Reflecting On Our 22 Days in Italy and Switzerland
I can’t believe how quickly our amazing three weeks in Europe flew by! Even though several weeks have passed since we made it back home and hit the ground running, the trip still lingers in our minds and memories as we sift through our photos and share our stories and adventures with family and friends. Looking back, our trip to Italy and Switzerland was perfectly timed given all that was going on in our lives. I was (and still am) working hard part-time, picking up as many hospital and urgent care shifts as my body and mind could handle. Cynthia was between jobs and needed a relaxing way to recharge before hitting the job search once again. The trip was the perfect escape to get away from everything and take a deep breath of fresh air. It was the perfect way to relax a little and to do some new things to break up the monotony of our pandemic lives in Los Angeles. And it was the perfect destination for the long escape we had been dreaming of and planning for for the last two years (and delayed due to COVID). To be able to escape during a lull in the pandemic really was a blessing.
Reflecting on our trip, our country choices of Italy and Switzerland were perfect. Both places were scenic and easy to travel around because of the well-maintained roads, the trains, and the fact that the two countries were conveniently located right next to each other. Additionally, the contrasting experiences in each country made the trip more enjoyable. Not only were the buildings and architecture very different, the foods were different and so were the cultural aspects of each country. It’s always better to see more variety than to see too many similar things. Europe can sometimes get dull if you visit too many cities or churches or old towns because after some time, they all start to look the same or very similar to each other. Luckily, these countries were different in many ways and they provided that variety we sought in our long trip.
Besides the decision to travel to Italy and Switzerland, I think there were a ton of choices that we made that made the trip awesome. Driving in Italy was definitely needed and definitely worth it because it gave us both flexibility and access. Having a car provided us with the flexibility to do whatever we wanted and to see whatever we wanted without having to necessarily commit to things that we previously thought might be set in stone from prior planning. Having a car also provided us with access to sights and scenes that we would’ve never had a chance to easily visit by bus or public transportation. It’s always nice to have the luxury of a car because you just have more independence and you don’t have to lug all your luggage around.
Another great decision we made was to purchase a Swiss Travel Flex Pass and take public transportation around Switzerland. The Swiss Travel Pass gave us lots of flexibility to travel anywhere we wanted and to make last minute changes. With it, we could “wing it” whenever we wanted and travel like real backpackers, with maximum flexibility and less constraint and worry. By having the pass, we were able to frequently change our schedules to fit the needs and opportunities of each day. With the pass, we were also able to take advantage of museums and learn a ton about Switzerland and its history. And after all of that cross-country driving in Italy, it was nice to sit back and relax and let someone else do the work. As the designated driver on most trips, I have experienced how tiring and draining driving can be when you do it too often. This trip was no different. Early mornings and late evenings really take their toll. So it was nice to just sit around, chill, and even nap on the trains while it moved closer and closer to our next destination without much continuous effort on my end. And even though we had to carry our stuff everywhere once we were traveling by bus and train, it was totally worth not having to constantly drive, find parking, sit in traffic, deal with driving in tight, crowded spaces, etc.
And to list off a bunch of other great decisions… Spending an extra night in the Dolomites to take advantage of great weekend weather. Visiting Venice once again (for me, at least). Seeing Seceda at sunset despite the hike down in pitch darkness. Not driving once we got back to Florence. Not doing as many sunrise hikes as I had planned (because it would’ve really drained me and Cynthia if we had kept waking up after short nights of sleep). Spending more than two nights in any location. Making last minute, impromptu decisions to visit Chateau de Chillon and Sion. Taking advantage of lake cruises. Autumn biking around Interlaken. Visiting Bern (again) and seeing a UEFA Champions League match there. Visiting the Swiss National Museum. Cooking and saving money. And trying out all the different and yummy foods in both countries.
