Explore with Fran

An Easy Goodbye to NYC

Leaving New York always feels easy. Because you know that you are going to be back. Maybe not in a year. Maybe not in five. But, you will, I assure you. The Big Apple is such a draw that you won’t be able to resist. Eventually. A little like tattoos. After you have your first you are on a lifelong journey. It is only a matter of time before you get your second.

Unlike tattoos, visiting New York is painless. As was leaving her, on a cold December afternoon. We wheeled our cases across town and jumped on a FlixBus at Madison Square Gardens. An easy four and half hour bus ride later and we were rolling into South Station, Boston.

Bus to Boston

Boston is a city that I have wanted to visit for a very long time. I am not sure why, exactly. Maybe it is after watching so many films based in Boston, and being drawn to the very distinctive Boston accent. Just sitting on the same bench in Boston Common from which Robin Williams delivered a stirring speech to a young Matt Damon in the film Good Will Hunting. Or being engrossed in “The Town” and the bank robbing character played by local boy, Ben Affleck.

However, I suspect it was after watching all those episodes of “Cheers”, many years ago, and wanting to drink somewhere that “everyone knows your name”. It was touching to see a large poster of the late Kirstie Alley outside the bar, thanking her “for the laughs”.

Braving the cold in Boston

Whatever the reason, I was very happy to be here. And even happier that we had some semblance of warm clothing, because it was mighty cold. With the wind chill the temperature had dropped to freezing. Our hotel was located in North Station, overlooking the stadium that is shared by Boston Celtics (basketball) and Boston Bruins (ice hockey).

This made for a very vibrant part of town as each night there seemed to be a game on. And the hotel room made for an interesting night. Our bed (number 62 of the trip) was fully boxed in on three sides. Meaning person two had to clamber over person one to get out to the toilet. I made sure I was person one, closer to the toilet.

Boston’s place at the heart of US history

Exploring Boston was a constant eye opener for me. Ignorant, maybe, yet I hadn’t realised the extent of the history in Boston. How much of the journey to independence started right there. I knew of the famous “Boston Tea Party”, and it was good to visit the spot where the tea had been ceremoniously dumped in the water. Over the course of four days I also got to learn more of Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and a host of other characters that play an integral role in what became the United States of America. 

The “Freedom Trail” is a well sign posted walk across the city, taking in key sights and monuments from the time. Visiting the cemeteries where these key figures from history lay was a moving experience. With only a slight detour we even got to see a potato memorial. In fact, Victoria insisted on it. And I have to say, as far as potato memorials go, it was possibly the best I’ve ever seen. 

The food theme continues

If New York is about the pizza, Boston is all about the clam chowder (potatoes notwithstanding). And it didn’t take me long to try my first. On the very first night we visited the famous Quincy Markets and their excellent food stalls. Boston Chowda provided dinner for me that night. A delicious seafood chowder in a bread bowl. 

Keeping up with my love of American comfort food we had a great mac and cheese dinner at one of the two breweries we visited and we also got to have an authentic Boston bar experience. Tucked away on a side street, down in the basement, we joined Boston locals at Teddy’s On The Hill and had a pint of New England IPA and a huge plate of ribs. Delicious. I could almost hear the locals describing me as “wicked smaaht “ for calling in. 

Have I mentioned we love hot chocolate? Great hot chocolate. In Boston we had some of the best at LA Burdick in the Back Bay area. So good in fact we ended up going twice. 

Time to head south, and to warmer climes

Hot chocolate was something we wouldn’t be needing at our next destination. Having spent a full day in Boston deliberating about where to go next, both insisting it had to be somewhere warm, we flew down to Miami. This was where we would spend the next four nights, which included Christmas Day. Yes, we were craving a Christmas from home so we were off to the beach. 

Not any old beach. Our home was to be South Beach. Famous for Miami Vice, the Bad Boys franchise, and for being where Gianni Versace was murdered on the steps of his mansion. Now converted into a 5 star hotel, the Versace mansion was around the corner from our rather less salubrious accommodation.

Our hotel was one we won’t be forgetting in a hurry. Slightly shabby and our room was over the hotel pool and restaurant. Not a problem in most parts of the world but in Miami, where loud, pumping music until midnight is the standard, it caused some annoyance.

