Switzerland

What a picturesque country! We took a train that goes up the side of one of the Swiss Alps, making our way to a Chalet style Hostel. Our hostel was up and around cloud level, surrounded by snow capped mountains. The view was unreal! We were in a small Swiss village, so we really got to experience the Swiss life without the tourists. We spent four days hiking the mountains, and exploring the villages. Time in the hostel was spent playing scrabble or reading, overlooking the mountains. The air there was pure, and the tap water was better than evian! Of course, we participated in a few of the traditions. Tasting the chocolate, and making a traditional fondue dinner... Mmm, the Swiss know how to live.

The owner of the hostel hosted a wine tasting night, because the Swiss don't export their wine. We paid a few euros, learned everything we needed to know about Swiss wine, and were left with 15 bottles for 8 people to drink. Another afternoon/night was spent hanging out in the kitchen with other guests swapping stories, while we each made our own home made recipes.

This place felt like a home rather than a hostel. Have a look at the pictures, they say it all. Gryon, Switzerland, highly recommended for a Swiss experience.