The train journey (from Vevey/St-Legier/Blonay) to Les Pléiades may not be the most exotic in Switzerland. It does have its moments of sheer beauty.
Category: Travel
Two hours in Geneva
I had a window of two, maximum three hours to explore Geneva. Looked up Google, spoke to a local contact on how to make best use of the time. Got off the train at Gare Geneva Cornavin, the city’s main railway station at the city centre. Quickly headed towards the exit, but not before grabbing…
Maison Cailler, Broc, Switzerland
Switzerland has the highest per capita consumption of chocolates in the world. This obviously means chocolate manufacturing, over time, has been honed to a fine art in the country. Maison Cailler in Broc, Le Gruyere, is one of the oldest chocolate factories in Switzerland, perhaps also in the world. We took the tastefully executed tour…
Landsberg, where Hitler was imprisoned
Driving through Germany, we wanted to take a break. We were close to Munich, but did not want to negotiate a big city. Google Maps showed Landsberg to be the closest town. Turned out Hitler was imprisoned here and utilised the time to write Mein Kampf.
Vaduz: Capital of Lichtenstein
Recently, we spent an hour at Vaduz, the capital of Lichtenstein, the sixth smallest country in the world. Lichtenstein is one of the wealthiest countries due to low corporate taxes. This does not mean that one does not see regular folks earning a living by working at cafes or shops.
One week in Mainland China
After spending more than a week in Shanghai and Beijing, I conclude that the Chinese are friendly and gracious though little inscrutable due to the language barrier. Also, India is far behind China in almost any visible benchmarks of progress: infrastructure, cleanliness, public transport and managing urban spaces, especially the cities. It does make one…
Doing roller coaster Hair Raiser
Some experiences can occur later in life. The Hair Raiser roller coaster ride, Ocean Park, Hong Kong, happened to me, courtesy some family pressure, specifically my 12-year older daughter. It was followed by similar upturned, twisted and turned at high speed encounters at Disneyland, which can be a little rattling for the brain, tummy, ego…
Siddharth Srivastava 