Miami life, without the vice

Spending time out of the hotel was easy and we spent much time walking the excellent boardwalk that hugs the ocean. It was fun to watch the life of Miami in all its glory. Outside gyms with dedicated people pumping weights even on Christmas morning. Silly three wheel cars called Slingshots. We marvelled at the amazing Art Deco buildings lining Ocean Drive. We marvelled even more as we walked past The Palace. A full on dancing show, drag style. Men were literally throwing money at the dancers, whilst their wives were probably at the bar. This was Miami.

Food played a big role, I’m sure you will be surprised to hear. We got to celebrate my birthday with a huge Greek feast. We usually have Indian food on Christmas Day but this year we wanted to relive our Greek Island hopping adventures of last summer. More than once we visited the Time Out markets and like the ones we visited in Lisbon and New York there was a wide array of fabulous eating options. I had quite possibly the largest Japanese curry rice in the world. 

Our last night in Miami saw me in my favourite habitat. The humble American diner. I love them. And their simplicity. House drip coffee and a menu that has everything I could ever want. The hard part is choosing. I landed on the corned beef hash and it was a good choice. We even had real Heinz tomato ketchup. Happy days.

Onwards we go

Our happy days in the United States were drawing to a close. We were due on a flight to Los Angeles were we overnighted, before boarding a 12 hour flight to Tokyo. Country number 17 and bed number 65 awaits. Asia, here we come.

We reach land, after a long nine days

The cruise finally came to an end on a cold, very wet Friday morning. We woke to a downpour and views of Manhattan. As we slept, we inched up the Hudson River and docked at Pier 88. We were about to step on to dry land for the first time in nine days. Oh, how we looked forward to that. 

Clearing customs was a lot easier, and quicker than I anticipated. Having gone through customs at US airports previously I expected long lines and questions about why we were here. Where were we staying? How many guns have you in your hand luggage? The kind of stuff you get asked at US customs. Making you sweat and feel as though you shouldn’t be there. 

A friendly welcome to New York city

Not so in New York. A cheery customs officer greeted us, slowly took our fingerprints and we were off. Free to explore New York. The only parting words were a warning about the “taxi” drivers outside. If they accost you, offer to pay half of what they quote. With that in mind we stepped out into the street, immediately approached by a guy with “Uber” written on a Word document on his phone. We had only been at sea for nine days and unless Uber had changed drastically in that time I’m sure you hail an Uber through the app. 

“Ignore them”, I told Vik. 

Crossing at the green light we joined the taxi rank queue across the road. A very lengthy queue that had taxi scammers walking up and down constantly, offering a “good price”. One woman looked tempted but when offered a “good price” of $50 for a short ride, she huffed and walked away. 

We queued for what felt like a very long time. With the queue not getting any shorter and no yellow cabs appearing. Something didn’t feel right. I suspected there was some kind of monopoly on the taxi rank, set up to line the pockets of unofficial taxi drivers. 

“Come on, let’s start walking”, I said to Vik. 

Not the dry land we had hoped for

We had looked so forward to being on dry land, and yet, twenty minutes later we were drenched to the bone. And miserable. Not the dry land we had anticipated. We still had a way to go so we opted to jump on a bus and see where it took us. The bus was warm. Dry. And we could pay with our phones. When we jumped off at Bryant Park, just around the corner from our hotel, our spirits started lifting. 

Bags left at the hotel we went off and started exploring New York city. Along with thousands of others. Christmas is the best time to visit this great city, as long as you don’t mind sharing it with half of the world. Sauntering up 5th Ave in the rain we sought refuge in Trump Towers. A hot coffee and a supersized blueberry muffin compensated somewhat for having to look at Trump’s ugly mug everywhere. 

Have you missed him yet?

The souvenir shop was wall to ceiling with Trump memorabilia. And we haven’t seen the back of him. One of the best sellers were socks advertising his plan to run for the 2024 presidency with the logo “miss me yet?“

Having dried off, warmed up, and humoured the souvenir shop owner, a very pro Trump gentlemen we continued on our way. 

There is something magical about New York at Christmas. The shop decorations at places like Saks, and Macy’s. The holiday markets across the city, and ice rinks at Bryant Park and Central Park. And of course, the Rockefeller Christmas tree. A tree every Christmas lover should see once in their lifetime. 

