BERN, SWITZERLAND – I took the train from Lausanne to Bern and back today, one of my favourite train rides in a country spoiled for traveler’s rail pleasures. I had a good cup of coffee and a giant croissant which the waiter described as a “Zurich croissant”, and I read a new book on Chasselas […]
Travels
When I travel, I drink wine. In fact, I usually organize my travels around learning about it because wine isn't a beverage, it's a culture.
Extreme weather, extreme drops
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Canton Ticino is having record rainfall, but if you’re traveling there you might want to reflect on the need for winter tires. The Ticino side of the Gotthard tunnel had plenty of snow Monday 17 November. I’d been photographing the extraordinary waterfalls around from Lugano to Airolo that give the mountainsides a […]
Travel improvements: Geneva airport, A9 to VS
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Life is getting a bit easier for some Geneva area travelers, with the new CFF ticket centre open now at the airport, and roadworks on the A9 closed for the season. The new airport CFF station opened after four months of work and a CHF1.2 million investment. The service is in the […]
Second homes law: shift in towns covered
BERN, SWITZERLAND – Nearly one-fifth of Swiss communes have a high enough percentage of second homes for the law restricting vacation residences to apply to them: 440 of the 2,352 total. The federal government Tuesday 11 November issued its third list since the law went into effect in January 2013, bringing up to date the […]
Electronic autoroute stickers backed by lower house
BERN, SWITZERLAND – A project to develop an electronic system to replace Switzerland’s annual highway use sticker is being backed by the lower house of parliament. The only party to oppose a change to electronic from the paper sticker is the right-wing UDC (People’s Party), which successfully led opposition to government efforts to increase the […]