SHEVARMA’S TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

Sasha and Andy had teamed up to take charge of today’s activities and were therefore the tour guides of the day. I was awaken by the sound of Andy knocking on the door at 6 AM. Sasha answered the call and then we both got ourselves set for the 7 AM breakfast.

After breakfast was over we all met in the lobby to await Sophie’s arrival at 8 AM. She did not know what we had planned for her and she came into the lobby in a frenzy because she was a tad bit late. After she got a little settled we were able to reveal our surprise to her. We had all signed her a card and gotten gifts for her. She was getting married and her wedding was within the next three days. So of course we had to bid her congratulations and good luck, as well as thank her for all the work that she had done to make our stay in Switzerland the best that it could possibly be. I was actually surprised when I heard that she was getting married. It is just amazing the way she found time to plan her own wedding while at the same time trying to cater to our every demand.

We then hurried down to our classroom in room 104 for a lecture by Mr. Beat Wicki about Sustainable Ecology. The purpose of the lecture was to highlight the interrelation between global relationship and the ecosystem. What affects one affects the other. This really tied into the upcoming activities of the day, as would follow up this segment of the day with a visit to a waste burning plant and a sewage work after that.

It was apparent throughout this classroom session that we were all drained. I was starting to feel bad because like myself, everyone else seemed to be falling asleep. That would explain Mr. Wicki’s frequent breaks, he probably picked up on our strain. It was quite interesting however, the way we all seemed to muster up energy from somewhere within when we ventured out on the tours.

Before our departure we filled up on some lunch. After we had recharged our batteries we gathered in the lobby and were met by Mr. Wicki and Sophie, both of whom would be escorting us on the day’s adventures. Our first stop would be at the GEVAG, Waste Burning Plant, Trimmis.

Upon arrival at the plant we were met by Mr. Francois Bon, the Managing Director. We were led to a little presentation room where we were walked through the operations of the plant. The results of the waste burning process yields heat, a lot of hydro power and waste of 82% renewable energy. And the fact that no oil or gas is used, but rather burning by aerobic means is very impressive.

The trash is first transported to the plant either by companies, dump trucks or trains (five days within the week are trash delivery days, while all seven days of the week are utilised for burning and energy provision). The trash is then homogenized and placed in a kiln. An electrofilter removes dust, fuel gas is washed out and heavy metals are removed and washed with acids. Water is then emitted into the river at a cooled temperature of 30 C. The entire process takes an average of just 2 .5 hours for 330 tons of trash per day.

After the crash course, we took an actual tour through the plant. We saw the trash compression and then the crane in operation. The trash is put into the kiln and burnt for 45 minutes. We were actually allowed to look directly into the furnace and witness the burning of the trash. We passed through the energy department where steam condensation takes place. Next we moved on to the water analysis lab where they ensure that the water is safe enough to be placed into the river. The control center was our last stop. There we were able to see the way they monitor the entire operation of the plant. It is only operated by two individuals, but they manage to function efficiently so I guess it works.

After the little tour was over we sat in a conference room and delighted in some drinks including that of a Switzerland specialty, Rivella. We also received little gifts of a cap and bag with the GEVAG logo. We were the first American group to ever visit the plant and we were well taken care of. So we gave our thanks and then moved on to the next stop.

At Ara, the Sewage Work, Lanquart, we were met by Mr. Herbert Vat, the Manager of the facilities. This promised to be a much shorter tour due to the fact that it was smaller than GEVAG. We began with a look at the control room. All the work is more or less handled within the control room with little reason to venture outside. Despite what perceptions might be held on this line of work, it actually requires an immense amount of experience.

The guide could not speak a word of English which is why we really could not benefit much from the tour without having Mr. Wicki and Sophie there. So we ventured out to see just how the sewage is turned into clean water and recycled into the river.

First, the sewage is left in a basin for about 21 days to allow the solid material to sink. Bacteria in the basin assist with the breakdown of the material. The next step is a fermentation process. This process requires a lot of energy, energy that is also produced by the plant. The waste product of mud is discarded and the water is then sent to Chur for treatment purposes. Ara is responsible for 85 – 95% of the cleaning and this is all done under government regulation. After their purposes are fulfilled they pass on the work to create the finished product.

I never thought that I would say this, but today was actually a treat. It provided a break from all the hotel inspections we had been doing throughout the course of the trip, and it was nice to witness something that I know I otherwise never would have thought much about.

From our day of “waste” we were now proceeding to a real treat. Mr. Wicki had planned something special for us before our departure from Switzerland. It was a Switzerland specialty at the top of a mountain. We had to take cable cars to get up there and it was just a gorgeous setting and a perfect way to put an end to our Swiss days.

The treat consisted of delicious cheese fondue with cubes of bread, pineapple and potato. To wash it all down we had some tea. The tradition is to buy everyone wine if you drop your bread in the dip. We could not carry out tradition but no one really dropped their bread except for Sophie anyway. She must have really been on edge about her upcoming wedding and of course we would not want to make her a poor bride.

At the end of the feast we headed back the way we came and enjoyed the nice drive back up to SSTH. We talked and just reminisced on our time here in Switzerland. We were truly going out with a bang.

Waking up this morning turned out to be even more challenging than every other time due to the weather conditions. Today was going to be a wet one. On days like this I would prefer to stay under covers but we were instead going to spend it battling the elements.

Today’s tour guide was Katherine and I do not even remember her wake up call because I was really out of it. It really is not bad when you have a roommate to help get you through the day because if it was not for Sasha I think I would definitely have been late.

