Before I start on my trip report of Country Roads of Switzerland let me first provide a few general details.

Tour Director: Rita Stuber (from Switzerland)
Tour Driver: Rudi (from Germany)

Travelling Companions totalled 38:
Australia = 21
Canada = 7
USA = 6
Singapore = 4

Hotels:
Swiss Hotel, Zurich – 1 night – (8/10)
Hotel Du Golf, Villars – 3 nights - (8/10)
Alpen Resort, Zermatt – 2 nights – (8/10)
Grand Hotel Eden, Lugano – 2 nights – (10/10)
Hotel Monopole, St Moritz – 1 night – (9/10)
Hotel Royal St Georges, Interlaken – 2 nights – (8/10)
Ramada Regina Titlis, Engelberg – 2 nights – (8/10)
Swiss Hotel, Zurich – 1 night – (8/10)

Optionals:
Zermatt – Gornegratt (6/10 – only because it was snowing and nil visibility)
Zermatt – Kleiner Matterhorn (CANCELLED – snowing and nil visibility)
Italian Lakes – Borromean Islands of Lake Maggiore (8/10)
Lugano – Italian Markets & Miniature Village (8/10)
St Moritz – Bernina Express (8/10)
Interlaken – Jungfrau (9/10)
Lucerne – Swiss Alpine Show & Lunch (not taken as we had done it twice before)
Lucerne – Lake Lucerne Cruise (not taken as we had done it twice before)
Engelberg – Mt Titlis (7/10 - bad weather again)

This was a great tour with one of the best groups I have travelled with. Everybody mixed in with everyone else and no one was late at any stage (in fact everyone was approximately 15 minutes early all of the time). Our Tour Director was a real “mother hen” in looking after us and the driver could not be faulted.

Sadly however the weather was not good, but that is something that cannot be controlled. We had only one full day where we had sunshine for the whole day but there were a few days where we had showers on and off. The rest of the days were rain, sleet or snow and temperatures down to -4 Celsius (-8 with wind chill factor). While this meant we were unable to even catch a glimpse of the Matterhorn while at Zermatt, and poor to nil visibility on many Mountain tops, the snow made the scenery look really beautiful with all of the pine branches drooping with snow like picture postcards.

In summary we had a wonderful tour with fantastic travelling companions, an excellent driver and a TD who really looked after us. Yes there were some disappointments because of the weather but the joys far outweighed the disappointments and I would not hesitate to do the tour again.

Day 1 - Saturday 26 May 2007

We had finished packing last night and went to bed early ready to rise at 6.30am this morning. We woke to an inside temperature of 5 degrees Celsius and a beautiful, cloudless, sunny day. Our Newcastle to Sydney transfer minibus arrived out the front at 8.20am and after picking up another passenger in the city we were soon on our way to Sydney at 8.50am.

At 11.40am we arrived at Sydney International Airport with a 4 hour wait for our flights to Singapore and Zurich (SQ222 and SQ345). As it was still too early to check-in we had a leisurely lunch at McDonalds and as soon as the check-in counters opened we went straight to the Internet Check-in counter to get rid of our luggage (I had already checked in and printed out our boarding passes 2 days prior via the internet). Unlike the other check-in counters there was no queue at the Internet Check-in and we walked straight to the counter, deposited our luggage and then proceeded through Immigration to find some good seats at the boarding gate and settle in to wait the remaining 2 hours until departure.

Our Singapore Airlines flight SQ222 pushed back from the gate on time at 13.40pm however it was 4pm before we actually took off.

I watched 3 movies on the flight (Ghost Rider, Music and Lyrics, Bridge to Terrabithia) and 7 hours 35 minutes (and 2 meals) later we arrived in Singapore at 9.35pm local time (11.35pm Sydney time).



As we had a 3½ hour wait for our next flight to Zurich at 1.05am we stretched our legs by walking the Terminal for an hour before settling down to wait for boarding. It was interesting watching the huge amounts of people having bottles of water and other liquids taken off them and thrown into a garbage bin as they boarded their flights.

