Yes, I made it! I thought as my hand reached the doors. Unfortunately the doors closed just when I was about to reach it and I was left standing on the platform. I looked up at the clock. 11.01. As the train moved away, I couldn’t help but wonder why the Swiss were so perfect! Years of traveling in Mumbai locals during my college days had taught me that 11.01 meant 11.15 and there was nothing to worry if you were 5 minutes late. You never missed trains. And here I was staring at the Swiss military clock on the platform. And I was just one minute late. The next train was after an hour and we decided to grab a coffee in the meantime.
It was a lesson well learnt. Promising myself that I would account for every minute henceforth, my admiration for the Swiss perfection grew even more. The Swiss really knew how to keep time and it was not surprising that they made the best watches in the world. Making a note to check out the new |
collection in Bucherer on reaching Lucerne, we got into the train this time, and started looking for good seats. Since the trains were almost empty it wasn’t too difficult to get seats without reservations. It’s really funny how addictive luxury can be in any form. I had noticed that in the last few days in Switzerland I had got totally addicted to the luxury of space. It gave me a kick to get into a train and find a compartment that was totally unoccupied. Making sure I had the window seat in the direction of the train I put up my bag and hung the coat in the hook nearby, making sure I used all the amenities provided! But before we could get too comfortable, we realized that we soon had one more person for company. Frowning upon him, we started talking in Hindi like any typical Indian tourist abroad. Why do we speak in our national language outside our country, always I started wondering? Worst, the person seemed interesting in making conversation, |
 just as we were complaining of his intrusion into this so called private space of ours. He smiled a lot and seemed very happy to see us. Surprised at his initiative to talk to strangers like us which was very unlike the Swiss, we quickly learnt that he was half Italian and has visited India and found Indians to be very warm and friendly. Being careful with our language with this newfound information we quickly warmed up to our Italian friend. The best part of Switzerland is that it adapts quickly absorbing the falovrs of its neighbouring countries, and it is easy to see the French, German and Italian influences. So in Ticino you experience Italy, but with the Swiss perfection. So if you are looking for a perfect holiday, Switzerland is the right place, but don’t be late! |
