Riding into the Alps

A road trip is an ideal way to romance with a place. It gives one the perfect space and pace to open up to each other.  And it provides unknown vistas, unexplored nooks and corners and less-traveled paths.

The idea of a road trip in Switzerland has always been on my mind, but I have traveled have inevitably chosen trains in the past because of the convenience they offer. So, when my husband, Sai, said “Let’s do a Swiss road trip this time”, I was super excited.

We decided to cover the breadth of Switzerland, starting at Stuttgart in Germany and ending at Lugano, near Swiss-Italy border. Since we wanted to explore the diversity of Swiss landscape, we picked up places that were contrasts to each other. The route that we decided upon was nearly 1100 kms round trip – Stuttgart -> Lucerne -> Ruswil & Entlebuch -> Lugano -> Stuttgart

Our driving route

Before entering Switzerland, one needs to buy a vignette for the car to avoid heavy fines. Vignettes can be purchased at gas stations or online.

Below is a short description of the routes and our itinerary. Detailed posts on these places will follow soon.

Stop 1: Lucerne – Alps and Lakes

We reached Lucerne by 11 am in the morning after a breezy 3 hour drive from Stuttgart. Lucerne is a charming city on the banks of Lake Lucerne, with its iconic Chapel bridge which dates back to the 14th century.

Lucerne’s Chapel bridge is one of the most photographed monuments of Europe

Lucerne serves as a base for most tourists to explore the Alps and they have mountain trips starting nearby to Mt. Titlis, Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Rigi. Since, Sai and I had been to Jugfrau, we chose not to do the mountain trips. Another highlight in Lucerne is cruising on Lake Lucerne. I had taken one such cruise to Fluelen on the other side of Lake Lucerne in my previous trip. We strolled along the banks of the river Reuss and then walked up to the old town walls, which offer a splendid view of the city, the lake and the Alps.

After a short trek up to the old town tower and walls , we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of Lucerne

After lunch at the Rathaus Brauerei, we drove to explore the neighboring villages on the banks of Lucerne. The drive was scenic, with the emerald blue lake accompanying us on one side. Biking is another great way to explore these villages.

We halted at Weggis, a quaint village on the banks of Lucerne. The Alps stood towering in the horizon and the clear waters of the lake spread across our eyes. As the sun slowly started setting around 8.45 pm, we made our way to the nearby village of Ruswil where a cozy farmhouse awaited us.

We sat by the Lake Lucerne in Weggis, taking in the beautiful view

Ruswil & Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve – Alpine scenery & Swiss countryside

By the time we reached our farmhouse, the sun had set and a slight chill was settling in. As we drove into the parking space, two lively puppies came barking all the way to our car. Andrea and Adrian, our hosts greeted us warmly and showed us around the farmhouse. It was a beautiful Swiss cottage, set atop a hill overlooking the Entlebuch region. The farm had few horses and llamas roaming around. After walking around the grounds, we ate a late supper and decided to call it a day.

The next day we decided to trek in the Entlebuch Biospehere Reserve. This UNESCO biosphere reserve offers surreal alpine scenery of rolling mountains, moors, rivers and grasslands. There are many trekking trails that can be chosen from easy, medium and difficult levels. We chose a 7 km trail that followed the course of river Emme, starting from Shcupfhiem to Entlebuch.

Hiking in Entlebuch helped us explore the quaint Swiss country side

We spent the evening at Sempachersee, a lake near Ruswil, watching the sun disappear into the mountains.

The beauty of road trip is we could stop wherever we wanted

Lugano

After two blissful days in Ruswil, we decided to move on to our next destination. The route from Ruswil to Lugano took us further into the Alps. But, the efficient mountain passes and tunnels made sure our driving was hassle-free.

Lugano was a welcome surprise, very different from the Alpine scenery we had left behind. Located near Swiss-Italy border, it falls in the Italian speaking region of Switzerland. Everything about Lugano was unSwiss – a sunny and hot weather, colorful Italian houses, Mediterranean vegetation like palm trees, olive trees and cacti, and lakes stretching out like seas in three sides of the peninsula with expensive yachts bobbling on the waters.

