‘Made in Swiss’ Memories

I wonder what it is that makes memories in our brain. One of the six senses register the stimuli and associate it with some part of our mind. For some it is the fragrance of traditional recipes in one’s childhood like home-made sweets, for some it is the old Md. Rufi songs that transport them to that moment they first heard it, for parents it is the old photographs of children that fill them up with nostalgia and for a few it is feel of old clothes that crowds their brain with episodes of the past. The feeling of connectedness to those moments in the past is one of the few privileges that we humans have. The fabric of our life is textured with such moments and the cloth strings that hold them are woven by memories. In my opinion, memories fuel your life journey. My recent travel to Switzerland is the genesis of the blog and a life long memory.

Imagine you are walking through a small road adorned by silky grass on both sides, sound of distant bells tied to cows tinkling, two mountains towering on the sides making their massive size felt and yet not overpowering the lateral vision, a few sun rays crossing the threshold of a few clouds crowding up the snowcapped mountain covering the longitudinal view of the little capsule called ‘Jannat’. The sky is clear barring the few clouds flirting with the peak and the air so fresh that one can feel the daily stress alleviating to make space to soak this surreal beauty in front of us. The old-fashioned wooden houses give this entire scenery the finishing touches for a picture-perfect postcard that will permanently live in your brain rent free. The wildflowers amongst the bushes add a dash of color to the green and white horizon. The sweet music of the nearby flowing stream peppered with the birds singing their songs. Oh! This is so overwhelming to the senses. This pilgrimage to this holy sight of nature is complete and yet the heart yearns for more. Welcome to our 6^th day in our travels to Switzerland- The land of Paradise. This  spectacle of marvel is Lauterbrunnen- Quaint little town nestled in the central part of Switzerland.

Lauterbrunnen walk

Exactly 2 months before, Ketaki and I sat down to plan a holiday in Europe. Italy was our mutual choice but the hordes of people rushing there didn’t make it easy for us since the visa appointment was taking a longer wait time. But I am glad that happened. This gave us an opportunity to explore Switzerland. Traditionally, tourists plan a Europe trip with 2-3 days in Switzerland- which typically involves Mt. Titlis and Jungfrauch in the Swiss Alps. We have a completely different thought process while traveling- Explore each country fully through local tours to their villages, indulge in local cuisine and most importantly have flexibility to change plans or just spend more time at a place we like. And oh boy Switzerland did not disappoint. I will take you through some not so regularly visited places which were indeed the highlights of our trip in addition to Lauterbrunnen that I mentioned on top:

Engelberg

Situated at the foothills of Mt. Titlis, Engelberg is a Swiss alpine village formed around the Benedictine monastery- Engelberg Abbey. To beat the tourist rush at Mount Titlis, we started early from Luzern and completed the sightseeing by 11ish. This gave us ample time to explore the village of Engelberg. The traditional wooden houses look like pieces on the chessboard with parallel roads crisscrossing at the intersection. The walk through the old cobbled streets forces you to imagine the mundane life of people 100-200 years ago. The street takes you to Engelberg Abbey which has a persona of its own. It’s larger than life structure is a contrast to the restrained structures in the village. 

Engelberg Abbey

What impressed me the most is the aura of ‘Death can also be beautiful’ around the abbey. A graveyard of deceased people adorns the western side of the abbey. This is one of the most beautiful graveyards I have ever seen. Decorated with abundant and colorful flowers and small plants, the graveyard houses people for more than 150 years with a view of snow clad Swiss Alps. The dead are solemnly lucky to find a permanent place amongst this enchanting panorama. While we soak in this spectacle of mind numbing beauty, we are spell bound of the wonders that Swiss Engineering has created in the hills with funicular railways, cog wheel railways and the cable cars. More on that in the paragraph of Zermatt.    

'Death can also be beautiful' - Near Engelberg Abbey

  

Pro tip: Start early in the morning (6-7) for touristy places like Mt. Titlis and Jungfrauch. Lesser crowds and cheaper tickets

 

An Evening in Brienz

There is beauty in simplicity. That evening in Brienz personifies simplicity in its true essence. Situated at a 20 mins train ride distance from Interlaken, Brienz is a sleepy village at the circumference of Brienz Lake. I must commend the Swiss Railways for making the railway route on the banks of the lake. This experience was not in our agenda. It was a train ride from Luzern to Interlaken that stopped at Brienz station. The entire set up of an isolated station parallel to the lake with stunning mountain views and most importantly- no people mesmerized us so much that we were curious to explore it. The object, we were in pursuit of, was as trivial as a wooden bench across the lake. A perfect way to assimilate the beauty was to just sit on the bench with a book and bask in the aesthetic in front of you.

