Switzerland (Day 4) Pt.II

By 2.00 PM we finally arrived at Zurich. Right away you can see the Limat River flowing through the city. Our first stop is the Church of Our Lady (Fraumünster). This church is well known for its stained-glass windows or better known as Chagall windows in honor of the artist who created these windows, Marc Chagall.  So this church is similar to the church in Bulach (see post Switzerland Day 1). It has a clock tower with a Neo Gothic detail.  This church is also one of the symbols for the city of Zurich.

Right across from Church of Our Lady (Fraumünster)

Chaggal Windows
Source: www.google.com

Another church that you must visit in Zurich is the Grossmünster Church. This church is located right across Fraumünster, all you have to do is cross the bridge over Lake Zurich and you can see a tall Romanesque like twin towers. The inside of the church is really large and here comes the best part of the church, you can climb hundreds flight of stairs to the top of the tower. The stairs leading to the top of the tower is really narrow and it goes up in a circular motion all the way to the top. You might feel suffocated at first but then you get used to it.  Once you’re at the top, you can finally breathe the cool air and enjoy the spectacular view of Zurich.  

Grossmünster Church
Source: www.google.com

The view from the top of the church

If you are really into big churches, you can also visit St. Peterskirche as it is one of the three major churches in Zurich.

St. Peterskirche

Like other cities in Switzerland, the Old Town is one of the main attractions. The town has many alleys to explore with different shops and restaurants around the corners.

Old Town
Source: www.google.com

Last but not least, we visited Lindenhof. This part of the city is the historic home of the Roman Castle and Empire. It is situated on top of a hill. When I read it on the internet, I thought it would be in a form of an old fortress, but now it is actually used as a park. Many people come to just sit around, enjoy the view of the city, etc.  There is also a small playground for little kids to play.

Lindenhof
Source: www.google.com

So that is the end of our day in Zurich. You can also visit Zurich’s Historical Museum, but we decided to skip it because we will be visiting a lot more museums in Italy.  You can also go to Lindt’s Chocolate Factory. We also skip this because we have visited the same Lindt Factory in Germany, but I recommend all of you to visit this factory once you’re in Zurich.

Lindt Chocolate Factory Zurich
Source: www.google.com

Coming up, I would like to post transportation around Swiss, the food and also people in Swiss. Oh, and I will also post my trip to Italy as soon as I can. Stay tuned fellow travelers!

Switzerland (Day 4)

It’s the last day in Switzerland. A mix of emotions, happy and sad at the same time, but maybe someday I could come back and explore more of Swiss while the weather is sunny and bright. Throughout the days we spent in Swiss, light rain would fall on the city. And the worst part is, a week before we arrived the weather was terrific. Today we were supposed to go to the Jungfrau mountain, sadly the rain starts pouring down heavily in Bulach. I checked Jungfrau website and it turns out the weather on the mountain was partly cloudy with a chance of rain. We decided that we don’t want to hike on a bad weather. In addition, we can’t leave Swiss without going to its capital city Zurich. 

For the first time since we’ve been in Swiss, we finally got a chance to ride their public transportation! Ms. Patricia has to go to work so she can’t drive us. But she assures us we’re not going to get lost in Zurich since all of the train lines are very clear and it is completely safe. Well, of course it’s safe, Swiss has almost 0% criminal rate in their country. Their city is very clean and there are no beggars in sight. Now back to our trip! We rode our train from: Bulach Station - Zurich Hbf – Rapperswil. It is best to get the ZVV map to look at which route goes where. For more information on the ZVV train in Zurich go to : www.zvv.ch

First impression of Rapperswil, the city is very quiet. As we walk along the road, we realized this city has only few people and the restaurants seem to be closed. But there are one or two people riding around on their bikes. We also met some tourists along the way. I came to the conclusion that the city is deserted because people are probably at work. Rapperswil located near the river bank so there many attractions that are done by boat. Since it is an unfamiliar city to us, we decided to go to the tourist information right away. From here they will give us a map and tell us the main attractions in Rapperswil. Our first stop is the Rose Garden. Now this little city is known as the “City of Roses”. Before you reached the Rose Garden, you can already smell the lovely scent of roses from a few feet away. When we got there, all I can say is WOW! So many beautiful roses in shades of pink, red and white.

Me among the Roses

Another attraction you can visit in Rapperswil is their castle. You go outside of the garden and go up a couple of stairs to a hill. While you are on top of the hill, you can also go down to see the deer in the Deer Park. The view of the lake from up the hill is amazing! Well, the Castle in Rapperswil is a big castle and when you go inside you enter a large terrace where you can see a good view of Lake Zurich and Altstadt. Sadly, bad luck again (we've been getting a lot of those lately), the castle seems to be closed. It’s no wonder the tourists in front of us were gone so quickly, they've probably tried to go inside but the doors were closed. This castle is home to the Polish National Museum and just outside the castle stand the Polish Freedom Pillar (Freiheitssäule). After further research about this castle, I feel so sad I can’t go inside the castle. I love castles and based on reviews from different people on the internet, Rapperswil Castle is so beautiful.  So dear travelers  don’t miss your chance like I did to visit this castle.

