As the pilot prepared for landing, I smiled to myself. I was traveling to Switzerland for the weekend and the very thought of the snow capped mountains, crystal clear lakes, pure crisp air, manicured lawns and delicious chocolates made me smile. This was a business trip but promised to be a lot of fun as well and I looked forward to it even if it was only for 3 nights!
Somehow, you can never have enough of this beautiful country. Even after umpteen trips on the cable cars and funiculars to the popular mountains like Mt Titlis and Jungfraujoch, thanks to my days as a tour manager, I was as excited as a first time traveler on this trip again. On landing in Zurich we boarded our Austrian Railjet to reach Sargans in eastern Switzerland. Since we were visiting the border region between Switzerland and Austria , the extremely comfortable Austrian train was perfect for the journey. New to this part of the country I was looking forward to discover this region and all its attractions. I did expect the customary natural beauty and beautiful weather but what surprised me was the level of service and luxurious lifestyle that lay hidden here in the beautiful resort of Bad Ragaz. |
The next three days were spent in discovering why just one visit to Switzerland was never enough. At the Grand hotel Quellenhof, a wonderfully busy itinerary had been prepared for us and I was more than happy to follow instructions for a change. I realised that the easiest way to enjoy a place was to give in completely. As we drove around in the resort’s brand new Mercedes, rode on Harley Davidson's, tried our hand at golf, enjoyed gourmet cuisine or simply gave in to the masseur’s gentle pressure we were falling in love with Switzerland all over again. But the highlight was definitely the thermal baths that the region is famous for. As we moved from one jacuzzi to another, we experienced the soothing effects of natural hot springs in the various pools maintained at different temperatures even daring to dip into cold water in between. |
Thoroughly refreshed and energized we even managed a gentle hike to visit the source of the hot spring the next day. As we climbed down the mountain,we took in breath-loads of mountain air preparing for our next adventure. Growing up on a steady dose of Yash Chopra films has indeed taught us that adventure and love go hand in hand in Switzerland. Well, we did have a taste of the former as we missed our little toy train in the principality of Liechtenstein, a small gem of a country just half an hour away. Losing our way seemed inevitable as every road was equally beautiful and similar. Eventually, we did catch up with Daniel and his toy train and enjoyed the rest of the ride. And, of course we fell in love, for a love-story with Switzerland is not a one-time casual affair but a 'classic romance' that grows with time, each and every time you visit it!
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