I’ve spent a minimal amount of time in Switzerland. I haven’t even taken any pictures there. In 2006, I crossed the border on foot from southern Germany. As Switzerland is not part of the European Union, I was shocked that there were no border guards. That was before I knew about the Schengen Area, not quite the same as the European Union. There are no border controls between Schengen countries. Surprisingly (to me), Switzerland is Schengen, but the UK is not. It was pouring rain that day, and I got soaked. When I went into the train station to get a snack, the attendant just laughed at me. (It was Sunday and all restaurants I came across were closed except for a Mexican restaurant. Go figure.) In 2008, I crossed the border into Switzerland by train from northern Italy. I bought some souvenirs in Chiasso, close to Lake Como. It seems a little weird to hear Swiss people speaking Italian. That’s about it for me in Switzerland, other than a layover at the airport in Zurich, where everything is extremely expensive.
Someday, I need to do a comprehensive tour of the Swiss Confederation, as it’s officially known. Zurich, Zermatt, Bern, Basel, and more. The Glacier Express, a glass-sided train that goes clear across Switzerland through the Alps? Sign me up! (And of course a side trip to Lichtenstein is definitely in order. How could I resist?)