Enchanting Switzerland: Come away to the breathtaking paradise of Lake Geneva by Joanne DiBona

ENCHANTING SWITZERLAND

Travel

2019 MAY 13–15

Enchanting Switzerland

Amazing turquoise Lake Oeschinen in Bernese Oberland, Switzerland

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The castle of Chillon

 A wax figure of Charlie Chaplin greets visitors to Chaplin’s World museum

Despite my jet lag, I couldn’t resist staring out of the train window to savor endless views of verdant, cow-studded countryside and medieval villages and castles situated high above pristine lakes. However, the view that will always remain in my mind is when the train made its final pass through a long tunnel— and Lake Geneva emerged in all its glory.

The journey begins

Getting there was a breeze, thanks to the efficient Swiss rail connections and a Swiss Travel Pass (available online for pre-purchase), which allows the bearer unlimited use of the country’s trains, buses and excursion boats, as well as entry to select museums. Within 30 minutes after my plane landed in Zurich, I was comfortably seated on an express train headed to my first destination, the town of Vevey, a trip of just under two hours. Astonishing natural beauty surrounds the Lake Geneva region of Switzerland

alking along with my guide, Gundela, through what was undoubtedly one of the most spectacular wine trails I have ever experienced, I had to wonder how, nearly a thousand years ago, 05 the Lavaux terraced vineyards were planted on these dizzyingly steep slopes along Switzerland’s Lake Geneva. “We are pretty certain the Romans planted the first grapes in this area, but our documentation 10 only goes back to the 12th century, when monks settled here and began to cultivate the vineyards,” Gundela explained as we trekked along the 3-mile 15 walking path through this UNESCO world heritage site. And it was no easy task for those enterprising monks. Because of the steep slopes, 20 fortifying walls had to be l a b o r i o u s l y constructed of stone, and they are still in existence—and doing their job— to this day. 25 This was the first The Lavaux terraced vineyards of many a magical moment experienced during a week’s visit to the Lake Geneva 30 region of Switzerland.

Come away to the breathtaking paradise of Lake Geneva

Topic Talks

A sunny summer day in port at Vevey

View of a Jungfrau Railways train

In what was definitely a “jaw-dropping” moment, I marveled at the vista that spread out in front of me as the train began to circumnavigate the lake. The azure blue water, surrounded by cragged Alpine peaks, sparkled in the afternoon sun. The train rolled past colorful villages, medieval towers, grand chalets and wooden farmhouses. I arrived in the charming city of Vevey, located directly on Lake Geneva’s shores, just in time for dinner in one of the many open-air restaurants lining the town’s promenade. I dined on delicate fresh perch, one of 30-plus fish varieties that thrive in the lake’s pristine waters, paired with an outstanding local white wine.

his family and personal friends such as Sophia Loren and Albert Einstein to life. Interactive displays document his many contributions to the arts. 05

That afternoon, I stepped on board a passenger ferry for a delightfully scenic cruise past famous towns, such as the fashionable city of Montreux, home of the renowned international jazz festival. My destination was the castle of Chillon, a formidable edifice built in the 12th century on a rocky island in the lake, which is the most visited historic monument in Switzerland. A detailed brochure (as well as an audio guide) is available to lead visitors through the castle’s many chambers, bringing to life the history contained within its walls. Costumed knaves and wenches stroll through the castle, adding to the historical ambiance, and they are always happy to pose with visitors for a souvenir photo.

Specialized Terms

Alpine (adj) [:,l;paIn] 阿爾卑斯山的 chalet (n) [{,:le]（尤指瑞士山中）尖頂的木造房舍 promenade (n) [;prAm/:ned] 散步步道；水邊步道 Charlie Chaplin (n) 卓別林，英國喜劇演員，也是劇作家，

Timeless figures

The next morning, a visit to Chaplin’s World, one of the town’s most famous attractions, was on the itinerary. Located high in the hills above Vevey, the museum is housed in the mansion Charlie Chaplin inhabited with his large family for 25 years. Scattered throughout the museum, visitors can marvel at the human-like wax figures created by the Grevin wax museum in Paris, which bring Chaplin,

Cruising back in time

後成為導演，被公認為現代喜劇電影泰斗

knave (n) [nev] 男僕；小廝 wench (n) [wEnt{] 女僕 gauge (n) [ged}] 軌距 L’Etivaz (n) [:lEtIvA] 萊提瓦起司，是用生乳製成的硬起司，而且一定要在瑞士山上的起司工房手工製造

edelweiss (n) [:ed/l;vaIs] 高山火絨草；小白花 30

More Information

artisanal (adj) [Ar:tIz/n/l] 手藝精練的匠人用傳統方法製作的 describing a food that is made by a skilled craftsman who uses traditional methods ADVANCED 25

ENCHANTING SWITZERLAND

Travel

2019 MAY 13–15 Edelweiss

Farewell to paradise

Edible treats and mountain treasures

Since cheese is a Swiss institution, tours of artisanal cheese farms are quite popular. One can opt for a unique tour that brings visitors up to the

Scenery along the Golden Pass line in Rougemont, Switzerland

Vocabulary Focus

As the sun set over Lake Geneva, I took the opportunity to ride [a] fully automated metro rail system for quick and comfortable transport to the end station on the lake at Ouchy. As I strolled down the promenade, I said my goodbyes to Lake Geneva, with the promise I would return soon to this unforgettable Swiss paradise.

Twilight view of the lakeside promenade at the Château d’Ouchy

Since my heart was set on visiting the Alpine regions of Switzerland, I planned to spend the next two days in the mountains of the Pays-d’Enhaut region, just an hour away by train. Half the fun was getting there. Holders of the Swiss rail pass also have access to “Golden Pass” narrow-gauge scenic trains that run from Montreux into this region, many of which offer large panoramic windows to best enjoy the spectacular scenery. The train stopped right in front of my hotel in the picturesque, historic town of Rougemont, an unspoiled village famous for its many-centuries-old chalets.

top of a mountain, where a young couple and their children carry on a centuries-old family tradition of making the prized L’Etivaz cheese of this region. Their contented cows feast on fresh grass throughout the summer season, giving their milk (and resulting cheese) a distinctive and sublime flavor. The next day included another trek to the top of a mountain, a tour of the Jardin des Monts gardens that produce all the organic herbs for the company’s exclusive line of beauty products. While strolling through the flowering terraced beds, I was thrilled to come across an edelweiss flower nestled near a rock at the edge of a cliff. This Alpine flower is the national flower of Switzerland and only grows in the highest altitudes of the Alps.

If you go:

Swiss public transportation

enterprising (adj) [:Ent-;praIzI?] good at thinking of and doing new and Swiss Travel Pass: www.swiss-pass.ch difficult things, especially things that will make money laboriously (adv) [l/:bOri/sli] Information on the region: laborious (adj) [l/:bOri/s] needing a lot of time and effort Lake Geneva Visitor information: breeze (n) [briz] something which is easy to achieve, often unexpectedly www.lake-geneva-region.ch verdant (adj) [:v=dnt] covered with healthy green plants or grass jaw-dropping (adj) [:d}O;drApI?] very surprising or shocking formidable (adj) [:fOrmId/b/l] causing you to have fear or respect for something or someone because they are large, powerful or difficult ambiance (n) [:,mbi/ns] the character of a place or the quality it seems to have set your heart on (something/doing something) (idiom) to want to get or achieve something very much panoramic (adj) [;p,n/:r,mIk] panorama (n) [;p,n/:r,m/] a view of a wide area sublime (adj) [s/:blaIm] extremely good, beautiful or enjoyable 26

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