New York city, one very good cliche

New York has everything. A city that lives up to all the cliches. The big apple delivers an experience unlike other cities around the world. From riding the subway and exploring Time Out Market in Dumbo (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) in Brooklyn, to strolling back across Brooklyn Bridge. It was in the Time Out Market that Victoria had quite possibly the best ever fluffy pancakes. Stacked on top of each other and served with a side of melted maple syrup butter, these were to die for.

Thankfully, New York is a walking city. We explored, and greatly enjoyed the High Line. A public park built on the former freight line that runs high above the street. We ambled through Battery Park and took in views of the famous Statue of Liberty.

We solemnly paid our respects at the Ground Zero memorial, and irreverently paid homage to TV with visits to Carrie Bradshaws apartment, and the apartment building that was used for the exterior shots in the wildly popular Friends show. And I have to mention Times Square. A must visit place. It is madness. And great fun.

New York state of mind

New York is a city you can spend days and weeks in, never getting to see it all. Said to have almost 30,000 restaurants you do the math and work out how long it would be before you would have to eat at the same place twice. Either way, I know you would be guaranteed good pizza, something we indulged in. Well, it was Xmas, after all.

Our visit to New York city passed by in a blur. A very enjoyable blur. We even managed to find a laundrette and left with clean underwear. We were back on the road. To a city I have wanted to visit for a long time. We were headed to Boston.

Were the European xmas markets as good as we expected?

The last time we spoke I was extolling the virtues of Austria. Such a beautiful country, and it felt even more special having the opportunity to visit through the festive period. I have read a lot about the Xmas markets in Europe, and from Switzerland, through to Austria, they lived up to all our expectations.

It was also as cold as we expected. Knowing this, we hadn’t committed to still being in Europe over Xmas and my birthday. Packing in Australia, for an extended world trip, our options were limited. There is only so much you can fit into a 55 litre bag. This resulted in us surviving the European wintry conditions by wearing many layers, and the only footwear we had available, which were trainers.

Europe did not disappoint

Europe was excellent. Right from the get go. We landed in the UK in July and enjoyed a rather unprecedented warm summer. We caught up with family and friends. I even got a side trip to Dublin to keep the “annual lads trip” tradition going, even if it is somewhat more erratic than annual. Now, it was time to say goodbye to Europe, with a final swansong back in Lisbon. We had a boat to catch. We were headed to New York City.

Start spreading the news

You heard that right. We were going to take a 9 day cruise to NYC. Our first cruise. Ever. And something that definitely was not in plan until a week or so before we booked it. Looking at options for flights, and when we wanted to be in New York, a slow cruise across the Atlantic Ocean, with planned stops in the Azores and Bermuda sounded like a great experience. Yes, we had always said we didn’t want to do a cruise, but life throws opportunities that sometimes you just have to grab. A discounted cruise across the ocean was one such opportunity. Coupled with lower carbon emissions, had we flown, was a bonus.

An “Epic” adventure

This is how we found ourselves leaving Lisbon onboard the Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Epic”. A huge ship that was being repatriated back to the US, after cruising the Meditteranen for the summer. She sails back across the Atlantic to spend the winter sailing between New York and Puerto Rico. With a capacity of 4000 guests, there were approx 2000 other passengers that joined us for the crossing. A crossing that just got a little more monotonous even as we boarded. It turned out there was a strike in Lisbon that day which meant that we could not leave until 2am the day after. The knock on effect of this was that we would no longer have time to dock at The Azores.

Exploring the boat

One stop cancelled, with just the Bermuda one remaining. How we would relish arriving in Bermuda for an opportunity to stretch our legs on dry land. Until then, we had to settle into our cabin, and get familiar with where things were. Starting on the top deck, 15, and working our way down.

As part of our package we had food and drinks included. All inclusive. A concept that is still relatively new to me. I had done it once, on safari in Africa, and I still marvel at the fact I can just rock up to the bar and order a drink without paying. This is how we started the cruise. Finding O’Sheehans Bar and Grill, which is where we watched the World Cup unfold, and ordering a pint of beer each. We sat at the bar, trying to get our heads around how we would fill 9 days at sea.

Life at sea finds its routine

Soon, days took on a familar pattern. A great breakfast, during which I predicictably ate too much. A stroll through the casino and onto the library to pick up our daily crossword and sudoku. An Irish coffee at O’Sheehans. An hour in the gym, trying not to get thrown off the treadmill as the boat see sawed through the large waves of the Atlantic. Another walk through the boat, people watching, which, by the way, could be a full time activity on a cruise. Watching them at one of the many “exciting” offerings on the boat was hilarious. People rushed to join in line dancing lessons. Napkin folding classes. And even fruit carving demonstrations.

