For an Australian, there are a number of differences that one notices when spending time here in Switzerland.

Some are obvious (different power sockets, driving on the other side of the road, different native language…). I expected those – and I’ve been here before (albeit some years ago now).

However, here are some differences that I didn’t expect:

• The sheer number and popularity of bikes, bike riding, and bike roads (and all very well signposted and road-marked)
  

  Bikes in Lucerne

• Dogs are seen as members of the family in public. It is routine to bring your dog with you when shopping, or to a restaurant, or on the cable car to a mountaintop [1]
• The roads and road signs look just like a Lego City construction set
  

  Road signs that look like a Lego City set

• Bakeries use a big model croissant mounted outside of the shop as a visual indication that they are a bakery
  

  Bakery featuring the universal bakery symbol

• One unusual thing that crosses public roads in Switzerland is… turboprop aircraft
  

  PC-12 Crossing The Road

• Another unusual thing that crosses public roads in Switzerland is… bullets[2]
• The local fish caught in Lake Lucerne is named after a global router vendor
  

  These are Cisco fillets. Its a locally caught fish. Really.

• The cows have bells. Always. It sounds like a percussion act at a world music concert (in a nice way)
  

  Swiss Cow

• Swiss people sunbathe on mountaintops
  

  Swiss sunbathers on top of a mountain

• A surprisingly number of private homes use cable cars to deliver supplies
  

  Private House Cable Car

• There is a very strong skeleton motif in sculptures and religious paintings
  

  Skeleton getting up close and personal with a lady

• 

  Not A Beaver

• Some buildings are incredibly, surprisingly, old (and beautiful for it)
  

  Seriously old covered bridge in Lucerne

• Frei is not Free! When you see the word ‘Frei’ at the entrance to a parking area, it means there are spaces left, not that the parking is free of charge 🙂
• Quad bikes are road legal here (unlike Australia), and some of them are pretty tricked out 🙂

Its a wonderful country, and I have loved being here. I’ll be back.

——

Footnote [1]: The ticket fare table for the cog-wheel train up to Mt Pilatus has prices separately listed for adults, children, and dogs.

Footnote [2]: There is a firing range near the factory. The range building is on one side, the range targets are on a hillside on the other side of the road. One had best hope the aiming point used by their customers is sufficiently high…!  (I am not making this up, I have driven between the two of them and seen it).