Silvio

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Wednesday, February 9th 2011, 10:16pm

Switzerland

Alright, I'll give a shot and write something about Switzerland.

Switzerland
Capital: Bern
Official language(s): German, French, Italian, Romansh
Area: 41'285 km² (so it's just a little bit smaller than Holland)
Currency: CHF (Swiss franc)
EU-member: no

Switzerland is a pretty small country in Western Europe and is landlocked. It is surrounded by France, Italy, Austria, Germany and Liechtenstein.

Useful hints about the Swiss
Swiss people are known as a bit stubborn, reserved people and usually don't start a conversation with a stranger. Furthermore punctuality is really important... There's a good proverb illustrating this: "Being punctual like a Swiss clock" [free translation]. Environment and cleanliness are important topics as well. Oh and the rules are pretty tight compared with other countries, I'd say ("rules are rules").

I've also found a list with stereotypes (what do you think about these ones?):
serious, disciplinated, smart, neutral, intelligent, peaceful, cold-hearted, selfish, lack of sense of humor...

Transportation
You can travel through Switzerland by public transportation which can brings you wherever you want to. It's probably the cheapest way if you stay only for a short time and you have no opportunity to borrow a car (or to bring your own one). If you are not used to drive windy roads you should better cross the Alps by train, otherwise you'll annoy locals who would like to drive from one valley to the next one faster than you (yes, I know what I am talking about.... haha). Nah, I'm just kidding... I'd say crossing our mountains is really worth it! You'll have a great view and see a lot of picturesque scenes - I promise.
Everyone chases after happiness, not noticing that happiness is right at their heels. - Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)

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