We spent the last week of our European vacation in Switzerland (Bern - Chur - Lugano - Lucerne - Basel).

Schienenersatzverkehr

The ICE that was supposed to take us to Basel had to stop in Freiburg, because of a derailed freight train in Müllheim, but we could reach Basel and our connection to Bern with just two hours delay, using local trains and busses.

Schengen Area

Switzerland is part of the Schengen Area, so that there are no longer any passport checks at its borders.

Swiss Saver Pass

The Swiss Pass affords you unlimited travel throughout the rail, bus and boat Swiss Travel System network (including scenic trains), covers local trams and buses in 41 cities, a 50% reduction on most mountain-top trains and cable cars, and free entrance to over 400 museums.

Switzerdeutsch

At the national level, Switzerland has three official languages: German, French and Italian. Coming from mainland Germany, Cantonese German is difficult to understand.

Sunshine

We had great weather throughout the week.

Swiss Francs

Switzerland is an expensive place, especially with the Franc at an all-time high.

Shareware

In Bern, on the way from Einstein's apartment, via a public park with bears (who put on a great show, climbing up a tree to knock down a bee hive) to the zoo (motto: more space for fewer animals), we stumbled upon the offices of the creators of Cyberduck. They were out (it was Saturday), but I took pictures of their desks (the Cyberduck Hatchery).

Sausages

Supermarkets in Bern carry horse meat sausages. On the other hand, there is no deposit on bottles.

Spielplatz

There is a family car with a playground in the Interregio train from Zurich to Chur.

Scenic Train

The panorama cars of the Bernina Express take a four hour journey through across 196 bridges and through 55 tunnels that make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a brief stop in Tirano (Italy), you can take a bus along Lake Como back to Lugano in Switzerland.

Savosa Youth Hostel

The Lugano-Savosa Youth Hostel is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe.

Swiss Miniature

The Swiss Miniature in Melide is the only miniature park in Switzerland. Eighteen model trains travel between the buildings on approximately 3.5 kilometres of tracks. There are also operating rack-railways, cable cars, suspension railways and ships (and a disproportionate number of yellow Lamborghinis).

Ships

With the Swiss Pass, you can also travel by boat, which we did on the lakes of Lugano and Lucerne. Some places, such as the Lugano Customs (as in "Border Control") museum, cannot be reached by other means.

Sports cars

Kai learned a few new brands that we never see in Shanghai, such as Triumph and Abarth.

Sweets

Invested the remaining few francs into chocolate at the Basel station.