I’m to Switzerland for a week this summer, what better holiday could I have asked for?
The first thing I noticed when I climbed out of the aeroplane was the heat. I had just left Cape Town behind at 16°C and I landed in 33°C in Zurich. That’s more than double the temperature difference. We all filed out the plane and filtered towards the tram that would take us to passport control and baggage claim. I was loaded with a backpack, my camera bag and a duty-free bag with wine for my hosts. To avoid getting cold on the plane I was also wearing jeans and a jersey. I am not dressed for summer in Switzerland.
We pushed into the tram where someone warned me it was about to get very ‘Swiss’. It did. As we set off I saw flashing images on the wall of Heidi, and the tram kept playing ‘local’ sounds like a cowbell clanging and sheep baaing. I found it amusing.
When I finally passed passport control and collected my luggage, I left to meet Marc, my host. Then we climbed aboard a train and made our way to Zug, where I would be staying for the next week.
I was struck by the houses as we slid along the railway. They were all cute and looked like something out of a fairytale. I even spotted a few houses that looked edible, like the gingerbread house in Hansel and Gretel. As the train meandered on I could see the Zugersee lake and the mountains that hugged the cool water. There was even the odd castle that we passed. It felt like I had landed in a Disney movie!
Eventually, we climbed off the train and took a ten-minute walk to Marc’s apartment. Everywhere I looked people were walking or cycling. It felt so calm and peaceful…. and hot. I was dying for a shower. The lake looked cool but I was exhausted and opted for rest first.
We took a lazy afternoon and braaied with a fantastic vista over the lake. I tried Swiss beer for the first time: Quöllfrisch from upper eastern Switzerland. It was light and refreshing — and kind of personifies what I’ve experienced in Switzerland so far.
Supper was a mix of beef and chicken (courtesy of Marc), supplemented by a delicious salad whipped together by his younger brother. Then we just sat back and appreciated the view of the lake and the mountains as the heat slowly drained out of the day.
View from the apartment over Lake Zug, Switzerland.
Marc preparing dinner on the ‘barbeque’.
The local church in Cham, Switzerland.
