Recently, I often think of my ten-day trip to Switzerland two years ago. It was a really enjoyable short period of time. There were no worries to worry about, it was just for fun and enjoyment. It was very enjoyable.
So, I wanted to write it down when I was about to forget it. Even though it is long and trivial, reading it later would be like traveling back to the state of mind at that time, which should be wonderful.
The train lines in Switzerland are very developed, and you can board almost all trains with a multi-day pass. In this country, which is smaller than a province in China, trains are equivalent to subways, connecting large and small cities and villages. There are fixed timetables, and point-to-point departure and arrival times can be checked on your mobile phone. and the platform. The train stations are all located in the center of the city. If you work in Zurich, you don’t have to live in the city. As long as the travel time is within the tolerance, you are free to live wherever you want.
Tourists like me can travel between the city and the countryside very leisurely with just one pass.
Switzerland is divided into four language areas. The German-speaking area is the largest, followed by the French-speaking area, followed by the Italian-speaking area and the Romance-speaking area. Residents of each language area must use the official language of the region as their first language, and must also learn other Romance languages. two other languages. Most of Switzerland's population immigrated from Germany, France, and Italy. The corresponding division of language areas is understandable, but the Romance language area is more peculiar. At that time, I searched on Baidu. This language belongs to the Indo-European language family. It is actually a collective name for several similar dialects. Only 0.5% of the Swiss population speaks Romance languages, and they live mainly in the Engadine region.
Due to time constraints, I only visited some major attractions in the German-speaking and French-speaking areas. It was a pity that I was not able to go to the unrestrained Italian-speaking area and the mysterious Romance-speaking area.
It takes about 12 hours to fly directly from Hong Kong to Zurich, and the time difference between the two places is 5 hours. It was still dark when we got off the plane, so we went straight to the train station to catch a train to Geneva. The European trains I imagined before were all domestic green trains, but I didn't expect that they actually didn't smell old or dilapidated at all. They looked very new on the outside, which shows that they were maintained with care.
In contrast to the newness of trains, many railway stations in Switzerland are more “old”. Going up and down these stations, you often feel the breath of hundreds of years of history rushing towards your face. I can’t help but think: Oh! This is what this city turned out to be like!
From Zurich to Geneva, it takes three hours from north to south. This route runs through many famous cities in Switzerland, such as Lucerne, Bern and Lausanne, etc.
The fog happened to be relatively heavy that day, and since it was morning, the sunlight refracted through the fog from time to time, making the scenery outside the car window shrouded in a hazy dream. Apart from the city, everything you can see along the way are large green hillsides. You can often see cows and sheep grazing leisurely beside the railway tracks. There is a cloud of mist behind them, making it look like they are in a fairyland.
The most beautiful scenery in my impression occurred when passing through Lausanne. The car passed by the hillside, and there were layers of clouds above. The city was at the foot of the mountain, completely illuminated by the sun, and all the houses and streets were plated with rich gold. and orange, the whole city is like a holy land held up by the light, which really makes people have the urge to get out of the car and follow the light.
Based on a stubborn mentality that cannot be persuaded by reason, I only like to stay in hotels when I go out, not B&Bs. The only B&B experience I had was in Geneva, entirely due to a mistake I made during booking. This resulted in me not sleeping well on the first night and feeling a little uncomfortable.
This B&B is located in the old town of Geneva. After taking the bus from the train station to the entrance of the old town, you have to walk up the stone road for a while. Many cities in Europe have this structure of a new city surrounding an old city. As soon as you walk on this stone road, you know that you are entering another era.
The B&B is located in a very old house. The landlord is an Indian. Although his attitude is a bit arrogant, it is not rude. The rules for using the B&B are Very careful, and no strange Indian accent , very reassuring.
The public corridor of the house is obviously not decorated much, with dim lighting and simple decoration. The masonry structure of the wall can be seen in some parts. The elevator can only accommodate two people and one large suitcase at a time. It has no doors in the full sense and is more like an iron gate. The only time I've ever seen an elevator like this was in the Titanic movie. But this is at least more reliable than what it looks like in the movie.
The house I live in is not small, and there is a half partition between the living room and bedroom. The landlord must have carefully designed the decoration. The walls are all painted light blue and the furniture is in a simple European style. It does not look flashy and is both retro and neat. What I like most is the toilet. It has small brown-red square tiles with a white bathtub and sink. The faucet is frosted gold, which is very reminiscent of Europe in the early centuries.
Pushing open the windows of the old two-story structure, you can see the nearby small round tower and the spire of the church not far away, which deepens the feeling of "I am in this old city". It is indeed "in the middle" .
It is worth mentioning that one of the past neighbors of this small building was Rousseau. His former residence is now a small memorial hall, but I have never figured out when it will be opened. It seems unreasonable that I didn't spend a moment here during my two days in Geneva.