Breakfast was at the usual time and the menu was the same as always. We hurriedly gulped down our food and were outside in time to catch the 7:29 bus as is also the customary thing to do. This would be among our final tours and so by now the norm had pretty much already been established. Today was unique in a sense however, because this time the majority of the trip would be spent on buses rather than trains and then there was also the bad weather thrown in to make things more complicated.

At the Chur station we changed our reservations to get the express bus to Bellinzona and then we were on our way. We were all pretty much wiped out by this point and I doubt that there was anyone of us on the bus that had not slept even if only for a little while. And we had plenty of time to dose off on the 1 hr 47 min bus ride anyway.

Upon Arrival in Bellinzona we had no time to waste and it was a quick dash to catch the connecting train into Lugano. Thanks to Andy who got us all running in the rain for the train – we made connections. It was definitely a good way to wake us up from our sleepy states.

The train ride was much shorter than the bus, a mere 25 minutes. We were out in time and once again on another bus to get us to the Grand Hotel Eden, our inspection site of the day. The hotel was a little walk away from the station so there was no way to avoid getting wet today. It was really pouring.

All the hassle and rain that we endured to get to the hotel was definitely worth it. This was by far my favorite hotel out of them all. The best was left for last. We were early as usual and took advantage of the excess time to have a bathroom break.

We were met by our tour guide for the hotel, Mr. Maurizio Lieto, the Assistant Manager and after our luggage was stored we began the tour. I had been taken from my first impression of the hotel. It is heavily Italian from its decor right down to its location in an Italian city (in Switzerland).

Unlike some of the hotels that we visited whose business revolves around the winter season, the Hotel Eden’s peak period is actually around these times (May – September). People generally come to Lugano itself because of the lake, casino and shopping, all of which are in no way associated with snow.

What I found really interesting about the hotel is the fact that it is actually two hotels joined by an underground tunnel. The older of the buildings contains all the standard rooms and the second is where all the suites and everything else in the hotel are housed (the main building).

The rooms are to die for with the Italian furniture, all the amenities in the bathrooms (robes, slippers and the regular soaps and shampoos), and then the splendid view of the lake. The color coordination throughout the hotel is a dream and the expensive fabric on the walls is exquisite.

The spa in the hotel is lovely. The pool is heated and 6.5 feet deep, ideal for a nice afternoon of relaxation. Everything about this hotel appealed to me. I really have reason now to return to Switzerland. We thanked Mr. Lieto for the delightful experience and then headed back the way we came.

Back on the bus we were once again presented with an opportunity to sleep. Upon arrival at Chur we simply had to make a track switch and then we were on the next bus up to SSTH. Katherine had made it through her tour day and had managed to do an excellent job despite all that she had working against her.

Dinner was scheduled for 6 PM and on the menu for today was an appetizer of fish soup, an entree of chicken in curry sauce with rice and mixed vegetables and strawberry ice-cream with a peanut butter cookie for dessert. The meal was wonderful and the service divine as has become the custom. By this time the stagiaires had become quite acquainted with us and so some of the nerves that might have otherwise been associated with having to serve us everyday were alleviated.

The countdown was now on for the end of the trip. I think that by now we were all just about ready to return to New York. I was going to make sure that I savored as much of the Swiss bliss that I could before my departure.

It was quite a task to wake up this morning on account of my late night the day before. The work load seems to be endless. There is really no time for even the slightest pause. And this is all in the life of a tour manager. I have gained a new level of respect for anyone who is able to succeed in the industry. Today I just really felt worn out.

Mark was the tour guide of the day and sure enough, Sasha and I received a 6 AM wake up call. Despite the numerous roll overs, we still somehow managed to make it downstairs in time for the 7 AM breakfast. It was a rushed breakfast as we had to be down at the bus station to catch the 7:29 bus to Chur. And just like that the adventure began.

We arrived at the station in time for our 7:58 transfer to the train headed for St. Moritz. Everyone on the train was obviously extremely tired and so, as was expected, many of us had succumb to sleep in no time at all. Unfortunately for me, regardless of how drained I was feeling, sleep was not an option for me. I am just not a fan of napping on public transport and while in the company of others. But it was a two hour ride that offered enough time for everyone else to dose.

I was a designated note taker for the day so while everyone else slept, I was on point observing the stops and the environment. The train ride was lovely as usual with the view of the mountains, crystal blue water and flower gardens that we passed along the way. It was even more stunning to look at the drop as the train rose in altitude (it moves on an incline).

We arrived at the St. Moritz station at just about 10 AM. Just as was scheduled, two buses were awaiting us. One of the bus drivers was open and willing to take pictures with us before taking us to our inspection site of the day, the Hotel Laudinella.

The Hotel Laudinella is the biggest 3 star hotel (in the region) located “at the top of the world,” (the trademark of St. Moritz) in an exclusive resort town in Engadine Valley. It is composed of three buildings which explains its vast size. It is a winter resort known for its location with large amounts of snow, ideal for winter sports like skiing.

At the hotel we were met by Andrea Kube, the Assistant Front Office Manager of the hotel. She cued us in on a couple minor details, such as the fact that the hotel is 3 buildings big, and then handed the tour over to Mr. Stefanos Giannakis, a double duty concierge at the hotel. He pretty much does everything due to the limited staff (checks luggage, organises transportation for guests, deals with complaints, etc.), and the 2 golden keys that he wore only further denoted his qualifications.