We bypassed the fruit carving, but definitely not lunch. There were a multitude of restauramts to choose from, all very good. Food was a highlight of the cruise. It was excellent. From the option of a buffet, offering most foods you could think of, to a la carte restaurants that were included in our ticket. I even had quite possibly the biggest lasagne in the world.

On World Cup days we had matches to watch at 3pm and 7pm. This was before we hit a run of clock changes. For the last five days we had to change our clocks back one hour each night. This was so that by the time we reached NYC we were on the same time zone. On the few days that there was no football on, we either spent time reading or went ten pin bowling. Like trying to stay on the treadmill as the boat roiled in the waves, bowling had its own challenges. You may think you have bowled a strike, until half way down, the boat rolls, and your ball ends up in the side gutter. Let me tell you, it made for a very low scoring game.

Bermuda, blocked

Each evening, when we returned to the cabin, we had a “Day at sea” itinerary. We were excitingly going to be docking in Bermuda on day 7. Except, we didn’t. The evening before, the tannoy cackled with the voice of the captain. The first time we had heard from him. This couldn’t be good.

And it wasn’t. Due to the rough crossing, and bad weather, we were unable to dock at Bermuda. Very sorry, blah, blah, blah, but we were now going to go the whole way to NYC without touching dry land. A long 9 days. This was sweetened, slightly, with every guest receiving $200 credit to use on the boat. Vik took the opportunity to get a manicure. With my nails already in excellent condition I bought a bottle of single malt whisky.

Sailing up the Hudson

Our experience of crossing the Atlantic turned out to be long, and memorable. Some days, when I couldn’t stand up straight as I was walking to dinner, I cursed the day we boarded. Other days, sipping my regular whisky nightcaps, I marvelled at the simplicity of it all. The routine. The confines of the boat. The same faces, day after day. There is comfort in routine, and for the last nine days we hadn’t had to find a hotel, book a train, or search high and low for a good evening meal.

So, as we woke on that final morning, with views of New York City, we asked each other, “would you do another cruise?”

“Absolutely not”, we both replied. But then, as the last week has shown us, life has a funny way of turning out. And, I do love an Irish coffee.

Entering country number 15

As we left Switzerland by train, crossing the border, (such a scenic train ride), we entered the 15th country of our travels. We took a moment to reflect on the last 6 months. Leaving Perth back in June seems like a very long time ago. We left Australia in winter, spent the summer touring through the UK and now, winter rolls around again. The northern hemisphere version. A much colder version than we are used to at home. 

The year so far has been an exploration and the exploring continues in Austria. This is the first time either of us have visited Austria. We started in Innsbruck and would end in Vienna. From that point our plans dry up. Post Vienna we didn’t know where the road would take us. As it turned out, it wasn’t a road, but more on that in a later blog.

A cold xmas

Back in the height of the UK summer, and yes, this year was a great summer, we romanticised about a cold xmas. The first for 10 years. It is fair to say that I have acclimated to the Australian weather, and a slight drop in temperature sends me searching for my jumpers. Sat in Yorkshire, in August, in a t-shirt, did I ever think we would really stay around as the cold weather set in?

And yet, there we were. Walking from the train station at Innsbruck to our hotel. Woolly hats kept our head and ears warm. Our destination was the Marktbar Studios, sitting on the banks of the river Inn. We had great views across the river, and the nearby snow capped mountains. 

A winter wonderland 

The next day saw us going to the very top of one of those mountains. The highest. A funicular, followed by two cable car rides had us at the “Top of Innsbruck”. Where it was actually snowing. And -6°. Holy moly. We walked in deep snow. I made snowballs. A Japanese tourist nearby was enthusiastically making snow angels, imploring her partner to video her. She was very excited. And rightly so. This was a real winter wonderland. 

At -6 degrees there was only so long we could have a snowball fight for, and so, we headed inside to the cafe for a warming glühwein. Checking our mental “cost of living indicator” we were pleased to see that prices had dropped significantly from Switzerland. So much so that I could even afford a hearty slice of apple strudel. Living the dream.

