Siddharth Srivastava's Blog, page 4

Two hours in Geneva

Two hours in Geneva

I had a window of two, maximum three hours to explore Geneva. Looked up Google, spoke to a local contact on how to make best use of the time. 

Got off the train at Gare Geneva Cornavin, the city’s main railway station at the city centre. Quickly headed towards the exit, but not before grabbing a quick Cafe Wendy at Migros, to keep the caffeine levels steady. 

Also noticed a KFC at the other end of the street, to grab a quick cheap bite, if needed. Switzerland is expensive, Geneva especially so. Thus, it is important to take note of the options to keep within budget. As luck would have it, bus number 15, destination Nations, was just pulling in. I instantly masked and hopped in. I had paid one Swiss Franc extra to be eligible for free public transport in the city. Needed to ensure bang for my buck.

Checked out UNO, the symbolic broken chair, the fountains. It is possible to walk through them without getting wet, though I did not mind a few droplets as it was a hot day.

Was not sure whether I was at the back or the front of the UNO building, but that was not really my big concern. My aim was to spend as much time at Old City Geneva (Vieille Ville) which was at the other side of the town. Hopped back into bus number 15, which could have been the same one that I travelled earlier. Alighted Gare Cornavin. Waited for Bus number 8, as advised.

Pont Mont Blanc over the River Rhone links the old and new city. Vieille Ville did not disappoint: cobbled streets, architecture that is well preserved, cathedral, church, clock tower. 

The numerous cafes and restaurants were buzzing. The food, as expected, was expensive. Need to go back to absorb the history of the place by spending time at the museums etc. Decided to walk back from the old city. 

Bought myself une espresso at a cafe along Lake Geneva with a nice view of the city’s landmark Jet d’Eau. Recognised a cuckoo watch shop near Cornavin that I had visited almost 15-years back. The owner I met is no more, his granddaughter, who was manning the shop, informed. KFC chicken wings and french fries was my last constructive activity in Geneva. 

Swiss Cats are no Kittens

Swiss Cats Are No Kittens

In India stray dogs and cows freely roam the streets. In Switzerland, one can spot cats. Seven or eight, black, blue and grey coloured felines, regularly trespass our house. Maybe, we have infringed their territory. A couple of them are friendly and allow themselves to be petted, few are cautious and some saunter through nonchalantly, as if they own the place.

As we have discovered, these Swiss cats are not strays. They are pets. Given their innate wild feline instincts, they feel the need to loaf about.

And hunt, crawling on all fours like their bigger brethren in the jungles. I have been witness to one unfortunate innocent and very pretty birdie fall victim. There was no way I could save her as the black cat, a regular, ran off into the woods nearby. Also, like many other matters in Switzerland, there are a couple of unwritten rules about dealing with cats.

First, one is not supposed to be too friendly with them. Second, feeding them is unacceptable. This is because cats are notoriously disloyal pets. They are known to ditch their family and adopt a new one they happen to prefer due to better perks on offer.

We have had two instances of families approaching us about information regarding their cat son/daughter that has not returned. The popularity of cats as pets has increased across the world, including India, as they are easier to manage than dogs. Rather, cats can pretty much look after themselves and more.

Say Cheese in Switzerland

There’s a lot of cheese available in Switzerland. The local regions, referred to as cantons such as Fribourg, Bern, Valais, St Gallen, produce their trademark fromage. Le Gruyere, Emmental, Appenzeller, Raclette are some of the patented cheese varieties.

Surrounding countries such as France, Italy, Holland also have a rich tradition of producing cheese that find their way to supermarkets in Switzerland. Bresse Bleu, Burrata, Brie, Gouda, Tomme can be addictive, like wine that along with chocolates, make Switzerland such a dream destination. 

Of course, one needs to be careful not to overdo, to guard against a Swiss belly, much like one can be prone to the beer belly back in India. Given the profusion of cheese (and wine and chocolate) in Switzerland, one does observe that these slowly begin to appear in literally every meal. I recently discovered that wine and cheese mix well to make fondue, followed by Cailler chocolate.

I believe some of the real cheese (yes, the stinky, moldy and bacteria infused variety), produced with a lot of pride at sub-local village, individual households, do not find their way to supermarkets. They need to be picked up at farmers’ markets.

Covid has been a setback to these avenues of accessing even more cheese. However, as the situation normalises, I look forward to adding more depth to my cheese journey in Switzerland so far. 

Maison Cailler, Broc, Switzerland

Switzerland has the highest per capita consumption of chocolates in the world. This obviously means chocolate manufacturing, over time, has been honed to a fine art in the country. Maison Cailler in Broc, Le Gruyere, is one of the oldest chocolate factories in Switzerland, perhaps also in the world. We took the tastefully executed tour of the chocolate museum at Broc recently.

The piece de resistance is the tasting session, towards the end. To be an efficient chocolate taster, it is essential to experience as many of the delectable selection of Cailler (the two ls are silent) chocolates that are on offer. Warning: don’t arrive at the museum very hungry to avoid eating too many chocolates. I was not very hungry. Still ate way too many, with no regrets. #Switzerland, #Cailler #chocolatefactory #travelvlog.

First winter in Switzerland

We relocated to Switzerland in January. Having lived most of my life in the plains of North India, it was a different kind of winter. Here’s a glimpse of images from a period when the rest of the world believed the Corona Virus was China’s problem. #travelvlog

Landsberg, where Hitler was imprisoned

Driving through Germany, we wanted to take a break. We were close to Munich, but did not want to negotiate a big city. Google Maps showed Landsberg to be the closest town. Turned out Hitler was imprisoned here and utilised the time to write Mein Kampf.

Vaduz: Capital of Lichtenstein

Recently, we spent an hour at Vaduz, the capital of Lichtenstein, the sixth smallest country in the world. Lichtenstein is one of the wealthiest countries due to low corporate taxes. This does not mean that one does not see regular folks earning a living by working at cafes or shops.

 

 

Cute Railway Station in Switzerland

Automated in Switzerland

Due to high labour costs in the country, the level of automation is high, compared to a country such as India where there is abundance of people.

The luxury car option in Switzerland

I never imagined that I would arrive in Switzerland, one of the most expensive countries in the world, and actually be able to drive a BMW/Audi.