Fascinating Florence

A two hour train journey from Venice took us to Florence or Firenz as it is known locally. On the way, we passed a couple of towns that we’ve read about in different contexts: Padova and Bologna (Bolo-niya).

The hotel was walking distance from the station. However, it was still an effort to drag the luggage. By now, the luggage is a little worn out (as the rest of us) and has a mind of its own. The wheels don’t move smoothly and need a lot of coaxing to travel along with us! Even the children seem an easier proposition!

Hotel Paris is very close to the main attraction at Florence: The Duomo. The huge brown dome towers over the sky very close to us. Most photographs of Florence feature this dome in the skyline. You want to remember the name Brunelleschi (Broon-e-leski) who constructed this spectacular dome in the fifteenth century. 

Hill town Fiseole in the Tuscan hills:

We took a guided tour through Florence later in the day. It began with a short drive to the hills which hug Florence. We stopped at a hill town called Fiseole (fee-sio-ley) (whose patron saint is San Dominco). There are a number of charming villas on the hill slopes and beautiful trees. Two trees are characteristic of this region: Cypress and olive. Cypress trees are tall, wiry and shapely with a distinct dark-green color. We’re told that these trees were brought from Cypress and hence the name.

Olive trees are short in contrast in a much duller green. (Olive green obviously gets its name from here). The panoramic views of the city of Florence with the river Arno flowing and the Duomo in the distance are breathtaking.

The Truscans were the original inhabitants of these hills. The name Tuscany for this entire region comes from the Truscans. To the North were the Celts. To the South were the Greeks.

The history of Florence dates back to the century before Christ.

One of the hills close to Fiseole is supposed to be the place where Leonardo made a failed attempt to fly with one of his inventions.

English Cemetery:

The bus drove us back to the City Centre in Florence. We went past the English Cemetery. Elizabeth Browning, the poet Robert Browning’s wife is buried on this little mound. It is amusing to learn that it is named English cemetery because anyone non Italian was branded as English. (We have a parallel closer home where anyone below the Vindhyas is termed a Madrasi!) The Browning couple spent 17 years in Florence. Now, we know where the poet got part of his inspiration- from Florence! The city is beautiful.

The City Centre is surrounded by 7 city gates- arched structures which marked the periphery of the original city. We come across these arches during our walks across the city.

 The Arno River:

The bus stopped by the Arno River. It flows through the city and has a number of old, stylish bridges spanning it – a little like the river Seine in Paris. We get a nice view of this from the Uffizi museum.

Holy Cross Church:

From the Arno River, a short walk takes us to the Santa Croce (Holy Cross Church). It has a white marble façade quite similar to the Duomo. The order of St Francis did a lot of relief work around this area especially during the times when the River Arno flooded this low-lying area. They became popular and the who’s who of Italian Renaissance is buried in this church: Michelangelo and Machiavelli being notable ones. (Da Vinci is missing because he migrated to France later in life and is buried there. Dante, the father of Italian language is also missing because he was banished from Florence.)

The River Arno caused flooding even as late as 1966. There’s a mark close to the first floor of one of the buildings which bears testimony to this incident.

Next, we walked to a little landing from where buildings from different eras are visible. A 12^th century tower and a later structure attributed to Da Vinci’s studio are the well known ones. It is here that Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. That fact alone raises the place to a different dimension. Today, a café occupies that prime spot!

A row of vintage cars take a noisy turn at the street. An auto race of sorts is underway as well!

Piazza outside Uffizi Museum:

A few steps and we are at the Piazza outside the Uffizi museum. It is here that the huge marble sculptures that we’ve read about so much, greet us. A replica of David towers in front of us exactly at the same spot where Michelangelo’s David stood for 300 years. (Presently, the real David is at the Academia Gallery).

On one side is Hercules and on the other Poseidon. The human body – majestic and perfect, with rippling muscles is the highlight in all these larger than life figures. We are simply awestruck and don’t know how to react. Another masterpiece in this area is by Torcelli. It features a man brandishing a sword in one hand and a human head in another. This is a must-see just for the perfection in execution.