But we can’t always have the mentality that equates journey with collecting. We have to make a lot of money to be worthwhile. We should still pay attention to every moment of the present. If we are walking or stopping every moment, we will be happy.
In my not very accurate concept, extending in different directions from the old city, you will go to several different areas. One is towards Lake Geneva, the other is towards the University of Geneva, and the third one is further away, towards the United Nations Headquarters.
Lake Geneva is very close to the old city. The lake is very wide. If someone can swim for a long time, he can probably swim from here to France. There is a large fountain near the port, which is a symbol of the city. However, since I really had no interest in the fountain, I didn't take a closer look. When I looked at it from a distance, I thought it must be magnificent.
Walking towards the University of Geneva, you can pass through the entire old city. The old town is not big, and most of the buildings are elegant in appearance, not very colorful, and not very attractive. Compared with the building itself, the small shops inside are more interesting. In addition to bars and restaurants, many are related to art, such as selling various paintings and sculptures, as well as clothing design, etc. You can even see inside the store There are a few people working on it.
The people who are working are not very busy and can do things for a while, then stop and chat for a while, with just a smile on their faces Be comfortable and handy.
This is what makes me a little jealous.
While walking, I suddenly felt hungry. On my first day in Switzerland, after a long flight and train ride, I certainly deserved a good meal, so I walked into a restaurant on the roadside that looked quite stylish. The restaurant retains many of its original wooden structures. The walls are made of red patterned velvet, reflecting the mottled light and shadow of candles. There is also a pair of armor standing on one wall.
Prices are very expensive in Switzerland . I had a set meal at Burger King in Geneva train station , which was equivalent to RMB and cost nearly 200 yuan, and ketchup was even more. Buy another one, can't help but make people wonder whether Swiss people are a little stingy. Thinking about it, it is more likely that they think that free things are easily wasted by people. Only if is accompanied by a appropriate price can people have the idea of treasuring it.
The prices on the menu are certainly high, but not outrageous. I ordered a plate of pasta and a Swiss specialty, baby potatoes gratin with cheese. When it was served, I Ate a shock, One baked good of Cheese, with two whole, unpeeled small potatoes inside. return There is a small yellow melon. This famous dish looks simple and casual. let Some people find it hard to let go . Tastes better let I Discomfort , Cheese very salty , cucumbers are not only sour, but also salty.
Those rumors about Swiss food being unpalatable are indeed true.
I can't find the photo I took. I searched one on the Internet.
When I was looking at the menu, I didn't pay attention to what flavor of pasta I ordered. When it was served, I saw that the color was very fresh and tender, so it should be good. After taking a bite, I couldn't help but spit it out immediately. The ingredient was actually lemon juice, which was quite sour.
When the clerk saw my expression, he immediately came up to me and said sorry. I guess he must have felt very uncomfortable. It is obviously a popular high-end restaurant, how could any customer be so dissatisfied? I quickly told him that it didn't matter, and I felt sorry and annoyed in my heart. I should have paid more attention to my posture, swallowed the first bite, and just stopped eating after that.
But it is indeed an unacceptable taste!
This experience made me afraid of Swiss food, so that during subsequent trips, I often looked for Chinese or Japanese restaurants, as well as ordinary American fast food. This is a story for later.
It takes a few bus stops to get to the United Nations Headquarters. When I went there, I had already missed the visiting time. Fortunately, I didn't have the obsession to go in, so I just took a circuit and counted it as a visit.
Not far from the entrance of the headquarters, there is a chair sculpture more than ten meters high, which is very eye-catching. This sculpture is called "Broken Chair". As the name suggests, one of the chair legs is broken, which is said to symbolize the limbs lost by human beings due to landmine explosions.
Walking around the United Nations Headquarters, you can also pass by the headquarters of the International Red Cross, the World Trade Organization, and more. I always feel that this gives people a very strange feeling: Why do they all come to Geneva and concentrate on this small area? Why Geneva?
It’s not that I don’t know what the standard answer is, but it still feels novel.
I sat on a bench in the botanical garden opposite the WTO headquarters for a long time. It's early autumn, and the leaves of the plane trees above our heads are beginning to have a slight yellowish hue, but they haven't spread yet and turned into a seamless golden color. Although this botanical garden is not as lavish and impressive as the Royal Botanic Gardens in Australia or New Zealand, some places appear messy due to insufficient repairs. But for me, sitting under the tree, I just stopped to take a breath when I was tired. The sun was warm, there was a breeze, and I breathed in the fresh smell of the plants. It couldn't be more comfortable.
If I still have any regrets about the city of Geneva, it is probably that I did not go to the Patek Philippe Museum.