Posted: September 20, 2017, 9:26pm
The end of a long hike in the Appenzell Alps!
Halfway through the summer, I flew to Switzerland to visit one of my best friends during her work rotation in Geneva. One of our other friends from undergrad also joined us on our weeklong trek throughout this beautiful country. We each packed in all of our gear and purchased transportation passes that could get us on all the trains, local rails, boats, and even cable cars! I couldn’t believe it was so comprehensive and convenient. I can’t even get a pass covering just Los Angeles city transportation alone!
Lakeside in Geneva.
Using Geneva as our home base, we made a huge loop, conquering Broc, Gruyères, Grindelwald, Aareschlucht, Lungern, Lucerne, Appenzell, and Zürich. Exploring a mix of big cities and small towns, we ate our weight in cheese and chocolate, absorbed the beautiful fields and views, and learned as much as we could from the locals, museums, and historical buildings. All three of us had studied abroad in Paris together so our French was passable, but as soon as we entered the German part of Switzerland, we were at a loss. Many people say that German is the closest to English, but I just can’t seem understand it at all! Even with this language barrier, we made it through just fine.
The beautiful waterfall and lake in Lungern.
We stayed in hostels at each of these different cities and spent a lot of time hiking and walking to our next location. At one point, we even hitchhiked and got a ride from an incredible couple who lived in the outskirts of Appenzell. The people here were so kind and engaging, I truly loved all of the interactions we had on this trip. I can’t wait to return in the future and show my family this amazing country!
The key to Swiss cheese and milk chocolate!