TO STAY OR NOT TO STAY

Once again comes the question of where to stay while in Switzerland.  The answer to this question is all up to your budget and preferences, but let me introduce you to a couple of options that will save you some bucks.

Courtesy of Hostelworld.com

Campsites are quite popular in Switzerland because of its particular landscape and Interlaken, with its mountains, lakes, and many waterfalls is the perfect setting for these resting options. Campsites are rather cheap yet comfortable; although they do not offer all the commodities of a five star hotel, they allow you to be closer to nature. A perfect example of a campsite is the Jungfrau Campsite; for 18 to 30 Euros per night you can have comfortable accommodations ranging from caravans to huts. Bathrooms are separate from the lodging space, but they are clean and numerous so showers are always available for guests. This campsite also has tennis courts, a children’s pool, a restaurant, and the river running through the campsite has deep pools for swimming and many of open spaces for picnicking. Many activities are provided at this campsite as well such as hiking, horse-riding, biking, golf, and paragliding.



Courtesy of Myswitzerland.com

If you want to be even closer to nature then try the so called “agrotourism;” lately, this form of tourism has become quite popular, especially amongst eco-tourists. Agrotourism allows tourists to experience agricultural life first hand; working with real farmers and fishermen allows both parties to benefit from this kind of tourism. There are many types of accommodations in agrotourism; cottages, tipis, even straw mats, are all places where you can spend the night by yourself or with your family, and again, prices range according to the type of accommodation.

Courtesy of Hostelworld.com

Switzerland is not the exception for budget-friendly hostels; at hostelbookers.com and hostelworld.com you can find hostels from around the world at affordable prices. Youth Hostel Bern is a great hostel in the heart of Bern and a great example of this type of accommodation. Although a little more expensive than the typical European hostels (around $41.00 p/night) the price includes breakfast, and internet access. The hostel is clean, the staff friendly and the location is perfect. Now, before you book into this hostel take into account that if you want to save a couple of bucks, you will end up sharing your room with 20 other people; if you are the type of person who cannot sleep with noise, light, afraid of strangers, or someone who likes to wake up late, then I recommend you one of the pricier yet smaller rooms for two, four, or six people.



Courtesy of Hostelworld.com

At Lucerne you can find another great hostel, the Lion Lodge Lucerne. This hostel is right next to the Lion Monument, hence its name. The historical town is very close to this hostel as well, making its location perfect for sightseeing. The bedrooms are smaller and cheaper compared to the rooms in Bern ($37.00 p/night for a 6 bedroom room), however, breakfast and internet access are not included in the price. This hostel is clean and secure, but if you like to party until early morning, then skip this hostel.

At hostelworld, and hostelbookers you can find thousand of hostels and their reviews, prices, what is included, and the location and contact information for each and every hostel. Make sure you do your research way in advance, you do not want to find unwelcome surprises along the way. Also, if you are planning to travel during high season or on popular dates, such as San Fermin, Oktober Fest , or Carnival season, make sure to book you accommodations way in advance, even years in advance; hostels in Munich for example, were completely booked during Oktober Fest a year in advance, so if you do not want to end up sleeping in tents or in extremely expensive hotels, then start looking at these hostel-booking pages.

LETS KEEP TALKING OF CHEESE

Switzerland has a couple of internationally acclaimed cheeses along with dozens of other equally delicious options. The book I am using as a reference is the 1983 edition of “Cheese: A Guide to the World of Cheesemaking” by Bruno Battistotti amongst many other authors.

EMMENTAL

Perhaps Emmental is the most known of Swiss cheeses worldwide. This whole cow’s milk cheese is made in central Switzerland and has a firm texture with irregular holes in it. Rich, fruity, and nutty are the three words that best describe the taste of Emmental cheese. Because of its fame, many companies try to emulate  this Swiss cheese, but the genuine product will have the word “Switzerland” stamped in red around the rind. Great for melting and accompanied with fruits and nuts.

GRUYÉRE

After Emmental, this cheese is the second most known Swiss cheese in the world. Although gruyére has a sweeter natural taste to it than it famous counterpart, both cheeses share a similar nutty aroma. Made with whole cow’s milk, this cheese is both delicate and exquisite. Just like Emmental, this cheese is great for fondue.

APPENZELLER

Made from full-fat whole cow’s milk, appenzeller has a semi-hard consistency with sparse holes in it. The rind is washed with salt, white wine, pepper, and spices giving this cheese a pronounced aroma. Because of its slightly bitter yet delectable taste, this cheese was highly prized by emperor Charlemagne. With the last two cheeses given on this list, appenzeller completes the classic Swiss fondue trio.

