Zermatt

Just a quick post to say we have arrived in Zermatt. I will write a more detailed post later. This photo was taken from our balcony. I have to keep pinching myself as I can't believe we are here. It is beyond magnificent. 

Day 1 - Zurich to Montreux

We started the day with a walking tour of Zurich. Being a Sunday morning many of the people in Zurich were attending one of the many very beautiful churches in the city. At one stage we stood admiring the view while listening to the peeling bells. They were loud and rang continuously for 15 to 20 minutes. It was an unbelievable sight and sound. 

My lasting impression of Zurich is that it is clean, organised and beautiful. The way that the very old part of town has been blended in with the new, sleek Zurich is wonderful. As Annette (our guide) reminded us, Switzerland was neutral during both World Wars, so most of the old building still stand. 

Our tour group numbers 29. All Aussies. Many of them have linked up with the tour from other cities in Europe. Some have been travelling in Italy, others the Balkans. Many have already been away from Australia for weeks. They all seem nice. I guess we will learn more about them in the coming weeks. 

Our next stop was the capital of Switzerland - Bern. Another absolutely stunning city. We wandered the streets of the town centre for a little while before having lunch in a small Tea Room. Just lovely. 

Bern means 'bear' in German. The town was named after the first animal caught by the founder of Bern when on a hunting trip in the area. 

Our next stop was the town of Gruyere. Talk about take your breath away. We climbed up the hill to find the most beautiful village at the foot of a chateau built on the fortified position at the top of the hill. The town square was stunning. Words and photos really don't do it justice. 

After a short coach ride we have now arrived in Montreux. The Swiss playground of the very rich and famous. We can only dream!!!

We have now moved into the mountain area. Tomorrow it is the Alps. We have caught glimpses of them as we toured along today. From a distance they are spectacular. We can't wait to experience them up close. 

Zurich

We arrived in Zurich right on time - just after 8.00am. Our driver was waiting for us. There are 8 Aussies on our tour. Two from Queensland, four from NSW and Stephen and I from Victoria. We are staying at the Marriott. It is quite luxurious and situated right on the river and within easy walking distance of the heart of the city. We were very lucky and only had to wait half an hour for our room to be ready. We were able to have a shower and a short rest before walking into central Zurich. We ate fish and chips fresh from the North Sea while sitting on a bench at the very busy Zurich Central Station. We then had a fruit pastry each from Sprungli. My apricot flan was as good as the one I ate and loved when in Paris. Next we strolled along Bahnhofstrasse (Zurich's equivalent to the Champs Élysées). All the very best brands were on display. It was just lovely to wander the small, cobbled streets in the sunshine. We finally made our way back to the river and back to our hotel. 

My first impressions of Zurich are that it is very clean and busy. The people look affluent. They are well dressed and they drive very high end, expensive, new cars. We saw a number of Lamboginis and Maseratis, and BMWs, Volvos and Mercs are a dime a dozen. 

We also saw thousands of Swiss watches and Swiss chocolates. There is a Swiss bank on every corner and the Swiss flag hangs proudly from many of the city's buildings. There were also Swiss Army pocket knives and Swarovski crystals on display everywhere. We haven't seen any cows yet but we were greeted by the ringing of cow bells in the arrivals hall of the airport and instead of Muzak playing in the shuttle from the plane to the baggage claim area, there was yodeling and the sound if cows mooing and cow bells ringing. Very amusing!!! The one very famous Swiss thing that I haven't seen yet is Roger Federer.....but I have my eyes peeled.

Goodbye Melbourne

Through the big silver doors.....adventures await!!!

Let's Go

Packed and ready.....

Week 1 - Switzerland

The first week of our trip will be spent touring around Switzerland. I am really looking forward to visiting Zermatt and seeing the Matterhorn.

One more sleep.....

We are not excited.....much!!!

All the jobs are done. The cases are packed. Can't wait until we leave for the airport at 3.00pm tomorrow Friday 23 May.

Look out Zurich. Here we come!!!

By the way, I found this fabulous website that lets you design and customise your own maps. This one, my first attempt, shows our flight path.

I will endevour to update the blog each day, depending on wifi access. I might just throw in a few more maps as well.