Swiss....Cheese....Yes....

Yes....Switzerland was our next destination. My Mother put it beautifully by saying, "Well I do not have to prepare for this trip studying historical facts or refer Fodor's guide. All one has to do in Switzerland is just to imagine that you are walking holding Mother Nature's hand".  Sure it was.

The first time I went to Switzerland was in 1997 on a Eu-rail adventure trip with friends.  I have to write about that fabulous experience one of these days.

This adventure with Mom was more well planned but full of excitement.  What I learnt in those trips both with friends and Mom was that the travel itinerary must have some spontaneous acts and out of the tourist routes. The heart of Switzerland lies in its beautiful mountain villages. Though I like Geneva, Zurich and Basel which are nice cities to get around especially for business trips, yet my favorites are Interlaken and Grindelwald. The towering peak of Mt. Eiger and the Alps range makes you feel humble and happy.

Alright, no Swiss trip is complete without tasting the real Swiss Fondue, Brie and of course chocolate. The best Fondue I had was in Grindelwald. We stopped at this restaurant for dinner. The Chef gave me a wide choice of vegetarian and patiently taught me the nuances of properly selecting the cheese dips.  I looked out of the window.  Mt. Eiger with its tall majestic peak glistening under the moon light looked so comforting.

We loved the villages on the way. Sometimes we stopped at a village cafe to learn more about the local lore's and tales. One such story we heard was about why the window sills have beautiful flowers in every village we passed thru. According to the tradition if the plants looked healthy and blooming it means that the household is peaceful and happy. If the flowers are withering and not pruned properly it means that there is some problem or issues in the house. The villagers usually step in to find out the reason and to help.

Interestingly, when human beings lived in a more communal and sharing way of life the interaction was more face to face. Now, we have created a "Web" around us, operate in a www World! Technology is an enabler to change the traditions. But the quest to connect, to share, to love and to be loved are still the same. Right?

We reached back to the hotel and checked the map to visit Lichtenstein another tiny country in the Rhine valley bordering Austria and Switzerland. My mind wandered from Mt. Eiger to the Himalayas, the Andes and the Rockies. What a beautiful planet is ours!


All content copyright © by Sobana Iyengar.

Amma....Hugs....Bliss....

Mata Amirthanandamayi, affectionately called as the "Hugging Saint" or Amma is in town. Just returned from the evening lecture and bhajans. It was a great comfort to be in her presence, who relentlessly works and helps the unfortunate people all over the World.  In today's lecture she mentioned about the need to reflect and to develop awareness. The human mind will always oscillate between good and bad thoughts and sometimes what is bad may even be more tempting. If one practices to distinguish between the good and the bad thoughts, that awareness will help one to prevent the action related to that bad thought.

Amma was born in a fisherman's village in Kerala on the shores of Arabian sea in India.  Started helping her poor villagers and showered love on them when she was a little girl.  She expanded her universal love to all. Her smile and empathetic hugs bring donations and volunteers to serve the community not only in India but poor and destitutes all over the world.  Her spiritual organization runs projects related to charity, education, housing and empowerment of women.

On the stage Amma was singing beautifully the Bhajan song "Praise Mother". The well orchestrated chorus, the rhythm of the cymbals, the lovely music from the harmonium and her sweet voice pushed me into that divine experience. Slowly my heart melted into sheer joy and peace.

On the way home, I was silent, smiling, and thinking "Thank You God".

http://www.amritapuri.org/9379/embrace-concept/





All content copyright © by Sobana Iyengar.