We spent the next 4 nights driving through Switzerland (new country for Ayaan and Ariana and our 4th of the journey). We drove to Lausanne first, ate some Chinese food since Ayaan loves sweet corn soup and chicken with rice, and visited the church overlooking the city. We weren’t really looking to be in such a big city in Switzerland so we drove through the picturesque lakeside Ouchy to our remote bed and breakfast called Ferme de La Praz. It was set in the countryside overlooking sprawling farm land, cows with bells and the lake – exactly what we were looking for. We relaxed in the lawn, played on the trampoline and the kids enjoyed playing with trains in their game room. We ate some fondue at a local restaurant that was outdoors and had chickens nearby that kept the kids entertained.

The next day we ate some yummy breakfast at the BnB and drove to the nearby Lac de Joux. We walked around the beautiful lake and stopped by at the one of the prettiest playgrounds lakeside. Instead of eating at one of the touristy spots by the lake, we decided to get some Doner kebab in a nearby town. The kids napped that afternoon and Anjali and I finally got some time to spend with each other in the hot tub with some wine we had brought from Bourdeax. That evening was uneventful as we played in the game room and ate dinner in the garden of the BnB getting ready for the next couple of days that were hectic. However no day is complete without Ayaan and sometimes Ariana playing with the car and occasionally driving it with daddy.

The next morning we drove for 2 hours to Zermatt. We loved the mountain town of Zermatt that you can only reach by train. Our host at Artist apartment & hotel Garni was extremely friendly and picked up our bags from the station, while we took the Gornergrat railway up the mountain to get a clear view of Matterhorn from 10,000 feet. The kids loved the train ride with its huge windows and scenic views including waterfalls and glaciers. We spent a couple of hours gazing at the Matterhorn and other peaks and the kids were thrilled to feast on some ice cream! We picked up some wine on the train ride down as the kids napped. The town of Zermatt is quite romantic with live music, outdoor patios and great food. We took advantage of this before retreating to the hotel, putting the kids to sleep and enjoying the view of the Matterhorn from our balcony before we slept.

On our last day in Switzerland, we bid farewell to our host Richard, got some breakfast in town and took the train to the car that was parked in the garage. The drive to Lauterbrunnen was not only beautiful but also interesting as we all enjoyed taking the train while we sat in the car (similar to a ferry) for 17km through many tunnels. Lauterbrunnen is a few miles north of the tourist chaos of Interlaken and is stunningly situated with a waterfall in the town overlooking the snow mountains. We stopped on our way in the tiny town of Isenfluh where we got a clear, spectacular view of Jungfrau.

In the afternoon we visited the Trummelbach falls, that are extremely unique as the gushing falls (that come from Jungfrau as well as all the nearby mountains and glaciers) flow through the caves and provide gorgeous views of Lauterbrunnen. It was a spectacular sight to see and feel the force of these falls illuminated in the vast caves. Kids under 4 were not allowed so Anjali and I had to take turns while Ayaan napped and Ariana was in a playful mood. We stayed at the Chalet Rosa, which was quite average although well located right by the famous Stabbach Falls, and ate some Raclette and Rosti nearby. The kids of course enjoyed their chicken nuggets.

Overall Switzerland was extremely beautiful but we were surprised to find many mosquitoes and an overall lower tolerance to young kids. After 4 nights we were ready to head to our favorite – Italy!