Comments | talking_sock: Switzerland might be interesting?

talking_sock

Switzerland might be interesting?

Apr 12, 2007 10:25

I mostly thought Switzerland seemed kind of -- dull and bland, maybe because it's neutral :-) Apart from the cheese aspect. But this Amazon comment post on a book about Swiss travel made me think I might like it in a really geeky way:

The book does not mention the city of Solothurn just 20 miles north of Bern. This city is packed with sights on ( Read more... )

Comments 8

celestialweasel April 12 2007, 15:27:44 UTC

Don't forget the bear-pits of Bern.

t__m__i April 12 2007, 19:07:09 UTC

Oh God yes. Wildly unnatural I suppose but the bears seem to have adapted well enough to the taxing life of lounging on their backs with their mouths open for tourists to lob carrots into. (If you're a couple of inches out, they don't bother to move to get it - they know another, better-aimed snackeroonie will be on the way soon enough). They come over as pretty mellow - I didn't see any pacing or other compulsive behaviour.
And the parliament building's fun too - the conscripts don't have any wars to fight, so they're used as living multi-lingual signposts (awwwww!).
Also if the Pizza d'Oro's still there in Geneva...

e_pepys April 12 2007, 19:56:56 UTC

The Pizza d'Oro is still there, but it has changed hands, and is now rubbish... However, all the staff moved 100m along the road to the Pizza Meyrinoise, which is less cramped and has an outdoors bit, and the same menu as the Pizza d'Oro used to. And it's just as good.

There are many other cheese-based culinary delights in Geneva. I'm sure there are also in Zurich, but I don't have 20 years' experience hunting them down there.

keiko_kirin April 12 2007, 15:51:16 UTC

Funny, I've always wanted to visit Switzerland, ever since I saw pictures of the mountains. Take lots of photos for us armchair travellers, okay?!

klia April 12 2007, 19:26:38 UTC

Don't forget the chocolate!

e_pepys April 12 2007, 20:08:10 UTC

Less of a draw than it used to be. Some of my Lindt favourites are now also available in the UK (they are also available in the US, but whenever I've tried them, they tasted gone off - either they don't travel well, or US shopkeepers don't know how to keep chocolate cool).

Still, there's Huppen. In Zurich, you can probably get the real stuff, while in Geneva I have to make do with knock off Swiss-Romande copies (doesn't stop me stocking up on the stuff when I visit).

less of a draw... talking_sock April 12 2007, 20:15:31 UTC

Switzerland: Less of a Draw than It Used to Be.

I'm flying in and out of Zurich because it's cheaper, which probably means also driving in and out -- I'll try to get the "real thing" you allude to.

Re: less of a draw... e_pepys April 12 2007, 20:29:14 UTC

> Switzerland: Less of a Draw than It Used to Be.

Only for a European, who can take advantage of the single market in chocolate. You have to make a much bigger step up from Sees and Ghirardelli (or whatever the east coast equivalents are).

> I'll try to get the "real thing" you allude to.

The last box I managed to get was in English, had a swiss flag on it, and didn't even say "hüppen" on it. It now says "Gottlieber praline wafer rolls" (was still good, though). What is the world coming to...

My dealer (great aunt) gave them to me as "cocolate cigars".