Uffizi Museum:

Soon, we are in the famous Uffizi museum – just as important as the Louvre in Paris. The gallery comprises the collection of the Medici (medi-chi) family who ruled over Florence for close to 6 generations around the fifteenth century. Their offices were housed in this building and hence the name Uffizi (office).  The patronage of the Medici family was responsible for the renaissance that Florence is now synonymous with.

There are close to 48 rooms filled with paintings arranged in a chronological order.

What is renaissance ?

We are yet to get an exact, concise answer. It seems to have various shades of meaning. Etymologically, it means rebirth. Here, it refers to the new direction in art where it broke off from the earlier symbolism to a realistic, lifelike presentation. Also, art moved on from religious themes to other subjects. Another aspect of this change was perspective rendering: the ability to bring a three dimensional presentation on a two-dimensional surface. The usage of vanishing points in paintings to give depth and focus was also tied to this. 

The quartet of Renaissance artists:

When it comes to artists of the Renaissance period, we need to commit four main names to memory: Botticelli (Botti-chelli), Leonardo Da Vinci (Vin-shi), Michelangelo (mik-alaan-gelo) and Rafael.
Botticelli:  Two works must be paid attention to: Birth of Venus and Primavera (spring).  The artist is a master of movement- windswept hair, flowers and clothing.

Leonardo da Vinci: Two works are key here: Annunciation: (The angel Gabriel with Mary) and the Magi: This work is not complete; just the under-painting done in tones of brown. But it illustrates Leonardo’s strengths: Detailed landscaping around the main theme and animated human figures. Earlier, paintings were more arrested in appearance. This new style allows the viewer to also be a “participant in the painting” than an external, neutral observer.

Michelangelo: The “Holy family” is a famous work here. We’re told Michelangelo did not like painting! Sculpture was his passion. His paintings too have a sculpture like quality about them- figures painted in anatomical detail which we just don’t see in anyone else. Mary has a different presentation: both in pose and attire (very Roman).

Michelangelo and Leonardo were contemporaries.

Rafael: Was much younger than the other two and grew up watching them. His presentation of Mary is more traditional (unlike Michelangelo).

We are saturated with art. But then, what else can you talk about in Florence?

Magic of Venice

A black gondola glides over the greenish water. The tail fin has a distinctive insignia- 6 flat strips stick out for each of the 6 districts. The oarsman is dressed in an impeccable white shirt and black trousers. He gives a little kick to the walls of the building that he passes by to keep the gondola on track. Sometimes, he yells to the oarsman on the next gondola as a water-sign (like hand-signs on the road). At times, he shares a joke aloud. He suddenly breaks into a full throated song for the occupants.  The boat is momentarily bathed in the shadow of the charming bridge it passes under only to emerge gleaming in the sun. The houses on either side of the narrow "water street" are from a different age- moss covered legs, varied shades of yellow ochre and brown and small balconies overflowing with scarlet flowers. As the gondola emerges from the water street and makes a turn onto the "Grand Canal", we can see the characteristic white dome of the "Salute" (salu-tey) church to the right and towering, brown church tower (companile) of the Basilica of St Mark to the left.
It is Venice. It is magical!

We took a bus from Mestre (Bus number 12) to the last point where vehicles can reach- Piazza Le Roma. From here, we took a boat (vaporetti) to get to San Marco.
Essentially, Venice is about San Marco.

What to see at San Marco:

It has three main attractions:
1. Doge's (Duke's) Palace or Palazzo Ducale.
2. San Marco Basilica and church tower (Campanile)
3. St Mark's Square.

Doge's Palace:

Doge's palace has a white, impressive, marble facade. The interiors can be divided into 3 sections:
1, Set of rooms used by the Doge.
2. Collection of arms.
3. Prisons and the Bridge of Sighs.

