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| Berne, Canton of Berne |
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Berne:
One of the most picturesque cities in the world,
Berne is a city that must be visited. The city is full
of elaborate statues and fountains and is meticulously
preserved. Berne is also the home of Lindt chocolate,
a delicacy which was enjoyed quite often during this
trip. |
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Berne Old Town:
Berne is one of the few places in the word where
the entire city is listed on the UNESCO
World Heritage List. This photo was taken from
the Cathedral of Berne, which gives you a perfect view
of the old city. |
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Market Strawberries:
A common misconception about Switzerland is
that it is entirely an alpine country full of yodelers
and Ricola cough drops. In reality, there are also
many farms with exquisite produce, such as these strawberries
which I saw at an open-air market. |
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Bored (Ha!) Games:
In many urban centers in Switzerland you will
find giant chess boards with giant wooden chess pieces.
I was very impressed with the fact that these pieces
are stored outside without worry about theft or vandalism
and people can play a game for free whenever they want. |
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Berne Flags:
(Left) The Swiss are very proud
of their cantonal flags, which are displayed everywhere
along with the familiar national flag.
Fountain Statue:
(Right) Berne is covered with many
fountains which feature elaborate statues. The
entire city is covered with carvings, such as this
one, which highlight the facades of many buildings.
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Romandy
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Chateau Chillon:
Easily the most photographed building in Switzerland,
I thought I'd give it a shot as well and am very happy
with this photograph. Although, with a scene like this,
it would be pretty difficult to screw up this photo... |
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Rochers-de-Naye:
The Swiss Alps are truly a spectacular sight
to be seen. The amazing thing about Switzerland
is that scenes like this can be had at many places
in the country. With views like this at your doorstep,
It is no wonder that the Swiss live
longer than almost anyone else in the world...
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Rochers-de-Naye:
(Left) I took a mountain train into
the Swiss Alps near Montreux. Even though it was
warm and sunny, the mountains were beautifully
capped with snow. One has to wonder if they are
done so by the local tourist boards to spur postcard
sales...
Interesting Trees:
(Right) Throughout Switzerland
I saw these interesting trees, which look like
little pom-poms on sticks
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Lausanne Train:
(Left) Walking through Lausanne,
my father and I stumbled across a grand opening
ceremony for a new train station. The shields on
the front of this antique train are for Vaud and
Switzerland
Swiss Riviera:
(Left) Along Lake Geneva is the
resort area known as the Swiss Riviera. Montreux
is the most glamorous of the resort cities, where
the rich, famous, and slovenly (me!) like to hang
out.
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Chateau Chillon:
(Left) Lord Byron once wrote
a story about this castle and largely because
of this it is quite famous. I just think it is
gorgeous, which is reason enough for me
Mountain Hiking:
(Right) Obviously there is great
hiking to be found in Switzerland. However, with
such spectacular views to be had, one spends more
time walking then actually hiking.
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Lake Geneva:
Also known as Lac Léman, Lake Geneva
is the prettiest lake I have ever seen. There are no
other comparisons. |
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Lake Geneva Vineyard:
Known mostly for chocolate and cheese, Switzerland
also has a very old and successful wine industry. These
vineyards are located on the Swiss Riviera, close to
Vevey and Lutry. It is a shame that more Swiss
wine isn't available in the US because it is very
tasty and quite strong! |
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Hang Glider:
On the way up the mountain on a small train,
I noticed a fellow with a large bag. Much to my surprise,
he quickly assembled a hang glider and then jumped
off the side of the mountain! I have to do this one
day... anybody want to join me? |
| Deutschschweiz |
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Basel Street Scene:
You can take some very interesting, perhaps
too interesting, photographs with a powerful camera
lens. I came across this romantic scene in Basel, another
gorgeous city which is one of the main rail hubs for
Switzerland. |
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Smart Car:
These cute cars are quite prevalent around Switzerland.
They are called Smart
Cars and are made by DaimlerChrysler. They can
park vertically in spots made for parallel parking!
The use of these cars in the US would greatly alleviate
our parking problems, because the masses with SUVs
could park on top of these tiny cars! |
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Lake Zurich:
If you want a nice, relaxing cruise, be sure
to cruise around Lake Zurich. The lake is ringed with
rugged mountains and elaborate residences. At the other
end of the lake is the town of Rapperswil, which is
definitely worth a stroll. |
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Rapperswil:
We came across this sleepy little town by accident
when the boat that circled Lake Zurich took a break.
