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Switzerland
Written by: Donald Miserandino
Photography by: Donald Miserandino
From the outset, this trip was the most difficult to write about since writing is the end product and I didn't want the trip to end! I will tell you that I have fallen in love. From Geneva to Lucerne to Zurich, each town was captivating in its own way. Five hundred years of welcoming tourists has given the Swiss particular insight into the tourist mind and they cater to the tourist in attitude and accommodation. The first place to start is with research on the Web site http://usa.myswitzerland.com/. Review the special offerings, discounts and suggested itineraries. From here, each town seems to have its own Web site for more in-depth research.
On the plane trip, my seat neighbor asked why I was going to Switzerland. The easy response was that I was on "assignment," but the real answer was that I was on an "adventure." I grew up with World War II parents and I watched "Victory at Sea" on a black and white TV. All the veterans had war memories and each seemed to discount any travel to Europe. When I got old enough to go on my own, the focus was on Vietnam. Now I was going to see for myself what I had studied about in school. European History 101, don't fail me now.
My plane took off from New York at about 7:30 p.m. and landed in Geneva on time (You gotta love Swiss Airlines) at 9:35 in the morning the following day. It was almost eight hours of flying time but since we took off at night and landed in the morning, a little catnapping and an occasional walk around the cabin eased the trip. In Geneva, it was an easy taxi ride to the Hotel Mandarin Oriental Hotel du Rhone where, although I was too early, the concierge stored my bags, which allowed me to wander around a bit.
Part 1 - Switzerland
Part 2 - Geneva
Part 3 - Lucerne
Part 4 - Zurich
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