Switzerland - best of??

On certain special occasions, you have to show the best of your country to visiting dignitaries. That's what happened in early September when we held a work meeting in Montreux. This is probably the most scenic (well actually the second-most, after Geneva) place in Switzerland, with the lake, the vineyards, the mountains. Obviously, the weather was fantastic - some of my colleagues even swam in the lake.

Then, Switzerland is mostly associated with chocolate, excellent chocolate. So there we go and visit a chocolate factory, Cailler. The factory is more than 100 years old and still making profits - although not as much as in some recent years, because of an unfavorable redesigning of the packaging. We all learn about the history of chocolate, its content, and we wee a small production line.

Of course, the tour finished with a stop at the shop. Some colleagues almost compete to buy the most chocolates. It is certainly good for the economy!

Besides chocolate, Switzerland also has the best cheeses, with "Gruyere" being right there at the top. So, there we go to visit the Gruyere castle. After a guided tour, we have a small lunch where we taste the famous "Gruyere" cheese and listen to speeches by the local authorities. Good to hear that local politicians do speak English, have a good sense of humor, and manage to raise the level of their speech and make it appropriate for our international guests.

Then, on the way for lunch, still a typical Swiss moment with the throwing of the flag and the playing of the alphorn. I would say it is hardly possible to organise a more typically Swiss week-end than this. Still I must admit that I enjoyed it very much...