A panoramic view of Lugano from the top of San Salvatore

Our top-of-the list activity was hiking on the “Olive Tree Trail”. We parked our car in Castagnola and walked on the trail to Gandria. The 3.5 km long path gives beautiful views of the Lake Lugano and has multiple information boards on Olive tree cultivation culture. Winding cobbled streets gave way to steep mountain climb and colorful Italian houses on the way.

Olive tree trail takes gives unparalleled views of Lake Lugano

The Mediterranean vegetation

One of the many quirky paths in the trail

In the evening, we walked along the tree-lined promenade and in the beautifully-landscaped Park Civico. Then, we hired a boat and paddled into the sunset. We spent the second day exploring the old town at a relaxed pace and treating ourselves to some delicious pizzas and gelato.

It is time to bid adieu to Lugano!

Our road trip to Switzerland was a perfect blend of scenic drives and relaxed sightseeing. Trains are a convenient way to visit Switzerland, but if you have an option, do try a road trip. It is worth every penny.

10 culture shocks that every Indian traveler faces in Europe

“What surprised you the most when you visited Europe for the first time?” asked Alfonso, my new friend in Vienna.

Caught unawares, I did not do justice to his question. “I found Europe to be really clean and safe,” I started and went on to give some examples.

Back in my room, the question got me thinking of the many culture shocks I have faced in Europe. Each time, Europe surprises me with something. I decided to list the top 10 for the benefit of first time travelers to Europe.

1. ‘Watery’ difference

In India, serving water to guest is considered a holy thing. Hence, you are served with free glasses of water in all restaurants. In Europe, I was shocked to find they don’t serve free water in cafes and restaurants. And the second big shock was when I looked at the menu and found beer to be cheaper than water.

I skip water, and instead have a Spritz 🙂

2. Pedestrian privilege

Life of pedestrians is safe and sorted in European cities, quite unlike India. They have planned pedestrian walkways everywhere, motorists stop patiently when pedestrians cross roads and no bike goes up on pedestrian paths and honks at them. Many of the old town centers are only accessible on foot. After my first trip, when I returned to India, the reverse culture-shock of this was a bit too scary for me.

Planned footpaths and crossings for pedestrians

3. Its too clean to be true

Europe (mostly the western Europe) looks unusually clean to most Indians. Everyone takes responsibility of public space cleanness. When I traveled for the first time as an exchange student, I was amazed by the immaculate railway stations, spotless trains and clean toilets, litter-free roads and well-kept public spaces. Unlike India, people pay and use washrooms than pee in public spaces. All the lakes and rivers are clean and pure.

4. Unerring punctuality of transport system

My first trip to Amsterdam from Lille had a train change at Antwerp railway station with the connecting train in 5 mins. I am used to at least 30 mins delay for Indian trains. I was skeptical if I could catch my connecting train. But, I did. Everything runs on time usually, from trains to buses to trams (of course, there are exceptions sometimes). I have caught connecting trains in 2 mins and have been amazed how the city buses are also right on schedule.

Zurich railway station

5. Vegetarian eggs and fish

I have faced it too many times and in so many cities of Europe that when I ask for a vegetarian dish, I inevitably end up with some egg or fish or even chicken. If I have to make sure I get my vegetarian meal right, I list down all things that can’t go in there. This one time, when I think I had listed out everything that is non-vegetarian, I got a soup with scallops.

This time I actually ordered for the fish!

6. Legal red light districts

On my first visit to Amsterdam, as I walked in the red light district looking at the skimpily clad women on display in their windows, I was shocked and amazed at the same time – shocked because it was so out in the open, and amazed as to how it empowered the sex workers and how the locals and the sex workers co-existed together. 8 countries in Europe (The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Hungary, and Latvia) have legalized prostitution.

Amsterdam at night

7. Public display of affection

Public display of affection is still not popular in India and sex is still talked about in hushed tones. So, when one arrives in Europe, it either liberates you or embarrasses you, but its a shock nonetheless. I was impressed by how couples could become oblivious to the world around them, stop in the middle of the road and embark on a passionate kiss and how couples did not have to be careful with their display of affection around their kids.

