The lovely Stefania whisked me away in her car and we were off to visit the quaint town of Ascona in the district of Locarno where we strolled along the promenade adjacent to beautiful Lake Maggiore. Along the way, we stopped at one of the charming cafes that dotted the path for a glass of wine. While enjoying our beverages, I admired the beauty of the surrounding buildings with their warm Mediterranean-style architecture.
For some inexplicable reason, when I shared with friends and family that I was going on an exclusive press trip to Locarno, Switzerland to cover the film festival and the region in general, none of them had heard of this utterly charming Italian-speaking resort located on the northern shore of Lake Maggiore, nestled at the foot of the Alps.
Bluesmen have been lacing up their walking shoes and relocating to Europe for generations. The list is extensive; Memphis Slim made his home in Paris the latter part of his life, and Champion Jack DuPree lived in Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, England and Germany. Harp player Hook Herrera still lives in Scandanavia and the late Frank Frost once said he loved being in Italy.
If you love bread, Switzerland is the country for you. There are over 200 different traditional breads, including 22 special cantonal bread varieties. When in Zurich, you might want to try Seri's baguettes or croissants. A very popular bread, which you get everywhere in Switzerland, is a soft white loaf called "Zopf". The dough is made from white flour, milk, eggs, butter and yeast, plaited into a braid and then brushed with egg yolk before baking. It's traditionally eaten on Sunday mornings.
Zürich has a lot to offer and it’s not just a boring banking city. It has new areas like the industrial part (Zürich West), the Langstrasse, a lovely old town, nature very close and a great selection of restaurants, bars & clubs. You can swim in the middle of the city. And we have fountains with drinking water everywhere in the city.
The world-famous Toblerone was invented in Bern in 1908. The triangular chocolate bar made from milk-chocolate, almonds, honey and nougat is sold all over the world and a major factor in establishing Switzerland’s image as a chocolate-producing country. To this day, every single bar sold in the world is produced in Bern.
What’s the most magically memorable train trip you’ve ever taken? Mine was a few years ago when I rode the Bernina Express in sunny, snow laden Switzerland on the Bernina line section that runs from St. Moritz to the charming Italian town of Tirano. Although the entire journey is a train lover’s nirvana, I thought the most mesmerizing section was …