Chocolate Box Switzerland

May 12, 2025

Hello peeps, today we went off on the Golden Pass Railway which takes you from Montreux to Interlachen through what was really Chocolate Box Swiss scenery, It was misty up in the mountains so we didn't get to see the peaks but very atmospheric. The carriages have panoramic widows and as it runs as a scheduled route seats were marked as reserved but left vacant for those travelers. So yes do reserve a seat. IMHO this would serve better, or be an added option, to the Taieri Gorge Railway as imagine a trip to Middlemarch looking at the night sky unimpeded by city lights for starter. We had to change gauge at some stage and spotted a 'foamer' ( terrible name in the railway trade for people assessed with trains - yes I am aware of the irony) filming the process. Also we didn't ride the funicular or take the train to the Jungfrau Hoch. The latter because IMHO we were spoilt by our journey to the Zugspitze when we were in Europe last, and as mentioned before it was cloudy,

My hunt for the elusive and maybe rare or even endangered Kartoffel Salat continues. Perhaps as in Shirley Valentine Movie when Shirley cooks up egg and chip for a British couple on holiday on a Greek island the restaurants are catering for tourists tastes, as there were several Chinese, Thai, Indian, even a Korean BBQ place, more than what would suggest an interest in 'foreign' cuisine by the locals. These of course I can eat at home. Fondue was on offer, however my travelling companion is gluten intolerant and I just can't get my head around it despite having bread and milk, with lots of sugar, as a child - perhaps it's because of that.

On the way from Bern to Lausanne we had a lovely encounter with the train conductor, who exclaimed happily - you're from New Zealand. He had spent some time there including Christchurch in July - which can be very bitter. Then he and his colleague spent the next 15/20 minutes having an animated discussion with the lady behind us about her ticket. Unfortunately my French isn't up to this which was a bit of a shame as I would've liked to know what was going on. I can follow train announcements, buy metro tickets from a vending machine, go shopping, and order at a restaurant - that can be a bit hit and miss, however I haven't had to opportunity to ask my boss for a bigger desk, which is the lesson (conversations with colleagues) I am currently working on.

A lovely day out was completed with dinner at Brasserie-Saint-Laurent. where the food and the hospitality was excellent. The Chablis was OK and we are not sure what kind of mushrooms were in said traveling companion's risotto but given the dreams he had they may have been a bit sus.