Duke rooms:  Similar to the ones at Versailles in a general sense. However, the paintings on the ceilings and walls are more impressive. You can find works of several artists. Amongst them, Veronese needs to be mentioned. He is the artist whose gigantic work on Christ's first miracle is present at the Louvre in the same hall as the Mona Lisa. Another prominent work is "Paradise" by Torrentino.This is the biggest canvas painting in oils in the world. Here, Christ and Mary are at the center with more human beings than you can imagine around them. Paradise is a crowded place all right! It's hard to believe that there are so many good people to find a place in paradise!

Coat of arms: It is a section that I typically skip in most museums- a collection of swords, shields, head gear, bows and a variety of rifles dating to the sixteenth century. Some of these arms are huge. It would take a diet outside the domain of curd-rice to even pick them up!

Prison cells: These are stone chambers- about 8 ft by 6 ft (fairly big for one person). It's about the size of a studio apartment. The openings are grilled. We have no idea what torture the inmates in these cells had to endure. Casanova was one of the prominent prisoners held in these cells  for conspiring against the state (not for the other reason that he is better known for!). As we pass these prisons, I cannot help but hum- Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron walls a cage!
It is fitting that one of the paintings in the last room leading to these prisons is titled Hell! This work looks like a pictorial representation of all the punishments in hell compiled in the Garuda Purana! (Another research topic!)

We wonder why the prison cells are so close to the official, lavishly decorated rooms of the Duke. However hard-hearted you are, it must surely be a dampener to share a wall or even a bridge with the dregs of human society!

The Bridge of Sighs is a narrow bridge which connects these two sections. We are told that a prisoner would sign as he went over the bridge- to leave all his freedom behind.
However, we went over the bridge in the reverse direction- from the prison cells back to the Duke rooms so that we could heave a sigh of relief!

San Marco's Basilica:

San Marco is St. Mark. His remains are interred in the Basilica and hence the name. It's not as if he died here. His remains were brought from Alexandria. The church has whitish, onion-shaped domes. The interiors have a golden tinge coming from the golden mosaic which adorns its walls. Unlike the Notre Dame, there are no glass windows here. Several "gothic" style paintings all around.
You can go to the top of  the church tower for 8 Euros. Too expensive.

St Mark's Piazza/Square:

It is a huge, open compound which houses the above attractions. Lively crowd all the time. Shops and museums line the courtyard. Savouring an ice-cream (gelato) is a must. Don't go for the "lemon flavour". It is hideous. I made the mistake and was an object of laughter and ridicule that of the 20 flavours, I had to select a lemon! There are as many pigeons as people on this square. They have no fear and eat out of people's hands.

The afternoon was spent on the "Discover Venice" guided walk tour followed by the gondola ride.
Lots of interesting tidbits thrown by the guide Federika made this walk tour worthwhile.
- The 2 churches referred above were built for protection after two separate incidents of bubonic plague.
- Venice is shaped like a fish: 3 districts on one side and 3 districts on the other.
-  Islands are man-made with wooden piles which solidified to give a rock-like base.
-  Venice has a problem of flooding.
-  No vehicles in Venice. You have to walk or take the boat.
-  Houses have a courtyard with a cistern at the center. It is filled with rain water and serves as a well. All the other water is salt water. The courtyard sometimes houses a church which is special to the family.
- Salt water is corrosive. Hence, everything has to be regularly washed with fresh water.
- Nothing apart from tourism in Venice. Everything comes from the mainland.
- Murano island (off Venice) is well known for glass making and Burrano island for lace.
- Venetian blinds don't have anything to do with Venice!
- Rialto bridge over the Grand Canal was the entry point for all people into Venice.
- Gondolas are only black in color because they were used to ferry the bodies during the bubonic plague.

Our memory will forget these details soon. But the images will endure. That's enough !

The great train robbery

You don't want to jinx a trip by claiming that you have hit the zenith (when the trip is still in progress) and you presume that from now on, it is going to be entirely downhill. That's what I said two blogs ago and I am forced to eat my words.

We took a train from Thalwil station (where our friends stay) to Zurich City station. From the City station, we took a train to Milan (Milano), Italy. From Milan, we had a connecting train to Venice.