Polish Freedom Pillar (Freiheitssäule)
Source: Wikipedia

Rapperswil Castle
Source: Wikipedia

Next stop is another Rose Garden. You go down the hill and on your way back to the center of the city, you can’t miss this garden. This Rose Garden is no ordinary garden; the roses have a stronger scent so that blind people can come to the garden and enjoy the smell of roses. The different types of roses in this Garden are also completed with Braille writings for the blind. Once we got back to the center of the city, I asked the tourist information why the castle is closed. They were surprised and told us that it should be open and the employees of the castle take their break at 12.00 PM until 1.00 PM. That’s strange, because we were there at around 10.00 AM. They also tried calling the employees at the castle, but there were no response. They apologized though for the inconvenience.

Although we didn't get to enter the Castle, we really enjoyed our time in Rapperswil. The quite city is really lovely. So we decided to go to Zurich by ferry! That’s right a ferry ride down Lake Zurich. The transportation in Zurich is not only trains or buses, but also ferries. TIP: When you buy the ticket for train rides, it is also valid for ferries. But be warned, ferries ride take more time compare to trains. If you're in a hurry, a ferry ride will not be suitable for you. Then again, you can look at the amazing views that Lake Zurich has to offer.

About to board the Ferry

On the deck of the Ferry

We took a 2 hour ride by ferry from Rapperswil to Zurich. Since it’s really cold, we decided to move to the inside of the boat. Not only was it cold but it started to rain, again! Thankfully when we got to Zurich the rain stopped and the weather got warmer. Things are finally are looking up.

Switzerland (Day 3) Pt. II

Mt.Titlis is near Engelberg, so if you’re travelling by train you should stop at Engelberg. From Lucern, it’s around 1 hour and 45 minutes. It turns out; there are different mountains around this area. But since most people in Indonesia talked about Mt. Titlis, we decided to go there. TIPS: Whether it’s summer or winter, it is always cold because you are thousands of meters above ground. So wear layers of clothes bring your winter hats or gloves and wear shoes that are winter appropriate. Remember, you will be playing in snow.

In Mt. Titlis there are different excursions for summer and winter. To go all the way to the top, we need to take 3 types of Gondola Rides: Engelberg – Trubsee, then we switched gondola from Trubsee-Stand, and the last one is the revolving Gondola all the way up to Mt.Titlis. 

Riding the Gondola all the way up to Mt. Titlis

 

Look! we're 3600 m above ground!

Usually, summer excursions take place in Trusbee. You can do mountain biking, devil bike and go on flower hiking trail. Since we are going all the way to the top, we’re going to do Glacier Excursions. When you ride the first Gondola Ride, you can see beautiful green meadows but you will keep going up towards the mountain so the scenery began to change into meadows of snow. And can you believe this is all happening in the summer, totally awesome! The Titlir Rotair all the way up to Mt. Titlis is also amazing because it spins 360 degrees. You can look at all the view just by staying at the place you’re standing.

It spins 360 degrees!

My brother and I are so excited; we keep imagining doing excursions such as…

Tubing

And also…

Riding the chair lift

But, bad luck strikes again and all we got is this…

SNOW DAY!

PURE WHITE SNOW! The weather was so terrible; we can’t ride any excursions. I can’t even see the view because the snow continues to pour down so everything seems to be white. White sky (because of the fog), white ground, well white everything. On the bright side, we are able to go to the Heart of the Titlis Glacier. The impressive caves allow us to go walk down through a 150 meter long tunnel and 20 meter under the glaciers surface.

In the Heart of the Glacier

Besides the excursions, you can have fun at the Titlis Photo Studio. In the studio, you can wear a Swiss Traditional costume and get your pictures taken. These clothes are made to be put on easily above your own clothes so it takes little time to prepare. The results are splendid and the background view is so realistic. I love how my pictures came out!

Our traditional Swiss costume

The day has come to an end, and we took our long Gondola Ride back down. Mt. Titlis is perfect for families. The kids will have a great time, but remember to check if the weather is good or not you’ll just waste your time going up the mountain. Nevertheless, I had a great time. I can tell people I saw snow on my summer vacation! 

Great day in Titlis

If you prefer long hikes instead of fun excursions like these, you can visit Jungfrau mountain instead. Because my stay in Swiss is only 4 days, we didn’t have time to go there.