Hiccups on the rails

Travel has a funny way of throwing you challenges. And bringing the dream to a halt. A snap 24 hour train strike across the whole of Austria put paid to our plan of leaving Innsbruck. We had to scramble to create a plan B. Thankfully, the apartment we were in was free so we booked a second night in this wonderful city. The downside was we couldn’t amend our onward hotel in Salzburg so would end up being there two nights, rather than three. 

The extra day allowed for more exploring of the Christmas markets. If Zurich set the bar high for Xmas markets, Innsbruck raised it. Set up all around this small town the Austrians had gone all out. So festive. Fabulous lights. So many market stalls. And so much glühwein. Obviously.  We even bought our very own mug that will hopefully make it all the way back to Australia with us.

Salzburg

How would the home of Mozart compare? Our next stop in Austria was Salzburg. A city that is overseen by the very impressive fortress. Hohensalzburg Fortress started in the year 1077, and added to over the years, it now welcomes over a million tourists every year. On a clear day, looking across the German border you could probably pick out Eagles Nest. 

Eagles Nest

Inaugurated in 1939 by Hitler, for his 50th birthday, Eagles Nest is now firmly on the “Dark Tourism” trail. Places around the world that have become infamous, drawing the curious traveller. It was used as an Allied command centre until 1960, at which point it was handed back to the state of Bavaria. It now operates as a restaurant and beer garden

Back in the centre of Salzburg, we visited Mozartplatz, dominated by a large ice rink. My first, and only experience on the ice was at the rink set up in winter at Bondi Beach. Based on how well I did that day I chose to give the rink a miss and headed inside for a delicious hot chocolate, laced with a shot of rum. 

Graz

Looking at a map of Austria, considering where to go, en route to Vienna, we landed on Graz. A city of less than 300,000, it is less known for tourism than some of the places we had been. So, we got all the best of a European winter, the Xmas markets and festive lights, without the mass tourism that plagues many cities in Europe. 

Arriving on a cold, wet evening once again we were impressed by the infrastructure these European cities have. Off the train and mere steps to the connecting tram that whisked us through the old town and close to our hotel. Our mission was to dry off and find somewhere warm for a schnitzel dinner.

Graz proved to be an inspired choice for a couple of days. The Xmas markets were excellent. The weather was dry, and bitingly cold. And we felt as though we were seeing a slice of authentic Austrian life. 

Vienna

Why couldn’t I talk about Vienna without serenading Victoria to “Oh, Vienna”?  I’m sure it got very tiresome. Very quick. What didn’t get tiresome was exploring the historic centre of Vienna. A city we had both been very excited to visit. It was Vienna that initially gave us the idea of visiting the Xmas markets all those months ago. If the stars had aligned a little better we would have even been able to meet up with my oldest friend. Next time, mate?

But those markets. Oh my word. Vienna is the place to be for Xmas markets. From the ones in Maria-Theresien-Platz, to across the road at Rathausplatz, and to the cute little ones hugging the side streets in Spittelberg. It won’t surprise you that the count of Xmas decorations that Victoria has bought increased through our stay in Vienna. With the markets comes a lot of choice for food. I just loved this beef goulash served in a bread bowl. Delicious.

Mooching through Vienna reminded me of strolling the streets of Rome. Buildings on a vast scale. So many of them. Most from the Austro Hungarian empire you can only stop and stare. Vienna really lived up to any and all expectations we had. Over a final gluhwein we discussed where we should head next. Our European adventure looked to be drawing to a close. 

The question was, where would we be tomorrow?

Between the lakes

Between the lakes. Quite literally. We were staying at the Swiss town of Interlaken, nestled between the lakes Thun and Brienz. And we could not have had a smoother travel day. Often, when we look at where to sleep we need to consider our mode of transport. Where we will arrive in a place. For much of Europe we have travelled by train, as we did today, and the Hotel Merkur was literally across the street from the station.

The hotel lottery

We spend a lot of time trying to find accommodation. It is exhausting. Looking for somewhere that is not a hovel, yet always trying to find the cheapest deal. With the Hotel Merkur I wasn’t sure what to expect. Google reviews are our first point of reference, and various travellers had given, let’s say, less than positive reviews. Resulting in an overall Google review score of 3.5, the lowest we had dared to book to date.

Would we be met by the same “surly receptionist”? Will breakfast “underwhelm us” as it had done other travellers? As we disembarked the 12.04 train from Bern, and I spotted the unassuming hotel across the street, I steeled myself.

