Northbound - Switzerland (Luxembourg-Italy) — travel diary by stellina_latina

The story

Switzerland (Germany-Switzerland-Italy)

Cities: Freiburg im Breisgau, Basel, Luzern, Grindelwald, Bern, Chillon, Tasch, Zermatt, Crusinallo (Italy)

? Saturday 17.08.85

In the morning, after breakfast, a visit to Freiburg im Breisgau, its main street and its market square. The streets, with little water channels along the sides, are very tidy and clean. We visit the whole centre on foot, the gates and the monuments. Back on the motorway, as soon as we enter Switzerland we change our traveller's cheques. Basel: a drive around the city and then a visit to the famous zoo. Luzern: a walk, crossing the lovely wooden bridges over the river; the houses in the centre and the shopping streets are beautiful. Bought a double duvet 1150 SF = 945,000 lire. We take the road again towards Interlaken; at the start of the climb we find a fantastic motel with a pool.

? Sunday 18.08.85

After breakfast at the hotel we set off for Grindelwald; we take a stroll around the town but don't go up on the little train (price 95 SF = 78,000 lire). We do the shopping and leave for Bern. The city is very strange, reachable by a very high bridge over the river. It is famous for the bears that can be admired in a garden from a balcony over the river. We wander along the main street with its raised arcades and reach the Clock Tower, with its strange sounds. Passing through Montreaux we arrive at Chillon Castle and visit the interior, where Byron was imprisoned. Continuing towards the Rhone valley, we buy some fantastic apricots. We stay overnight in a motel, made up of wooden houses on the ground floor with a garden.

? Monday 19.08.85

Having climbed up to Tasch we then take the little train to Zermatt. The town is silent, the vehicles are electric only. We take the opportunity to walk the whole length of the village until we leave it. The Matterhorn comes into view. We then take the road back over the Simplon Pass. At the summit we stop for lunch. We stop on the pass to see the great stone eagle in honour of the volunteer fighters of the last war. In the afternoon we are already at Crusinallo, at friends' home