(L): Walk towards Brienz Lake (R): Painting done by my mom(Swati Yerandekar)

We deboarded at Brienz West station at about 5 in the evening. I believe it was probably just the 4-5 of us on the station.  The pursuit of loneliness is mind boggling because it takes you to places that are untouched or blemished with capitalistic tendencies. This chase of lonely experience fills you up with gratitude and a deep appreciation for simple things. With that sentiment, we began to explore a way to find that bench. The station was at a slight elevation and our walk down through a neatly trimmed garden was breath taking. We were greeted with the turquoise waters of lake Brienz and the mammoth Swiss Alps. The clouds playing mischief and running around mountain tops. Sometimes precipitating and sometimes briefly allowing rays of the sun to bounce of the lake to make you spell bound.   

Old world charm of Brienz village

The rain gods and sun god were in a tussle to show their might. With our umbrellas and raincoats, we skirted around the lake in the hunt for the bench. ‘The journey is more enjoyable than the destination’ and indeed it was. We finally managed to find a café that would shelter us from the downpour. We sat there for an hour watching the lake, mountain, clouds and sun unfold the act repeatedly. Simple things give you immense pleasure    

Zermatt, Matterhorn

For those of you who want to enjoy Swiss mountains without much fanfare- Zermatt and Matterhorn is the place to be. If you are fond of machines and trains and want to marvel at Swiss Engineering- Try the Gornergrat train. Not to belittle Jungfrauch or Mt. Titlis cable cars, however my personal favorite was the Gornergrat train. Zermatt is another village located in the Southern part of Switzerland. Home to the Matterhorn- one of the iconic peaks in Switzerland and the inspiration behind the Toblerone chocolate shape.

Matterhorn Peak 'Toblerone' mountain in the background

The day journey to Zermatt from Interlaken was worth taking. This was the last chapter of our travel before we returned to Zurich for our flight. And boy it was gorgeous! I have a unique affinity towards mountains. They make me smile, they induce me to think and give me a sense of humility and alienation from our rat race life back in the city. Gornergrat gives you a 360 degree view of the mountains  to suppress all ego that you have built. The train ride from Zermatt is one of the most pristine views of mountains that I have ever seen. The Gornergrat train is an Engineering marvel. It covers a total distance of 9kms and an altitude of 1,400m in a span of 35-40 minutes. The elevation at some stretches of the mountain is too steep for imagination. And the most amazing part is that is over 100 years old. Hats off to the minds behind such visionary thinking and execution which has enabled us to enjoy such breath-taking views with no physical effort.

The sight of the Matterhorn rendered me speechless. The sight of this solitary peak of more than 4000m with a pyramid like structure is unnerving. The history behind the first ascent of Matterhorn is one that will give you the chills. This first ascent story also adds a little bit of mystique to the aura of the mountain. Do read it online. There is a dedicated Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt which houses the story and remnants of that fateful first ascent. Matterhorn is like the natural lighthouse of the area- visible at all times during the visit to Gornergrat. A visit to this magical place is a must if you want to experience mountains at a closer proximity.

 

In addition to these memorable experiences, we explored the old cities of Luzern, Bern and Zurich. Each city is rich with history and yet as modern as any city can be. A traditional lunch of Swiss fondue and Rosti with a view of the Aletsch glacier at Jungfrauch was a gastronomical treat. The emerald green waters of the lakes across Switzerland have added another color to the palette of my life. These memories manufactured in the Swiss factory will always remain with me. The world is indeed a small place too. Serendipitously, we bumped into my friend/teacher from MBA classes- Ushma Parikh who helped us with some of our itinerary. On the Swiss Air flight back to Mumbai, we met my previous company buddy’s wife- Madhuri Pednekar who took great care of us and ensured we had a seamless travel.

All in all, my heart is full of gratitude for the tryst with nature, memories sewn in our mind and the small human interactions with friends. These moments fuel your mundane life to work harder to import more such experiences to your life catalogue.

Happy Travelling!!