Switzerland, Episode 3 (Finally!) - Zermatt, Matterhorn, Lausanne, and Geneva

The bolded sections below are what this post covers.

Day 4: Finished backpacking to Kandersteg, train to Visp and then Zermatt, Gondola to the Matterhorn, train back to Visp and then Lausanne, train to Geneva. Stayed in hostel.

Day 5: Geneva, fly back to London.

Pictures from this post can be seen here! http://picasaweb.google.com/bbergey/SwitzerlandEpisode202

I know, I know, I'm a little behind. Well, a lot behind. But here it is! 2 weeks later and I'm finally posting about the end of my Switzerland trip, which is good because I already have another adventure to write about.

So this episode starts with my train ride from Visp (last episode) to Zermatt, a high mountain town that sits at the foot of the Matterhorn. I was very intrigued by Zermatt due to it's proximity to the Matterhorn, it's ski-town/resort status, and the fact that there are actually no cars in the town. Other than very small hotel shuttles that help people and their luggage get from the train station to the hotel, it's all horse carriages and feet. I had considered basing my mountain portion of the trip in Zermatt and spend a couple days hiking there instead of the Jungfrau region, but after I arrived I was immediately relieved that I didn't do that. As lovely as the town is, it's busy and crowded with tourists. Posh tourists. Further, virtually anywhere that is possible to hike is also accessible by some kind of gondola. So you could hike hours up 1000s of feet to the foot of the Matterhorn or other nearby peaks, or just take a short (yet expensive) gondola ride.

I decided to take the Gondola up to the very base of the Matterhorn. It was just too expensive (about $50) to justify taking it as high up as it goes atop nearby peaks. Even up there, surrounded pristine mountain and glacier views, was horribly commercialized. Just below the gondola stop and restaurant, they were mining rocks and constantly taking them, by helicopter, up the mountain. They were probably using them on some new building or something. It was really annoying hearing the constant helicopters and having the landscape ruined by large amounts of mining and digging. Regardless, it was very cool to see the Matterhorn. I can check that off the life list now. Yet I was fairly relieved to get down and leave Zermatt.

From Zermatt I took the train back down to Visp and then to Lausanne and the French/Southern portion of the country. Lausanne sits on the north end of Lake Geneva and I couldn't help but get off the train and explore for a few hours. The waterfront was absolutely beautiful. Lots of fountains, boats, people, and great views. Lausanne also hosts the International Olympic Center and Museum, which was unfortunately closed for the night, but still very nice to walk around. I explored the streets along the water and up the hill into the older parts of town. Even though it was French, there was an abundance of pizza places, so I stopped for some pizza (my first real meal after backpacking) and salad and it was delicious!

I then got back on the train and headed down the lakeside to Geneva. Along the way I met a girl who has been living in Geneva for a couple years and told me a few places to check out. I arrived in Geneva around 10pm, walked to my hostel about 15 mins from the train station, chatted with my Swiss/German roommates for the night who were on a cycling trip through Switzerland and France, and went to bed.

The next morning I got up early as I wanted a full day to explore the city. After walking around the area of my hostel, visiting the tourist office, and dropping off my pack in a train station locker, I went to see if I could rent a bike from a place I read about. The rental was actually free for the first 4 hours and then only 1 Swiss Franc per hour after that. 1 Swiss Frank roughly equals about 1USD. So at times it seemed like things were fairly cheap when converted to the pound, but in reality Geneva is one of the most expensive cities in the World.

I also think it's probably one of the most beautiful major cities. It sits right on the bank of Lake Geneva, surrounded by hills and the peaks of the Alps. It is very old and rich with history, and also very French. I found it much harder to speak to people when needed and was always relieved when people spoke good English. Renting a bike was the best idea ever. I was able to see 50 times more than I would have ever seen by foot. I was able to get lost in neighborhoods and explore areas further out from downtown. It was great! Geneva is also full of parks and green spaces, and all of Switzerland is full of fountains. Lots and lots of fountains. And all of them spout fresh, drinkable water. So I never had a problem finding a place to fill up my nalgene. It was great!

I started my day along the east side of the lake, rode along the waterfront, visited a couple large parks, got lost in a neighborhood, and slowly made my way towards Old Town. Old Town sits up a small hill from the waterfront and is pretty much the center of town. In the very center is an open square with a fountain, a few shops, and lots of great restaurants. The narrow, cobblestone roads wind their way around Old Town allowing endless exploring opportunities (and kodak moments). The monument-like Saint-Pierre Cathedral sits at the very top of the hill surrounded by the historic builds of Old Town. The cathedral itself was stunning inside, but the trip to the top provided excellent 360 degree views of the entire and lake. It was amazing, as you can see in my pics.

Since my train pass included a free visit to the local museums, I thought I would check out the History museum nearby. I'm really not one for museums, let alone going in and reading about things in Museums. But I can tell you that there were a lot of old things inside. Really old things. After about 15 minutes I left and had lunch! I ate at a small place in Old Town where I got a half chicken, potatoes, bread and salad. I think I need to start a food blog as well!

After lunch, I explored the city more, ran into a large flea market and made my way down the west coast of the lake to a number of parks and the Botanical Gardens. The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny and low 80s. I took a rest and short nap in one of the parks along the water before heading back into town to return the bike and find a place for dinner. I got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, especially because my flight was delayed over an hour, which put me back in London after midnight! On top of that, after taking the shuttle into London, I got on the wrong city bus, which added an hour to what should have been a 15 bus ride home. It's funny how I can go to a foriegn country without knowing much about it at all and not get lost or have any problems getting around, yet I come back to London and get lost taking a wrong bus.

So that's it! It was a wonderful trip, and I'm already dreaming of returning to the country this winter for a ski trip or two. And hopefully again to do some hiking as well. But I guess I have plenty of other places to visit as well. Until next time...