We began the tour in the lobby which was a neat little room but it was also a bit bland. Everything was made in wood (as is the case throughout the hotel). From this room I thought I knew just what I could expect throughout the tour. My first impression of the hotel was not the same impression I had as the tour proceeded.

We made a stop in the conference room where many performances and concerts within the hotel are held and then headed downstairs to the ski equipment repair and storage room. It was really nice the way that the hotel caters to their guests and their winter activities.

On the way to the equipment room, we happened upon the General Manager of the hotel. He is of Swiss origin but attended Cornell University in New York back in 1960. He also gained experience working in the St. Regis Hotel and for a travel agency in New York. It was very pleasant to have bumped into him. We also learned in his presence that the hotel actually belongs to a cultural corporation and is a not-for-profit organisation. The most striking thing that was mentioned is the fact that the hotel is always open. We have never seen or heard anything like that before. And it took a 3 star hotel to get it.

We made our next stop at the Pizzeria. It was a nice and cozy room in the basement of the hotel and open into the early hour 2 AM. Of course when we heard this hallelujah bells were ringing because again, we had yet to hear things like this over here in Switzerland. In addition to this orders could be made and the cost of the pizzas were 20 CHF are fairly reasonable price by Swiss standards.

On our way to inspect the rooms of the hotel we took a quick glance into the hotel kitchen. It was a really big kitchen. What is even more impressive is the fact that the hotel has 5 restaurants that promote diversity (Italian, Swiss, French and Traditional). We actually visited three of these restaurant and they are the Stüva Restaurant, the Italian Pizzeria and La Brasserie Restaurant. There is almost no need to leave the confinements of the hotel as it so well caters to the needs of its clients.

Upstairs we were able to see just what the rooms of the hotel are like. There are three categories of rooms: standard, superior and junior suites, and we were able to view each category. The rooms are nice and comfy with everything to properly accommodate guests. The view from the rooms also make the a stay at the hotel worthwhile with either a view of the amazing mountain range or the view of the beautiful lake St. Moritz. If you are lucky you get a pretty decent view of both.

The only downside from the room inspection was the fact that there were no bathroom amenities. But why waste time lingering on miner matters like that when they have rooms that accommodate entire families. As a matter of fact the facilities throughout the hotel seem to support the theme of family. An example of this was evident in the cute little room they had for children, the Kinderzimmer.

My favorite part of the hotel inspections is most often the wellness area so it is always a joy to hear that it is the next stop. The was a massages room where they offer specialty massages like Hot Stone massages. The view from the gym is extraordinary. It is open and creates a nice atmosphere for workout. There is really a feeling of wellness. There was also a spa, but due to its occupancy, we were unable to actually see it.

This tour definitely showed that sometimes you can avoid extremes and stick to middle ground. Even though the Laudinella is just a 3 star hotel, it provides wonderful accommodations and an ideal winter vacation. Let’s not forget the fact that it is more within economic means with an average rate of 160 CHF per person. A bonus against luxury hotels of 4 and 5 stars.

We thanked Mr. Giannakis for the lovely morning tour and followed procedure: business cards and pictures. We gathered our things and followed the directions of Mr. Giannakis to the bus station where we took the number 3 bus to the Information Center (Tourism Office).

At the St. Moritz Tourism Office it was like Davos all over again. Mark had called to alert the office of our expected arrival. The woman he spoke to, Anne, tried to act like she had no idea of what he was talking about when we got there. It was as if she was trying to deny her own existence in the office as if we could read the name ANNE on her name tag. She really was not that important anyway and we grabbed our maps and other information and went outside where we sat on some benches and ate the packed lunches that SSTH had prepared for us (ham and cheese sandwiches with fruits, a nut bar and a boxed drink).

As we all should have learned by now, plans are bound to be changed. Nothing is set in stone. So due to the low temperature, the planned walk by the lake was out ruled by group consensus (Dr. Garely was the only one who wanted to stay). So - we took the bus and had a little driving tour of the lake on the way to the St. Moritz train station. The upset in the plans pushed the day up by an hour and we were on the 1:04 PM train back to Chur.

We arrived in Chur a few minutes past 3 PM. We agreed to meet at the station by 3:50 and split up in groups. The split was basically pointless because the large majority of us wound up in Migros to pick up our usual snacks.

We were back at the station for the 5:05 PM bus and witnessed something that we did not think would ever happen. The bus left at 5:07!!! Probably a once in a lifetime occurrence.

We sat down to dinner at 6:30. Another lesson in fine dining. The food on the menu was once again divine: an appetizer of cream of asparagus, an entree of glazed roast veal with herbs, duchess potatoes and mixed vegetables (asparagus and artichoke), and raspberry sorbet with coconut macaroons for dessert. It was finger-licking good.

Day 18 was over after some late night blogging. This seems to be another protocol I have adopted. On to day 19…

Day 12 Tuesday, June 10: Davos and The Arabella Sheraton Hotel: Amended Itinerary 

 

 

7:00-7:20am          Breakfast

 

7:25am                       Group departure for bus station

 

7:29am                       Bus departs for Chur

 

7:58am                       Train departs for Davos Platz from Chur

                                   arrive 9:28am

 

9:28am                       Exit train station, find bus up to Davos Tourismus

                                   (walking 11 minutes)

 

10:00am                 Davos Tourismus

                                   meet with Cornelia Linder  # 081 415 21 21

                                   (sight-seeing in Davos)

 

11:00am                     Site inspection at Steigenberger Hotel Bellvedere

                                   meeting with Sylvia Wyrsch (General Manager)

 

