Slow Train To Switzerland

Author : Diccon Bewes
Publisher : Nicholas Brealey
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2013-11-07
Category : Travel
ISBN : 9781473644915

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Slow Train to Switzerland by Diccon Bewes Pdf

"Bewes' breezy prose makes him a pleasant traveling companion ... he clearly knows Switzerland inside and out." - The Spectator In June 1863 an English lady set off by train on the trip of a lifetime: Thomas Cook's first Conducted Tour of Switzerland. A century and a half later, travel writer Diccon Bewes, author of the bestselling Swiss Watching, decided to go where she went and see what she saw. Guided by her diary, he followed the same route to discover how much had changed and how much hadn't. She went in search of adventure, he went in search of her, and found far more than he expected. Slow Train to Switzerland is the captivating account of two trips through the Alps: hers glimpsing the future of travel, his revisiting its past. Together they make a journey to remember. This is a tale of trains and tourists, of the British and the Swiss, of a Victorian traveller and a modern-day Englishman abroad. It is the story of a tour that changed both Switzerland and the world of travel forever.

Author : Diccon Bewes
Publisher : Nicholas Brealey
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2012-03-09
Category : Travel
ISBN : 9781473644946

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Swiss Watching by Diccon Bewes Pdf

New updated edition, new statistics and Epilogue One country, four languages, 26 cantons, and 7.5 million people (but only 80% of them Swiss): there's nowhere else in Europe like it. Switzerland may be almost 400 km from the nearest drop of seawater, but it is an island at the centre of Europe. Welcome to the landlocked island. Swiss Watching is a fascinating journey around Europe s most individual and misunderstood country. From seeking Heidi and finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, Diccon Bewes proves that there's more to Switzerland than banks and skis, francs and cheese. This book dispels the myths and unravels the true meaning of Swissness. In a land of cultural contradictions, this is a picture of the real and normally unseen Switzerland, a place where the breathtaking scenery shaped a nation not just a tour itinerary, and where tradition is as important as innovation. It's also the story of its people, who have more power than their politicians, but can't speak to one another in the same language and who own more guns per head than the people of Iraq. As for those national clichés, well, not all the cheese has holes, cuckoo clocks aren't Swiss and the trains don't always run exactly on time.

Author : Andrew Martin
Publisher : Profile Books
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2017-02-09
Category : Travel
ISBN : 9781782832126

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Night Trains by Andrew Martin Pdf

Night trains have long fascinated us with the possibilities of their private sleeping compartments, gilded dining cars, champagne bars and wealthy travellers. Authors from Agatha Christie to Graham Greene have used night trains to tell tales of romance, intrigue and decadence against a rolling background of dramatic landscapes. The reality could often be as thrilling: early British travellers on the Orient Express were advised to carry a revolver (as well as a teapot). In Night Trains, Andrew Martin attempts to relive the golden age of the great European sleeper trains by using their modern-day equivalents. This is no simple matter. The night trains have fallen on hard times, and the services are disappearing one by one. But if the Orient Express experience can only be recreated by taking three separate sleepers, the intriguing characters and exotic atmospheres have survived. Whether the backdrop is 3am at a Turkish customs post, the sun rising over the Riviera, or the constant twilight of a Norwegian summer night, Martin rediscovers the pleasures of a continent connected by rail. By tracing the history of the sleeper trains, he reveals much of the recent history of Europe itself. The original sleepers helped break down national barriers and unify the continent. Martin uncovers modern instances of European unity - and otherwise - as he traverses the continent during 'interesting times', with Brexit looming. Against this tumultuous backdrop, he experiences his own smaller dramas, as he fails to find crucial connecting stations, ponders the mystery of the compartment dog, and becomes embroiled in his very own night train whodunit.

Author : Diccon Bewes
Publisher : Nicholas Brealey
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2018-09-25
Category : Travel
ISBN : 9781473699724

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Swiss Watching, 3rd Edition by Diccon Bewes Pdf

New updated edition, new statistics and Epilogue One country, four languages, 26 cantons, and 7.5 million people (but only 80% of them Swiss): there's nowhere else in Europe like it. Switzerland may be almost 400 km from the nearest drop of seawater, but it is an island at the centre of Europe. Welcome to the landlocked island. Swiss Watching is a fascinating journey around Europe s most individual and misunderstood country. From seeking Heidi and finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, Diccon Bewes proves that there's more to Switzerland than banks and skis, francs and cheese. This book dispels the myths and unravels the true meaning of Swissness. In a land of cultural contradictions, this is a picture of the real and normally unseen Switzerland, a place where the breathtaking scenery shaped a nation not just a tour itinerary, and where tradition is as important as innovation. It's also the story of its people, who have more power than their politicians, but can't speak to one another in the same language and who own more guns per head than the people of Iraq. As for those national clichés, well, not all the cheese has holes, cuckoo clocks aren't Swiss and the trains don't always run exactly on time.