As close as it gets in a pic 🙂

8. Toilet paper malady

However much I love Europe, there is something that shocks me till today – How it can make peace with toilet paper. Indians need their splash of water and I have many friends who invent some kind of make-do arrangement during their stays in Europe to cope with ‘toilet paper’ malady.

Toilet paper or Water?

9. Friendly strangers

Everyone in Europe, ranging from receptionists to cashiers to customers to bus conductors greet each other, before proceeding with the business. Even strangers smile and greet if your eyes meet. Well, greetings don’t give a culture shock but they surely give a reverse culture shock when you are back in India. On returning to India, I would greet shopkeepers and cab drivers with a ‘hello’ and get surprised stares in return.

Nearly every person I met walking down this road greeted me with a “Buongiorno!”

10. Sun, water and nudity

I have seen Europeans across all countries share a common love for sun and water and swimwear. Come summer, they can be found lounging in their shorts and bikinis in beaches, swimming pools and strange places like parks and college grounds. In winters, with most of the thermal swimming pools operating, people are again back in their shorts and bikinis. In Iceland, I went to a thermal pool and had to shower naked with others before entering the swimming pool. It did shock me a bit, but well, that’s the way it is.

In the middle of nowhereThe list is not exhaustive and I am sure every traveler has some of his/ her unique cultural shocks and experiences. If you have anything to share, please go ahead and post it in the comments 🙂

Ten tips for a perfect Venetian vacation

Unlike rest of Europe, planning a trip to Venice can be difficult with confusions about where to stay (in Venice or in mainland), how to travel within the city, and what to see from among the vast options of churches and museums. A lot of tourists visiting Venice are day-trippers – they arrive in hordes in the morning and leave in the evening. About 60,000-70,000 tourists visit Venice daily. They come, visit the top tourist attractions suggested in tourist websites or pamphlets, and leave Venice dismissing it as yet another European city of churches and museums.

Venice is much more than that: an entire city built on sea makes you marvel at the engineering brilliance of those times, beautiful houses now with peeling plasters and sea weed covered doors and stairs speak about the beauty bygone and the canals and small bridges connecting the islets and occasional flooding somehow make you feel you are in a precarious environment. Venetians are free-spirited people, who love their privacy (one of the reasons how the Venetian mask came into being), and love splendor and opulence. The Carnevale festival is a proof of their love for grandness and fun. Venice definitely deserves more than a day to explore the unexplored and enjoy it to the fullest.

To set some context, Venice is an archipelago in the Venetian lagoon. It relies on a system of water transport. There are three kinds of transport vehicles that you find here: Vaporettos (water-buses, the best and cheapest way to travel), Gondolas (flat-bottomed rowing boat for a touristy experience, which charge exorbitant rates) and Traghetto ( small row-boats, used for crossing across the Grand Canal when there are no bridges). Ciao (pronounced as Chao) is used as a greeting at meeting or parting. The major types of eateries in Venice: Ristorante (a more upscale restaurant and generally pricey), Trattoria (a more humble, traditional eatery serving local people), Pizzeria (serves pizzas) and Bacaro (bars).

I hope the below travel tips would help you plan a memorable trip to the Queen of the Adriatic.

