Throwback Tuesday: Catching Clouds at Nendaz, CH

"Qu'est-ce que c'est, maman?"
What's that, Ma?
Bo, my almost 4-year-old-son (at that time) asked me.

He just heard Alphorn, the famous traditional long trumpet played by a grop of men on top of Nendaz Terrace, overlooking the Bernese, Valais, and Vaud Alps afar.
"Do you like it, Bo? That's Alphorn, Bo and we will hear more soon." I smiled to him and walked around the terrace while enjoying the breathtaking view.

Mashallah... my Rabb is a maestro indeed.

Welcome to Nendaz, Sion, Switzerland.

My Throwback Tuesday will take us to Nendaz, a beautiful city situated in canton Valais, Switzerland.

Nendaz, or also known as Les 4 Vallées, or the 4 valleys, is beautifully located in Sion, canton Valais, Switzerland 🇨🇭.

We drove around 2.5 hours from  Geneve to  Nendaz.
We wanted to see the International Alphorn Festival held that day, in a wonderful Seiss summer day. We were not pretty sure whether we could make it on time bu we went there anyway. It becomes sort of a habbit for us to drive around in Switzerland whenever we can. This country has  one of the most beautiful scenic views all over the country.
So while posted there, we took the liberty to explore it whenever time, weather and health permit.

So, long story short (after 2.5 hour drive filled with incredible view), we arrived and parked our car at the parking lot. We needed to go up and took the funiculaire or teleferique up to the top, where they held the Festival. On the way up, Bo really enjoyed the scenery, although he was a bit fidgety when the car stopped in the middle of the way.

Up there, the Festival has almost finished.

one man standing..

The International Alphorn Festival held in Nendaz is one of the biggest events celebrating the beauty of this traditional musical instrument in Switzerland. As My Switzerland website mentioned, there were approximately more than 100 players of all nationalities when they had this festival last summer. Rad, right.

Once the Festival was done, we strolled around to enjoy this beautiful spot.
We were blessed with clear blue sky and again, amazing vista.
Wherever we looked, we felt so peaceful.
Abundant.
And blessed.

Well, that's one of the beauties of traveling and exploring the nature, right.
You feel oh-so-relaxed while at the same time we're so grateful for having the opportunity to enjoy God's creation. 

Needless to say, Udi, Bo and I took pictures of this wonderful place.

That's my #ThrowbackTuesday at Nendaz, Switzerland.

What's your memory today?

p.s : I will keep my Throwback Tuesday features but will post it every Wednesday or Thursday :).

Brilliant Sky and Blooming Morges, Switzerland

Blooming Morges, Switzerland

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the beauty of nature

Throwback Tuesday: A glimpse of Rathaus Basel, Switzerland

A glimpse of Rathaus Basel, Switzerland

Welcome to Basel, CH :)

Has anyone been to Basel, Switzerland before?

I am back to my #throwbacktuesday mode and this time around, I would love to share our short trip to Basel, Switzerland. 

Untuk perjalanan kali ini, saya mau sharing cerita seru #MyItchyFeet ke Basel, Swiss.

I know, perjalanan ini kita lakukan di awal tahun 2010, - 7 tahun yang lalu - tapi boleh kan ya aku ceritakan di sini :). Meskipun sudah lama, banyak hal yang tetap sama sampai sekarang.

Basel is one of the buy cities in Switzerland, the third most populous in this country as a matter of fact. Strategically located in northwest Switzerland bordering with Germany and France, German is dominantly used here, with a special Swiss dialect for sure.

Kota Basel memang terletak di perbatasan Swiss, Jerman dan Perancis. Namun karena lebih dominan warga Swiss keturunan Jerman, bahasa, budaya dan makanan yang banyak ditemui di Basel memang sarat dengan pengaruh Jerman. Seru juga sih, karena kami tinggal di Geneve yang dominan dengan bahasa dan budaya Perancis, jadi hitung-hitung seperti  main ke Jerman :).

Arriving at Basel train station or Banhof Basel :)

Our trip to Basel took place in 2010 and it was the first time for us to use the carte journalìere or a special one-day ticket of train where you can go anywhere in Switzerland. 