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Day 2 – (Tour Day 1) – Sunday 27 May 2007

Our 1.05am flight from Singapore to Zurich was delayed 15 minutes but eventually pushed back at 1.20am and 12½ hours later we arrived at Zurich airport at 7.35am local time (30½ hours after leaving home).

Taking the 8.30am Shuttle Bus from Zurich Airport to the Swissotel, we left our luggage in storage (rooms not ready before noon) and caught the number 11 tram into the city. The tram fares cost SWF7.80 each, lasts 24 hours, can be used on the trains as well and can be purchased from the hotel Concierge. You must remember to validate your tickets before boarding the tram or train and this can be done at the machines at either the stations or tram stops. The train to the city takes 6 minutes and the tram around 20 minutes.

We hopped of the tram at Rahnhof-Quai, walked across the Bahnhof- Brucke Bridge (nice photos from here) then walked the full length of Niederdorfstrasse which is full of restaurants and shops. This street runs parallel to the river but one block back and is a major gathering place of an evening. However, being a Sunday morning, most of the restaurants and all of the shops were closed and there were only a few tourists wandering around.

At 10am we reached the Grossmunster Platz, where we had planned to climb to the top of the tower for great views over Zurich, only to find that the Cathedral was closed to tourists until 11.15am because of church services.



Ok, no problem, we will continue our walk and come back later, so off we went down the steps to the Munster-Brucke for more photos then walked beside the river to Quai-Brucke Bridge (more photos), crossed the bridge and sat on a seat for 15 minutes admiring the Lake. From here we walked back up beside the river along Stadthaus-Quai and then crossed the river again via Munster-Brucke Bridge and sat on a seat beside the river for a while watching the river boats until the Church services finished.

At 11.15am we climbed the steps to the Cathedral only to be told that we could not enter until 12 noon so we wandered off down Niederdorfstrasse again, had a quick lunch and then returned to the Cathedral again at noon only to be told we could enter the Cathedral but could not climb the tower until 12.30. Frustrating.

By this time we were getting a little concerned because our tour started from our hotel at 2pm and that was 20 minutes away by tram and a 5 minute or so walk to a tram stop – but - we were determined to do the climb so we sat near the entrance to the stairs and waited. At 12.20 the guy selling the tickets called us over and said we could go up early if we opened up all of the big doors at the top for him-------- no problem --------- and off we set.

Boy what a climb - single file up a tight, stone, spiral stairway and no time to stop and rest. When we reached the top our legs were like jelly and our lungs felt like fire – but we were there. Was it worth it? YES. Great views over Zurich.



After a quick get your breath back and take some photos we headed back down those spiral steps again and, leaving the Cathedral, hurried to Bellevue Platz where we caught a number 11 tram back to our hotel.

Arriving back at the hotel at 1.30pm we had only 20 minutes to check-in, collect our luggage, get to our room, shower, shave and change ready to be back in the lobby by 1.55pm. We made it and by 2pm we had met our TD, boarded the coach and were on our way for our city tour.

The city tour was more extensive than I had expected and after the usual commentary drive around we left the coach for an inspection of the Marc Chagall stained glass windows in the Fraumunster. I must confess that I am not a fan of Marc Chagall and had not been impressed when visiting a museum of his works in the town of his birth (Vitebsk in Belarus) a few years ago. After leaving the Fraumunster we were taken on a walking tour of the old town through several plazas and up to the top of the hill where the city was founded. After taking photos overlooking the city we walked back down to the coach through another part of the old town before returning to our hotel at 4.40pm.

At 5.30pm we had our meet-n-greet with drinks and around 6.30pm my wife and I headed off for a light dinner and an early night.

By 9pm we were both tired and in bed (46¾ hours since we had last climbed out of bed).

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Day 3 – (Tour Day 2) – Monday 28 May 2007

Up at 6.15am
Bags out by 7.30am
Departed at 8.30am

Weather: 10 degrees Celsius and steady light rain.

