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!