12:00pm                     Lunch

                                   (walk to Davos Dorf)

 

1:00pm                  Site inspection at Arabella Sheraton Hotel

                                   meet with Robert Attenberger (Executive Assistant Manager)

                                   # 081 417 06 17

 

2:30pm                        Leave for train station at Davos Dorf

                                    (4 minute walk)

 

3:05pm                        Depart from Davos Dorf to Chur (via Lanquart)

 

4:13pm                        Arrival in Lanquart (Platform 5)

                                    Move to Platform 2AB

 

4:28pm                        Depart from Lanquart

 

4:38pm                        Arrive in Chur

 

5:05pm                        Depart for SSTH by bus

 

6:00pm                   Dinner

 

Lessons Learned: In preparing my itinerary I learned 

1. Planning an itinerary is not as easy as it looks laid out on a paper

2. Having to research, design, organize and implement my own itinerary made me realize that things do not always go as planned

• This was evident in both the Davos Tourismus encounter and the Steigenberger site inspection
• 3. I learned the importance of reconfirming appointments
• 4. Not all business encounters are pleasant
• It really is a lot of work and I knew that from the late night I had the day before just making sure that everything in place
•  And the worst part of it all for me, was the anxiety on having the day go well. I never knew what could happen because nothing in this world is perfect – irrespective of how much planning you do
• At the end of it all, it was worth the experience

Today was a designated rest day, but because Sasha was leaving early in the morning on a weekend excursion with her cousin Andy, I was awoke with her at 6 AM. When she left for Milan after 7 AM however, I was able to catch up on some sleep.

I did not wake up again until about noon. Since breakfast was not scheduled for the weekend, I pulled out my personal stash of food and had a fabulous breakfast. It was definitely a change from the usual: sliced bread with butter, a banana, some cherries and iced tea. And it was all topped off with some chocolate chip cookies. It was quite the feast.

A couple of us (myself, Asha, Adrienne, Gia and Adele) had decided to conduct our own little hiking session at 4 PM. By the time I finally decided to go downstairs it was 2 PM so I had two hours to spare. I met with the others in the lab and we blogged the time away. Sure enough, by 4 PM we were all too glad to relieve ourselves of blogging duties.

It was really chilly outside so we had to make sure we were properly attired for the excursion in our sweaters. Even more important for the adventure into the hills above the school were our Gore-Tex shoes. They were really put to the test on this trip.

It was really fun to have the hang out time together as we scaled the mountains. The view was amazing. Its too bad that we could not make it all the way to the top but we had two factors working against us: time and the weather. It was getting late and we were feeling a couple rain drops. So we headed back down the mountain.

The Gore-Tex are definitely a heavy duty pair of shoes. It was that much easier to ascend and descend without any mishaps with the strong grip of the Gore-Tex shoes. The fact that they are also extremely comfortable does not hurt either. I have absolutely no complaints about my Gore-Tex shoes and I would recommend them to anyone.

Back at the school we ordered a feast from Star Pizzeria: 4 pizzas, some chocolate mousse, 2 orders of nuggets and fries and a coke. We accumulated a cost of about 100 CHF between us. As a matter of fact, it was actually two different orders. We did not feel that we had eaten enough after our strenuous climb and we had the delivery guy return with a second order.

After the feast I felt like going into hibernation. I was stuffed. So while the food was settling we talked and laughed before getting serious and buckling down to our homework assignment for the week. By the time we got through with this it was late into the night. I was off to bed not too long after that.

I woke up well rested on Sunday primarily because I did not have to get up for anything. I slept straight through to about noon and had my own little breakfast again. The day was pretty much uneventful and simply filled with blogging. I had quite some catching up to do so I got to work.

I took a food break at 4:15 PM. Myself along with Elliott, Adele, Gia, Asha, Katherine and Liliana all headed down to Chur on the bus. We decided to grab a quick bite to eat from Cindy’s Diner and ran to catch the bus (the same one that we had arrived in Chur on) back up to Passugg.

Thank the high heavens for the quick service at the diner. We were all able to get our orders and catch the bus within about 20 minutes. I ordered a cheese burger meal (cheese burger with fries and a soda), and everyone else got their heart’s desires. We took the food back to the school and then sat down to eat in the lobby. The food was really good and it only cost me 12.50 CHF. We were all satisfied.

We all headed downstairs to the computer lab (or at least the majority of us), and got into some blogging. We were up our usual hours, and that is into the early hours of the next day. It had been a somewhat relaxing weekend. I went to bed and prepared for the adventure of the next day.

Once again it was an early day and another hotel inspection was on the agenda. This time the site of inspection was in Zurich. The tour guide for this adventure was Sarah, my next door neighbor. Thank God that she knew better than to just hop right next door and wake myself and Sasha first because that would have been tough. All this sleep deprivation is really taking its toll on me. It gets more and more difficult to wake up everyday at 6 AM to head out and look at hotels. But sure enough at 7 AM I was at breakfast along with the rest of the group and then we were off on the day’s adventure on the 7:29 bus to Chur, as seems to be a set routine on the daily agenda.

We had a bit of a wait once we arrived at the station because the train to Zurich was not leaving until 8:16 so we just hung out for a bit. We have grown to be very familiar with the accuracy and promptness of the transportation here in Switzerland. It is definitely going to be interesting having to readjust ourselves to the New York transportation.

The ride on the InterRegio to Zurich was a little under 2 hours. Despite the dark and misty view outside the train window due to some rainfall, it was still possible to see what was going on on the outside. We passed by an industrialised area (it looked like a milk factory and lumber yard). I must also acknowledge certain upcoming structures that we passed which looked rather Americanised.