On checking out of our hotel we were presented with a bill for SWF16 for our transfer shuttle from the airport. Our tour brochure said it was a free shuttle but apparently the hotel started charging from 1 May of this year. Not a problem however as our TD said she would reimburse us all tonight and she did.

The coach left on time and we drove straight through to Berne with the first stop at the Bear Pits. It was raining steadily and there was only one bear out in the rain.



Before re-boarding the coach we walked out onto the bridge for some photos of the city and the river. Next stop was the Rose Garden and despite the rain everybody got out and walked through the garden. The coach then dropped us off at the Clock Tower (built in the 12th century and restored in the 16th century) at 10.55am in time for it to strike 11.

Leaving the clock Rita took us for a walk through parts of the old town and finishing at the street of restaurants where we were all supposed to have lunch. It was not to be. There was a major soccer match on in Berne plus it was a Public Holiday and there were thousands of young people in the street and on both sides. Many of the restaurants had closed and those that were open were packed with young people chanting for their clubs. The two competing club supporters seemed to have taken position on either side of the street and were continuously singing and shouting at each other.

Our TD decided that it was not appropriate to stay in the vicinity and took us back to the coach for an early departure and we then drove to the town of Murten where we all had lunch.

Murten is a lovely little medieval village and after a quick lunch of soup we then set off and walked the main street before climbing to the ramparts of the old wall.



We walked the length of the wall and climbed the 2 towers for views down over the old town before returning to the coach.

Re-boarding the coach we travelled on to Avenches for a 5 minute photo stop at the ancient Roman amphitheatre before continuing on to Vevey which is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva. At Vevey we stopped for 15 minutes and walked down to the lake for photos of the Charlie Chaplin monument, lake and snow capped mountains.

From Vevey we drove straight to our Hotel Du Golf in the mountain village of Villars where we arrived at 4pm. While we had been having a wet day driving to Villars it had apparently been snowing in the mountains and all of the trees were snow capped as well as the yards and roofs. It certainly looked very pretty from the balcony of our room.

We had planned to go for a walk as soon as our bags arrived but unfortunately, in that short space of time, the clouds closed in and it was like being in a mist or fog with poor visibility. Occasionally the mist would clear for a few moments and reveal a fantastic view of the village in the valley below. Then it would close in again.

Dinner tonight was 7pm and comprised a 3 course included meal of Pasta for starters, then Roast Chicken and vegetables followed by apple tart then tea or coffee. We sat for dinner with a couple from Florida and a couple from Oz and were finished dining around 9.30pm when we returned to our room.

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Day 4 – (Tour Day 3) – Tuesday 29 May 2007

Wake-up call at 7.30am
Departure at 9am

Weather: Steady light rain and sleet.

A lot of snow fell throughout Switzerland overnight but just rain and sleet where we were.

The coach departed on time at 9am and as we drove over the Golden Moss Pass the scenery was really fantastic, snow everywhere and all of the trees with their branches drooping with the weight of the snow.

After coming down from the Pass we drove on to Gruyeres where we walked through the village and up to the castle.



There were lovely views of the valley from the castle ramparts and after exploring this 11th century castle we descended to the village for lunch.

Choosing a restaurant on the right hand side we ordered the Swiss dish of Crue de Fromage with egg which is melted cheese over toast with an egg on the top (gruyeres is renowned for its cheese). Unfortunately we had a bit of a problem with lunch in as much as they lost our order and we had to reorder after everyone else had been served. The effect of this was that we only just made it back to the coach on time and just in front of the last 4 people.

After lunch the coach left Gruyeres at 12.30 and we drove up and over the Jauna Pass (1,581 metres) on our way to Gstaad. Our poor TD worries each time that the passes may be closed because of all the snow but so far so good.

Gstaad is one of Europe’s most fashionable ski resorts and after arriving at 2.10pm we had an hour to explore on our own. The place was pretty deserted because not only was it the off season but it was another public holiday and almost everything was closed. A nice little Alpine resort town though.

From Gstaad we drove to Villars via the Pillon Pass (1,581 metres) and Col de la Croix Pass and the snow was even thicker on the way back. As soon as we arrived back at our hotel at 4.15pm we dropped our bags in our room and went for a walk around the village (thank heavens we had taken our umbrellas because we needed them).

