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My Own Swisstory
August 13, 2008
Recently I came across the Swisstory blog, which chronicles the adventures of two expats (she an American, he an Aussie), living in Switzerland — in of all places, Urdorf! Urdorf, a quaint little village about 10 minutes from Zurich by train, is the Swiss village I lived in as an exchange student while in high school. Needless to say I have devoured everything Jessica, the author of Swisstory, has written since their relocation there in the spring of this year, and excitedly wait for each day’s new post. It is uncanny how a little comment, often just about everyday life, will stir a recollection of a place, event or routine, even after all these years.
In addition to discovering the Swisstory blog, I have exchanged e-mails on Facebook with a woman who like myself, was a Youth for Understanding (YFU) exchange student to Switzerland many years ago. This reconnection with the past has rekindled the desire I have always had to return to Switzerland to visit. A trip abroad is something that has always been on the “in my lifetime” list, but until now had just been out there somewhere with no plan. As I consider the options (there are so many places I would love to go), I keep coming back to the same tour — Switzerland, Holland, Lichtenstein, Germany.
I long to visit Holland because it is the land of my ancestors. Since a couple of years ago when I found my grandfather’s name and address on the manifest of the Nieuw Amsterdam, a ship that provided passage for immigrants from Holland to Ellis Island, New York, I have dreamed of walking along Vijzelstraat in Den Helder and stopping before the house where he lived as a child. Of course I have no idea if the residence is still there, although I have googled the address and it appears to be still a residential area. Another fascination are the cemeteries in Den Helder, Enkhuizen and Texel, filled with ancestors and stories that I simply cannot uncover on the Internet. So yes, Holland is a must for me when it is time to make my trip abroad.
{click any image for larger photo and description at Flickr…}
Then of course there is Switzerland. It is hard to choose what is my favorite city or place. I was fortunate to travel to almost all areas of this small and beautiful country. Although I love the cities — Zurich, Bern, St. Moritz, Geneva, Lucerne — especially the older sections of these cities, I more love the countryside, especially the mountains and small towns of the Oberland. It was here, in the land of Heidi, that my passion for hiking was born. Every weekend my family would head to a different trail and spend the day hiking. At some places we would take the gondola up past the snow line and hike back down (I think they did this for my benefit as they were seasoned hikers); at other places, the hike was both up and down on rocky mountain switchbacks, in some places snow-covered, in other places, lush with green and peppered with freely grazing cows. My favorite town in the area is Interlaken. Interlaken, one of the oldest resort areas in Switzerland, is a delightful blend of old and new nestled in the valley between the lakes of Thun and Brienz at the foot of Switzerland’s famed three peaks, the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau. Also I must return to Schonried, a picturesque little town near the glitzy resort area of Gstaad that is part of the municipality of Saanen in the southern tip of the canton of Bern. My Swiss mother’s family owned a chalet in Schonried where we spent holiday. When I say chalet, I mean exactly that, just as you would imagine from photos of Switzerland — the timber chalet with geranium-filled window boxes and crisp white curtains billowing out open windows. Every morning as I stepped out onto the balcony of my room, I was greeted by the view of rolling green hills, dotted with similar-looking chalets perched effortlessly on mountain shelves. In the distance the higher peaks of the Alps loomed, providing a picture-perfect backdrop. It was like living in a postcard. Needless to say, a return to Switzerland is a must.
Also on my tour list is the tiny principality of Lichtenstein, which lies nestled in the mountains between Switzerland and Austria. A few years ago I created a virtual letterbox revolving around the story of Heidi. While most of the clues centered around Switzerland, I also incorporated Lichtenstein, thus did considerable research. I am intrigued by the scenery and high standard of living here. The mountains walks are supposed to be incredible here, so sayeth “Harry’s Mountain Walks in Lichtenstein”.
Germany would be nice also, just because it is Germany, but if I had to cut out one country, this would be the one to go. Perhaps just a detour into the Black Forest area while visiting the northern parts of Switzerland would be enough. While Berlin seems the logical destination, I really am not so much about big cities and would probably be satisfied with a small dose of Bavarian countryside.
So anyway, I am thinking it is time to get serious about developing a plan for my trip — to begin making it a reality…
Posted by Deb
Topics: travel
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:34 am
Hello Deb! I am so glad that you found our blog and that you enjoy it so. I really enjoz writing it and posting. And imagine that - you lived in Urdorf! Wow. I did a study abroad in Germany when I was in high school, so I can imagine all the memories it would bring back to read about Urdorf and our adventures around Zürich. I bet it has changed a lot. If you want me to check anything out for you let me know. It would be a fun adventure!
I can’t wait to read more about your travel plans and stories. :)
All the best!
Jessica.