Switzerland Part I: Into the Alpine ranges we go...

Guess where I've just been??? Yes indeed, I have just returned from celebrating the most festive new year in Switzerland a.k.a. Suisse, the home of Nestlè and the devilishly delicious toblerone chocolates, the snow-caped Alpine mountain ranges, scenic blue lakes, cute saint bernards, legendary Charlie Chaplin, homely ski resorts, beautiful picturesque chateaus, and majestic icy glaciers... 

I have always wanted to visit Switzerland. But, funny enough, I never had much of a knowledge of the country. Yes, I had heard a lot about the expensive skiing trips my buddies boasted about, yes, I love the cocoa products that make Switzerland so famous, yes, I have always been in an awe of the Alpine landscape, and most importantly, I have always had the wish to visit the world wildlife fund (WWF) headquarters at Gland. However, culturally I was at a loss about the traditions and the people, and this trip was exactly what I needed to clear those fogs. 

The week spent there has been fantastic, with so much to see and discover, both about the geological aspects of the country as well as the cultural attributes. Being a small country, it was rather easy to fit in the itinerary of the entire country into my schedule, something I am not usually able to boast about often.


Here's the first part of my trip:


Starting from the scenic mountainous view of the Alps, the first day we woke up before the break of dawn and spent the best part of the morning travelling all the way from Vevey (Laussane) to Feisch via train, where we took a cable to the top of the range to view the largest glacier of switzerland, Aletsch. Gosh! The magnificent view from the top is beyond any word can ever justly describe... I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

 

From there on, we proceeded east towards Chur via Andermatt. The contrast between the nature and civilization existing together is quite exquisite in itself.



 

The idea was to take the train via the southern rail line and get to Winterthur in a day via Zurich, explore the city of Winterthur for a day, and then return at the end of the weekend. The return would be via the northern line back to Vevey, making significant stops for sight-seeing at the lovely cities of Lucerne in the morning, Bern by afternoon, and finally a dinner stop at Cossonay. I will recount the rest in my next post about the cultural side of Switzerland. Until then...

Much sweet love to y'all... XXX

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