Then When: 3. Switzerland

In the December of 2008 Karla and me left for the UK. After a rather stressful visa application, we received our visas and could go work abroad. I don’t understand the pay R3700 and no reimbursement if you are turned down. Sounds like a monopoly? Fortunately we were successful and now needed to get our gear ready for our trip. This is the first time Karla would go out of the country and her first backpack experience. I told her that she can pack as much as she wants to, but.. she’s carrying her bag. It’s amazing how much clothes a women can pack, just for in case.. When she finished packing, I could barely pick up her bag and when I put it on her back she just collapsed! Im sure if I filled my backpack up with rocks, it would still be lighter than hers! She soon realised that this is not going to work.. Only after unpacking half her bag, was she able to carry and handle her backpack.

We planned our trip so we first visit Marko and Daniela in Switzerland, our friends we made in Egypt, then work 8 weeks in England at a hotel called Lambert Arms and finish our trip off with a tour of Scotland. We were picked up by Daniela from the air port and then went to Marko and his wife Evelyn’s apartment in Zurich.

Daniela at airport

Small "Egypt" reunion

I prefer travelling third world countries, but Switzerland is one of the most picturesque places I have been in all my life. I found the majestic mountains and the vast country scenery to nostalgic little towns with melted glazier pools mesmerizing. When it comes to majestic or nostalgic, size has everything to do with it. It’s as if you go back in time and find a modern civilization living there. We can learn a lot from the Swiss. While we were there the Swiss people voted to raise the fuel price because they wanted to force people with big cars to drive less.. Only in Switzerland. When I compare other countries food to South Africa, they came close to carton and old cheese. But Switzerland made some food that did not make me miss my “braai” (South African barbeque with real meat. Anything thinner than 2cm and smaller than a plate is called a slice!). There are only 12 countries where it is safe to drink out of the tap. South Africa and Switzerland are two of these countries. But Zurich has 250 fountains spread over the city where you can drink fresh water. No one bathing in it, not one that needed to be fixed a year ago, because someone stole the copper fittings, not one fitted with home made fittings to divert the water to someone's house,.. Only in Switzerland. We enjoyed all the different breads and dairy products! Everywhere we walked we could find a bakery, and finding one was easy because there was a sweet aroma in the air when you were close to one of these bakeries. One of the many customs that we loved was having bread-sticks as an appetizer on the roof of the building, where the lights create such a warm atmosphere on a very cold night! If we stayed any longer than a week we would not fit into the aeroplane seat!

View from Corripo

Bridge only entrance to Corripo

Melted glazier pools at Corripo

One of 250 fountains fresh water in Zurich

This trip was a first for many things. But Karla’s first snow made it even more special. We saw Switzerland still green and brown and then suddenly over night everything turned white! Its moments like these you realize that its never been about how you look or what you have, but what you are feeling inside! Some times, just because you are kicking the leaves, doesn't mean the tree is dead, maybe its just the season.

First snow fight (Just outside Zurich)

The Dual

Running away with my winnings

Marco and Evelyn really went out of their way to accommodate their curious visitors. On our road trip, we made a stop by castles and bridges. I cant help but wonder what these fortified palaces have seen in their years. A Medieval castle makes a man and a women's eyes sparkle, but for different reasons. For a woman its the place where her knight in shining armor stays and the place she will be called princess. For men its a rugged, armed and dangerous place of strength, where he will fight a courageous battle and be invited to become this "knight" around the round table. Castles have accumulated a rich and colourful history, from wars to safe havens, knights to damsel's in distress and today many have become popular tourist attractions for the people who believe they were born in the wrong era. I am one of them. I do not romanticize castles or war for that matter, but there is something in every man that yearns for the battle to prove himself worthy, to run fearless into danger and to be the hero.. What has happened to the young man's heart? Killed by PlayStation and television? Looks like video killed more than the radio star.

Old entrance to Castle

View from Castle

Masquerading on castle wall

We saw the bridge where James Bond bungee jumped off, but the wooden bridge with the flowers in Lucerne was one of two things my parents said I must make an effort to see. The other was going up Mount Pilatus. They were here 36 years ago. The Chapel Bridge(Kapellbrücke), is one of Lucern's most famous landmarks and is awooden bridge first erected in the 14th century. There were also famous paintings inside the bridge, but a fire destroyed part of the bridge a couple of years ago, but restoration was done very well.

Famous wooden Chapel Bridge in Lucerne

We travelled up the Alps with a cable car. We chose Mount Pilatus, for it looked like the only mountain’s view not restricted by clouds. We went up the mountain the easy way- cable car. Why do some men like to complicate things? I would rather climb the mountain and let it drain every ounce of energy out of me and maybe be sore for a week than using technology to make it easy. Technology must only make the impossible possible, not easy! The view was extraordinary. We saw the small towns getting smaller and our eagle eye view widening. It definitely also got much colder as we ascended!

Cable car up Mount Pilatus

Freezing sunset on Mount Pilatus

Frozen Everything

Avalanche?

Top station of cable car

After Mount Pilatus my friend Marco drove us to Italy! We could not be so close and not try some traditionale Italiano piZ-za! Only once we returned home, when Marco discussed the Schengen Visa, did we realize that we did not have the right visa to go into Italy! Fortunately we only realized this "too late" and luckily we were in a Swiss car! Some times its what you know that gives you confidence, other times it is what you don't know.

Italy

Italian Pizza

The morning after our visit to Italy, we had the best breakfast of my life. First we stayed in Evelyn's place. A house with a view! Then we went to a small restaurant to eat breakfast.. with a view. Sitting at these tables, all facing the mountain scenery, I realize that some times we get so worried about making the wrong choice, that we end up making no choice. For everything you choose, you miss out on something else, and everything not chosen, you cant measure the value, but if you make no choice, you lose out double.

Evelyn's house with a view

Breakfast with aview

All tables facing scenery

Our week quickly came to an end. It caught me off guard. We decided to round off our trip and on our last night tried something called Gluhwein and Maroni's. Gluhwein is like a warmed sherry and Maroni's are roasted nuts. Gluhwein is more of a tradition, its also called "glue wine", as it brings people together. This effect is spreading all over the world, while it has been a tradition in Europe for centuries. Have you ever felt that you wish this feeling of contentment will never stop? This was Switzerland to me and Karla.