Yes, anywhere.

As long as the trip matches the date of your ticket.

The tickets are provided for Swiss residents, so that you need to provide proof of resident to your nearest Mairie Meyrin.

So we got 2 tickets as Bo didn't need the ticket yet.

It costs CHF 30 per person, but again you can go anywhere you want in Switzerland.

Quite a bargain, right.

And what I love about taking the train in Switzerland is that the view along the way is so breathtaking.

on the way to Basel..

And the train itself is super comfy.

ma petite Bo :)

As we arrived at Basel, we realized we didn't really have much time.

We had angklung rehearsal later that evening.

As the trip itself took 3 hours by train from Geneva, we decided to go straight to Basel Town Hall, or known as Roothuus or Rathaus Basel.

This town hall is right in the middle of the city and famous for being beautifully red :).

The town hall is a unique architecture.

I don't really have the detailed stories about it but this small Town Hall is adorned with so many frescoes and sculptures.

Let's see some of the photos we took there, shall we?

the faces

In one of the corners of the building, we found a classic clock on the wall.

the arches..

For sure, we took the liberty to take pictures here and there.

With my tiny-at-that-time Bo :).

Obi was not even born yet.

And this is how the Town Hall looked from across the street.

That's my #throwbacktuesday, a glimpse of Rathaus Basel, Switzerland.
What's your wonderful memories today?

p.s : I will keep my Throwback Tuesday features but will post it every Wednesday or Thursday :).

Throwback Tuesday: A Day in Milano

Time for another Throwback Tuesday!

This time my snaps from my second visit to Italy and first time visit to Milano.

And Bo was still a cute toddler.

This is the city where Bo first learned to run, chasing the doves :).

It was back in 2008, when I was posted in Geneva, Switzerland, for my first assignment.

My mom stayed with us for 6 months and we managed to travel around whenever we had time. 

I remember  vividly that it was our first Easter Break trip in Europe.

Good thing about Easter Break in Europe is that it lasts for 4 days.

Yuup..Friday to Monday it is.

And we practically stayed in the central of the continent, where traveling around Western European countries are super easy.
We took the liberty to visit Lugano and Mendrisio in Switzerland, before heading to Milan and stayed day for a day.

First destination:  the Duomo.
The one in Milano is the third largest Gothic cathedral in the world and many have been captivated by its intricate details. 
When we went there, the Cathedral was undergoing quite a major renovation.

The next stop was Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle II.

Window shopping only  it was, as we had just had a crazy shopping session at Mendrisio Factory Outlet :).

 

We went to Castello Sforzesco, an imposing architecture full of history as well.

 And as I said, this is the place where Bo started running around chasing the birds.

The flocking birds around those magnificent buildings!

That's my #throwbacktuesday.
What's your wonderful memories today?

p.s : I will keep my Throwback Tuesday features but will post it every Wednesday or Thursday :).

WW: Old Town Luzern, Switzerland

Let me take you closer to Old Town, Luzern, Switzerland

Read more on 5 Beautiful Spots at Luzern. Switzerland
Join us at (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun blog hopping :)

5 Beautiful Spots at Luzern, Switzerland

Welcome to Luzern

"Bonjour...are we heading to Saillon or Luzern today?"

My phone buzzed with series of messages through Whatsapp group that morning.
After 5 long days filled with intensive, back-to-back meetings and negotiations, I guess I was ready to enjoy the endless beauty of Switzerland, one of my favorite countries in the world.

And frankly, I do have so many choices!
So many beautiful places to visit and revisit.
Originally, my dearest friends and I planned to go to Saillon for some deep-in-water relaxing time.
Then as not every one was fancy soaking in the warm water, we were thinking about heading to Sion (famous for its chateau) or Gstaad.
But at the end of the day, we chose to enjoy our beautiful Saturday at Lucerne.
And indeed we made a great choice!

Lucerne, or Luzern in German and Lozärn in Swiss-German, in simply beautiful.
There are many ways to reach this beautiful city, notably by taking the Swiss Train (which is very comfy!), by bus or by driving. As we were heading there together with my friends and family in Switzerland, we took the car.

After approximately 3 hours driving the world-famous scenic roads of Switzerland, we arrived at Luzern at almost lunch time. 

