Zurich HB station was filled with gigantic life-size blowups of Switzerland’s soccer players. It reminded me of the fanfare at Indian cricket matches. Spanish girl decided to ride with us on the train to Fribourg, and get down at Berne. The train stopped at Berne, the capital of Switzerland and Spanish girl got out, while we gazed out into the city as the train scurried past. Berne was crammed onto a steep-sided peninsula in the crook of the River Aare. We saw cobbled lanes, lined with sandstone arcaded ancient buildings, modern shop signs and a few tiny cars and a tram [View Full Entry]

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Rajesh woke me up at 7 am banging on my door and startling the other girls in my room, who asked me if he was my boyfriend. He was showered and ready and gave me a half hour to meet him for breakfast in the dining room. I was so hungry that I ate everything they had for breakfast and even drank 2 cappuccinos. Thank god it was free, else it would have been another rip-off! RV was picking us up in front of his office at Stockerstrasse at 10:00 am, so we took the tram #7 and decided to hit [View Full Entry]

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Everything about Switzerland went wrong, right from the beginning! In Swiss, I wanted to visit Geneva and Interlaken and ride the glacier express. But Rajesh was bent on hanging out with his college buddy in Zurich and staying with him for 3 days, that I had to give in. Couple of days before our departure, the friend’s kid got chicken pox. I put my foot down and insisted on booking a hotel. Though we both had gotten chicken pox before, I didn’t want to risk a relapse. Euro 08 soccer match was on. Switzerland and Austria were the hosts. And Zurich [View Full Entry]

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We had seen some of Europe’s best cities, chateaus, castles, museums, ruins, churches, parks and neighborhoods. It was time now to see the countryside. I figured, what better country to sample the countryside as beautiful Austria? When I think of Austria the first thing that comes to my mind is, “The Sound of Music” set in Salzburg and the picturesque countryside beyond. A fantastic opportunity existed at the train station - a combination ticket (ship+train+culture) for a cruise on the river Danube along the Wachau Valley. Train trip to Melk, a visit to Melk, a boat cruise [View Full Entry]

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As the Eurorail got closer to Vienna, I looked out the window and noticed that the sky was grey and muggy, a symbol of upcoming rain. Our coupe mates, Arnold and Naomi invited us to their house if it rained too hard and we had nothing to do. We hoped it wouldn’t rain, thanked them for the invitation and took down their address and phone number. It was their daughter Asia’s 3rd birthday and we all sang her a happy birthday in the train as she ate a jelly sandwich (that Euro rail served for breakfast) and her 6 month old [View Full Entry]

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The Vatican City, known as the Holy See is a sovereign city-state that came into existence in 1929. It is ruled by the Pope and is the central authority of the Roman Catholic Church. The city itself is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. Approximately 110 acres and with a population of around 800, it is the smallest independent state in the world. The Pope has absolute monarchy over the Vatican; meaning, he has total legislative, executive and judicial power. Every Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI gives his weekly service in Saint Peter’s Square around 9.30 am. I knew this [View Full Entry]

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We slept in and woke up nice and bright. Peeping out the window and seeing the narrow alleys and ruins, I realized that I was in Rome, where the ancient and the modern truly lived side by side. What I loved about Rome is the shift from Renaissance ruins to Baroque architecture to modern Rome and the fact that, all of that is visible in its entirety in the city. The hotel served us complimentary continental breakfast. They had a big spread but all cold food, except for the croissants and coffee. We checked out and the lady in the reception [View Full Entry]

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Fountains are the music in Rome. Wherever I turned, I found fountains - in the piazzas, in the center of busy roads, in front of grand buildings, everywhere! In the early periods, public fountains in Rome served multiple purposes: first, they were highly needed sources of water in the centuries prior to home plumbing. Second, they were monuments to the papal patrons. We walked towards the river Tiber, and followed directions to the Piazza Navona, an oblong rectangle with three fountains. The center fountain is the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of Four Rivers) by Lorenzo Bernini, [View Full Entry]

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Rome was hot and sweaty! It was 11 am and we were hungry. We ate brunch and proceeded to Roma Termini station. The subway in Rome is easy to follow; there are only 2 lines - red and blue covering all major stops. I found Rome to be only quarter the size of Paris. Our hotel, Grand Olympic Aurum was near the Vatican. We got down at the Ottaviano stop and stepped out to see a board that advertised an Indian restaurant. Shanti - Ristorante Indiano e’ Pakistano. I realized in horror that the email confirmation from the hotel did not [View Full Entry]

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The train ride from Venice to Rome was 6 hours non-stop. This time we got first-class coupe and it was like a private bedroom, no coupe mates. At Venezia St. Lucia station, I chatted with a Canadian-Indian student from Toronto backpacking across Europe and he gave me some useful tips about Rome. Romans hated tourists. The city is small that you could practically walk to all historic spots on foot. The subway system is very easy and straight forward. Do not miss the Vatican, though the museum tour takes forever. The Popes have acquired a huge amount of wealth that is [View Full Entry]

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