On the other hand, when looking back, there were definitely things I would’ve changed about the trip or advised others to do differently if they were to embark on a similar trip to Switzerland and/or Italy within a similar time frame. The first thing I’d change or advise would be to spend more time in each country, whether that means choosing to visit one country for three weeks or to lengthen the overall duration of the vacation. The reason is that three weeks to see two very popular countries with tons of tourist attractions is doing an injustice to both countries. Because there is just so much to see and do in Switzerland and Italy. For example, by the time we left Italy, we felt like we had barely scratched the surface of the country’s pearls and treasures. And even though we had eight days to train around Switzerland with our Swiss Travel Pass, we still missed out on a ton of places worth visiting that we just couldn’t fit into our time there.
Even though we did a ton in the limited time we spent in each country, for parts of the trip, we still felt rushed. And tired. And sleep-deprived. Looking back, maybe it would’ve been better to slow it down and space things out a little bit more so that we had more time to spend in different cities and towns and didn’t have to drive and commute so much and so frequently from one place to another. Sure, our trip was super packed and productive because there were so many places to see but also we lost out on enjoying a ton of places we wanted to visit just because of time constraints.
In Italy, because we did a bad job planning the first couple of days (due to my mistake timing the first day that resulted in a rushed first 48-72 hours of the trip), we didn’t get to enjoy many places like we wanted to. The plan to drive out to Cinque Terre on a shortened first day after a sleep-deprived flight wasn’t a great idea when put into play. Putting aside a humid half day to see Cinque Terre was a bad idea. Because of our time constraints, we had to skip out on the famous Cinque Terre hike and two of the five seaside towns in Cinque Terre. Then, we rushed through Tuscany and Val d’Orcia in a little over a day and missed out on a bunch of cute towns, like San Gimignano and Montepulciano, and photo opportunities around Tuscany. Lastly, it would’ve been better to spend more time in the mountains so that we could take it easy and enjoy the cute mountain towns and landscapes of the Dolomites region. Thinking back, it would’ve been good to spend three to four weeks in Italy and, of those weeks, spend at least two days in Cinque Terre, four to five days in Tuscany, two days in Venice, and five to seven days in the Dolomites.
In Switzerland, travel pacing wasn’t the greatest either. It would've been good to spend less time in Zermatt and more time exploring some of the other scenic mountain towns around the country. Spending a few more nights at our Interlaken AirBnB so that we could more leisurely explore Interlaken by bike would’ve been nice. Extra time in Interlaken would’ve also given us more time to explore the nearby mountain and lake towns like Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald (which we didn’t have time for). And more time may have even provided me with an opportunity to do something crazy like paragliding! But even with all the things we could’ve changed about our time in Switzerland, we still did a little better and rushed less there than we did in Italy. Because we were traveling by train, we ended up slowing down enough in Switzerland that we felt that, for the most part, we had enough time to spend in the Swiss towns we visited (except the ones mentioned above).
All in all, despite the trip’s shortcomings, it was a fantastic vacation that really satiated our travel appetites. At the end of the day, we had lots of fun and made a ton of memories to share with others back home. We had a really smooth trip without many mishaps and had perfect weather for most of it. Very fortunate. By the time we were done with the trip, we were happy with what we had experienced and accomplished in three weeks and were ready to fly back home and lay low for some time before figuring out our next international adventure, whenever that may be (because who knows what the future holds with COVID and the Omicron variant still making its way through the world). In the end, we were just glad that we were able to make this trip happen after all the delays and travel uncertainties we’ve faced over the last two years. And man was it nice to travel with some extra cash and not travel so poorly like I did in 2013. So nice!
Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed our three-week adventure! Can’t wait to figure out where we’ll go next when the time comes! Maybe Southeast Asia? Africa? Central America? Who knows! But until then! Ciao!