Upon arrival at the Zurich station we made a stop at the Tourism office to gather what information and maps we could. At least for a change we were able to associate with someone who seemed eager to provide us with the assistance that we required. Aside from that it just felt good to be at the location of the banking center, Zurich.

We then proceeded to our inspection site of the day, Four Points Sihlcity Hotel. To get there from the train station, we had to use yet another mode of transportation and take the Tram 13 up to hotel. We basically stepped off the tram and directly into the hotel. It is nicely situated in the heart of the city and therefore very accessible to local transportation.

We arrived at the hotel with quite some time to spare before our scheduled tour with Mrs. Alexia Hungerbuhler at 11 AM. We utilised this free time for a bathroom break and I was very pleased with the facilities. The hotel is fairly new and the high-tech facilities that are employed in its structure definitely give added points in my books.

When our tour guide arrived, we had our luggage stored and then headed upstairs in one of the four elevators of the hotel. The theme of the hotel was that of sophistication with an Asian style of decor. There is something really relaxing about the Asian theme. I really liked it. And the fact that the building was actually a paper mill speaks of the wonderful work that was done in converting it into a beautiful hotel.

There were four categories of rooms: regular, deluxe, junior suites and suites. The average cost of the rooms is 450 CHF, and they all come fully equipped with all the necessary amenities. The regular rooms come with walk-in bathrooms while the suites are equipped with tubs. The rooms are nicely proportioned and designed so that the rooms appear to be very spacious and therefore even more comfortable. The view from the window was not too bad either: serene with trees and running water (although the water was muddy looking).

The hotel mostly caters to the corporate world (99% of their market), which is understandable considering their location. As a matter of fact, a Credit Suisse Bank of about 400 corporate workers is located directly next door. In any event the hotel is definitely a nice place to sit down and have a drink after work, and with their 8 conference rooms, conduct various board meetings and things of that nature.

As usual, my favorite part of the hotel was the wellness aspect of it, the Asian Spa. The spa is actually a separate entity to the hotel and has its own private elevator. The atmosphere in this spa was the most serene of them all. Maybe once again the Asian theme is what adds to that, but I really did not want to leave this one. It was just absolutely divine.

After our touring of the hotel was over, we sat down in the lounge and had coffee and chocolate. We had a little discussion on our perspectives on Switzerland and the trip up to this point. It was nice sitting down and having the treat (for once we were able to enjoy something that was free) and Mrs. Hungerbuhler was just a delight to work with. This hotel inspection was truly a treat. We thanked Mrs. Hungerbuhler and gathered our things to move on to our next location.

We took the tram back down to the station and took a leisurely walk over to a lake where we sat and had our lunch (packed by SSTH). It was nice and peaceful so that we really enjoyed the break before going to our next destination at the Swiss National Museum.

The museum was built back in 1898 and contains Switzerland’s largest collection regarding the cultural history of Switzerland. It was built by a young architect, Gustav Gull in his own city of Zurich. What was really nice to see is the way that elements from various historical periods were fused. Another thing that I found exciting about the museum is the fact that nothing was in English. It was all in French and Italian. I had always liked French so it was nice going down memory lane trying to interpret what was being said by what I could remember of the language. Sasha is pretty good in Italian so she filled in the missing pieces for me from her Italian translation. It was fun (I find pleasure in the weirdest things).

After we moved on from the museum visit we were scheduled to have a stroll through the old Town in the Street Parade, but the Euro cup was currently taking place making it impossible to maneuver through the crowds of people that were there. As a result, that plan got dropped and we were on the next train ride back to Chur.

Back in Chur we split up in groups to have dinner since we were not expected to be back at the school in time for dinner. Myself along with Asha, Adele and Pragya made our favorite grocery stop at Migros and picked up a couple things to take us through the weekend. After that we went to McDonald’s and delighted in Swiss American food. You can never go wrong with a big mac and some fries. After the meal we went to the station and took the 6:05 PM bus back up to SSTH.

The day was just about over and Sarah had done an amazing job. We all know that she was nervous about doing a good job and she really had nothing to worry about. We closed the day down in the computer lab and just like that another day was over.

There was a change of plans today from what was originally scheduled. Instead of venturing out, we found something interesting that we could do in Chur. This was actually thanks to Adrienne, who seems to have a knack for doing up itineraries.

The tour guide of the day was Adele, and unlike the norm there was no need for an early morning wake up call because breakfast was optional. Thank God. I really did not need another morning of bread and cheese and ham. After this trip is over I honestly do not think that I would ever want to eat cheese and pork ever again. But we’ll see.

We all assembled in the lobby downstairs in time to head down for the 8:29 AM bus to Chur. On the agenda for the day were three stops: Kulturforum, Stadtgarten, and Ratisches Museum. From the map the distance between stops appeared to be much less on a smaller scale. When we got off the bus and began walking however, it was evident that we would actually be doing much more walking than was anticipated. Adele did an amazing job maneuvering through the streets working with the time that was going against us.

The Kulturforum Wurth Museum presents an exhibit of art history over the course of 150 years. Since it is possible to view some of the exhibit on the outside, that is exactly what we did in passing. We admired the splendid art work and took pictures. Of the displays my favorites were those of Niki de Saint Phalle: ‘Der Bar’ and ‘Le Monde’. Both were typical of her style and use of color. I really liked them a lot.

