SWITZERLAND (2007, 2014): 3 beautiful countries in one orderly package.
Zurich– Nice city. Expensive with a lot of banks and watch stores. The many churches were impressive on the outside, but not much to see on the inside.
Lucerne– What you picture a Swiss city should look lie. Convenient base for exploring lakes, Liechtenstein, and a central rail hub.
Stein Am Rheim– Another city that looked like a movie set. Very small village but you can’t take a bad picture. Felt like a museum piece though.
Schaffhausen– Cute Swiss town on the German border. The walk to the Rheinfalls was nice… long but nice scenery. Once there you will get wet!
Lugano– Blend Italian culture and a Mediterranean climate with Swiss order and efficiency, then add mountains surrounding a beautiful green lake and this is what you get. Also a world-class lakeside promenade.
Bellinzona– Capital of the Italian Ticino canton. Surrounded by mountains and has 3 historic castles. Great hiking opportunities.
Marcotte– Small lakeside village clinging to the coast and a hub of hiking trails. Feels like a wealthy Italian mountain village.
Interlaken– Very touristy city in the Alps. Great base for hiking in the Alps or visiting the spectacular Jungfraujoch. Nearby are beautiful Lakes Thunersee and Brienze. Also a convenient transportation hub. You won’t see many Swiss though!
Unterseen– Historic village across the river from Interlaken. Now it relies on tourism spillover. A quieter alternative to Interlaken with all the convenience of its more known and adjacent neighbor.
Matten– Where the young people and backpackers stay if Interlaken is full. Pretty for a tourist town. Main language heard was English though.
Bern– Capital of Switzerland. Large arcaded old town that is still very relevant. A tale of 2 cities actually. Very drab during the day, but the old town comes alive at night. The drab colors morph into atmospheric streets with the city lights.
Merligen– Small pretty village on Thunersee. VERY quiet though.
Neuhaus– Small recreational town on Thunersee. Lots of trails and a national park are based here. Had a great Hugo at the park’s bar.
Lausanne– Olympic Capital in lovely little city by Lake Geneva. VERY hilly, but it is the world’s smallest city with a metro which helps. Surrounded by terraced vineyards. Great place to try Swiss wine.
Pully– A Swiss version of tony Newport, except on a lake and surrounded by vineyards.
Grandvaux– Lovely, quiet stone village among the terraced vineyards overlooking Lake Geneva. A center of the Lavaux Wine region.
LIECHTENSTEIN (2007): Tiny country, beautiful alpine setting.
Vaduz– Cute little village… I mean capital city. Pretty modern. The royal vineyards on the outskirts of town were right out of a book. Stunning. Overlooked by a mountain and the Prince’s castle. Sheep were grazing in the vineyard. The Pinot Noir produced there was magnificent. Took some home. Might return just for more wine!
FRANCE (2008, 2012, 2013, 2022): So much more for me to see here.
Biarritz– Opulent looking resort town from another era. Dramatic seascape.
St. Jean de Luz– Very Basque town on the coast. The typical Basque architecture was everywhere. For some reason it reminded me a little of Switzerland.
Strasbourg– Alluring Alsacian city that feels more German than French, and VERY cosmopolitan. Stunning cathedral and the whole city was decorated as brightly as Rockefeller Center.
Paris– Never on my To-Do List but boy was I wrong! Enchanting city. Eiffel Tower is overwhelming, Notre Dame was not, sorry (I pray that this iconic house of worship can be saved and re-open to the faithful again). Museum D’Orsay was awesome. My second trip allowed me to see the Catacombs which were a definite deathly delight. The Louvre is a magnificent building inhabited by the Mona Lisa and all her admirers (or gawkers). The Musee Marmottan with its Monet collection suited me more. I had a strange spiritual experience in the Italianate San Sulpice. But mainly I ate and drank my way around the city.
Versailles– The palace the palace the palace. Town seems nice enough to spend sometime in, but we did not. It was all about the palace, and what a magnificent edifice it is! It inspired other royal families to create their own pale versions (Hello Schonbrunn). The grounds, even in winter, are impressive. Words cannot describe it so I won’t try.