Stay tune for my last day in Switzerland! Our trip doesn’t stop in Swiss as our next destination will be Italy!  For more information on the price and excursions of Mt.Titlis visit: www.titlis.ch

Switzerland (Day 3)

 Another day in Swiss goes by and boy, Switzerland does not disappoint. Today we took a one hour and a half car ride to the lovely city Luzern. I must say, Luzern is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to. I just love how there is still an Old Town vibe to it. Well, we did go through the Old part of the city and it is just breath taking! You go down the brick road and on every part of the road there would be houses or stores with special European paintings.  

Beautiful painted stores

Another cool factor about Switzerland is there is clean water anywhere you go. You can go to the nearest water fountain and just drink out of the fountain. It might look like a regular fountain in the middle of the city, but don’t worry, you can drink the water. You’re not allowed to drink the water if there is a sign you’re not allowed. It is rare though, maybe only one or two. The water is also really clean and healthy since they get the water from the Swiss Mountains.

So, we went upwards to the north of the city to go see the Lion Monument. Some people say the monument is so-so and not very interesting. But I like how the lion monument is placed in the caved like hole in the middle of a tall gray rock. The monument is also behind a small pond, so we can’t go near the monument. This monument is built in honor of the Swiss soldiers who died at the French Revolution. The Dying Lion Monument was carved on a natural rock of 10 mm by the Denmark carver Bertel Thorvalden.  On the monument, it is also carved in Latin Helvetiorum Fidei Ac Virtuti which means “To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss”. The names of the soldiers are engraved near the monument in their honor.

My brother in front of the Lion Monument

We continue our long walk and end up on another wall! This one is different from the wall in Bulach (see post Switzerland Day 1). It still has the same function which is to separate the Old Town from the new city, but this time the wall is even larger in size and they also have watch towers just like in old medieval movies. The best part is we get to climb up the wall and walk along the wall. The view is, of course, magical. You can see everything from up here! You might get tired from all the stairs but it’s worth it. It’s such a shame but most travelers would skip this wall when they visit Luzern, so I hope all of you fellow travelers can go climb this Great Wall.

The view from top of the wall!

Ok, now we’re moving on to our last part of the trip in Luzern is the Chapel Bridge. We pass this bridge because Ms. Patricia’s car was not in the direction of this bridge. However, this bridge is built in 1333 (you can say it’s really old) and many tourist come to take pictures here. And at night, the view near Lake Ruess is even more stunning, perfect for all you lovebirds out there since the view is very romantic.

Luzern Chapel Bridge

Wait! Day 3 doesn’t stop here; we can’t leave this area without going to Mt. Titlis. 

Switzerland (Day 2)

It’s a new day in Switzerland! We got up early in the morning and got ready to leave for Geneva at 9 o’clock AM.  From the Google Map, it seems like Zurich (in this case Bulach) and Geneva is not that far away. It turns out the distance between Bulach and Geneva is 3 hours by car! I felt really terrible that Ms. Patricia drove for 3 hours non-stop. It was such a relief to finally arrived in Geneva and stretch our legs after being in the car for 3 hours. The first thing we visit right away is Palais des Nations Unis (Palace of United Nations).  Sadly, bad luck strikes again. We weren't able to go inside because it’s close. So, here’s a tip for all of you, do not go to the Palace on Sunday. It was such a pity; I heard that when you go inside there is an enormous Assembly Hall and the souvenir shops holds wonderful items you can purchase. Well, at least I get to take pictures in front the Palace.

In front of Palais des Nations

Another attraction near the Palace of United Nations is the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. You can walk for around 5 minutes and voila, you’re already there. However, the museum is closed due to construction reasons if I’m not mistaken. But it will be up and running by 2014.

Geneva is well known for its park in the center of the city with its amazing waterfall. So, we walked to the center of the city and we saw a lake with Jet d’Eau (Water Fountains) as the main attraction.  What amazed me the most about this waterfall is that it shots through the air at a pretty high height and then it comes back down to the lake making a beautiful shape. 

Jet d' Eau

The next thing you can look for in Geneva is Jardin Anglais (English Garden). Here you can find a giant clock made out of different flowers. This clock is unique because the numbers are actually re-arranged outside of the clock. Although it’s made out of flowers, the clock does functions normally just like a normal clock. You can also go to the Reformation Wall and St. Pierre Cathedral. All of these attractions are spread around the lake, so you can go anywhere just by walking distance.

Flower Clock

And finally, our last stop and my most favorite attraction for the day is Chateau de Chillon. This castle sits right at the edge of Lake Geneva. Can you imagine the royals who used to live in this castle get to look at the wonderful view of the lake every single day? It’s so beautiful. However, the lake is pretty scary for the enemies or wrong doers long ago. They said when a person is executed; they throw them to the lake. Scary… Now this castle is located in the city of Lausanne, so it’s around 45 minutes from Geneva.  Once inside, you can see what every castle have such as dungeons, wine cellars, execution room and a grand ballroom. But since it is an ancient castle they didn't do much modification. But I really don’t mind it, and for a girl who loves lurking around the castle, this historical site is really suitable for me.

