-bite or two if staying a while. Always ask for the local wine or at least to taste it and walk or take local transport to non-tourist areas for pleasure and food.
Many accommodations provide breakfast, exemplary ones, often, so get an early start to the day with a great breakfast. If not acquainted, some hostels may surprise one in value and privacy.
I always start with a geographic plan, then work the trip around train schedules insuring a plan b in most cases. Then, i move to accommodations following the advise of fellow travelers, i begin the web search and look at the photos, reviews, location, location, location and if the rooms are big, important to me; and if satisfied, i pick up the skype phone and call them directly, at times having long, good conversations.
Hey, you know most if not all these tips, but thought i'd explain how planning has worked for me. You are so right about having a splendid trip without breaking the bank and train travel is the way to go.
Cheers.
Excellent advice
I like setting up a base for several days before moving. Often the longer the stay, the better the price. Sometimes a one nighter makes sense as a transit site- we had a one night stay at the top of gemmi pass to set the stage for an early hike. The nicest place we stayed was an airbnb apartment for $60/night. We liked the swiss youth hostels. Stayed in a couple of BnB's run by locals. Also managed a couple of old hotels with bathrooms down the hall...but a lot of character, great location, and reasonably priced.
I'm home for awhile, and being stationary has been pleasant. There's mowing, road maintenance, sweet taters to dig, and all those other regular chores that somehow make us comfortable.
Thanks for the great travel tips!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I have a wardrobe of quick dry
outdoor clothing in either Magellan or Columbia brands. I bought them at an Academy Outdoors store. They are made with high tech fabric with sun screen, occasionally mosquito repellant.
I live amongst hunters and fishermen, and that's what we all wear in east Texas. I get a lot of use out of them in addition to travel.
I met a couple who make it a point when travelling to poor countries to wear clothes they no longer need. Before departure for home, they donate the clothes to charities, come home with empty luggage.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Likewise, using the pants and shirts with lots of zippered
pockets and carry a travel clothes line and have quick drying first and second layer ski clothing which packs well and does the trick hiking on glaciers.
Appears, if my travel partner or me ever become healthy enough to continue on, i'll have to take 24/7 portable oxygen machines and batteries; trying to get one of those now that doc prescribed a month ago, but having to change oxygen companies and have gotten the medicare red-tape run-around.
In our partnership, i guide, plan the trips.
A small, but i feel important thing imo, is to remove any outside appearance of being from the USA. I even switch to a British accent when i feel it's appropriate, which for me is secondhand. Security is an issue and both of us have expensive camera equipment and i carry a laptop. Using two money pouches works for me: one underneath around the waist and an outer one for day use which attaches to my belt and slips into zipper pocket.
Also, i've a pocket size ski lock cable which i attach around backpack and computer/camera shoulder bag on trains and in restaurants. Can rig it to follow my shoulder strap as well to prevent a backseat Vespa knife attack on camera and laptop, also have a plastic cover for the backpack for rain and extra safety.
Looking forward to a trip reports from the Rhine. Bon voyage.
Enjoy the Rhine.
I have a travel handbag that has
I take a back pack to have necessities handy on a plane or train, but never wear it on the streets.
I was just mentioning to a friend who wants to go with me on some trips that she simply must ditch her wardrobe. Get some black slacks, some "anything but tennis shoes" or flip flops, and some neutral colored tops, look as understated as possible,and try to fit in. I don't even wear jeans. Looking like a Walmart shopper is like begging to get robbed.
My fishing clothes are what I wear to Africa and Central and South America. They also came in handy in Asia. Leave the jewelry at home, remember the goal is not to draw attention to yourself.
Walking around with her in her customary clothing would also endanger me!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Thanks for the additional insights
Jeans take too long to dry and don't make it on my international travels. In addition to a clothes line I also have a flat sink stopper. Shampoo works pretty well as a detergent.
I carry light breathable rain jacket and pants - came in handy once on this trip and multiple times in Ireland. I also like my polypropylene base layer - shirt and pants instead of long underwear - lighter and quicker drying. Works great with layering for warmth.
Have a great trip in the Rhine OtC and thanks for your ideas smiley.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
smiley7,
I wanted to say I am sorry you are having problems with your health and your treatment.
I have toured with many people who have had oxygen machines, CPAPs, and everybody just pitches in to help them.
Don't let it stop you!
Let's see the world before the nukes drop!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Thanks OtC ...
for the kind words, appreciated.
Evening Lookout
Thanks for the virtual trip through the south and east of Switzerland and the travel tips. What an amazing trip you had. Love the library. I saw the one in Vienna. They really made a library a special place back then. The closest I have came was to visit Nancy France, a bit north of Switzerland but in the French Alps and on a lake. One of the best hikes I have ever taken. Welcome back.
Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation
Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook
Thanks...
It is nice to be home!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”