Author : Pascal Mercier
Publisher : Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
Page : 448 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2008-10-07
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781555849238

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Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier Pdf

The bestselling novel of love and sacrifice under fascist rule, and “a treat for the mind. One of the best books I have read in a long time” (Isabel Allende). Raimund Gregorius, a professor of dead languages at a Swiss secondary school, lives a life governed by routine. Then, an enigmatic Portuguese woman stirs his interest in an obscure, and mind-expanding book of philosophy that opens the possibility of changing Raimund’s existence. That same night, he takes the train to Lisbon to research the book’s phantom author, Amadeu de Prado, a renowned physician whose principles led him to confront Salazar’s dictatorship. Raimund, now obsessed with unlocking the mystery behind the man, is determined to meet all those on whom Prado left an indelible mark. Among them: his eighty-year-old sister, who maintains her brother’s house as if it were a museum; an elderly cleric and torture survivor confined to a nursing home; and Prado’s childhood friend and eventual partner in the Resistance. The closer Raimund comes to the truth of Prado’s life, and eventual fate, an extraordinary tale takes shape amid the labyrinthine memories of Prado’s intimate circle of family and friends, working in utmost secrecy to fight dictatorship, and the betrayals that threaten to expose them. “A meditative, deliberate exploration of loneliness, language and the human condition” (The San Diego Union-Tribune), Night Train to Lisbon “call[s] to mind the magical realism of Jorge Amado or Gabriel Garcia Marquez . . . allusive and thought-provoking, intellectually curious and yet heartbreakingly jaded,” and inexorably propelled by the haunting mystery at its heart (The Providence Journal). Night Train to Lisbon was adapted into Bille August’s award-winning 2013 film starring Jeremy Irons, Lena Olin, Christopher Lee, and Charlotte Rampling.

Author : Padraig Rooney
Publisher : Nicholas Brealey
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2016-09-27
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781473645028

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The Gilded Chalet by Padraig Rooney Pdf

Part detective work, part treasure chest, full of history and scandal, The Gilded Chalet takes you on a grand tour of two centuries of great writing by both Swiss and foreign authors and shows how Switzerland has always been at the center of literary Europe. Two centuries after the Romantics went there to invent Gothic horror, the lure of Switzerland hasn't left us. Writers from the Fitzgeralds to Fleming, Highsmith to Hemingway, Conan Doyle to le Carré, came to escape world wars, political persecution, tuberculosis. They came for sanctuary (from oppression or the tax man), for fresh air and nude sunbathing, for scenery resembling, as Rooney puts it, 'Mother Nature on steroids.' Patricia Highsmith spent her last years in a granite home in Ticino with a fridge containing little but peanut butter and vodka. Hermann Hesse had himself buried to the neck as a cure for alcoholism. Nabokov chased butterflies and played tennis on the hotel courts. When it comes to literature, it seems all roads lead to Switzerland. Padraig Rooney peers through the chalet windows and discovers how Switzerland has influenced some of the greatest authors and characters of literature.

Author : Clive H. Church,Randolph C. Head
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2013-05-23
Category : History
ISBN : 9781107244191

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A Concise History of Switzerland by Clive H. Church,Randolph C. Head Pdf

Despite its position at the heart of Europe and its quintessentially European nature, Switzerland's history is often overlooked within the English-speaking world. This comprehensive and engaging history of Switzerland traces the historical and cultural development of this fascinating but neglected European country from the end of the Dark Ages up to the present. The authors focus on the initial Confederacy of the Middle Ages; the religious divisions which threatened it after 1500 and its surprising survival amongst Europe's monarchies; the turmoil following the French Revolution and conquest, which continued until the Federal Constitution of 1848; the testing of the Swiss nation through the late nineteenth century and then two World Wars and the Depression of the 1930s; and the unparalleled economic and social growth and political success of the post-war era. The book concludes with a discussion of the contemporary challenges, often shared with neighbours, that shape the country today.

