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Swiss Alps

Wednesday 16 July 2014
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It only took me 27 years to finally make it to Switzerland. I was *this close* to studying hospitality there just as I was about to finish high school. My father thought it was cheaper to educate 4 kids in New Zealand. He was right but of course, I graduated with one of 4 degrees that every Asian kid has been programmed to do from birth (accountancy, business, medicine or engineering). 7 years later, I tried to make the dash across to the Swiss border only to have my passport pick pocketed by a nimble 4 year old gypsy boy in Genoa.

I posted a few snapshots of the Swiss Alps from my smartphone on Instagram and it sparked many "Where's Heidi?" comments. The folklore seems to spring in everyone's mind when one thinks of Swiss Alps.

Lil L and I were guests of Angelina Jolie lookalike, Angela and her two remarkably well behaved daughters. We were bowled over by the warm welcome and hospitality to the point where my own child asked if she could be left behind in Switzerland with them while I returned to the U.K. Should I remind her the agony of labor pains in order to bring her forth to this earth? Yes. Without epidural.

While I'm used to hearing everyone gushing about the rugged and natural wonders of New Zealand, I think Switzerland is simply heaven on earth........as long as you don't check the price tags of anything in the country because it may just induce various cardiovascular maladies. The breathtaking beauty of the perfectly manicured green rolling hills, charming wooden chalets to the mist hovering above the lakes and mountains, the landscape looked like something out of a fairy tale book.

We were taken up in a cable car to a little restaurant on a mountain top to try the traditional Swiss German Alpine cuisine - Ã„lpermagronen, a hearty dish consisting of macaroni, potatoes, cheese, fried onions and apple sauce. I was a little dubious when Angela suggested we gave it a go......I mean apple sauce with macaroni?? BUT...it was unbelievably good even if each mouthful was about 1000 calories. 

I didn't want to inundate you with millions of photos and kill your bandwidth. I'll share the rest of the photos in my next post.




8 comments:

  1. Gorgeous photos! That is definitely a trip that I would like to make some day!

    Ashley
    All That Glitters

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  2. No wonder everyone wants to live there.... what a gorgeous place. My friends just came back from Switzerland, too. They went inside a glacier on the Matterhorn - in July!

    That Alper.....whatever.... actually sounds pretty yummy!

    You are so lucky to live a stone's throw from so much fabulousness, Marlene.

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  3. Hands down my most favourite country I have ever visited!

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  4. I lived in Switzerland for a year while at school. I loved going on train journeys. You can see so much that way. Did you manage to fit any train trips in?

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  5. Utterly stunning! I'm so glad you had a successful trip. Angela sounds like one amazing woman. Ax

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  6. Wow, these are stunning, Marlene...sounds like an amazing summer vacation!

    Alissa

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  7. Gorgeous. Always wanted to visit Switzerland myself. In the summer, of course, not the winter. I'd be a disaster on skis.

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  8. Interesting thoughts I really enjoyed your blog

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