switzerland (+)

Switzerland's railway system is ranked first among national European rail systems for its intensity of use, quality of service and strong safety rating. It's the sole transportation we used during our three-week travel in this mountainous country, through the valleys, around the lakes, to urban cities, and rural villages. A quick check with its mobile app can tell you all the available routes to the destination you want, the exact times of arrival, the stops along the way, the platforms to board, even how crowded each train is.

The train itself is nice and clean, comfy and roomy, with designated spaces for bicycles, luggages, child seats, etc.

On the second day of our trip, I left my phone on the train. As we stood at the platform of the station we just deboarded, wondering who/what to contact for help, another train arrived, and down came a woman conductor for routine check. We told her what happened and she invited us to the train as it must leave on schedule, where she asked for the details of my mishap, and my friend's phone number for call back and assured us they would let us know if they found the phone. We got off the train at the next stop, and decided to go to the customer service counter there to report the loss just to be doubly sure that someone would look for it. As we approached the counter my friend's phone rang, and we handed it to the customer service agent so they could talk in German. Moments later, "they found the phone, and will bring it to this station by one of the next trains coming in. You can come back here to pick it up in about an hour," the customer service agent smiled and told us. And I did get my phone back an hour later, in the middle of nowhere, in rural southeastern Switzerland!

I couldn't be more impressed by and appreciative of the diligence and efficiency of the people and the system there!

The other pleasant surprise thing I encountered in Switzerland was their food. It was in general a good mix of German, Italian, and French cooking—no surprise, as it is the country's population composition—with quality agriculture ingredients (great bread and potato, freshwater fish from the lakes, happy cows on green pasture 😏), homey taste, at reasonable prices. (Average dish at formal dining was about 20% higher than in the US, but then you didn't have to tip, so it's a wash.)

Last but not least, the most pleasant thing of this trip, however, was to be accompanied by Joseph Chou, my best friend from high school, and his wonderful wife Peipei!

They were the ones that planned every detail of the trip: studying the places to visit, setting the itinerary, booking the hotels, reserving the train seats, etc., and led every step of the way as we moved up and down the country. When I said we took on this trip as a self-guided tour, what I really meant was a "Chou-guided" tour!

And I got to enjoy many precious moments with Joseph: in the train, at the summit, on the trail, sharing thoughts and memories of the old and the new. Joseph was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago and went through a major surgery and chemo treatment last year from which he was still recovering. I am so grateful that we had such a wonderful trip together to reunion and reconnect!

Thank you, Joseph and Peipei, God be with you, and let's do it again sometime!