SBRINZ

As the father of hard cheeses this cheese grates extremely well. Made with whole cow’s milk sbrinz is now made in other European countries like Italy and Germany. This cheese is aromatic and extremely flavorsome making it a great dessert cheese.

SAANENKASE

Because saanenkäse is produced in very small quantities and aged for long periods of time, this cheese is rare and highly-prized. As a hard whole cow’s milk cheese, saanenkäse can easily be used for grating as well as a delicious dessert cheese. This cheese has a scaly texture and a fragrant mellow taste.

BRUSCION

Bruscion is one of the few goat’s milk cheeses manufactured in Switzerland. This cheese is eaten after a short ripening period and it flavor can be described as strong, acidulated, and slightly piquant.

CHABICHOU

Another goat’s milk cheese from Switzerland. Although this cheese is similar in flavor and texture to its French counterpart, the rind of chabichou has a snowy bloom in it. This cheese is very smooth with a tangy taste to it.  

There are two websites that are great for those who are new to the world of cheese. The first website, artisanalcheese.com, is a great place where you can learn about unique cheeses and their wine pairings, you can also purchase a great selection of cheeses from around the world. The second website is thinkcompass.com, a page that has a great cheese dictionary that separates cheeses not by country, but by texture.

LAUTERBRUNNEN AND LUCERNE

As you know from a previous post, this last weekend was the Los Angeles Times Travel Show; I had a great time with so many stations dedicated to travel and getaways around the world. I learned a lot about saving money strategies and the lecture by Rick Steves was so fun I wish he had been one of my college professors. But I will talk about all I learned a little later this week. For now I will continue with Switzerland and two of its’ beautiful cities: Lauterbrunnen and Lucerne.

Located in the Interlaken and Jungfrau region, Lauterbrunnen has one of the most spectacular landscapes in Switzerland and it is no wonder since the Valley of Lauterbrunnen is one of the biggest nature conservation areas in Switzerland. The Valley counts with over 70 waterfalls, many peaks, and dozens of amazing trails which make Lauterbrunnen an ideal escape throughout the year.

I visited this town during the summer, an ideal time for outdoor activities like mountain biking, sightseeing, hiking, and paragliding. It is also here where you can find another UNESCO World Heritage Site, a trail; the Junggfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorh trail is perfect for sightseeing thanks to its many waterfalls and alpine farming.  Since Lauterbrunnen is a town especially popular for winter sports, you might find some great deals for hotels, hostels, and campsites during the summer season.

A town such as Lauterbrunnen is gold for people who love nature or for those who want a respite from technology and civilization; many high-end hotels and spas are located throughout Switzerland, but because of its extraordinary location, Interlaken and Jungfrau  have  some of the best spas in the nation; if you have the bucks to spare, a spa is a great remedy for the “side-effects” of traveling.

Not far from Lauterbrunnen you can find the very Swiss town of Lucerne; containing all those stereotypical ingredients that make Switzerland a coveted destination—crystal-clear waters from Lake Lucerne, snow-capped mountains, emerald green grass, plus a beautiful historic center—Lucerne is the perfect gateway for those who want to visit Switzerland for the first time.

The Reuss River, filled with swans and ducks, runs through the historic center of Lucerne; many restaurants and coffee shops are located throughout the river bank making this a favorite spot for locals and tourists. The most famous symbol of Lucerne is located in this part of the city as well; Kapellbrücke, a bridge build in 1333, signals Lucerne’s original boundary, and although the bridge was severely damaged in a fire in 1993, Kapellbrücke was renovated and its paintings restored. The ancient city wall with its watchtowers can also be seen from the old town and this attraction has the particular advantage of having few tourists walking around its grounds.

One of my favorite monuments in Europe is “The Dying Lion of Lucerne;” built from a natural rock to commemorate the heroic deaths of Swiss mercenaries at the Tuileries in 1792, the famous writer Mark Twain wrote that the Lion is “the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.” Lucerne also counts with many museums; the Picasso Museum, the Rosengart Collection, and the Richard Wagner Museum have some of the most impressive art collections in Europe.

The great thing about Lucerne is that if you tire of the city, the mountains around the city are easily accessible; the Pilatus and Rigi mountains have cable cars and rail lines constructed in them so the summit can be easily reached for those who are too tired of hiking and walking. From the mountain tops you get breathtaking views of the area and Lake Lucerne.

Is hard to decide which city to visit in Switzerland; there are so many beautiful towns and natural reserves in the country that picking just one can be a hard decision. In my opinion, Bern is one of the most beautiful towns in the world; I instantly fell in love with this city so I recommend it to those who just have a couple of days to visit Switzerland. Lucerne would be my second option because, like I mentioned before, this city has it all, mountains, a lake, a river, and a beautiful historical town. On the other hand, Lauterbrunnen is all about nature and outdoor activities so if this is your thing, then mark this town on your itinerary.

