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Advantages: Glorious scenery, lots to do, easy to get around Disadvantages: Expensive
I had never been to Switzerland before but the summer of 2000,
with 4 friends, we rented a chalet in the Swiss Alps. Based
in the town of Schonreid, just above the town of Gstaad, it
was the best holiday I've had.
Getting around was easy even without a car - the trains are
regular and a great way of seeing the countryside. Walking and
hiking for all abilities are catered for. All over the country
are signposts for walks and places, with an estimation of
distance, time and difficulty. Also caters for bike rides too.
(Although the hills can be very demanding)
Also well worth a visit Bern (beautiful city), and a boat trip
over Lake Geneva to Evian.
It is much more expensive than the UK for shopping but hey,
you're on holiday!
Fly to Geneva with Easyjet from Luton or Stansted. Cheap fares. ...
Advantages: Funny take on Europe from an American's point of view Disadvantages: Slightly dated, noticably especially in the names of some countries
whilst only being able to speak one language is no mean feat, especially if you?re an American tourist, and we know how much continental Europeans love them. This is something he even acknowledges at one point:
?American tourists too stupid and sluggish to know that they were mercilessly being ripped off?
From Hammerfest to Istanbul Bryson explores the continent so many of us call home. In his wonderfully witty and fabulously funny style he invites us along on his journey so we too can ogle the way the Italians park:
?the way I would park if I had just spilt a beaker of hydrochloric acid on my lap?
and wonder at the names of some of the towns in Switzerland which,
?sound like someone talking with a mouthful of bread: Thun, Leuk, Pfäffikon, Gstaad?
and be amazed at the naked bed top wrestling that certain people in ...
, Gstaad”
and be amazed at the, ahem, naked bed top wrestling that certain people in Amsterdam engage in.
My favourite part of the book, though, has to be the references to places I’ve been. Thought Köln cathedral was too tall to climb, did you Bill? Did it when I was 6 years old, all 323 (or however many it was) steps of it. Found the Mona Lisa disappointing and the Centre Pompidou, well, odd, huh? Spot on. Milan was far too industrialised and not Italian enough? I agree. Got fed up with the Mozart Kügeln in Salzburg and Vienna did you? Us too (and a question, does anyone but the things? Or do they just sit there forever surrounded by signs claiming “4+1” which you are supposed to interpret as “5 for the price of 4”?). Says Bryson about life in non-English speaking Europe,
“you can’t ...
