The Switzerland you never knew

The Switzerland you never knew
The Switzerland you never knew

 

What do I know about Switzerland? Swiss cheese, Swiss chocolate, Swiss banks, Swiss watches, Alps. I know it is neutral. Oh yeah, Geneva convention. 

We hadn't planned to come to Switzerland. We needed places to substitute for planning to stay in Berlin which was too expensive. Geneva became one of those places. We ended up in Lausanne - about 30 miles from Geneva. So glad we did. It is so beautiful. 

Swiss cheese. Ham and Swiss sandwiches popular in US. Swiss cheese has holes in it because of carbon dioxide bubbles that form in the cheese. Swiss chocolate. More milk than other chocolate. I like Cadbury better. Swiss banks-advantages are economic stability of the Switzerland  and privacy. I didn't know Rolex is made in Switzerland So is Tag Huer, Omega. I'm glad I can look at them through a window. 

The beautiful Alps. Sixty five percent of Switzerland is covered in mountains. There are two mountain ranges - the Alps and the Jura mountains. There is a plateau in between them and that is where most cities lie. The tallest mountain is the Dufourspitze at 15,203 feet. 

Switzerland is a neutral country. In its constitution it says it cannot get involved in any wars among other countries. It will defend itself obviously and has a military. Men have compulsory military service. They go through basic training and then have yearly training for ten years. You can choose civilian service instead. People who do neither are fined 3% of their salaries until age 37.

During WWII Switzerland sold arms to the nazis. They kept their gold in their banks. They refused Jewish refugees after the war. Not good. 

Last, the Geneva convention, something every soldier knows about. It lays out rules of humane treatment during times of war.

Switzerland is one of the most expensive places to live in Europe. It has a very good quality of life and stunning scenery. I have decided I am never leaving. (Har)

*Picture is Lake Neufchâtel. Another beautiful lake we saw on the train here.

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September 11, 2022 at 08:07PM
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