From the Kulturforum we had to go directly to the Ratische Museum in the interest of time and skip the Stadtgarten. The museum was priority because unlike the garden, we actually had a scheduled tour for 10 AM. Unfortunately we could not visit the garden and risk being late.

Sitting outside, we read the material provided by Adele on the museum. As is customary of the Swiss nature, Dr. Jurg Simonette, the Museum Director, was there on time to take us on our guided tour. The tour began while we were still outside. We were informed that Chur is the oldest town in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Graubunden. The Ratische Museum is a recording of all this history.

Walking through the museum felt like a journey through time. We began on the top floor and came down through the years. It was good to actually see some of these things in person like the armors and swords and guns of earlier years that you generally only see in the movies. The most intriguing part of the tour for me however, was the Medieval Room. It was somewhat disturbing but at the same time intriguing to me. The Swiss seemed to have been really big on torture as a means of punishment. But aside from all that, the model of the Belle Fort in the room was just splendid.

We thanked Dr. Simonette for the delightful tour and then congregated outside for further instruction. We had quite a while before the bus departure for Chur. We agreed to all meet up at the station at 11:50 and then went our own way. Of course we were not allowed to travel alone, so Sasha and I traveled together. We made two stops, the first at Claire’s to look at rings and then we moved on to Migros. It was as if Migros was the designated meeting point because everyone else was there. Afer doing our little grocery shopping we moved on to the station to await the 12:10 bus.

We made it back up to the school just in time for lunch and then that was over just in time for us to head downstairs for a classroom session in room 104. This time the classroom time was spent on flight preparation. We covered every basis: the maximum weight of the suitcase, what not to carry, what not to wear, everything. After we were all clarified on the intricate details of the day of departure, we went off to some blogging.

The day proceeded with dinner at 6 PM as is the custom and then went our respective ways into the night. We had another early day coming up so I was off to get ready for bed and make necessary preparations for the day ahead.

Today was actually a unique agenda when compared to other days that we have had here so far. For one thing we would be venturing out and then returning to the school for lunch. We had three appointments and we were going to be driven around by Marianne and accompanied by Sophie Blattman all day. It was a pretty interesting assortment. I was really excited about this one.

 

The tour guide of the day was Asha. She came knocking on my bedroom door a little after 6 AM. Sasha answered the wake up call and I simply rolled back over in bed. It was just one of those days. Despite my being lackadaisical, I still managed to make it in time for breakfast at 7 AM.

 

We had a break after breakfast before we left for the tour. We had a choice on how we would utilise this free time and myself as well as a couple others, did so blogging. It was not much time but every little bit counts.

We were all gathered in the lobby by 8:45 awaiting the arrival of Sophie Blattman and Marianne at 9:00. Sure enough as is a custom of the Swiss, they were both there on time. We split into two, half going with Sophie and the other portion going with Marianne. The delineation was mostly based on the condition of the students at the time because everyone for some reason seemed to be turning up sick today. The sick ones were assigned to Sophie (who was assumed to be a safer driver than Marianne) and those in good standing went with Marianne. I actually think that Marianne is really cool and I enjoy bus rides with her.

Our first stop was the bank so that Dr. Garely could exchange money for the tour. I think that was upsetting for Marianne who is not accustomed to not being on time. But we got through that and headed on our way to the first destination of the day: Heidi House in Maienfield.

 

When we arrived at the Heidi House we went to purchase our tickets and found out that we had to pay for a tour guide as well. The tickets themselves totaled 94.50 CHF and then the guide was an additional 60 CHF. As it turns out, Ms. Caroline, the “tour guide” was hoping to make an easy buck off of us. She was actually expecting to take our money for us to basically give ourselves the tour. I think the altitude was really starting to get to her head after all those years.

 

I was really disappointed from the information that I received as the tour began. I really thought that Heidi was the true story of a real girl. Now everything is ruined. I cannot believe that she never existed. That was truly a downer. But being at the setting of the story was still a magical experience.

It was really beautiful up there. The climate of the area is usually nice (or at least that is what Caroline said) but it was rainy and misty today. In any event, I was not going to allow that to detract from my experience.

 

In the Heidi house itself, there was a really neat set up of things of the 19th century (the period in which the story took place). There were three floors in the house: the first floor was for storage of things that needed to remain cool, the second floor was the living area as it was the warmest room in the house, and the third floor was for the storage of those things that did not need to be cooled. I especially liked the way that they created a scene with a doll of Heidi and her friend Peter together, and another of the grandfather in another room of the house. That was what I enjoyed most from the house out of all the 19th century contraptions that were in there.

The house itself was not Heidi’s. It was instead the house of a well off farmer who donated it to a private foundation. Despite this fact, it was still amazing just to be in that setting.

 

We moved on to the next item on the agenda which was lunch in the dining hall back at the SSTH. We made it back in time to be on time. Lamb was on the menu for today. I had never eaten lamb before but the way that it was prepared makes me want to eat lamb more often.

The lunch was really good as can be said of all the meals prepared these days, but then there was a hold up on the dessert. We had a schedule to keep up with and we needed to leave in another 5 minutes, yet only half us had dessert and it was taking forever. They should have known that we were to be served first for the simple fact that we actually had to go somewhere. But I understand that they are learning so I’ll cut them some slack. Besides, they have been doing a marvelous job otherwise.

So we left a little behind the scheduled time but it was nothing to go crazy over. Once again we were escorted by Sophie and Marianne. The bus with Marianne got emptier on the second round. I guess some people just could not handle it.

