Although it would be appropriate to start the post with a cool rhyme (Lucerne rhymes with Bern so it feels like a wasted opportunity), none comes to mind, so I'll leave it to another, more inspired moment. I'll rather start with providing an explanation for the title of this post - why Switzerland in a nutshell? Recently I train-tripped across half of Switzerland in the span of a few days and my brilliant colleague Maria suggested I should open a travel agency to organise "Switzerland in a Nutshell" tours (still considering this as my alternative career mind you) (and thanks to an idea of my other brilliant colleague Emma, I won't have to look further for the name of my agency - she suggested Tam Tam Tours, but if you have any other market-grabbing ideas, please come forth) (also, I promise we do actual work as well, not just chat about alternative careers and mindblowing ideas).

In the next posts I'll wrap up the two one-day trips we did - first up Lucerne - Interlaken - Bern (and coming up Gruyeres - Gstaad - Montreux). Being conscious that I generally tend to pack WAY too many things into my travel itineraries, I believe Lucerne, Interlaken and Bern are actually quite feasible in one day even for those travellers that prefer to take it easy (lagano sportski, as we would say in Slovenian Serbo-Croatian).

So, what's there to see in these three cities/towns (don't want to offend anyone here by using the wrong definition)? Watch towers, lakes, bridges, mountains, monuments, you name it (yes I did realise I just named every sightseeing target possible).

But back to the point - our trip. Starting off quite early in the morning, we took a direct two-hour train (biggest fan of Swiss railways here by the way, I hope they sponsor me some day) from Geneva to Lucerne. Lucerne is a charming town, most famous for its wooden bridge Kapellbrücke and its water tower, dating back to the 14th century (thanks Lonely Planet, my most loyal travel companion). But it's much more than that - it also offers magnificent promenades around the cobalt lake of the four cantons, a stroll on the town walls and its watch towers, and beers served cold in one of the numerous squares and river-side cafes.

3 MUST-DO'S IN LUCERNE §  Visit the "the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world" according to Mark Twain - the dying lion monument. Pieces of rock rarely touch me, but Twain was onto something - there is an unexplainable sadness to this monument.   §  Take the steepest cogwheel railway in the world up to Pilatus mountain (to be honest, I kept this for my next visit to Lucerne, so I'm not sure how long it takes. Pack it into your busy travel itinerary on your own responsibility!).  §  Have a picnic at the Musegg Wall (after climbing up all three towers!).

After we've got a dose of Lucerne, we took the train for a scenic hour and a half ride to Interlaken. To be very honest, Interlaken didn't impress me that much - it's the neighbouring villages and towns (Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald) that offer the real Swiss mountain experience, so if you have time, pay them a multi-day visit. Interlaken is a great starting point for numerous activities and trips, including the breath-taking Jungfrau (which remains on my bucket list).





After Interlaken, we hopped on the train to Bern - I already wrote about what to do in Bern here, so I won't go into details again, but here are some fresh photos:

In the year and two months of living in Switzerland, I passed by Zürich once - only to take the train to Geneva from its Hauptbahnhof. But I kept hearing stories about how hip it is (yep, despite the banker invasion ;-) and I was intrigued - which made me all the more excited when one of my best friends announced she's coming there for work. 

3 MUST-DO'S IN ZÜRICH Cosy up in Cafe Grande for top coffee, river view and sexy tiles, Grande cafe (thanks Maida for the recommendation - and bumping into you there just proves Switzy is one big friendly village <3). Climb up to Landhof terasse for a charming view of the old town.  For a burger and a hip cocktail, head to Loft Five.

Cafe Grande - delicious coffee and sexy tiles. 

I'm far from being a morning person. But I've grown more and more fond to experiencing cities early in the morning and escaping the hustle and bustle of busy hours of the day. Cities - especially popular tourist getaways like Florence - can be overwhelming with crowds trying to soak it all in and document every step of the way with their smartphone (which I'm unarguably also guilty of). It's impossible to really feel the city with all that noise.

But in the early hours of the day, cities - like their visitors - sleep. They're slowly waking up with the first bakeries opening up, waiters cleaning windows and setting the tables on their terraces, locals rushing to work.

I started the habit of getting up at 6 am (the earlier the better, but as I said - unfortunately I'm not a morning bird and there is a limited list of things that get me out of bed at such ungodly hours) on my trip to Verona (which is coming on the blog soon, so stay tuned!). Rather than an objective, it was a consequence of being very short on time, so my friend and I decided to use the morning to see as much of Verona as we could. It was soul-filling to say the least and I decided to keep the habit every time I'm in a new city. And boy oh boy was I rewarded in Florence! All the major attractions, all the majestic renaissance creations were there just for me. If you ever visited Florence, you'll spot the difference when looking at the photos of these empty streets...

