About a decade ago our member Ms C. Dutta had gone for a Europe tour with her son, daughter-in-law and grandson. She shares her eternal moments of the exclusivity of Italy and Switzerland.
During our Europe tour one of the most fascinating places was Italy, a country with a long Mediterranean coastline. We visited the capital city of Rome the Vatican museums there; Florence which has artistic masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s “David” and Brunelleschi’s Duomo; and Venice, the city of canals.
Switzerland on the other hand offered scenic beauties, snow capped mountains, skiing opportunities and so on. I experienced completely different geographical parameters in both the places.
In Rome we came across a lot of historical monuments such as the Colosseum, the Roman Chapels and Vatican museums. The Colosseum, an amphitheatre is one the best monuments, even if parts of it has ruined due to earthquakes and stone robberies. But it still is a main tourist attraction and one of the new seven wonders of the world.
The churches look wonderful with their pillared structures and the central dome. They are built in a circular form of the imperial mausoleums. Elegant facades lure you towards grand doorways. In these churches we saw the world-renowned masterpieces by some of the greatest artists in history, including Michelangelo, Bernini, Caravaggio, and Raphael! We also saw in one of the churches Michelangelo’s masterful sculpture of Moses.
The Vatican museums are mind-blowing and leaves you gaping at the masterpieces of Renaissance art and the Roman sculptures. Florence is also known for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture, monuments, museums and art galleries. It is also one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Uffizi gallery holds a collection of priceless works of the Italian Renaissance whereas the Academy’s Gallery has housed Michelangelo’s “David”. The best was the Pope’s House, the Apostolic Palace. We attended his lecture in the audience hall and were fortunate enough to be introduced to him being Indians.
Venice seemed to be absolutely marvellous being the only city without roads and only waterbodies for thoroughfare. No wonder it is called the city of canals. An entire city built on nearly 100 small islands in a lagoon, seemed like a dream. The gondola ride was exquisite and an unforgettable experience.
We had experienced a complete scenic change in Switzerland. The Alps, the snow and the numerous lakes looked enchanting. I had a once in a lifetime experience skiing on the snow of the mighty Alps. The Rhine falls was equally spectacular. The landscape and villages around the river Rhine were stunning. We also visited a beautiful place located between two lakes.
The medieval town of Lucerne surrounded by mountains had a unique feature. Vehicles were not allowed here, so one could enjoy the historical buildings, lakes, walking on the low-lying bridges. It is also famous for Chapel Bridge and the Lion Monument. The top of the tallest cathedral of Switzerland – The Bern Cathedral gave us a majestic view of the Aare River and of the city around.
Every moment spent in these places have left a lasting impression on my mind. The serenity, the scenery, the waters everything was breath-taking.
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Venice in Italy