This is a really neat little town, complete with a
medieval castle and tasty Swiss / German restaurants.
When traveling you often stumble across places that
never would make an average itinerary. This is why
I try to travel without one. |
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Twike:
You know gasoline is expensive if you come across
a bicycle that is this fancy! This Twike is
actually electric and probably costs as much as my
truck! |
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Farmer's Market
Produce:
Again, here's some colorful produce from
the market in Berne. The only significance is that
it adds some color to a website that is mostly
blue and white....
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Fribourg:
In between the mountains and lakes which Switzerland
is known for, you will find many quaint little towns
such as Fribourg which have escaped the ugly development
that seems to have destroyed small towns in most western
countries |
Lucerne
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Lake Lucerne:
(Left) Lucerne is one of Switzerland's
most beautiful cities. The city is covered with
medieval buildings and has many cobblestone streets
and sits alongside the beautiful Lake Lucerne.
Lucerne's Chapel Bridge:
(Right) Lucerne is best known for
the old bridges that span the river, some of which
date from the 1300's. The wooden Chapel Bridge has
become a symbol for the city and is lavishly decorated
inside as well.
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It was a real treat to trace my family back to our place of origin, the
small village of Pailly. While in Switzerland I met a surprising number
of relatives in Lausanne, which doubled my sense of family instantly
and gave me a deep-rooted connection to Switzerland. It is not every
day that you learn that you have a large and wonderful family in a far-off
land, so this was a great experience for me. One afternoon our cousin
Georges took us to Pailly and from the pictures below you can see it
is quite an interesting place. |
| Pailly, Vaud |
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Pailly:
(Left) Welcome to Pailly, population
391, the Métraux family place of origin
Pailly's Local Church:
(Right) This church serves the
town of Pailly and contains all the Métraux
family records. We were unable to find the records,
but did have a good time looking around this quaint
little church.
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Downtown Pailly:
Pailly is one of those places you would never
visit on an organized tour to Switzerland. I am happy
about this, because Pailly is such a neat small town
that nothing is changed for the sake of tourism. I
thought the architecture of these buildings was very
representative of Swiss small towns. |
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Churchyard Cows:
Having spent so much time in Vermont, I have
come to appreciate small towns and their prerequisite
cows. Pailly was loaded with cows and farmland, which
only added to its ambiance. |
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The Métraux
Family Estate:
We were walking along the streets of Pailly
when we came across this large building. Upon further
inspection, we noticed the sign above the door, which
you can see below. |
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F. Métraux
1868:
Imagine our surprise when we came across the
Métraux family homestead. For a family as small
as mine, it was quite an experience. Talk about finding
your roots! |
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Epicerie Willy Métraux
Pailly:
Again, much to our surprise we came across a
small store which is owned by a distant relative, Willy
Métraux. I'm sure we made his day since we loaded
up on all sorts of goodies while we were there! |
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| Do you have any questions or comments about this page? Please let me know!
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Time Visited: May 2000, October 2002
Main Cities Visited: Lausanne, Geneva, Pailly, Montreux, Lucerne, Zurich, Bern, Basel, Chur, Lutry, Fribourg, Neuchatel, Morges, Evian (France), Vaduz (Liechtenstein) , Feldkirch (Austria)
Modes of Transportation: Train, subway, car, bus, boat, taxi
How I Ended Up There: My graduation present from my parents, I went to Switzerland with my father to meet a large part of my family. I returned in October 2002 to say hello once again.
Memorable Foods: Raclette, Fondues of every variety, Sausages, Rosti, Lindt Chocolate from the family store
What I Liked: Picture-postcard scenery which was everywhere, beautiful and efficient trains, the chance to meet my Swiss family, Visiting Pailly - our village of origin.
What I Disliked: High prices of just about everything
Where I Stayed: At my Aunt Vevette's home in Lausanne, Hotels, Hostels
Switzerland in Five Words: gorgeous, diverse, divided, independent, proud
My Thoughts: As a passport-bearing Swiss citizen,
I always thought it was odd that I had never visited
Switzerland. So, when I was planning my after-graduation
trip, it was only natural that I visited the fatherland. Superficially,
Switzerland is just as advertised, with picturesque
alpine villages and quaint chocolate-eating villagers.
However, upon further inspection, one finds a very
complex web of cultures, languages, and priorities,
all stuffed into a small country which is fiercely
proud of its independence and place in the world.
© David Metraux 1996-2006 |
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