Tonight was supposed to be free for dining but in view of the bad weather, and most places being closed for the holiday, our TD switched tomorrow night’s included dinner to tonight. Our now included meal at the hotel was scheduled for 7pm and comprised a 3 course meal of salad followed by Roast Pork and then Crème Caramel.

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Day 5 – (Tour Day 4) – Wednesday 30 May 2007

Wow ……… we woke up this morning to a beautiful, clear, crisp (2 degrees Celsius) and cloudless day.

Breakfast at 7am
Coach departure at 8am

We drove straight down the winding mountain road to the Castle of Chillon in Montreux and the snow capped mountains looked fantastic in the crisp, clear morning.

Our included guided tour of Chillon Castle started at 9am and lasted one hour. The castle consists of 25 building units with the oldest part dating back to the first millennium however in the 13th century Chillon was completely transformed and considerably enlarged. Roman and early gothic architecture is characteristic and Chillon Castle sits on a rocky islet on the lake and was immortalized by Byron’s “Prisoner of Chillon”. After the tour we then had an hour to wander on our own, shop for souvenirs or just sit by the lake and enjoy the scenery. We opted for the latter.



At 11.03am we boarded a paddle wheeler for a 1¼ hour cruise on Lake Geneva from Chillon Castle to Ouchy. This was a very pleasant lake cruise with nice scenery of snow capped mountains behind valleys of green and grapevines.

Reaching Ouchy at 12.20 we had one hour for lunch or, if we wished, walk up to the Olympic Museum and gardens with our TD. We decided to skip lunch and do the walk and were glad that we did because the museum area was interesting and we still had 15 minutes at the end to grab a ham and salad roll from the bakery.

Departing Ouchy at 1.30pm we drove to the international city of Geneva and were driven around past the United Nations, International Red Cross and World Health Organisation before driving along the water’s edge to see the floral clock and the Jet D’Eau where we had a 15 minute stop.

I mentioned at the start that today we had beautiful clear sunny skies and on the way into Geneva we had fantastic views of Mt Blanc covered in snow. Mt Blanc is in France and is the highest mountain in Europe. Our TD told us that there are only a few days each year that you can see Mt Blanc so clearly as we did and that it was the clearest today that she had ever seen it.

It was during our stop near the floral clock that we experienced a new type of outdoor toilet. You put your coin in the slot when the light turns green, enter when the door opens and then you are on a timer. I know, some of you will say “so what” and that you have experienced automatic toilets on timers before where the door opens whether you are finished or not …. and so have we. But, this one was different. After a certain amount of minutes, whether you had finished and vacated or not, spray jets turned on inside the room and wash the whole room down before blower fans turn on to dry everything ready for the next customer. We were told by some of our people in the queue about a person coming out earlier looking like a drowned rat. This certainly makes for a very clean toilet room when you enter but it is horribly slow while you wait for the wash down and the blowers to dry everything before you get the green light to enter.

At 4.05pm we departed Geneva and drove straight back to Villars via the motorway arriving back at our hotel at 6pm.

Because of the switched included dinner to last night, tonight there was no dinner included and most of the restaurants were still closed so our TD suggested on the way back that, if we would like her to, she would arrange with the hotel for a special night of the Swiss dish of Beef Bourguignon where the beef is cut into small pieces and you cook it yourself at the table in a small vat of hot fat (one vat to each 4 people at the table). Alternatively she could arrange for a dinner of lamb.

32, including ourselves, chose the Beef Bourguignon which also included a salad, desert and tea or coffee for SWF50 each. 4 of our group chose the lamb and 2 went a la carte. Rita arranged everything and a great night of food and fun was had by all with the waiters continuing to bring food until we said enough. We started dinner at 7.15pm and didn’t conclude until 9pm.

It was then out to the desk to settle our account before heading up to our room to pack our bags after our pleasant 3 night stay in Villars.

