| Being overcast, the weather induced us to leave Interlaken and visit Geneva, international world capital and home to the United Nations. Once again, the countryside drive made our day and though Geneva is a beautiful city, it couldn't hold our attention as well as the surrounding lakes, rivers, and mountains. In the afternoon we visited Montreux, called the Swiss Riviera, to see a striking chateau that comands a good lakeside view. We're now in the "French zone" of Switzerland, where the exit signs read sortie instead of ausfahrt, and a castle is called a chateau. Because Germany, France, and Italy meet at Switzerland, the country has those three official languages and takes a different aspect depending on location. Central and North is German, West is French, and Southeast is Italian. This diversity creates a unique Swiss character, further strengthened by the country's tidy efficiency, precise technology, and dramatic geography. As for us, we're glad Switzerland is around due to their contributions to the world of chocolate. (PS. We never made it to Prague or Budapest because it was too far -- we'll go to Eastern Europe on another trip). |