1. Stay in Venice, not the mainland and not in any of the neighboring islands.
   By Venice, I mean the six districts of the city: San Marco (tourist hot-spot, very pricey), Cannaregio (residential area), Castello (in between San Marco and the public gardens), Dorsoduro (student and art hub), San Polo (includes Rialto markets) and Santa Croce (near bus terminus).
   Well, accommodation in Venice is exorbitantly priced. A not-so-great B&B would cost you somewhere around Rs.10,000+. And if you are looking for a decent place, then it would be north of Rs. 15,000. The mainland (Mestre) and the neighboring islands of Lido and Giudecca provide cheaper stay options.
   However, my personal suggestion would be to stay in Venice to enjoy it to the fullest. Who cares if you have a small room and a dingy bathroom when you are in Venice and you will be out all day. With hordes of tourists that throng Venice each day, staying in Venice gives you the privilege to enjoy the sights and sounds in the night and early morning and catch the scenic beauty without being pushed across the bridge. Trust me on this!
   If you are on tight budget, you can opt to stay at some of the hostels in the city. Or stay through airbnb. You can find out cheaper hostels and hotels through www.hostelworld.com and http://www.hostelbookers.com
2. Get a travel pass. It saves you a lot of money and time in the queue.
   You can buy travel pass according to your needs through the VeneziaUnica Website. A 2-day travel pass costs somewhere around EUR 30 and a 3-day travel pass EUR 40. They have a special rolling card of EUR 5 which gives you additional discount on the transport and museums and restaurants.In conjunction with the rolling card, they have special offers for transport as well, and we had got the 3-day pass along with the rolling card at EUR 30. If you are travelling from airport, you can get your pass to include that as well. So, check out the offer most suitable for you.
   These passes are valid on the ACTV buses and water-buses (only vaporettos). They are also valid in Mestre and surrounding islands. Transport to Murano and Burano is included as well. A one-way ticket, irrespective of the number of stops, costs EUR 8. If we do the maths and also incorporate the time we have saved by avoiding the queues at the ticket counters, buying a pass makes the trip very convenient.
3. On alighting from your bus or vaporetto, first thing get a map of city and the water bus routes. Or get a good offline map downloaded in your phone (try Here Maps)
   But then, maps are sometimes not useful as you will find some of the streets and lanes missing in them. Even with a very good direction sense, you might get lost in Venice. Enjoy being lost, its fun 🙂
   
4. If you are not museums or churches fan, drop the pretence and avoid them. Venice has a lot more to offer.
   Walk into the unexplored parts of the city, get lost, take the slow vaporetto ride on the Grand Canal (both during the day and in the night), climb up the Clock tower in St. Marks’ square and behold the view of the city and Doge’s Palace, visit the Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, walk through the various districts of Venice and enjoy each one’s unique flavors, stroll through the Rialto Market, visit Murano and Burano, maybe catch a glassblowing session in Murano, catch a Venetian supper at some of the classic restaurants, or maybe get a mask and be someone else for sometime 😉
5. But if you are here to see the art and architecture, you can refer the below list of must-see museums and churches (complied by some of the guides at Venice Free Walking Tour). You can also buy a Museum and Churches pass from the VeneziaUnica Website if you plan to visit most of them.
   1. Basilica of S. Marco
   2. Doge’s Palace and the Prison and the Bridge of Sighs
   3. Church of Gesuati
   4. Church of Madonna dell’Orto
   5. Church of Redentore
   6. Correr Museum
   7. Archaeological Museum
   8. Clock Tower
   9. Church of S. Cassiano
   10. Church of Francesco della Vigna
   11. Library Marciana
6. Take a walking tour from Venice Free Walking Tour 
   They have morning, noon and afternoon tours of 2-3 hours duration. You need to book with them before. They do not take you through the touristy points, rather they take you on the path less traveled. ITs a free tour, and you can tip the guide at the end. The guides are well-versed with facts on Venice and her history. They would share interesting anecdotes and cheerfully answer your  questions. It would involve a lot of walking and listening, but at the end of the tour you would be looking at Venice differently. They are the best rated walking tours in Venice in tripadvisor. So, put on your comfortable shoes and march on!
7. Avoid touristy restaurants and walk further into the city to find places where Venetians eat.
   As a rule, avoid restaurants displaying images of food, and avoid restaurants in the tourist spots. They generally rip you off and the food that you get is a long way from being nice. As our guide suggested, walk away from the crowds, and find places where the owners might not speak English or they don’t display photos of food, and then you know you have stumbled upon a genuine Venetian eatery.
   Venice became a part of Italy in 1866. They have since learnt to make pizzas and pastas, but if you want to eat some original Venetian cuisine, try the sea food. Also, try their cocktails: Spritz (Prosecco, Aperol and Sparkling Water)and Bellini (Prosecco and Peach puree). If you get a chance, try Ombra (local Venice wine).
   An important thing to remember, most of the restaurants and bars in Venice have a cover charge for eating in. So if you want a quick drink, do not sit, rather have it standing 😉
8. If you want to catch a free glassblowing demonstration in Murano, visit Vetreria Murano arte s.r.l. (Calle San Cipriano, 48/1). Get down at Murano – Colonna vaporetto stop. Most of the others either charge for viewing the sessions or pester you to buy something from their showrooms.
9. Visit Venice in April to June or September to October. 
   Between November and March, Venice experiences winters and occasional flooding. Be prepared for rains and flooding and carry umbrellas and raincoats if you are travelling in a period with a rains or flooding forecast.
10. Gondola Ride? Well, they are pretty expensive. You would see a board saying Gondola ride for 30 mins is EUR 100, max 6 people. You happily get in with your group of friends, enjoy the ride and at the end are charged a bill of EUR 600. Shocked? Yeah, its around EUR 100 per person and they don’t mention it clearly. You can try the cheaper version, Traghetto, which will transfer you from one side of the Grand Canal to the other. But, if you are willing to spend for a Gondola ride, please do so. After all, Venice was supposed to be roamed around in Gondolas 🙂