Despite being early, before the very strict 3pm check in time that Swiss hotels adhere to, we were met with a friendly face and a kind offer to watch our bags so we could explore the town ahead of the room being ready. 

Yes, the cows really do wear bells

Interlaken is a small town, very popular with what the guide books describe as “adrenalin junkies”. And immediately, looking up to the skies, you can see some of them, slowly floating back to earth in a tandem paraglide. This became a very common sight over the two days that we were there. A never ending stream of paragliders, coming down between the mountains, and landing in the field populated by cows. Cows that by now were ambivalent to the tourists landing nearby and taking selfies, to prove their achievement. The bells around the cows’ necks ringing as they nonchalantly chewed grass and no doubt wondering what all the fuss was about.

Impressive Interlaken

It is easy to see why Interlaken is such a draw for tourists. Very small, and ringed by impressive, snow capped mountains. If paragliding is not your thing, you can also go kayaking, hike the mountains, and even take a trip to the famed Jungfrau. The highest train station in Europe. 

On our second morning we did something that got our own adrenaline going. We headed to the “Top of Interlaken”, via the steepest, and highest funicular we have ever been on. Harder Bahn is the funicular that takes you, almost vertically, up the mountain, to Harder Kulm, some 1323 meters above sea level.

And the views are spectacular, looking across both the lakes, with Interlaken, tiny, nestled between the two. Even more impressive were the two walkers that appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, having trekked up the mountain on foot. Thankfully, there was a warm restaurant at the summit that we could get a beer and toast their achievements.

Zurich

For our last stop in Switzerland, we were back on the train. We were to spend three nights in Zurich, a place we were both really looking forward to visiting. It was in Zurich that we really got to start experiencing the xmas markets that Europe is famous for. Scattered all over the city, we were never far from a bratwurst and a gluhwein. It turns out that we weren’t very far from a B list celebrity. Vicky Pattison, of one time Geordie Shore fame managed to photobomb a picture of Victoria as she explored the xmas markets of Zurich. She really was “balls deep in Bratwurst” as she had promised on her Instagram feed.

Zurich is a fabulous city. Sat on the Limatt river, which cuts through the old town, it also is home to the largest clock face in Europe. A fact I had learned from an American tourist. St Peter’s church has a clock face in excess of 8 metres in diameter, putting Big Ben firmly in the shade. Strolling through the old town, we headed to a cafe to stave off the cold. We had our sights set on another great Swiss hot chocolate, incomparable with many of the poor imitators you may have had elsewhere. 

Xmas decorations

As the temperatures dropped, and the light started fading, we were drawn back to the gluhwein. Our new “cost of living” indicator. Immediately, the 6.90CHF (Swiss francs) became our new benchmark. I learned that gluhwein typically is 10% volume. Stronger than I thought. And this could explain that the more of it Victoria drank, the more she wanted to purchase xmas decorations. A tradition that started way back when we were in Dubrovnik, Croatia , picking up a xmas decoration for home has become a regular occurence. We are currently up to three with many more xmas markets to come. I fear we will need to buy a bigger bag..

Raclette, a game changer

Having spent money on luxury items such as hot chocolates, we had little left for dinners. This resulted in a few days of living on xmas market food. The highlight of which was my raclette burger. If you have never had raclette, which is very strong, very pungent, melted Swiss cheese, then you need to fix this. Quick. It is life changing. And scraped from the raclette tin, onto the pink pattie of a burger is one of life’s pleasures.

Time to bid farewell to Switzerland

This was our first visit to Switzerland, and we already know that one day we will return. Yes, it is blooming expensive. So expensive. Not the kind of country a traveller can spend much time in. So, in the future, we will return, with money in our pocket and have more than one of those decadent hot chocolates.  For now, we have a train booked for the morning. We are leaving Switzerland and off to country number 15 since we left Perth way back in June.

Our first foray into Austria will be to Innsbruck.

Am I in Switzerland, or France?

If the change in temperature in Milan slowly crept up on us, when we arrived in Switzerland it hit us like a stone. We were going to have to get creative with the few clothes we have squeezed into our bags. Thankfully, we did pack rain jackets, as when we left the airport in Basel it was raining.

Arriving in Basel is a strange experience. As you will know, Basel is in Switzerland. Yet, the airport is actually in France. This threw me into a momentary panic when I was checking out how to get from the airport to downtown Basel. I hadn’t expected to have to find my way from France.

