Post-trip musings after visiting Switzerland for a week

I just got back from a week long trip to Switzerland (Montreux, 4 days; Zurich 3 days). It was a great trip and I really enjoyed it.

The main reason we were there was for the Montreux Jazz Festival. We saw Seal, The Pet Shop Boys and the B-52's.



















Here are some thoughts:

• It was expensive. Switzerland was already expensive, but with the recent decline in the US dollar, it was really rough.
• The Swiss are well-organized. They think of the little things. For instance, we went to several concerts (Seal, Pet Shop Boys, B-52's, etc..). They provided ear plugs for everyone to help with the loudness. Also, they had a quiet room where you could go and recuperate.
• The train system rocks! On-time and clean!
• Smoking is still considered a normal, public activity. There were non-smoking areas in restaurants, but you could still smell it.
  
• Service at restaurants was spotty. In many cases, wait staff treated you as if they were doing you a favor by waiting on you. There were exceptions, such as Haus Hiltl where the service was impeccable and the food was unbelievable. Make a booking if you want to go there. They serve all kinds of vegetarian food... unbelievable.
  
• The best meal we had was dinner with our friends at their apartment.