You can also refer my blog ‘Ciao Venice’ on my experience in Venice. Keep reading and keep travelling 🙂

Ciao Venezia!

Venezia – the name evokes romanticism. Also known as Serenissima and the Queen of the Adriatic, Venice balances the grandeur of its architectural monuments and the simple beauty of the innumerable canals and bridges to be the perfect host for a dreamy vacation.

It had been on my list for a long time and this European spring, I had the privilege to indulge in a breezy Venezian vacation. I flew to Venice directly from India and Sai was coming to Venice from Rome. We had decided to meet at Piazalle Roma (the final bus stop for Venice, no buses are allowed further into the city). We were unable to reach each other on phone, so we were praying that we somehow find each other. And ta-da, we did! We just bumped into each other on the road and it somehow made the situation much more romantic 🙂

Venice relies on a system of water transport. There are three kinds of transport vehicles that you find here: Vaporettos (water-buses, the best and cheapest way to travel), Gondolas (flat-bottomed rowing boat for a touristy experience, which charge exorbitant rates) and Traghetto ( small row-boats, used for crossing across the Grand Canal when there are no bridges).

We took a vaporetto to our hotel in Castello (one of the six districts in Venice). For the exorbitant prices these hotels charge, the rooms and services are surprisingly very minimal. But that’s Venice. A lot of people prefer staying in the mainland and the neighboring islands to save on the stay. However, my personal suggestion would be to stay in Venice to enjoy it to the fullest. Who cares if you have a small room and a dingy bathroom when you are in Venice and you will be out all day. With hordes of tourists that throng Venice each day, staying in Venice gives you the privilege to enjoy the sights and sounds in the night and early morning and catch the scenic beauty without being pushed across the bridge. Trust me on this!

The beautiful Venezian skyline greets us as we approach the city

Once we quickly checked into the hotel and had a quick bite at one of the best pizzerias of Venice (C’E Pizza e Pizza), we started for some of the famous tourist attractions of the city. St. Marks’ square, the city’s largest square, has the famous Doge’s Palace and St. Marks’ Basilica. If you are a fan of art, architecture or history, you will be swooning all over it. We did a quick tour of both. We generally prefer to take guided tours at such places. Unfortunately, the guides had a strike going on that day and we had to make peace with reading the text guides. My favorite place in Doge’s Palace was the fabled Bridge of Sighs. The Bridge connected the Palace with the Prison. When prisoners were being taken to the cells, they would cast their wishful glances at Venice from this bridge and sigh. I could feel the air of melancholy in this place, yet it was one of the most beautiful views of the Venetian lagoon from here.

As we walk towards St. Marks’ Square

Doge’s Palace

The Bridge of Sighs from outside

Doge’s Palace

View of the canals from inside The Bridge of Sighs

View of the Venetian Lagoon from the Bridge of Sighs, and the crowd that throngs St. Marks’ everyday

We had signed up for an afternoon walking tour. Our guide, Simona, took us through the unknown and unexplored parts of the city. Interesting anecdotes, useful tips and a brush-up of the history of Venice made the tour worthwhile. She told us all about how the masks came into being, how the houses were constructed and some interesting stories of the famous people who lived here.