 

The next destination was the Grand Hotel Quellenhof in Bad Ragaz. We were greeted upon arrival by Mrs. Catherine Berger, the PA of Mr. Tschirky, the CEO. She was effervescent and just extremely pleasant. From that mere greeting I was sold on this hotel.

Walking through the hotel I was in awe of its splendor. Mrs. Berger led us through the hotel and into another building where we sat down in a large conference room for a presentation on the hotel. The room was nice and spacious and the table was nicely decked out with note pads and pens along with glasses and two bottles of water per seat.

 

The presentation was headed by Mr. Pfister the CFO. He provided some background information on the hotel as well as an introduction of the financial aspect of the construction and expansion work currently taking place on the hotel.  From the information I gathered, the original opening of the hotel was in 1869, so this is a hotel with quite some history. It was rebuilt in 1996 within 22 months and in exactly the same structure as before.

The Quellenhof is so far the biggest hotel that we have seen with a total of 257 rooms. The average room rate is 436 CHF with an average guest nights figure of 100 000. There are four focus areas of the hotel: Health, Well being, Business and Golf. The plan to make the resort bigger and better is costing a total of 175 million dollars. That sounds like a lot of money but I know that at the end of it all it would be worth it.

The presentation was ended by Mr. Hesti, the HR Manager who clued us in on some employee information. He told us about the three levels of workers in the hotel: the Old Euro Community, the New Euro Community and those for whom it is difficult to get a Visa (Americans fall into this category). The Swiss seem to be very skeptical when it comes to dealing with Americans and this is a prime example.

We each received a parting gift of Hotel Bad Ragaz chocolate, took our pictures and collected business cards. We really exercised a lesson in the importance of networking. We said our thanks and bid everyone adieu. Then we were onto the final stop of the day.

 

We met with Mr. Hanspeter Lambert, the owner of a vineyard (5 hectares). He did not speak very much English at all, so we really needed Sophie for this one. The facilities have been operating for 25 years now, but being yet a small winery (generally 4 employees), its services do not expand outside of Switzerland.

 

Mr. Lambert took us on a tour of the winery with Sophie translating as we went along, and walked us through the wine making process. First the grapes are placed into a machine to extract the juice and remove the stems. It is then fermented in big red machines. Another machine removes particles like the skin and seeds (which give color to the wine) so that purely wine remains. For the first 3 months (October to December) the wine remains in the machine before being transported to bottles and stored in barrels that can hold on average 225 liters of wine, for at least a year before distribution.

 

It was a nice little tour and it had a nice ending to it. We sat down at tables where we ate bread with cheese and salami, and learned the proper way to do wine tasting. Everything tasted so good, and the cheese was most definitely a better quality than the one we had been eating at the school for the past 2 weeks.

 

We did a wine sampling of three different wines: Pinot Noir 2007- 11.50 CHF, Pinot Noir “Sélection”- 18 CHF, and Cuvée (Syrah, Cabernet, Merlot)- 28 CHF. The prices were not bad and the wine was actually pretty good. Of the three (two red wines and one white), my favorite was the Cuvée (the white wine). It was lighter and more flavorful than the other two. 

 

At the end of the tour we thanked Mr. Lambert for the learning experience, took pictures and got his information. We headed back to the school and once again were just in time for dinner (these trips really cut it close sometimes).

 

We enjoyed the fine dining and the exquisite cuisine for which I have absolutely no complaints. The stagiaires (international students) are doing a wonderful job. It is going to be difficult to adjust back to the New York way of eating. It has really been a pleasure to experience this.

I woke up this morning a little on edge. For once I was not allowed to roll over when my alarm sounded and await the call of the Tour Guide of that particular day. Today I was the Tour Guide, and everyone else would be doing what I otherwise would have done.

Being an early day, I had to be up in time to wake everyone for 6:00a.m. Waking up at 5:50a.m, I made my rounds (knocking doors) to get everyone ready for the day. We all met in the lobby for the usual 7:00a.m breakfast and headed out to catch the 7:29 am bus to Chur, and the two connecting train rides to Davos Platz.

Destination: Davos. To note a couple interesting points about Davos:

1. It is the highest town in Europe, an astounding 1560 meters high in the heart of the Alps

2. The meaning of the name Davos is “World of Sanatoriums.” It was known for its healing capabilities due to the dryness of the air in the high altitude. Consequently, people came to the town for therapeutic healing.

3. It was not until Bill Clinton and the World Economic Forum however, that Davos was put on the map.

4. It is now the largest tourism destination in Switzerland.

Keeping these details in mind, it is understandable why I was delighted to be visiting. My excitement however, was secondary to my anxiety of having the day run smoothly. After all, if anything went wrong, I would be the dart board; a target for everyone’s frustration. So I kept my fingers crossed and hoped for the best (planning and follow-up phone calls were a definite help).

The day involved quite a bit of walking. We were all properly attired in our comfortable yet heavy-duty Gore-Tex shoes and so walking was not that big an issue. As we got off the train we headed towards our first stop of the day: Davos Tourismus, the tourism office in Davos.

The route to Davos Tourismus began with an incline that really put our Gore-Tex to work. It was literally a breathtaking walk (I think it was totally vertical). Once we made it up the hill, it was smooth sailing from there on – the streets and side-walks were flat.

What I witnessed at the Tourist office was very unpleasant. Although I called and confirmed our visit to the office the day before, Ms. Cornelia Linder, the Director of the operation, still had the audacity to tell me that she did not know that we were coming. Furthermore, the fact that she would not even come out and speak to us when we got there I found extremely disturbing. We did speak with  Mr. Cedric Kiemscherff, a junior member of the staff (it appeared) and gained a little information on Davos, took some maps and we were off.

