Switzerland
I had always been fascinated on how Switzerland became what it is today; how a country with not an inch of a coastline and is remotely located in the middle of the Alps had came to be one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Had I taken my economics class seriously, I may have a better understanding of how things really worked out for them.
The very moment I set foot on Swiss soil, I fell in love. Squeaky-clean environment, fresh air, complex but rider-friendly and timely-up-to-the-minute public transport network, mild wintery weather, friendly and disciplined people, great cheese, great chocolates; heck, even McDonald’s tastes better here. With a perfect place like this, what’s not to love?
Well, people always argue about the cost of living. I say the hell with that! If this is the living comfort that I would get, I won’t really mind paying double. Compared to Manila, it’s like paying fifty bucks a night for a cheap motel when you can actually get an overnight 5 star accommodation for eighty bucks a pop. I’m a firm believer that there is no such thing as free lunch and that you can only get what you pay for but then again, this country defies all that as, based on my limited experience, it provides you the most bang for your buck. (Either that or I’m just getting ripped off every waking day in Manila.) Definitely something that looks good to be true, but hey, Swiss cities wont consistently top the list the most livable in the world for nothing right?
Also, the language barrier turned out to be no biggie since most of the basic conveniences have English labels. There are also tons of concise guides that you can pick up at any tram station that contains every bit of imaginable information about the country. What if all else fails? It is perfectly fine to ask help from anyone. Swiss people are well mannered and surely will be very willing to help you out. But of course, you would prefer to be self-contained, wouldn’t you? Key is proper preparation a.k.a. Google.
Zurich
Zurich is the main economic center of Switzerland and is considered to be the wealthiest city in Europe. It is also referred to as the cultural capital of Switzerland; Berne being the political capital (I guess, much like Makati and Manila) and is located on the German speaking part of Switzerland. It was also named as the city with the best quality of life in the world for 3 straight years (2006 – 2008).
For personal reasons, it has become the Hub of my European adventure. Great city with budget Swiss air flights that serve all of Europe. Zurich
Being in Zurich, you can’t help but wonder if it really is a significant European financial center. Thing is, life in Zurich is so laid back that you can’t help but compare it to living on some remote province. Shops close at 8 pm, and are closed on sundays and holidays, people retire to their beds at around 10 and there isn’t really a lot of red light districts compared to other European cities. I guess that’s what makes Zurich the city with the best quality of life. You get to have all the benefits of living in a big city, less the hustle and bustle. (Why do I get an imagery of a decaf with that?)
The only thing that I don’t really like about Zurich is the lack of those places or things that would compel you to visit the city; something like Eiffel Tower for Paris or Statue of Liberty for New York or the pizza in Italy. Well I guess it can be categorized as an off-the-beaten-path destination. You’ll never know what you’ll find unless you give it a try.
Oh yeah, another thing that I would definitely put in my Zurich hate list are the very prompt snow ploughs that immediately jumps into action to clear the streets and sidewalks at the very first sign of snow build up. Come on man; let me enjoy my snow!
Lucerne
The famous dying lion monument is carved on one of the rock formations in this city. It was to honor the hundreds of Swiss Guards that perished defending the king of France on the Tuileries Palace from a mob of revolutionists. The monument even caught Mark Twain’s awe, referring to it as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world”.
The city per se looks like something that was cut straight out of a fairy tale book with the lake Lucerne and the Pilatus mountain masterfully painted on its backdrop.
Berne
The political capital of Switzerland, I only got to see the Zytglogge clock tower that supposedly goes cuckoo every hour, but never went cuckoo when Iwas there waiting for it go cuckoo. Tough luck!
Lugano
A city on the Italian speaking part of Switzerland that directly borders Italy.
Fox Town, the biggest outlet shopping center in Switzerland is located in this city. Unfortunately, most of the shops there are high-end brands typical of the Swiss shopping scene (Boss, Navyboot, Gucci, etc) and still are priced out of reach. But they also have middle-class-consumer-friendly brands like Pepe jeans, Esprit, Nike, to name a few, that are almost giving away everything. (Pepe jeans denims for 10 EUR? Gimme all of that!). Oh yeah, they also have a TNF outlet. Not bad at all!
Geneva
Perhaps the most famous of all Swiss cities; Geneva is located in the French speaking side of Switzerland and is one of the cities that borders France. Geneva is ranked 2nd to zurich on the list of cities with the best quality of life in 2007.
Geneva is famous for conventions that sets international laws for humanitarian concerns and has notable landmarks like the CERN, Flower Clock and the United Nations.
The Bottom Line
Switzerland is a tiny but very wonderful country that has everything on it. It’s teeming with beautiful places and amazing culture that jumping from one city to another seems like getting on the other side of the world (all of which, just a train ride away.) One thing that adds to it’s allure is the laid back living which is a very welcome relief when you are used to getting stressed in Manila.
Would I go back here given a chance? Why not?
**Images of coat of arms are sourced from wikipedia