Our suitcases are fairly big and  don't fit in the overhead luggage rack. Hence, over the last few days, we've travelled by placing them in the common luggage rack just outside the seating area in the compartment. Today, was no exception. Our biggest suitcase was stacked up against the side because a formal luggage rack did not exist in this compartment.  An Italian lady was struggling with her suitcase. She spoke no English but conveyed in an animated way that she needed help with her suitcase at Milan. Her suitcase was stacked next to ours and I let her know that I can get her suitcase down at Milan.
Several times she repeated in Italian that we need to be careful if the suitcase is out of sight. I didn't take her seriously.
We were yet to cross over from Switzerland to Italy. She reminded us once more that she needed help at Milan. Went to the baggage area and found that there was just one suitcase. Hers was missing. It was shocking. She was really upset. There was not much that we could tell her in English. A few other passengers took over and tried to console her. Soon, a kind of panic seized everyone in the compartment. Possibly, the thief was still on the prowl in the train and every effort had to be made to ensure the safety of the luggage.
(Please read the Amar Chitra Katha titled Mahiravana. The vaanaras knew that Mahiravana was around and could come in any form (including there own!) to try and hoodwink them. The vaanaras were on a high alert. Presently, we were just like those vaanaras!)

We tried some alternate methods. May be, I can wear my back-pack as a front-pack. But it didn't work. The bag kept falling over and my hands were not free to lug other suitcases. We finally settled for the following: I would wear the back-pack normally. But I would have my jacket over the back-pack so that it would be completely covered. So here I was, with a bent back more like the hunched back of Notre Dame! But I can live with this image if it means that the luggage will be safe.

We felt uneasy already but more anxiety was in store for us shortly.
As we approached Milan,  it was clear that the train was running late and we would miss our connection to Venice. We had no idea when the next train to Venice was, as well as whether we needed new tickets to be bought as well.

We enquired at the customer care office and they allowed us to take the next train to Venice in an hour and a half with a caveat: the seats are not reserved and the train guard would do the needful. A little seal was put on the ticket. Travelling unreserved in a foreign country with spouse and kids on your dream vacation- that's the last thing you want!
Our survival skills are fairly sharpened in India. We got into the last compartment and placed the luggage around us. By a quirk of fate, our bag was again next to the remaining bag of the same Italian lady. It looked as if baggage  also has a destiny of its own. Further, destiny has a wry sense of humour and makes connections which you absolutely don't want!

The train guard came by. Though he had initially brushed us away saying that we needed reservations, he gave us seats a couple of rows apart. That would work just fine!
Whew! We were finally back on track, on a train to Venice.

Compared to the dramatic incidents earlier in the day, the landscape from Milan to Venice was not so dramatic. Gentle hills in the distance and plains in the foreground. If there was something which caught our attention, it was just the names of the station, with that special Italian ring to them.

Got down at Mestre, a suburb (in the mainland) of Venice. Had a quiet dinner and allowed the day to come to a quiet end. Many times during the day, we prayed like the protagonists in the movie "Jab we met": God, yeh din bilkul boring banaa do! We've had enough excitement!

Laundry Day at Zurich

"Thou shalt not wash thy dirty linen in public" - is an age-old adage all right. What it doesn't account for is - what do you do if all your linen is dirty ?After 8 days of continuous travel, all that you're left with is suitcases of dirty linen.

Initially, you do everything in your capacity to manage with dirty linen.Can't speak for others in the family- (We don't discuss matters such as these within the family), but my approach has been rather simple. Wear the same clothes multiple times in a different combination of shirt and jeans so that at least the photographs look different. Some linen can be worn inside out- you feel it is a different, newer set that way and anyway others wouldn't know! If you know what I mean. Sometimes, you resort to a selective washing technique. By choice, you exclude some linen- jeans anyway would never show, stonewashed or unwashed. Another technique (gross) is selective washing within a given piece of linen- All parts of a shirt need not be equally washed- It's enough to wash around the collar and under the arm, dry it and perfume it!

