I found the relatively small city full of curiosities.

My return to Europe 10 years after my first backpacking trip there was a blast. No Visas, no currency exchanges, no need to show evidence of onward travel. The hospitality of my friends and couchsurfing hosts was amazing. I have definitely learned how to treat my future guests in the right way. [...]

 
Geneva, home to luxury watch companies, the Red Cross, and the headquarters of the United Nations in Europe. I chose the latter two for exploration my first afternoon. A short walk from Calen’s apartment, they were across the street from each other, making my life as a tourist a little [...]

To break up the train rides, I made a pitstop in Montreux, a town on Lake Geneva in the region dubbed the Swiss Riviera. Vineyards are tucked into the hillsides, and in clear weather, the lower Alps are visible over the far side of the lake, which also makes for a fantastic backdrop to [...]

I checked out of Balmer’s after two nights, resupplied myself with a new bag of assorted chocolate truffles, and checked my e-mail at a posh McDonald’s before going back to the train station for the 11:06am panorama train. The Golden Pass scenic route runs from Luzern to Geneva via Interlaken and lots of [...]

The train ride to Interlaken allowed me to see my first views of the Swiss countryside, and there was plenty of snow cover, but clouds and fog conspired to hide the mountains. Interlaken is a resort town and Europe’s version of Queenstown, New Zealand. Billing itself as an adventure destination, winter activities include [...]

 
I used my second full day in Bern to check out the Einstein Museum in the southern part of town. Along the way, I climbed up the cathedral spire as Stefan suggested for a great view of the city. The snow, which he said was unusual for the region, turned the [...]

Laura’s Dad stopped by her apartment as planned, and after talking for a bit, he offered to walk me to the Gare de Lyon where I would catch my high speed TGV train to the Swiss capital of Bern. I appreciated his help all the more when my credit card didn’t work in the automated [...]