We parked the car at the Zentralbahn or the Central Station, the hub of the Swiss Federal Railways as well as buses. Packing up our food, drinks, camera and stuff, we were so ready to explore.

Luzern, as I read in the wikipedia, is in fact the first city to join Swiss Confederation. 
No wonder it is so rich in history! 
Luzern has also been well known as well as the gateway to Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus, the famous mountains in the Swiss Alps. For sure, this town is getting more famous as Mark Twain mentioned it in one of his writings.

So, are you ready to see Luzern closer?

Now let's see these 5 Beautiful Spots at Luzern, Switzerland, that I highly recommend to those visiting this beautiful city. Again, there are of course so many interesting spots that you can visit here, but you only have, let say, a half day in Luzern, these 5 spots will be manageable. And believe, those 4 spots are so Instagramable!

1. Welcome Gate or Wilkommen in Luzern Gate at Bahnhof Luzern

As we arrived in Luzern, we were heading out to city through  Bahnhof Luzern or the main station. It's right in the middle of the city and only 5 minutes walk to the famous Lake Lucerne. As you stepped out of the main entrance of the station, you won't miss the welcome gate. It's a classic tower gate adorned with sculptures, big clock and columns. Too bad I didn't have the complete story of this frontage. 
Stopping here for a while and take pictures? Why not!

2. Lake Lucerne or Vierwaldstätter See in German

I can say that those enjoying the city of Lucerne with spend some times at the bank of Lake Lucerne. It's just too beautiful to miss!

Lake Lucerne is the fourth biggest lake in Switzerland, covering the area of approximately 114 km square and bordering 4 canton, or state/province in Switzerland, namely Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, and Nidwalden.

A far you can see Mount Rigi and Bürkenstock as well as the charming city of Vitznau.

We were having our lunch by the lake.
Having specially prepared rice bento packed with delicious Indonesian food (Merci, tante Nur! Love your food sooooo much :!), I daresay I had one of the most delicious lunches surrounded by the beauty of nature!

lunch by the lake? Super yuuuum!

If you have enough time, go stroll around the Lake as it's beautifully doted with sculptures and rustic benches where you can peacefully contemplate.

3. Kapellbrücke or the Chapel Bridge

After finishing lunch, we went to one of the famous landmarks in this town, Kapellbrücke.

Chapel Bridge is a long wooden bridge elaborated by paintings on the ceilings, depicting some scenes and drawings about the story of the City in the 12th century, some from the Bible I guess and about the history of Switzerland as well. 

one of the paintings in Chapel Bridge

It was built in the 14th century and believed to be one of the oldest wood bridge in Europe.

How cool is that!

Although it's quite old, this bridge remains strong and has always been packed with people visiting the city and wanted to see the various drawings on it.

The tower you see in this picture is still in its original condition as it was built centuries ago.

4. The Dying Lion Monument

On the other side of the city (not too far though), you can enjoy another famous landmark of the city, the Dying Lion Monument or Lowendenkmal.

Designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen, this mournful monument was made as the remembrance of the fallen Swiss Guards, massacred during the French Revolution in Paris, France in 1792.

After walking around for a while, we stopped at one of the cafes near the Dying Lion monument to rest for a while and enjoy Fritz Cola :).

5. Old Town Luzern

If you fancy exploring the petit boutiques, shops, restaurants and galleries, the Old Town of Lucerne will be the best part. 

I love to see the display and the windows of those shops.

When we were there, most of them were featuring various dolls and masks of wizards and witches. I guess it's because they just celebrated  Fasnacht, the carnival just before Lent. 

cheers..

The further you walk into the Old Town, the more antique murals, fountains and statues you will find. Truly a feast for my eyes..and my camera as well.

We finally called it a day after the sun set in the horizon.
It has been a wonderful day indeed.
And for sure, I had truly enjoyable time strolling around and enjoying these 5 beautiful spots at Luzern, Switzerland.




So, what do you think about Luzern/Lucerne?
Do you like old, classic and well-preserved town like Luzern/Lucerne?
What is your favorite part?

Stick around for more stories from my itchy feet here in My Purple World!