When you've exhausted all these methods, well, it's survival of the fittest after all- a family war of sorts ensues. You look for pieces of linen from other family members which can be stolen and swapped- a fresh pair of socks for instance.

It's not as if we did not try to get the dirty linen washed- left no stones unturned and no avenues unexplored at Lucerne, Switzerland. Hotel Cascada did have the provision to get clothes washed. "You can bundle the clothes and hand it over to me before 9:00 am. I will ensure that it is washed and delivered by the end of the day"- said the manager on duty. That's when we glanced at the price list. 4 Swiss francs to wash an underwear. I ran a quick currency converter in my mind. It's about 200 rupees to wash one piece of jockey underwear. That's about its actual cost!
I needed an excuse to explore other options. I told her 9:00 am would not work for me. "Do you have a public laundromat in Lucerne?" I asked her.
Sure, there was one in the Old Town. "Yes, we're open from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon and again from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm", said the proprietor of the place. Switzerland is that kind of place. The grocery closes at 6:30 pm. Some shop owners nap for lunch and down their shutters. Others are completely closed on Sundays. We're told everyone needs family time in Switzerland- including shopkeepers. Coming from India, we are too spoilt to digest this.
Anyway, the Old Town laundromat was too far away. Plus, at 10 francs a load for washing another 10 for drying, it was a tad too expensive.

Hence, we threw decency to the winds and landed at our friend's (names withheld for privacy) place at Zurich with our dirty linen. Of course, we had always planned to visit them and play with their two adorable children, but now we were armed with a dirty agenda as well.
Enjoyed a simple day- a rest day of sorts centered on hearth and home. Dug into delicious lunch at their home, played with the kids and strolled around their pretty neighborhood. Settled down for a quiet dinner of idli-sambar and curd-rice. And the conversation flowed as did the cups of tea.
And of course, we washed our dirty linen: 3 full loads.

Coming back to the dirty linen, how can these places which are so tourist friendly miss out a basic requirement like affordable laundry ? What do other travelers do ?
Where are all the dhobis (washermen), their donkeys and their ghats in Switzerland ? Mumbai even has a locality named after them- Dhobi Talao. We even make movies on them- Dhobi Ghat.

Regardless of the reasonable proficiency in Hindi that I may have acquired over the years, my genes (dirty linen!) are South Indian after all. We just don't know which consonant in Hindi needs to be stressed. It's stressful I tell you! Take the following title of an erstwhile movie.
Is the film "Do bheega zameen" (Two wet lands) or is the film  "Do bigha zameen (Two units of land) ? Is there someone out there who can clarify my doubt ? I believe it is neither. The Balraj Sahni  classic was actually a film on Dhobis. Perhaps, he was stuck with dirty linen as well in Europe. The title should be "Dhobi ka zameen!" (Dhobi's land!)

Mt Titlis - vacation's peak

Today was easily the best day thus far. It's going to be difficult to beat it for the sheer grandeur of nature and  for the level of excitement that it generated. The kids had the time of their life which ensured that we didn't have one member (as is often the case) who spoils the party by being morose and disgruntled!

Scaling Mt Titlis has to rate better than even Mt Jungfrau. Once atop the peak, it is a humbling experience to look around and just take in the views- Row upon row of lofty, snow capped peaks against a clear, blue sky. At a height of 10,000 ft, Mt Titlis can surely rival the best in the Himalayas in the Uttaranchal sector. It is covered with snow through out the year and offers ample scope for enjoying the novelty of playing with ice.

Samyukta and Saankhya had looked forward to this. They made a snowman - three blobs of ice stacked one upon the other and Usha added a piece for the nose. The result was a cross between a snowman and a Ganpati! Evidently, the piece for the nose was not proportionate and resembled a trunk more! Anyway, it is fitting that Lord Vighneshwara is invoked at Mt. Titlis. Only some akshataa was missing to complete the puja!
They made some snow balls and hurled it at each other. This looked a good and open way to express sibling rivalry and parents need to encourage it.