Our dinner at La Colonna was splendid. When in Venice, try the sea food – they have an amazing variety. Also, try Spritz  and Bellini – Venetian cocktails. We wanted to end the night with a romantic drive down the Grand Canal. We took the slow Vaporetto no. 1, and sat down dreamy-eyed to take in the gorgeous views of the canal and the beautiful buildings on it. We didn’t even bother to take out the camera to click pictures.

Early next morning we started on a vaporetto to the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is famous for glass making. We attended one of the glassblowing sessions in Murano (Simona had given us a contact, resulting in us bypassing the long queue for the free session). We looked in awe as the artist deftly gave shapes to molten glass and created masterpieces. I couldn’t resist picking up a Murano glass pendant  😀

Murano glass making

The artist gives shape to the glass.

Our next stop, Burano, was a beautiful island of colored houses. It looked straight out of a fairy tale. Burano is famous for lace making  and you can see all kind of things made of lace – from curtains to clothes to umbrellas.

Burano house replicas

On returning to Venice, we headed for The Rialto Bridge. It is indeed gorgeous. The Rialto market is a bustling place and a place to have a good time at some of the old bars. A quick tip: Always carry your drinks and drink while standing. They would charge you extra for sitting down in the bars 😛

The Grand Canal

The Rialto Bridge

It was our last night in Venice, and we wanted to get lost in it. So we just kept on walking, taking wrong turns, moving away from the crowd, till we were actually lost. Here we saw the places where Venetians live, eat and pray. At one point we came out at Grand Canal, and then after many twisted lanes, we somehow reached St. Marks’ Square. It was 10 in the night, and the day-trippers had all left. The empty square emanated an aura that we had missed the first time we were there. It beguiled us into passing some more time sitting on the steps of the square and soaking in the Venetian sounds sans the crowds. Sounds of a distant orchestra, the cool breeze and the splendor of the Cathedral were indeed the memories of Venice that I would have loved to carry in my heart. Ciao Venice!

A Gondola Ride

A random house..

As we walk into the unknown

St. Marks’ Square in the night

P.S. You can refer my blog on tips to planning a trip to Venice. Keep reading and Keep travelling 🙂

Love in Bruges

I went to this quiet little town for the first time in Nov 2011, and fell in love with
it at first sight. A unique mix of urbanity, and the old rustic architecture
welcomed me when I got out of the train-station. Cobbled streets with pretty
houses  took me back to my childhood story books days.

Many of these pretty houses came with their chocolate shops, an icing on the cake . Yummy Belgian chocolates, chocolates in all shapes and sizes threw me an irresistible invite as I strolled through the winding streets. I can’t
say this enough; Bruges is picture-perfect with Elegant Architecture, Old
Churches, Beautiful Canals strewn in between, and a colorful town center.

I was put up in Lille, and was on a one-day trip to Bruges with friends. We reached
Bruges by 10.30 morning, and set up on a walk around the city with the city-map
as our guide. We had targeted places to be covered as any other tourists do.
But once we started our walk, we forgot our targets, as each building was
pretty, each nook of the city serene! Horse-drawn carts ambled away.
The first place we reached was the Grote Markt, which essentially means Grand
Arena. There stands tall the famous Belfry, from the top of which you can get
breath-taking views of the city. The climb made us hungry, and we then rushed
to a restaurant in Grote Markt. The food is expensive, and we later found out
these places are over-priced for tourists. After our innumerable stops for
posing for pictures, we reached the Burg Square. There is a beautiful church on
this square, Basilica of the Holy Blood.

Bruges Streets

If you are an architecture lover, you will love the Gothic style architecture. There were not many tourists, so we stayed there for some time enjoying the architecture and silence. Time was dawning upon us, and we had to find our way back to the station. We took a detour while going back, and stumbled upon this alley of chocolate shops. Oh the chocolates! I being a purist chocolate lover, made quite a lot of shopping. I have forgotten the street’s name (my bad) and can’t share with you guys 😦 But, there’s no dearth of chocolate shops in Bruges, and you will find your own favorite alley. Things I wished to do in this trip, and for which I visited Bruges again a couple more times, was going for a boat ride in the canals and getting a cycle and cycling my heart out. And trust me, the boat ride in Bruges will definitely list in
your memorable trips

Small Church

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Basilica of Holy Blood

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