Tomorrow we head for my favourite place in Switzerland …….. Zermatt, and the mighty Matterhorn.

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Day 6 (Tour Day 5) Thursday 31 May 2007

We were up at 6am to find a mild but overcast day waiting for us.

Breakfast at 7.15am and breakfast each morning has been a buffet of Croissants etc., breads, fruit salad, fruit, cereals, yoghurt, scrambled eggs and sausages.

Departure is scheduled for 8.15am for us to board our coach and say goodbye to Villars. Our group is not only punctual but always early and once again we pulled out 5 minutes early and journeyed into the upper Rhone valley with a 15 minutes stop at the Roman Amphitheatre at Martigney.

A little further on our travels we had a rest stop where we purchased ham and salad rolls (for lunch later in Zermatt) and then our next point of interest was a drive through the town of Sion which is dominated by two rocky peaks each crowned with Episcopal fortresses.

Further along on our journey to Zermatt we stopped at an unusual church, St Michael’s Cavern Church, which is built in a cavern inside the cliff face. Entry is through a short tunnel into the cavern and there are a series of large bells just before the entrance. Another church perches on the very top of the cliff above as well.

After around 15 minutes exploring St Michael’s Cavern Church we again board our Insight Chariot and drive on to Tasch where we must leave our coach. Zermatt is a traffic free mountain resort and the final stages of the ascent are by mini-bus and then electric taxi to our Alpen Resort Hotel.

Sadly the Matterhorn was not to be seen as the mountains were covered in clouds.

After a pleasant lunch on our balcony of our ham and salad rolls (purchased earlier at a rest stop) the 34 of us that were going on the Gornergrat optional met at the Gornergrat station at 1.45pm.

The journey from Zermatt up to the Gornergrat takes around 40 minutes by a rack railway that was built in 1898 and incidentally was the first electric railway of its kind in Switzerland. The last time we were here it wound its way up the mountain letting the Matterhorn appear ever larger and more magnificent, while the village of Zermatt appeared more and more like a collection of doll's houses dwindling away below us. This time the Matterhorn was not to be seen at all but the trip up was pleasant with great views into the valley as you climbed higher and LOTS of snow.

On the way up, the train stops at several stations, Riffelalp, Riffelberg and Rotenboden before reaching the terminal station of Gornergrat at 3,089 metres above sea level.

When we reached the Gornergrat we were surrounded by a white landscape and a temperature of -4 degrees Celsius. Looking off towards the mountains was like looking into a thick fog with no possibility of seeing even the smallest part of the Matterhorn. There was a lot of thick powder snow at the top and it was snowing while we were up there.

A group photo was taken with a St Bernard in the front and when we later picked up the photo the background, which was pure whiteout, had been replaced with clear blue sky and the Matterhorn in all its glory. The magic of photography. Of course the effect is spoilt slightly by the white dots of the snow falling between us and the camera. ;D

Some of the group then caught the rail back down and some went up into the warmth of the Kulmhotel Gornergrat which is the highest hotel in the Swiss Alps. As for us, we headed up to the restaurant and shop area, walked around to the back and then up the path to the observation point at the very peak.



While we were at the peak the clouds and mist parted a little for about 30 seconds and we were able to see 4 of the nearby glaciers but not the further mountains …… and of course no Matterhorn.

We spent about 10 minutes at the summit and then walked back down to the cog-wheel station (still snowing) and caught the next train down to Riffelalp which is the first station above the village. At this point we decided to hop off the train with another couple and walk down the mountain tracks to the village. A good decision and a pleasant walk although a bit rough in parts and of course through some snow drifts. About an hour later we arrived back at our hotel.

Dinner this night was a highlight dinner called Raclette and which consisted of melted cheese with potato and tomato. A salad was served first and desert was a plum sorbet floating in a liquor.

Around 9.30pm we retired to our room.

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Day 7 (Tour Day 6) Friday 1 June 2007

We were up at 6.10am and had breakfast at 7am.

Breakfast at Zermatt is still more than adequate but not as good as the previous hotel. The buffet consists of cereals, fruit salad, yoghurts, breads, croissants, baked beans, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs and bacon.