Later, we went aboard the Ice Flyer. It is an "open car ropeway" which goes down the peak and back up the top. Initially, it did look unnerving, but we soon settled down to watch the canopy of snow and the occastional jagged rocks breaking through the ice. Children know no fear and take to the experience as fish to water.

For Bollywood lovers, Mt Titlis has a large cut-out of Shahrukh Khan and Kajol with Dilwale Dulhania le jaayenge written in bold. One sees absolutely no correlation between Mt. Titlis and this film. But then, it is Bollywood. Reasoning and connections are not exactly its strengths.  While on Bollywood, I forgot to mention two other references in a different context: Atop Mt Jungfrau, there is a Bollywood Restaurant. We found the prices to be steep. Deepika Padukone figures in an advertisement for Tissot (Swiss watch) and it is displayed in the trains to Jungfrau. Bollywood has made its mark all right.

If the experience at Mt Titlis was fun, reaching it was equally fascinating. We took a train from Lucerne to Engelberg. At 9:45 am, we were still finishing up with breakfast at the hotel. Our train was at 10:06 am. We could board the train with ease and with minutes to spare. Contrast this with our most traumatic train experience till date: Started at 6:30 pm from Bannerghatta Road for a 9 pm train at Yeshwantpur station. The train started late by half hour. We still managed to miss the train! Though these two episodes cannot exactly be equated, it indicates how rail travel is so easy in this part of the world.

Engelberg is 50 min  from Lucerne. The train passes through locales that we've got used to - picture perfect nature and towns laid out the way we create "parks" at home for the "kolu" (navratri) festival. At least the "kolu" park with the village sets, neat roads and miniature people will have some imperfection deliberately thrown in - like an oversized tiger or a pink colored elephant placed bang in the centre of the village scene simply because we cannot find a place for these elements elsewhere. Not so here, everything is just perfect. Sometimes, this kind of perfection irks us in strange way. We don't know how to respond to it. We come from a land which celebrates imperfection: an oversized dot is placed on a perfect baby face because the imperfection enhances its appeal; Shiva has a verse dedicated to him where the discoloration on his throat and  the consequent imperfection is actually supposed to enhance his perfection!

From Engelberg station, a 10 min walk beside a mountain stream takes us to the base station. From here, we need to take four successive cable cars to reach the summit of Mt Titlis. Each cable car covers 2000 ft and given that Engelberg is itself at an altitude, it makes up for the total of 10000 ft. The points where we need to change cable cars are Gerschnialp, Trubsee and Wendereg.

It is interesting to see the topography changing dramatically in just 45 min. While the first two cable cars move over a canvas of green, the vegetation thins down after a point and is replaced with rock and patchy snow by the time we take the third cable car. The final ride in the "Rotair" cable car which rotates on its axis as it moves up is over a terrain which is entirely ice. We step out of the Rotair cable onto Mt Titlis.

A note about the Indian groups: As at Jungfrau, they are in large numbers even here. As the cable car dips down slightly, they let out a scream. They are obviously enjoying themselves. Some of them cannot contain their excitement and shout into the microphone placed within the cable car so that the entire vehicle reverberates with the noise. The car operator pulls them up and rightfully so. But like an errant student who waits for the teacher to turn the other way to play the next prank, the operator's adverse comment has no long term effect. Another cable car, another operator... and they continue to enjoy themselves, much the same way. Hum nahi sudrenge!

At Lucerne, Switzerland

Internet connectivity, at last! Sitting in Lucerne (Luzern), at Hotel Cascada... typing these lines out late at night.
The word-pad notes written at the end of each day have finally found a place in blogspot.

From Paris, we travelled south east  to reach Interlaken which is the southern most point in Switzerland as far as our trip is concerned. From Interlaken, we  move in the North Eastern direction towards Zurich.
Lucerne is kind of mid-way between Interlaken and Zurich.