Author : John Ball
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 698 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 1873
Category : Alps
ISBN : HARVARD:32044009808429

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The Central Alps, Including the Bernese Oberland, and All Switzerland Excepting the Neighbourhood of Monte Rosa and the Great St. Bernard by John Ball Pdf

Author : Lonely Planet
Publisher : Lonely Planet
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2018-10-01
Category : Travel
ISBN : 9781788682022

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Amazing Train Journeys by Lonely Planet Pdf

Experience 60 of the world's greatest and most unforgettable train journeys, from classic long-distance trips like Canada's Rocky Mountaineer and Darwin to Adelaide's The Ghan, to little-known gems on regular commuting lines. Each profile contains practical information like ticket options and timetables, plus inspiring photos and illustrated maps.

Author : Culture Smart!,Kendall Hunter
Publisher : Kuperard
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2021-03-04
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781787028616

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Switzerland - Culture Smart! by Culture Smart!,Kendall Hunter Pdf

Don't just see the sights—get to know the people. Set aside your preconceptions of postcard scenery, chocolate and cheese, faceless bankers, and spotless cities. The real Switzerland is anything but bland. This small, multilingual, and fiercely independent country at the heart of Europe is full of surprises. Culture Smart! Switzerland reveals the human dimension of this enigmatic country. It provides an historical overview, explores Swiss values and attitudes, and looks at the cultural continuity of festivals and traditions. It will help you navigate your way through various aspects of Swiss life and society and reveal the warmth, decency, wit and intelligence that characterizes its inhabitants. Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.

Author : Michael Williams
Publisher : Random House
Page : 210 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2010-04-01
Category : Transportation
ISBN : 9781409050896

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On The Slow Train by Michael Williams Pdf

'A trip back in time' DAILY TELEGRAPH A love of railways, a love of history, a love of nostalgia. ______________________________ Get ready to board the slow train to another era, to a time when travel meant more than hurrying from one place to the next. On the Slow Train will reconnect you with that long-missed need for escape, and reminds us to lift our heads from the daily grind and remember that there are still places in Britain where we can take the time to stop and stare. This book is a paean to another age: before milk churns, train porters and cats on seats were replaced by security announcements and Burger King wrappers. These 12 spectacular journeys will help free us from what Baudelaire denounced as 'the horrible burden of time.' ___________________________________ 'Captivating' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'Deep in our soul, the railways represent an idyll that we love' INDEPENDENT 'A magical world, barely changed since the golden age of rail' DAILY MAIL 'Superb' RAILYWAY MAGAZINE 'Memory lane . . . An intriguing social snapshot' HERITAGE RAILWAY

Author : D. Birmingham
Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan
Page : 225 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2000-05-09
Category : History
ISBN : 0333800141

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Switzerland: A Village History by D. Birmingham Pdf

Switzerland is a remarkable country half of whose territory lies in the Alps. The raising of cattle and the making of cheese eventually brought a modest wealth to the peasants but the destructive Napoleonic invasion brought revolution and poverty. The democratic unification of Switzerland created a common market and a single currency. This history of one alpine village illustrates a one-thousand-year struggle for survival on the edge of this white wilderness.

Author : Stephen O'Shea
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2017-02-21
Category : Travel
ISBN : 9780393634198

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The Alps: A Human History from Hannibal to Heidi and Beyond by Stephen O'Shea Pdf

“An entertaining, turbocharged race among the high mountain passes of six alpine countries.” —Liesl Schillinger, New York Times Book Review For centuries the Alps have been witness to the march of armies, the flow of pilgrims and Crusaders, the feats of mountaineers, and the dreams of engineers. In The Alps, Stephen O’Shea ("a graceful and passionate writer"—Washington Post) takes readers up and down these majestic mountains. Journeying through their 500-mile arc across France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia, he explores the reality behind historic events and reveals how the Alps have profoundly influenced culture and society.

Author : Harry Jones
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 480 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 1865
Category : Switzerland
ISBN : HARVARD:HNQ41N

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The Regular Swiss Round by Harry Jones Pdf

Author : Harry JONES (Vicar of St. Philip, Regent St.)
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 478 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 1865
Category : Electronic
ISBN : BL:A0017872570

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The Regular Swiss Round in Three Trips by Harry JONES (Vicar of St. Philip, Regent St.) Pdf