The next blog will help you in your selection of Swiss cheeses and I will give you a few recipes of Swiss food. I hope you come back next week for more about this beautiful country, its gastronomy, and where to stay.

THE BEAUTY OF THE BEAR

There is something about Switzerland, something different that few other European countries have. Switzerland is charming and picturesque; nature is one with the country for it blends harmoniously with the industrial side of the nation. It is in Bern when this fusion of the modern and the old, nature and civilization is most apparent.

When someone thinks of the capital of a country the first things that come in mind are skyscrapers, technology, giant stadiums and shopping malls, freeways, long bridges, and thousands of buses and cabs. Unlike the big capitals of the world like London, Tokyo, and Paris, Bern is rather small—Switzerland is one of the smallest countries in Western Europe, and perhaps it is Bern’s size what makes this capital so charming.

The countries surrounding Switzerland have influenced the language and culture of this small country; although German is the dominant language, French, Italian, and Romansch are also spoken in some regions of Switzerland. The country is perhaps most known for its traditional crafts and specialties like luxurious watches, useful pocketknives, mouth-watering chocolates, and famous cheeses.  

Bern has been the capital of Switzerland since 1848; its name can be translated as Bear (legend has it a bear was the first animal killed in the forests of the area back in the 12^th century) and until a couple of years ago, bears could be found inside the bear pits just at the end of the old town. Bern has a fortunate location that provides marvelous views for tourists and locals; the beautiful River Aare runs through the city while the Alps provide an amazing background for any picture. The River was one of the first things that called my attention; the water had a bluish-green color that I had never seen before and although the water was freezing many people were swimming down its current.

The Old Town of Bern was the second thing that caught my attention; designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Old Town of Bern has many well-preserved houses and arcades that date back to the 16^th and 17^th centuries; its clock tower dates back to the 1530’s and many fountains and sculptures fill the streets of this town. One of the most famous of these fountains is the Kindlifresser Fountain which depicts an ogre swallowing the head of a child (many parents take their children to this place to illustrate the “outcome of a transgression”).

As the capital of the country, Bern is the home of the Swiss Parliament; during a hot day, many children (and some adult/children or in other words, me) can be found running around the splashing fountains outside the parliament. The square right outside this building also serves as the spot for food markets and concerts. I was lucky enough to visit Bern during the international music festival week on August which offered food from around the world as well as free concerts throughout the old town.

For me Bern was a welcomed surprise from the giant cities I was used to like Mexico City, Los Angeles, Madrid, and Tokyo. In Bern it seems that time runs at a calmer pace to which I adapted in no time at all; just like the locals I took a dip inside the Aare River and tanned by the free outside pool next to the Aare. Since the river is so close to the town and the Alps are a short drive away, the water from the fountains is fresh, very cold, and extremely delicious! You will never taste better water. The zoo is right next to the river as well, so close they actually blend; the otters and some other fresh water animals swim in an enclosed part of the Aare while the “cages” are made in the mountains surrounding the river.

Bern is indeed a beautiful city that lends itself to outdoor activities like hiking, running, and swimming; although I was vacationing I did not mind waking up at 7:00 AM to go running by the paths next to the river, a good dip in its frozen waters was always refreshing, and a night concert was a must during the days of pure bliss in Bern.

Before I talk about the gastronomy of Switzerland and where to stay when you travel to this country, I would like to write about spectacular Interlaken and the gorgeous Luzern. The next blog will be dedicated to these two cities in Switzerland so make sure to come back to get to know more about this amazing country.  

BACK IN THE STATES

Once again I would like to apologize for the few posts I have made in the last couple of months, but now, I can happily say I am back from Mexico! I had an amazing time preparing a musical concert in my beautiful hometown of Chapala, Jalisco; at times the job became hectic and I had little time to write on the blog , but I promise I will get back on track in the next week.

Like I promised in my last blog, the next city I will write about is Berne in Switzerland; for those of you who like the outdoors and cities with a historical feel to it, then Berne is your city.

After Berne I will take a break from Europe to write about Lake Chapala; since I just came back from my hometown, I am loaded with pictures and videos from this wonderful town loved by American and Canadian expatriates. Believe me, you will want to learn about Lake Chapala, a town considered to have the best weather in the world and the highest quality of life for retirees.

There are many great posts coming out in the next couple of days, but before I forget, if you live in the Los Angeles area or are passing by this city in the coming week, the LA Times will be presenting a Travel Show in the Los Angeles Convention Center this Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29. There will be great speakers at this convention like Rick Stevens, Arthur Frommer, and Lisa Ling, as well as many representatives from Tourism boards from around the world. Tickets are $8.00 per person and you can make your reservations at the Los Angeles Times-Travel Show website.