It took us a 2 hour train journey to reach Lucerne from Interlaken this morning. Started at 11:00 am and at 1:00 pm, we were in Lucerne. It's becoming increasingly repetitive to describe nature's bounty in the Swiss Alps. This journey was no exception. The day was perfect: bright sunshine all around so that the sweaters and jackets could be kept away. The train curled its way around Lake Brienz. The lake is huge with a distinctive bluish-green tinge. The mountains alongside the lake are snow clad and covered with pines. Just the kind of scene that you would draw on paper and label "scenery". Your first drawing lesson.

The train was almost empty. At times, we felt as if  it was running just for us until some fellow Indians from a different compartment ran down the aisle with heavy feet in search of the pantry car. A host of quaint stations with multi-syllabic names passed by. Soon we were at Lucerne. Just when we thought that every place in Swiss is going to be another idyllic, sleepy town, we were in for a surprise. Lucerne is a fairly big city. In look and feel, the limited parts that we explored had a Paris like appearance. Traditional buildings and modern life side to side.
The hotel is very close to the railway station. So too are some of the tourist spots in Lucerne.
Of interest are the water tower and bridge, the Hof Church and the Lion monument. The Lucerne Lake of course cannot be missed.
It could all be covered in a single evening walk. The water tower/wooden bridge is one of the most photographed spots in Switzerland. The bridge has 400 year old paintings overhead and depict scenes of war and Lucerne's appearance in those days.
Hof Church was ordinary in appearance though it also has a 400 year old history. However, we are spoilt due to comparisons with the Notre Dame.
The Lion monument features an old, dying lion sculpted brilliantly. It is in memory of the 700 Swiss soldiers who lost their lives trying to protect Louis VI during the French revolution. I'm told Mark Twain remarked: I've never seen a sadder lion. We didn't stretch ourselves out today. The fear is that we may lose steam with more than a week still to go. Hence, we want to take it easy because Italy might be hectic again.

We're in search of a laundromat to get the clothes washed. That's top priority. Buying clothes seems a cheaper option than washing! Seriously! So steep are the prices here.











 

Top of Europe

Just returned from a fascinating trip to the summit of Jungfrau (pronounced yung-frow) which is the highest peak in Europe.

At a height of  over13,000 feet and eternally covered with snow, it is truly an abode for the Gods. Had it been in India, it would have surely been part of popular folklore and would have served as the backdrop for many a tale featuring Gods and demons.We later learn that Europe too as a fable built around it.

We started from the station Interlaken West and took a 5 minute train to Interlaken Ost (East).
From here, you need to take 3 trains in succession to get to the summit:
1. Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen
2. Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Schnidegg
3. Kleine Schnidegg to Jung frau.

If you think my writing is complicated, German station names (in Swiss land) are more so. You just have to get used to it.

It takes a total of 2 hours to complete the journey one way (including the wait at each station). Each leg is covered in a narrow gauge train. The middle of the track has an added "tooth-rail" which provides  much needed grip as the train goes up steep inclines.

For a train lover, this is paradise. The engines and carriages are straight out of a toy box- all painted in rich, bright colors and absolutely spotless in the upkeep of the compartments.

It is mind boggling to learn that this entire route to the summit was completed way back in 1912. The last 6 km (including a couple of stations which offer panaromic views and rest room facility) are entirely within a tunnel. Further, there are two separate routes to go up and come down.

Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen is covered in a cream and blue train in about 20 minutes. The route runs right beside a mountain stream which flows through the valley. Towering mountains with snowy peaks on either side present an awesome picture.

A yellow and green train covers the route from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Schnidegg. It is here that the train
ascends on a steep gradiant revealing some breathtaking views of the valley. A few waterfalls tumble down in the distance and feed the mountain stream that curls in the valley below. Small, picture-perfect townships are found in clusters in the valley. Pine trees form a predominant part of the vegetation on the mountain slopes in the distance as well as alongside the track.

We near the station Kleine Schnidegg. The landscape changes dramatically. The vegetation is replaced with bald, jagged, rocky slopes covered predominantly in snow. The tops of the mountains are lost in the clouds leaving the height of the mountains to our imagination.