Chateu de Chillon

Photo of Lake Geneva taken from inside the Chateau

If you have time, you should also visit Montreux. Sadly, I don’t have enough time to explore this city. Afterwards, we head back home to Bulach, enjoying our 3 hour car ride. I’ll post more on Switzerland Day 3 soon. Summer isn't summer here so get ready to see jackets and winter hats :). 

Switzerland (Day 1)

I’m in the birth land of Roger Federer!! Well, aside from that this country has the most beautiful sights you can ever imagine.  Green meadows, high mountains and of course historical sites.  But beware, Swiss is one of the most expensive countries to splurge on whether for food, shopping or hotels. So before you go to Swiss, remember to prepare extra money before your trip. Oh and also for Indonesian travelers, don’t forget to exchange your money in Indonesia not in Europe. I strongly suggest this since the currency in Indonesia for Swiss Francs or Euros are stronger compare to Europe.

Now back to the trip. My family and I flew by Garuda Indonesia from Jakarta to Amsterdam. We took an 8 hour flight -transit in Abu Dhabi. We left at around 8 o’clock PM and arrived in Amsterdam at 9.15 AM. When we arrived, we had several issues with our luggage. Everyone got their luggage except for several people, including me. I don’t want to think of it as a sign of bad luck; as it is at the beginning of our trip. Thankfully, we were able to retrieve our luggage. But because of that we missed our flight to Zurich by KLM. So then, we have to buy tickets to Zurich by using Swiss Air. When we arrived at Flughafen Zurich (Zurich International Airport), it was already 3 o’clock in the evening. This is such shame as we have already constructed a schedule and we were supposed to go sight-seeing around Zurich for a whole day.

As I told you before, Swiss has the most expensive hotel rates. Luckily, my mom has a friend who lives in Swiss. She used to work in the same office as my mom. She’s such an angel; she welcomed us to her home with open arms. By staying at her house, we were able to save a lot of money so blessed her. I thought she lives in Zurich, instead she lives in a small city called Bulach (only 20 minutes away from Zurich by car). This city is so beautiful; I can imagine myself living here. It’s quiet, peaceful and everybody seems to know everybody. What I love most about the location of her house is that it is located in the Old Town. So, here’s a fun fact. Every city in Europe has an Old Town where the Old Town is separated by a wall. So, if you walk around a certain country in Europe and there is giant wall, then it means you are about to enter the Old Town. 

Me, Ms.Patricia and Mom in front of the Wall. Now, it's in a form of a house

Usually, this town has brick floors and not asphalt roads like most cities. Another indication of the Old Town is that there are old houses that looks like it came out of a fairy tale. I stopped by a big house made from wood with beautiful carvings with heart shaped windows. It looks just like a house from Snow White! Many of the houses are also surrounded by lovely flower gardens.  The interesting facts about houses like these are that the owners are not allowed to alter the design of the house. You cannot change the outside of the house but you are allowed to re-decorate the inside of the house. If you want to change the exterior of the house, you must have legal rights. It’s very complicated, but I love that they are able to preserve old values in this modern time. Although the vintage houses are amazing, my mom’s friend (Ms.Patricia), lives in a 3 floor small apartment. Nevertheless, it’s also very beautiful.

Beautiful Old House

Another unique factor about Bulach is there is a church in the center of the city. This church is no ordinary church, it resembles a clock tower. For every hour of the day, the clock will ring. It rings longer around midnight and early in the morning around 6’ o clock in the morning (intended to wake people up). Guess what the best part is? The church is near Ms. Patricia’s apartment! Lucky us huh? However, since I was so tired, I got to the point where I can ignore the continuous ringing of the church bells. 

Stay tune for Day 2, it gets even better. And get this; we saw snow in the summer in Swiss! I’ll post about it later. Adieu!

Hello Fellow Travelers!

Hello and welcome to my blog! If I could describe my experiences over the years, I would say I am very blessed to be able to go to different countries. As a kid, I was fortunate enough to live in the USA and cross over different states. Every summer my family has this tradition of going to different places as a family vacation. When we got back to Indonesia, this tradition continues. We went to different provinces in Indonesia and also to different countries. Back then, I was too young to understand the joy of travelling and how the preparations were complicated. Now that I have actually experienced planning our family vacations, I want to share my experience and maybe all you readers can get an insight on where to go or what plans should be taken before going to a certain country.  Before we travel, my mom and I read reviews/blogs from people and it really help us create plans for our travels.  I hope my blog can help you travel goers out there to plan your own wondrous voyage.  So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.  Get ready to see our beautiful world!