We awoke this morning to steady drizzling rain and poor visibility. As a result our morning optional excursion up the Kleiner Matterhorn had to be cancelled. Our TD said she would check the weather situation at lunch time and if it improved, and there was any visibility at the top, then we would still go at 2pm - although that looked very doubtful.

It was cold and wet so we spent the morning wandering in the village and shopping. It continued raining all morning so the Kleiner Matterhorn excursion was finally cancelled altogether. By lunch time it was raining quite heavy so we had Bratwurst from a little stand in the centre of town and then were back in our room at the hotel by about 12.15.

Over the next few hours the rain had steadily progressed from rain to sleet to snow and by 4pm everything outside our hotel window was a carpet of white.





With the weather so bad we finished up spending the afternoon in our hotel room writing postcards, watching our video of the trip to date on the TV and writing up our diaries. Late in the afternoon I decided to stretch my legs by taking a walk to the other end of the village and back. It was still snowing of course so I took an umbrella with me and before I was out of the hotel driveway my black umbrella was black underneath and white on top.

Dinner tonight was not included and we had originally intended eating in one of the restaurants in the village however because of the weather conditions we decided to just eat in at the hotel and so I booked a table in the restaurant for 7pm. We finished up ordering the special 3 course meal option from the menu for SWF38 each. There were several choices but we finished up selecting Goulash Soup, Beef Béarnaise and Lemon Sorbet.

It was then back to our room around 8.20pm to repack our bags ready to leave for Lugano in the morning.

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Day 8 (Tour Day 7) Saturday 2 June 2007

Up at 5.30am
Luggage out and breakfast at 6.30am
Departure at 7.30am

Weather: low cloud, grey and 2 degrees Celsius.

It had continued snowing throughout the night and everywhere we looked from our balcony was a mass of white with the branches of the trees bending with the weight of the snow.

Because of the weather we had not at any stage been able to get even a glimpse of the Matterhorn, and it was very disappointing that our Kleiner Matterhorn had to be cancelled, BUT, the snow during our visit and the crisp white picture postcard morning made up for the disappointment. At least that was the view of most of the Australians and Singaporeans although those on our tour from Canada and the USA were not so impressed with the snow.

I would have loved to have stayed a few more days but, sadly, at 7.20am we boarded our electric taxis to take us to the edge of the village where we transferred to the mini-busses for the trip down the mountain to Tasch and our waiting Insight coach.

For a brief moment the sun came out after we passed through Visp but quickly disappeared again as we climbed towards the 2,000 metre summit of the Simplon Pass. Our rest stop was at the top of the Simplon Pass and while the road through the pass was open, everything else was deep snow with at least a foot of snow on top of the outside tables and chairs. Our TD was first off the coach when we stopped and started pelting us all with snow balls as we stepped off the coach. Retaliation was quick from many in our group and she was vastly outnumbered.



We had planned to skip going in to the restaurant for a snack and instead climb to the top of the hill opposite for some views (as we have done previously) however the snow was so deep that it was impossible.

Leaving the Simplon Pass around 9.30am, the sun came back out as we drove down and crossed into Italy where we stopped at Baveno on Lake Maggiore. It was here that we boarded our 2 boats for the Borromean Isalnds of Lake Maggiore optional. It was a short 10 or 15 minute trip across the lake to Isola Bella where we first had a guided tour of the Palace before being set loose for an hour And 10 minutes to explore the gardens and surrounds plus have some lunch. Instead of eating at the Cafeteria at the Palace we decided it would be much nicer to sit and eat at one of the little cafes on the waterfront and enjoy the view.

At 1.10pm it was time to re-board our 2 boats and motor across the lake to Stressa where our coach was waiting with the handful of passengers who had not taken the Island optional.

Back on the coach we soon left Stressa behind as we drove through part of Italy and then back into Switzerland with our next stop being Schokoland in Caslano-Lugano.

Schokoland is a chocolate factory where Alprose premium Swiss chocolate is made ….. and what a popular stop this was.

