For the geographically challenged: Switzerland is a small, completely land-locked country surrounded by some of the world's highest mountains and squeezed between France, Germany, Italy and Austria (and nowhere near Sweden!!). For over 700 years this small country has survived by being neutral, while its neighbors were making war. The famous Swiss banks built their world-wide reputation on this simple principle. This country has always been friendly to all, and can boast of having the oldest democracy in the world. Switzerland also ranks in the top three countries with the highest standard of living. With these credits, no wonder that the world's super rich choose to stash their cash here. This is the only place I have ever been where there is no under-class. Where California has Mexicans and London has the Polish for cheap labor, Switzerland has no such thing. Every job in Switzerland is well paid, and there is virtually no poverty. Consequently, everything is expensive. (This coming from a Londoner!). There are four languages spoken in this country that is smaller than Southern California: German, French, Italian and (thank God) everyone speaks English as well.

 

We landed in Zurich's super modern glass airport, and a minute later we were on the slick double-decker train into the center of the city. Zurich is in the northern part of the country, close to Germany, and German is the first language here. It looks and feels German, and everything here is run with typical German precision. Zurich is first and foremost a banking city, ranked third in the world after New York and London, but it is still small enough to retain its charm  while having first class shopping and nightlife. On Friday night we went out to explore the Alstadt, the old town, where we found a delightful assortment of stylish bars and a fantastic three level disco among its cobbled streets. There is plenty of eye candy here as well. The Swiss are a gorgeous combination of German bone structure, French beauty, and Italian sexiness.

 

The next day we met up with my old friend Dianne, who was my neighbor in L.A. Dianne met her Swiss husband, Thomas, while she was studying Spanish in Madrid. They fell in love, and Dianne moved to Zurich to start a new life. She is happy and settled, and has even mastered the difficult language of Swiss-German. If you know Dianne, then you know her voice is an unforgettable mixture of Minnie Mouse and Marge Simpson. I couldn't help but giggle every time I heard her speak the guttural language of the Bavarians.

 

Dianne and Thomas picked us up at The Marriot and drove us around Lake Zurich and up to the base of Mount Rigi, where we boarded an aerial cable car that whisked us up above the fog line and into the sparkling sunshine of the mountain top village. The air on Riga was so clean and crisp, it felt delicious going into my lungs. And as we made our way further up the mountain, suddenly, before us, was the unforgettable specter of the snow capped Alps. It was amazing to see with my own eyes what I had only seen before on boxes of chocolate. But there they were, majestic and surreal, running a craggy line across the horizon. The Matterhorn is part of this mountain chain, although we were far from this most famous peak. Riga is dotted with cozy wooden chalets serving hot chocolate and cheese fondue. Dianne had checked ahead to make sure we would be able to enjoy the Swiss tradition of sitting down to a fondue together. The first chalet we went to had "just run out of cheese" and the second one said "the fondue chef called in sick". Since Switzerland does not have cheap labor, and there is no such thing as tipping, the service in restaurants can be dismal. Still, we did enjoy a nice bottle of Swiss wine (even though it was not the one Thomas had ordered).

 

Down the mountain, and on the lake lies the storybook town of Lucern. A clear stream runs through the center of town, with a lovely old crooked bridge spanning it. The buildings in town look like decorated cupcakes. It was here that we found the elusive cheese fondue in a festive little restaurant with wood beams and scenic murals. Like everything in Switzerland, the bowl of gooey cheese and chunks of bread did not come cheap. The Swiss still have their own currency, the Swiss Franc (not the euro like everywhere else) so it is tricky to figure out exactly what you are paying...but I think that bowl of cheese was about 80 bucks. After a long day we retreated to our hotel for a bath and a rest, but we still went out that evening for cocktails and a fabulous Italian dinner on the lake, that not only had superb food, but the service was excellent as well!

 

On Sunday we explored the city of Zurich itself, making a long walk across the city taking in her many splendid vistas and admiring the architecture. The Swiss flag is proudly displayed everywhere in Zurich. Easily recognized, it is a white cross on a red background. The same one you have seen a million times on Swatch watches and pocket utility knives. For you Trivial Pursuit fans, it is the only flag in the world that is square. Zurich is very clean and feels completely safe. Our walk took us along the river Limmat, down the promenade to the grassy areas on the banks of the lake. The trees were in splendid Autumn colors. The city is crisscrossed by an uber efficient tram system that leads in and out of The Old Town. And at the centre of town is a beautiful cathedral with the unfortunate name of the Grossmunster.

 

Later in the afternoon we met up again with Dianne and Thomas to have a hot chocolate and an apple strudel. Dianne took us to her favorite ladies gingerbread desert parlor that was so decked out in Christmas trappings you could hardly see the 38 cuckoo clocks on the purple walls. Of course they had "just run out of strudel". But the hot chocolate was rich and delicious…and of course, expensive.

 

In the same time it takes to fly from L.A. to San Fran, we were back in London. The little plane flew in low from the south east over the River Thames and treated us to views of the city celebrating Guy Fawkes day with hundreds of fireworks exploding in the cool clear night air.