Weggis, Switzerland
I made it. I’m overseas! I’ve officially arrived in Europe. It’s taken some getting used to, both the time change and the pace of traveling. And the wine, (even though it’s very pure. Definitely a lot more pure than American wine). But I know it’s time to share an update!
I’m in Switzerland, on Lake Lucerne.
It’s very hilly. I feel Julie Andrew singing the hills are alive. And I also have visions of Heidi.
You’re going to hear this over and over; every country I go to, I'm gonna say I want to live here. Driving into the Alps and seeing my surroundings, I would definitely want to live here. This is gorgeous. My first thought is how much could it cost to live in one of these old towns? It is stunning.
One thing that immediately gave me an idea of how much it might cost to live here was the price of gas. Let me tell you, for comparison to the United States, even though it’s pricey at home too right now. Gas in Switzerland is sold by the liter, so I had to do a little math as well as price conversion, but it’s roughly $10.67 per gallon!
Speaking of driving, having taken the turnpike back-and-forth numerous times from Quincy to New Jersey, and having lived in New Jersey and visiting the Poconos on a regular basis, I couldn't understand why several tunnels were highlighted, so to speak, on our itinerary. But guess what? Some of these people haven't even been through a tunnel, so they were a big attraction to them. It's just crazy.
One thing I learned quickly, and I need to warn you all about, is that in your hotel rooms you do not have a coffee maker. In Europe, it’s an espresso machine. I’m not saying everybody’s like that but all the hotels I’ve been to. And by the way, they don’t have decaffeinated espresso. I mean, maybe they do in the real world of Europe, but not in the Swiss Alps.
Besides coffee, I’ve been having wonderful food and enjoying cocktail hours with beer, various local wines and chips. It’s been amazing to look at the view while we enjoy the snacks and drinks.
Most of the fountains here are from water provided by the Alps, mixed with the lake, and then purified. You can actually drink out of the fountains. You can fill your bottles up if you’d like, they only request is that you do not dip them directly into the water.
Honestly? I think I would go back to the Alps. There’s a lot to do in Switzerland! Obviously it’s not all like this, but this is such a beautiful area. Next up is Italy… so stay tuned!