Inside the shop were trays of samples of all different types of chocolates that people were taking by the handful. You could eat as much as you liked and ALL FREE. Just about everyone on the coach then purchased chocolates from the shop which were quite cheap. Yes I did too. I just couldn’t resist buying a very large bag of chocolate coated almonds, a large bar of dark chocolate and almonds plus a large milk chocolate bar. Delicious and it lasted for quite a few days.

Leaving Schokoland and its mouth watering products behind at 3.50pm we headed into Lugano. Although it was not a great distance, traffic was horrendous and we didn’t reach our hotel until 5pm.

In Lugano we stayed at the Grand Hotel Eden which is a modern hotel with large comfortable rooms and balconies that overlook the lake and the town. We were there for 2 nights.



Tonight dinner was not included and as there were now intermittent showers of rain we decided to not go too far from the hotel. We walked a couple of blocks up a side street to a small café which was one of several recommended by our TD. It was an excellent choice with good food at a very reasonable price. Between us we had spaghetti bolognaise and a lasagna with 2 glasses of wine and a coca cola for only SWF37.

We were soon joined by several others from our tour and after dinner it was back to our hotel at 8pm to do some washing and write up our diaries.

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Day 9 (Tour Day 8) Sunday 3 June 2007

Breakfast at 7am
Departure at 8am

Weather today was a mixture. Overcast at first and then hot, then showers of rain, then clearing in the evening.

Today was our optional tour to the Italian Markets and we crossed the border back into Italy and arrived at the markets in Cannobia at 9.15am with 2 hours to wander the market stalls which stretched about 1.5 klms along the shoreline. There were lots of leather goods, jewellery and clothing but the one and only thing that we purchased was an Italian leather belt for myself that was reduced from €16.90 to €9.50. Oh yes, and we also purchased a couple of ham and cheese rolls to eat for lunch at our next stop.



At 11.15am we re-boarded our “Insight Chariot” and drove back into Switzerland for our visit to the Swiss Miniature Village in Melide.

We had an hour and 20 minutes free time at the Miniature Village and after eating our lunch we wandered the labyrinth of asphalt paths which wound amongst the miniatures of most of the major buildings, mountains, castles etc of Switzerland. There were cable cars going up mountains, cars moving on roads, boats sailing on rivers and lots of trains running everywhere. A very interesting visit indeed.



Returning to the hotel at 2pm we had the afternoon free and our Tour Director set up office in the lounge of the hotel to receive our payments for the optionals. She had been going to collect from us 2 days earlier in Zermatt but had deferred it due to the weather and uncertainty about which optionals may have to be cancelled.

After paying for our optionals a group of 8 of us decided to take the short walk to the Funicular San Salvatore and ride to the top for views over the city and lake. The ride up was extremely steep and at about the half way mark we had to change to another funicular that was even steeper.

On reaching the top the views were great and we found a path and steps which you could climb to the very top of the mountain where there was a church. At the back of the church we found stairs that we were able to climb to get onto the flat roof of the church. This was the highest point on the mountain and gave us 360 degree views of the lakes, mountains and towns as well as across into Italy.

Walking back down we had a quick coke at the café near the top of the Funicular before descending back to street level and walking back to our hotel where we arrived around 5.10pm.

Earlier in the day a fairly large group of us had decided to go to the same little restaurant that we went to for dinner last night but unfortunately it turned out that the little restaurant was closed on a Sunday so we had to make other plans. Some went to an Italian restaurant suggested by our TD and some went Chinese but 10 of us met in the foyer at 6pm and walked the 2 klms along the lakeside to a restaurant named Mary that had also been recommended by our TD. At first we sat at a long table outdoors but when it started to rain again we all had to quickly dash indoors.

The dinner was excellent and I had spaghetti Bolognaise followed by some sort of trio of ice cream floating in a bowl of Baileys. Delicious and of course all washed down with some local white wine.

After dinner we walked back around the foreshore to our hotel around 8.45pm where we repacked our suitcases ready for tomorrow’s departure.

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