Blogs from North-West, Switzerland, Europe

My mum and I had booked a journey on panoramic trains in Switzerland. We had started our trip in Basel, travelled to Chur, from there to St. Moritz on Glacier Express, and had spent a (rainy) day in St. Moritz. From there, we had caught Bernina Express to Tirano, travelled to Lugano by bus, and spent a day in Lugano. On Wednesday morning (30thof August), the last leg of our journey was to start. We walked to the train station from our hotel and caught the Gotthard Panorama Express from there. The train goes all the way up Gotthard Pass and ends in Flüelen on Vierwaldstätter See. Our route took us through Bellinzona, the capital of the canton Ticino with its castles. Then we went across fascinating viaducts and through tunnels and ultimately entered the Gotthard ... read more

All of you know by now that I have the world's best travel buddy, Mr. Mike. I have a few people who are more than adequate substitutes. You know who you are. I will not mention names, so I don't hurt anyone's feelings. But several articles recently listed traits of bad travel partners. This is from Seeking Good Living: Travel is not his/her first priority-This is hard to find, but during retirement, it becomes a focus, and for some, almost an obsession. I try to keep a proper perspective.The close-minded traveler-If you have chosen wisely, and know your new travel mate, this should not be a problem. On my first trip to Europe, my travel buddy was obsessed with the opera and symphony. And ye... read more

An exciting day planned. First to Lucerne across the lake by boat and then the afternoon at the Transport Museum. Got off to a disappointing start as when I went to get bread from the campsite shop at 9am I was told it was sold out. As in the afternoon yesterday i had specially gone to the shop to order some but been told there was no need to preorder I was a little taken aback. Order is firmly made for tomorrow and I had nuts and a date for breakfast. Bob always has some Weetabix handy for emergency ‘no bread’ situations like this.😊 We headed for the boat quai for the 10.35 boat across to Lucerne, having checked the timetable yesterday, only to find this boat doesn’t seem to exist. Totally ... read more

THU, 18 AUG 2022 – Day 6: Lucerne: Optional Free Day - Today you’ll have a free day to enjoy the Lucerne region. Renowned as one of Switzerland's most beautiful cities, Lucerne is a place you'll definitely want to have your camera at the ready for! All the ingredients for the quintessentially picturesque Swiss experience are here - a cobalt lake and well-preserved old town complete with waterfront promenades, covered bridges and perfect plazas are surrounded by the natural skyscrapers of the Swiss Alps. It's no wonder that Goethe, Queen Victoria and Wagner savoured the stunning views that Lucerne has to offer. There's charm and grace around every corner, but it's not all about history - there's certainly enough of a pulse here to keep things current, with carnivals, concerts and exhibitions aplenty. Overnight – Hotel ... read more

Si bien nous connaissons les dates de nos départs…. Dieu seul connaît souvent celles de nos retours… C’est ainsi que ce voyage avait été décidé avec un départ pour le 27 août… et que nous avancions selon nos découvertes mais aussi selon la météo…. Si bien nous ne sommes revenus que le 20 septembre, c’est pour vous assurer que nous avons eu TRES BEAU TEMPS… tout au long du voyage… si ce n’est le dernier jour… des nuages s’annonçaient quelques jours avant, mais sans grande importance… Bien entendu, au jour où j’écris ce blog, nous sommes déjà à la maison depuis maintenant une semaine… Il est tentant de se mettre directement à l’ordinateur pour revoir les photos et partager nos dernières impressions… mais il faut penser au reste… pour repartir très vite déjà… Une petite envie ... read more