A homecoming: finding serenity in the Swiss Alps

The Canadian in me concluded that the Swiss must be a nation of crazy daredevils.

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Carefully, I put one foot in front of the other. I tried not to look down to my right at the shear rock face that fell into the valley hundreds of meters below.

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I was on a trail to the top of Mount Pilate, a famous tourist destination above Lucerne, in my home country, Switzerland.

The narrow path was about a meter wide and followed a band of rocks across the north face of the mountain. Trying to steady myself, I grabbed a stone, which seemed like a good hold, only to find it was loose.

When I released it, it fell off the edge and I never heard its impact.

The top of Mount Pilatus can be reached by train, but it is more difficult to walk on it.
The top of Mount Pilatus can be reached by train, but it is more difficult to walk on it.

How did a Vancouver tourist end up on this heartbreaking trail where normally only Chamoix (a goat antelope) roams?

After a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, I finally traveled to Switzerland again. My parents are 79 years old and in January of this year Mom had to move to a nursing home. After 51 years of marriage, this was difficult for my dad. My mom came home for the weekend and the weather gods smiled at us. We spent a quiet afternoon in the small garden of my parents’ house. Beyond the apple trees, the snow-capped peaks of the Alps rose above the lake.

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Dominating the foreground is Mount Pilatos, the mountain that would push my hiking skills to the limit a few days later.

Roger, my friend and avid mountaineer, suggested taking the gondola to the middle station to shorten the ascent. The trail ran through a lush alpine meadow where cows greeted us with their bells. They continued on our way for a while as we made our way to the base of the mighty rock wall that we had to traverse. Roger pointed to a small band of rocks, pointing the way. I giggled nervously, thinking I had made a joke.

The top of Mount Pilatus.
The top of Mount Pilatus. Photo by Christof Marti

About half an hour later and no longer laughing, it took all my willpower to continue. Overcoming my fears and reaching the top, I was rewarded with a spectacular view of the snowy mountain range to the south and a sea of ​​mist to the north.

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We celebrate our achievement with a beer and a Cervelat, the national sausage, before taking the gondola back to Lucerne.

Switzerland is not only famous for the Alps, cheese and chocolate, but also for its cleanliness, its good organization and its orderly citizens. Having spent almost a third of my life in Canada, I noticed some dents in that image. Jaywalking seems like a national sport in Switzerland. At almost every crosswalk, I watch in amazement how many Swiss, instead of patiently waiting their turn, cross the street, avoiding cars precariously.

Niederdorf, part of Zurich's Old Town, is the center of nightlife.
Niederdorf, part of Zurich’s Old Town, is the center of nightlife. Photo by Christof Marti

On a sunny Friday afternoon, I walked into Zurich’s Niederdorf, the heart of the old town filled with countless restaurants, bars, and cafes, where I planned to meet a group of former classmates at my favorite brewery.

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On the way, my eyes caught a group of cyclists speeding past cars along Zurich’s Limmat quay. None of them wore helmets. The Canadian in me concluded that the Swiss must be a nation of crazy daredevils.

A visit to Switzerland would not be complete without a walk along the Reuss River, in Lucerne, the city where I was born. The cafes and restaurants along the water were packed with locals enjoying an unusually warm fall day.

I decided to buy some hot Marroni (roasted chestnuts, typical street food in the fall) and sat on the warm cobblestones by the river. I breathed in a breath of fresh air, smelling the water and the flavorful aroma of the Marroni. But then another smell filled my nostrils: cigarette smoke.

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Lucerne along the Reuss River.
Lucerne along the Reuss River. Photo by Christof Marti

While smoking is prohibited in restaurants, it is still very common for people to turn on lights in the courtyard of a restaurant or while waiting for the bus or train. Each table in the courtyard of each restaurant has an ashtray. Cigarette smoke followed me around the city.

Holding the bag of freshly roasted chestnuts a little closer to my nose, my eyes wandered across the water, to the famous Chapel Bridge, built in the 14th century as part of the city wall to defend the city from attack. from the lake.

Thinking back to the origins of Switzerland, I jokingly thought that perhaps my earlier remarks were related to the deep-rooted sense of freedom of the Swiss. Around the same time that the Chapel Bridge was being built, an early confederation farmers’ militia defeated the well-equipped and trained Habsburg army in the famous Battle of Morgarten in 1315.

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This sense of rebellion and independence continues to this day with a firm “No!” against accession to the European Union (EU) and this year the abrupt cessation of free trade negotiations with the EU.

Freedom is a sore subject these days in Switzerland. A large proportion of the Swiss population is highly skeptical about their government’s handling of the pandemic. This is manifested in the widespread vacillation of the COVID-19 vaccine that places it at the tail of Western European countries in terms of vaccination rate.

Chewing on another chestnut, I looked towards Mount Pilate, my mind drifted to the narrow ledge of rock that we crossed a few days before and all these thoughts quickly disappeared. The Alps, like the ocean, is a place where I find happiness and peace.

Traveling during COVID:
Switzerland requires a COVID-19 certificate to enter many places. Canadians can apply for a Swiss COVID certificate through Swiss Tourism.

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Reference-vancouversun.com

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