Everything in Davos seems to be closed in the morning. While roaming through the town in search of something to do to pass the time before our scheduled hotel inspection at 1:00 (2 hours away), we happened upon the Steigenberger Hotel Bellevedere. Being a fan of the hotel chain, Dr. Garely was overjoyed and jumped at the opportunity for us to do an inspection of this hotel as well.

The General Manager of the hotel, Mrs. Sylvia Wyrsch, came outside, introduced herself and basically offered us a tour. From what I have been seeing thus far on this trip I don’t think that things like that happen very often here in Switzerland. In any event, Mrs. Wyrsch is an American (half American and half Swiss) from South Beach, Miami, Florida, so I guess the American side was the winner. Although I would like to think that it was luck, the fact that once again we were all uniformly attired (in black and white) definitely played a part. Dr. Garely always insisted on this and if I did not understand why before, I most certainly get it now.  

 

The Steigenberger Hotel is an absolutely beautiful hotel, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It is by far the best hotel that I have seen thus far (in Switzerland). It definitely earned its 5 stars. From the moment you step into the hotel you feel like you are stepping into luxury. Considering the fact that it was a walk-in, Mrs. Wyrsch went above and beyond and gave us a tour of about an hour and a half.

 

The word ‘Belvédére’ in the hotel name means pretty view and rightly so. It is ideally situated with shops and restaurants a shortwalk away. Built in 1875, it comes with a lot of history, and the fact that it is a host of 220 events for the World Economic Forum speaks much of its high standard.

 

The rooms in the hotel are divine. Professor Blake-Neis had a hard time leaving and made mention of staying in the hotel being her new fantasy. The entrance lobby is so spacious and attractive in blue.  The ambiance in that room made it an ideal place for me. Walking into the dining room was really special. It was nicely set up in red and white (dining fit for royalty). Above all this was the bathroom. I just can’t get over the fact that there was a tv in the bathroom mirror. That tops everything for me. 

 What I have noted in doing this inspection as well as the ones prior, is that Swiss hotels are not built to accommodate people like hotels back in America. The average hotel contains about 120 rooms. The hotels are small. The Steigenberger operates with a staff of 85 people and accommodations of 127 rooms. A couple other things that I noted: security is not a priority in Switzerland (The only time that the Steigenberger has hotel security is during the week-long) World Economic Forum.  

 

After the delightful tour, we thanked Mrs. Wyrsch for her time and her generosity. She then took pictures with us, gave us each her business card and then directed us to a nearby park where we relaxed and had some lunch. The lunch was a packed lunch from the school of ham and cheese sandwiches, fruits, a boxed drink and granola bar.

 

After the slight break we were walking once again to our next destination: The Arabella Sheraton Hotel Seehof. My designated map reader for the day and my right hand was Katherine. She did an excellent job of finding the route for us to get from place to place.

 

At the Arabella, we met with Mr. Robert Attenberger, the Executive Assistant Manager, who was conducting the tour for the day. Based on conversations I had with him over the phone, Mr. Attenberger seems to be an extremely easygoing individual. He gave us a pleasant greeting and began our tour.

 

The Arabella Hotel is a 4 star hotel with 118 rooms. It is also a key hotel during the World Economic Forum and with 700 years of history to its name. I have never been to a hotel that is 700 years old and still standing and in use (definitely a plus).

 

The style of the hotel traditional. The Arabella is not a hotel for tall people because as the guide pointed out, people from earlier years were smaller than people today. Still standing more or less on its 700 year old structure, the roof is really low and older portions of the hotel made entirely of wood ((a possible fire hazard?)

There are four categories of rooms in the hotel: classic, superior, executive and suites. The rooms were really neat but I found myself comparing the Arabella to the Steigenberger which was just not fair as each hotel caters to a different market.

 

My favorite part of the Arabella Hotel was by far the spa in the Wellness Center. It is to die for. The structure is cave-like with beautiful rock archways and crystal clear water. I felt so relaxed for the few minutes that I was there. I can only imagine what it is like for the guests who get to stay there as long as they want and actually use the facilities. I am so jealous just thinking about it right now. An ideal hotel would be the Steigenberger rooms with the Arabella spa. The only issue I have with the spa however, is that it is a mixed nude area. The nudity factor seems to be a big thing in the Swiss culture (that along with smoking and drinking). 

 

One chilling moment on the tour of the Arabella was when we visited the Paulaner’s restaurant in the hotel. Mr. Attenberger announced to us that the restaurant was in fact a morgue in its earlier years, and pointed out the place where the bodies were stored. I think that put quite a few people like myself on edge and may not be good pr for people as they sit-down to dinner.

 

At the end we went through our usual procedure: we took pictures, collected business cards and thanked Mr. Attenberger for his time (1:00- 2:15). We gathered up our things and then headed off to the train station in Davos Dorf to await the 3:05 train towards Chur.

 

After a train transfer and a bus ride up to the school we were just in time for dinner at 6:00. I was thrilled that my tour day was nearly over and without incident. It was even better than I had hoped with the special opportunity to receive a tour at the Steigenberger.

From my little experience I realized that it is not all glitz and glamour when you are a Tour Guide. It is really a lot of work (and I love it). Lesson well learned in practice.

The day came to a close and my tour day was over without any major problems. I did my usual blogging and then went off to bed and into day 13.