A German co-passenger suddenly gets chatty and throws light on the 3 main mountain peaks in this region:
Jung frau, Eiger (Ai-gur and "ogre" in English) and Monche (Monk in English).
Jung frau is a girl who was saved by a monk from the monster (ogre). Hence, the names of the three peaks.

The last leg is covered in a red train where we find the steepest of gradients. It is here that we find the 6 km tunnel from Eiger to Jungfrau.

We finally arrive at Jungfrau which boasts itself of being "the top of Europe". Jung frau has been completely taken over by Indians. We are totally baffled how they managed to congregate at this place when we hardly bumped into anyone till now. The only possibility seems as if a truckload of them were bodily airlifted from Mumbai and simply dropped on top of this peak. Indians come in all sizes, shapes, ages, decibel levels and
regional affiliation.
"Aiyaan jo jo" - is heard in Gujarati. Someone is obviously keen that no one in their group misses out a point of interest.
"Chai mein cheeni dali hui hai?" questions another one who should be from Delhi to ensure that his cup of tea is just right. A tour guide from Thomas Cook has rounded up his Indian group members and gives them elaborate instructions on how they should pick up food at the buffet: "Pehle apni apni thaali utha lo" "side mein katori rakhi hui hai" he goes on patiently. But I benefit from his discourse when he moves beyond the culinary topic. There are two main attractions that shouldn't be missed:
Sphnix- The highest observation point and
Ice plateau- Where we can actually play with snow.
He also gives a good tip: Altitude sickness can set in. Hence, it's important to walk slowly.

Samyukta feels a little nauscious and needs to use the restroom. She is fine soon. Saankhya and I narrowly miss a child who throws up without the slightest warning. We beat a hasty retreat to be far from this madding crowd.

The clock has turned back by just over a decade. Usha and I feel that we are back in Ottawa. It is bone chilling cold especially in the tunnels leading to the Sphinx and the Ice plateau. The cold hits you in the face, the hands go numb, and so does the mind. The temperature is -2 degrees celcius. Somehow, it feels far worse. We are relieved that we took at least one good decision in abandoning these cold lands and returning to India. A tropical body is simply not made for this weather.

Samyukta and Saankhya get their hands on snow for the first time at the Sphinx. There is a very light snowfall as well and we are glad that we can tick this item off the kids' check list. But there's not much that can be seen from here. It's all white and misty and cold. The icicles hang from the walls precariously and there's a warning
to that effect. I am keen that we get the hell out of here as soon as we can.

Ice plateau is similar. Worse, it's slippery as well. In our over enthusiasm, we don't want a broken hip bone now! The kids hold the snow in their hands and pose for a photograph. We are done.

There's an ice gallery as well. It's much too cold to venture into the depths of it to view ice sculptures. If we don't return soon, we will be one of those sculptures, I warn the kids!

We overhear a conversation where someone is comparing this place to Vaishno Devi. Another bhai-saab wants to know how far away a particular vantage point is and whether it is worth the effort. I give a reply which wouldn't have cleared his doubt in any way.

I concede that it is confusing when Jungfrau is pronounced as "Yungfrau". But when the entire non-Indian population is pronouncing it as Yungfrau,I don't see why we cannot slightly alter our pronunciation giving them the benefit of doubt. But some of us are either too hung up on the actual spelling or simply in-attentive. Hence, we catch a number of people with jarring references to Jungfrau. We just have to leave them alone. Jug jug jiyo! Hey, it is actually yug-yug dude!!


The pencil can now scratch out Jung Frau from the list. We take the train back to Interlaken. A cow-bell and a cuckoo clock are purchased as souvenirs. Swiss knives,chocolates, watches and bank accounts are famous too. One of them is a security risk these days. The other one is fatty and bad for sensitive teeth. The third one is far too expensive. We are not politicians to worry about the fourth.

Nature has been particularly kind to Switzerland. We have no doubt.