It is not exactly a whisky trail since Isle of Skye has one whisky distillery. A superb whisky distillery with spirits as strong as the island's character. That being said, Isle of Skye didn't spare showing its teeth to us - an hour into hiking through the magical Fairy Pools, we were greeted by the pouring rain. Weather in Scotland is slightly unpredictable, to put it mildly. If you don't want to end up soaking wet in the middle of the hike through Fairy Pools with more than an hour long walk back to the car,  don't make the same mistake we did and bring an umbrella (this isn't to say that getting soaked and washing it off with a few sips of whisky on the way isn't a memorable adventure though). Our plan to spend the night in a tent under the starry sky quickly went down the drain (oh the irony) but luckily we found an amazing and cosy hostel in a village very close to Carbost. A mere ten minute walk away from a secluded bay with wonderful views of the ravaging sea.

Since we only had three days on the island, visiting the Talisker distillery the next day was obligatory. Tasting their water of life "with a smoky sweetness, maritime notes and a spicy edge" deepened our appreciation for this remote piece of paradise. Followed by a drive through the windy roads with scenic views, we concluded the day by visiting the Dunvegan castle and witnessing the sunset on top of Neist Point. One of my favourite moments, ever.

Thanks to my adventurous best friend and her boyfriend we also brought inflatable canoes and did a spontaneous canoe trip with tens of seals swimming along with our tiny rubber vehicles. To top it all off, we made the scenic vistas by the road all the more unforgettable by stopping and brewing Italian espressos in a cafetiere on a gas burner. La dolce vita in Scotland.

3 MUST-DO'S IN ISLE OF SKYE §  Visit the Talisker distillery.  §  Watch the sunset on Neist Point.  §  Immerse yourself in the mystical Fairy Pools.

To be fair, you cannot do justice to this magnificent island in four days. But, hard as it may be, choices have to be made when you're limited with time as we were when we visited it a while ago. We decided to drive through majority of the island as the roads are scenic enough to make it worthwhile and we picked a few main attractions, while also stopping along the way (mainly to have wine and other local specialties, but also to marvel at the views).

So, which destinations made the cut?

Siracuse

Agrigento and Valley of the Temples 

Cefalu

Have you been to Sicily? Did we miss out on any super-cool-must-visit spots? (I'm sure we did, I'd rather not know...) (Although on the other hand, it's always good to leave something for next time, right?)

I designed this short infographic with some basic information and key tips & tricks to keep in mind while visiting Iceland. It's short so read below for further (and more detailed) information on what to bring, what to wear, what to eat.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment section! If you've been to Iceland and have a tip to share, please do! I'll be posting some photos and day trip recommendations later on the blog as well.

1. WEATHER

• Wear layers. T-shirt, shirt, warm jumper, windstopper jacket. The weather changes so quickly you might wear everything at once or just a T-shirt in one day (in summer that is). 
• Wear appropriate hiking or running shoes – depends on your destination.
• No need for an umbrella. It it's pouring, hide in a cafe. If it's drizzling, put on your hood. In either case, it's probably going to be too windy for your umbrella to survive.
• Take your warm winter hat. You'll be grateful when you're hiking and it's windy.

2. SAVING MONEY

• Buy your groceries in »Bonus.« The cheapest supermarket with a great selection.
• Download an app called »Appy hour« to see which cafes and bars have a happy hour when you want to grab a beer. 
• Bring a sleeping bag - most of guesthouses will give you a considerable discount if you do.
• The most convinient way to pay is with your payment cards. Everyone does it in Iceland even for the smallest amounts in shops, bars etc. The only change you'll actually need is for the city bus (350 kr). 
 

3. FOOD

• Icelanders are famous for their love of hotdogs. I didn't like hotdogs at all before visiting Iceland. I ate them every other day while in Reykjavik. ;)
• You have to taste the local seafood specialties. Whale meat on the other hand isn't really a tradition there, more like a tourist attraction - try to avoid it. 
• The best hamburger joint in town is Hamborgarabollan - visit them in the Old Harbour and try their "offter of the century." :-)
  

4. EVENTS

• Follow the »Reykjavik Grapevine« on Facebook and find a free copy in the bars and shops. You'll find a calendar with the latest events in there. Their website is also a must-visit, full of tips on which places to visit (and the hippest bars at the moment), as well as great pieces on Icelandic society and culture.
  
• I spent some of the most amazing evenings in Reykjavik in the Kex Hostel, Hresso, Kaffibarinn and Hurra. Great atmosphere, great (live) music. 
• Do some research before you visit - Iceland has some amazing festivals througout the year.

 

5. GETTING AROUND

• For using the city bus in Reykjavik, use "Straeto" (also available as a mobile app). It's also useful for looking up other (even cross-country) bus lines. 
• The easiest way to get from the airport is to use the Flybus. The transfers are available after (and before) every flight so there's no need for looking up timetables and booking ahead. For a small fee it even delivers you right to your hotel (or picks you up at the hotel).
• Tours with tourist agencies can be incredibly expensive. The best solution is to rent a car - it gives you the freedom to visit what you want and when you want it. Just stick to the instructions on which roads to avoid. ;-)
• Never, ever go off the marked path. You mind end up in a hotspring (and this is not a joke).

6. MORE RESOURCES