Best Restaurant Brunches:
1. Avocado Toast and Waffles with Berries at Becanto Kaffee and Bar in Bern
2. ‘nduja Chilli Eggs and A Cinnamon Roll at Melaleuca Bakery and Bistrot in Florence
3. Eggs Benedict and French Toast at Cafe Elena in Zurich
4. Our Homemade Brunch in Interlaken
1. Breakfast at Classic Hotel am Stetteneck in Ortisei
2. Breakfast at Hotel Ghironi in La Spezia
3. Breakfast at Antico Sosta in San Quirico d’Orcia
4. Breakfast at Hotel Alpina in Zermatt
5. Breakfast at Residenza Castiglioni in Florence
1. Pizza and Linguine with Lobster with a Glass of Chardonnay at Mauriz Keller Restaurant and Pizzeria in Ortisei
2. Wienerschnitzel with Rosti and Veggies at Restaurant Zeughauskeller in Zurich
3. Noodles with Scallops and Caprese Salad at Antica Trattoria Alla Ferrata in Venice
4. Florentine Steak at Antica Trattoria da Tito dal 1913 in Florence
5. Spaghetti Carbonara and Baked Sea Bass at Ristorante Pizzeria Sabatini in Milan
1. Pizza at Al Parlamento in Venice
2. Pizza at Mauriz Keller Restaurant and Pizzeria in Ortisei
3. Pizza at Pizzeria Ristorante Molino Zermatt in Zermatt
1. Chinese Food at Restaurant Ach’i in Zurich
2. Chinese Food at Restaurant Khujug in Zurich
3. Thai Food at Oh Wow! Thai Take Away in Bern
4. Chinese Food at Asian Bistrot in Milan
5. Korean Food at Aare Korean BBQ in Interlaken
1. Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce at Restaurant Zeughauskeller in Zurich
2. Tiramisu at Antica Trattoria da Tito dal 1913 in Florence
3. Gelato at Gelato Fantasy in Venice
4. Hazelnut Eclair at Pascal et Katy in Zurich
1. Linguine with Lobster at Mauriz Keller Restaurant and Pizzeria in Ortisei
2. Noodles with Scallops at Antica Trattoria Alla Ferrata in Venice
3. Spaghetti Carbonara at Ristorante Pizzeria Sabatini in Milan
4. Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Homemade Ravioli at Ristorante Lamm in Val Gardena
5. To-Go Tagliatelle Pasta with Mushrooms and Sausage and Penne Pasta with Tomato Sauce at Ristorante Pizzeria Il Ponte in Cortina d’Ampezzo
Best Hotel/AirBnB Stays/Experiences:
2. Antica Sosta in San Quirico d’Orcia
3. Hotel Alpina in Zermatt
2. Tre Cime di Lavaredo Nature Park
3. The Matterhorn, the Gornergrat, and the Surrounding Mountain Landscape
5. The Countryside and Farmhouses of Tuscany
1. Our Dolomites Adventure
2. Photographing Seceda at Sunset
3. Autumn Biking through Interlaken
4. First Lake Day on Lake Thun in Interlaken
5. Venice During A Pandemic
6. BSC Young Boys vs. Villarreal CF UEFA Champions League Match
7. Being Educated at the Swiss National Museum
1. Tre Cime di Lavaredo Hike
2. Gornergrat Down-Mountain Hike
3. Cadini Di Misurina Hike
Favorite Boat Ride/Lake Experience:
2. Cruising on Lake Brienz
3. Cruising on Lake Lucerne
4. Cruising on Lake Zurich
Best Cultural/Museum Experience:
1. Swiss National Museum in Zurich
2. Zermatlantis in Zermatt
3. Château de Chillon in Veytaux
4. Oberhofen Castle in Oberhofen am Thunersee
Most Picturesque Small Towns:
1. The Last Minute Decision to Stay in the Dolomites an Extra Day
2. Buying and Using The Swiss Travel Flex Pass
3. Slowing Down and Not Driving in Switzerland
4. Booking Hotels with Free Breakfast
5. Home Cooking in Interlaken
1. Failed Attempts to Visit San Gimignano at Night After Long Travel Days
2. Sleep-Deprived Driving from Tuscany to Venice
3. Not Staying in Tuscany Long Enough
4. Not Staying in the Dolomites Long Enough
5. Briefly Stopping in Milan
1. Driving Sleep-Deprived from Tuscany to Venice
2. Driving Lost around and in San Gimignano at Night
3. Driving through Old Downtown Florence Trying to Find Our Hotel