First day in paradise

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June 24th 2007

Published: June 24th 2007

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StephGracElaine

phillyyy

this particular street is #2 in the u.s. for diamond sales (new york was first)

switzerland: home of amazing sights, food and air!!! and juicy fruits!!

we arrived in zurich, switzerland at around 9:00 AM (switz is 9 hours ahead of ca time). the airport was sooo efficient--there was no wait AT ALL!! craaazy. at a cell phone service counter, we got sim cards, calling cards, etc.

***euro travel tip: go to your cell phone carrier at least 5 days in advance. give them a slight overview of your travel plans: where you're going, how long you're staying, how many people you are going with, etc. ask them to 1) activate international roaming and 2) unlock your phone for international sim cards (#2 is VERY IMPORTANT). international roaming with t-mobile costs $0.99/minute!!!

zurich is 3 hours and 15 min from glion. because we wanted to save around $300, we flew in to zurich, rather than to geneva, which would have been closer. our ticket included three transfers, which meant 3-5 min to get from one platform to the next. (we had 5 min to get from platform 3 (downstairs) to platform 8 , all while dragging our 40+ lb luggage).

on the train: the scenery was amazing!!! the trees

phillyyy--safian and rudolph

diamond stores!

and lush grass made everything look so...green, and vibrant. the quaint houses and the beautiful landscape made such a charming picture. the pace of life seems a lot slower, with more time to enjoy the little things. it feels so nice to be able to let things sink in a little before rushing on to the next thing =)

at glion: awesome food, great hospitality, million-dollar view. hand-delivered plate of fruits for dessert =)

switz: did you know?

-the bahn train "moos" when it arrives at its destination.
-the Swiss Travel System (STS): the swiss train travels REALLY fast, at speeds of more than 50 mph. . these watchmakers are serious about arriving on time.
-switzerland has 4 official languages: swiss german, french, italian and romantsch. many people speak english as well
-the water is so clean, you can drink water directly from the tap. its also been said that the lakes are so pristine that you can drink that water as well

~grace

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