21 Adventerous Days in Europe on a
Rick Steves Tour
Europe Bound!
This morning we headed out of Cinque Terre and off to Switzerland. Throughout the tour we took turns sitting at the front of the bus. I knew I wanted to be able to have the best view of the alps so I rushed to the bus and sat up front. I am so happy I did- the ride was amazing. It was such a unique experience to see the transition from hilly green land to sheer mountains.
The wow moment was taking in the splendor of Switzerland- mountains that are essentially cliffs, soft moss like pillows, and the quiet jingle of cow bells.
Switzerland
Cinque Terre, Italy to Stechelberg, Switzerland
May 20, 2013
Tour Day 16
Wow Moment
Food
Travel Tip
A lot of times at Autogrills or just in general in Europe you will pay for a plate size, not for the amount of food. When purchasing just know you can stack the plate with food as much as you want. They don’t charge you by how much food you have - just by the size of the plate. This is especially important to remember in Switzerland!
On our drive Reid explained some aspects of the Swiss culture, such as their ingenuity, which we observed to all along the drive. We passed through tunnels that were miles and miles long, bridges rigged with explosives, and bomb shelters. The Swiss were not going to be dominated by their mountainous homeland but rather used it to their advantage.
We eventually arrived at our hotel and I could not get over the beauty. Our hotel was nestled in a valley between two sheer mountain cliffs. When doing a 360 from our hotel you could see at least 6 waterfalls plunging down the mountains. There were cows and donkeys grazing the fields. Anytime they would move there was a gentle jingle of the bells around their neck. There were quaint houses with flower boxes and soft moss growing on the roof. It was beautiful.
I took a walk after settling into our room. I could not take in what I was seeing it was so beautiful. Everything felt so soft but also so grand. Wildflowers and soft mossy grass contrasting steep mountain faces.
We later gathered for dinner hosted by Otto and Marianne, the hotel owners. Otto, the Chef, first gave us a fondue-making demonstration which was very fun to see and very delicious to eat. We then enjoyed dinner together against the backdrop of the mountains. It’s good to be in Switzerland.
We had lunch at an autogrill and I couldn’t get over all the very delicious looking options or the hefty prices- I was still dealing with Swiss sticker shock. I decided to get a salad because my body was craving some fiber. It was delicious- cucumber, olive, asparagus, potato, carrots etc. Also we got our first Swiss chocolate and let’s just say it lives up to its reputation.
For dinner we ate as a group at the hotel. We had fondue, roasted pork, mashed potatoes, and flan. Delish!
Some cows taking a stroll outside our hotel window