Leaving the airport, is another novel experience. After collecting our bags from the luggage carousel we searched for the exit signs. And there were a couple of options. We could exit into France. Or into Switzerland. Are there any other airports in the world with this scenario? We were later to discover, and visit, a place up the river in Basel where the borders of Switzerland, Germany, and France all converge. Never had I been so close to three countries, all at the same time.

Switzerland, so the currency is CHF. Obvious?

Back at the airport, we left through the Swiss exit and after a short wait we were on a bus headed into the city of Basel. Whilst in the Schengen zone, Switzerland maintains its own currency, the Swiss Franc (CHF). Why “CHF” you ask? I asked myself the same question and a bit of research taught me that CH is the official domination of Switzerland. CH, standing for Confœderatio Helvetica, the offical name of Switzerland. This also explained the numerous CH stickers on Swiss cars.

A transfer to a tram and we arrived at our hotel just before 10pm. The latest we have arrived at one of our destinations. The downside of budget air travel. The upside was that we could spend a little more on our accommodation. Our hotel had a fridge. So salubrious. And a mini bar that was complementary. Quite why that fridge would only have one beer is beyond me, but I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

It was at this point that I observed what I at first found odd, and have since found out is very common across European countries. The single duvets (two of them) on a double bed. I have since come to realise it happens everywhere, and I like it. Snuggle up in your own little cocoon and don’t be disturbed by your partner’s nocturnal duvet hogging.

Basel, a great introduction to Switzerland

Wandering around Basel was a great introduction to Switzerland. So scenic, with an old town that hasn’t changed for centuries. Meandering through the narrow streets, marvelling at the houses, with a growing sense of excitement as we noticed all the xmas decorations, and large xmas trees all over the city. The xmas markets had arrived in force in Switzerland and it wasn’t long before we were having our first gluhwein of the season. Served in festive mugs, the mulled wine was delicious, sat outside a little cafe, on sheepskin rugs to keep our bottoms warm.

So, in Switzerland, a Cordon Bleu is a posh schnitty

Our “cost of living” indicator had changed from spaghetti carbonara to a wiener schnitzel. A “schnitty” is a classic pub dish in Australia, a particular favourite of ours. The schnitzel hails from this part of the world, next door in Austria, and were to use it to see how expensive places were. Our first evening I had a posh schnitzel. The Cordon Bleu. A schnitzel wrapped around ham and melting cheese. Delicious. And pricey in Switzerland, as we were to learn everything is.

Some things are worth paying for. And regardless of cost, we were on the hunt for our first Swiss hot chocolate. And, we found it. Thick, creamy, and steaming hot. Served with a chocolate on the side, Victoria had a smile that could have lit up the city. Happy wife, happy life, or so they say.

After a couple of days it was time to hit the road again. We had a train booked to Bern and after securing a hotel, my next job was to find a bar showing the England vs Iran football match. 

Why is there a bear pit in Bern?

Switzerland has no official capital, but Bern is one of the three that commonly gets recognised. Walking from our hotel, over the water and past the bear pit…wait, bear pit? Yup, it turns out that Bern has its very own bear pit with a connection to bears that stretches all the way back to the city receiving its name.

Legend has it that Berchtold V, Duke of Zähringen, the founder of the City of Bern, vowed to name the city after the first animal he met on the hunt. This explains the preponderence of bears on the city flag of Bern, and the many statues of them across this beautiful city. It was just a shame that it was the time of the year that the bears hibernate.

I also discovered that Einstein lived a few years in Bern. Passing the apartment he lived in I discovered that it was in Bern that he developed some of his theories that were to change the world, and how we saw physics. The great man is commenorated by a museum in his old apartment and with various statues across the city.

Switzerland steals our hearts

You don’t have to be Einstein to work out how great Bern is. Once again I am left asking myself why we have never visited Switzerland before. Picture postcard perfect. I must pass on my gratitude to Victoria. We were originally going to travel straight from Basel to Zurich. Left to research the options, Victoria got looking at other places in Switzerland that we could visit on the way to Zurich. And so we found ourselves exploring a lot more of this beautiful country than we expected.

I even managed to find a bar to watch the football in, and we were the only ones in there for a while, until a couple of the bar owner’s friends joined us. This suited us fine as we quaffed cold Swiss lager and watched England make light work of Iran.

Tomorrow, we head to Interlaken, and I will be sure to share what we discover.