dec 2011 • vol 16 issue 7

inside:GLBT disparities

occupy everything invisibility of lgbt minorities

monetizing columbus artauthor Brian Teare

actor happy mahaneydominique Reinhard

holigay gift guideTrippin’ out to the alps& Local celebrity Laura

The Tale of two sissies

outlook

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outlookcolumbus.comdec 201150 In case you didn’t know, the Swiss Alps is where Swiss Miss is made.

By Aaron Leventhal

The Alps are picture-postcard perfect. Formed100 million years ago by a collision of African, Eu-ropean and Asian plates, these rugged moun-tains with their lush green valleys, towering pinesand deep alpine lakes set the Alps apart as aunique world-class attraction. This past Septem-ber, I explored the Alps primarily by rail and wascaptivated by their extraordinary natural scenicbeauty, picturesque historic villages and sophisti-cated cities.

There is a vibrant gay and lesbian sub-culture inSwitzerland’s major cities, such as Zurich, Bern,Lucerne and Geneva. As in the rest of Europe, thegeneral public is accepting of LGBT individualsand the Constitution of the Swiss Confederationprotects them from discrimination, and givesthem the legal right to adopt children and servein the military. The Partnership Act of 2007 recog-nizes registered partnerships and grants same-sex couples most of the rights of heterosexualmarriages. One-in-ten of all marriages in thecanton of Zurich were registered marriages be-tween members of the same sex.

It is best to put aside a minimum of eight fulldays to explore the Alps. Switzerland is a verysmall country (half the size of South Carolina),but it feels much larger since most of it is verti-cal. The north of Switzerland is Germanic and tra-ditionally conservative, however the Alps are inthe south in the French and Italian cantons (simi-lar to counties), which are more open and diverse.

The itinerary below is based on my journal entriesduring the trip, which, after traveling from Zurichto the Engardin Valley, followed a relativelystraight course from the Eastern Alps west toLake Geneva.

The Swiss Air flight from New York’s JFK airport toZurich takes about eight hours. At the airport,board a train to Zurich’s main station and trans-fer to travel south through the Alps via Chur toPontresina. The four-hour rail ride, designated aUNESCO World Heritage Site, glides up and downpristine mountains, through tunnels, over bridgesand steep gorges, past rushing streams, woodenchalets, cows grazing on hillsides and giganticpines clinging to the slopes.

Pontresina, home to the highest peaks in theEastern Alps, is a hikers paradise. Cable cars andski lifts transport visitors to mountain summitswith a network of well-marked trails for novices toseasoned trekkers. Nearby is St. Moritz, birthplaceof winter tourism in Europe in the mid-19th cen-tury. The Sagantini Museum is filled with Gio-vanni’s Italian impressionistic Alpinemasterpieces.

Both towns are blessed with an abundance ofsunshine, world-class ski slopes, spectacularmountain views, chic boutiques, award-winningrestaurants and high-caliber inns. I stayed at theHotel Rosatsch Stammhaus (www.hotel-rosatsch.ch), within walking distance of Pon-tresina ski lifts. It is family owned and operatedwith an indoor pool, spa, gym and BundnerStubliRestaurant serving traditional Old World fish andgame dishes and vegetarian entrees.

The deluxe Palm Express bus goes from St. Moritzthrough the towering Alps, for a two-hour ridethrough the Italian Alps to Chiavenna, Italy, nes-tled in a river valley near the Swiss border. ThePalazzo Vertemate Franchi, a 16th century Ren-aissance masterpiece, was built on a hilltop by awealthy aristocratic family for use as a huntinglodge.

Next day, re-board Palm Express for a three-hourdrive to Lugano, a resort city of 50,000 along LakeLugano in the Italian-speaking Swiss canton ofTicino. Set aside time to take the cable car (funic-ular) to the top of San Salvatore for a spectacularview of the city, lake and Alps.

Next stop on the Alps adventure is Zermatt, hometo the Matterhorn, the world’s most recognizablemountain peak. There are several train routes toreach Zermatt from Lugano, the most scenicbeing the five-hour route through Locarno north toInterlocken and then south through Brig to Zer-matt - a spectacular journey.

Put aside a full day to ascend the mountains bycable car and ski lift to one of the four viewpoints.The ride is pricey, but there is a 50% discountwith the Swiss Pass.

In Zermatt, stroll through its historic neighbor-hood with streets lined with chalets, many onstone stilts. The Matterhorn Museum with its ex-

hibits and historic movies tells the fascinatingstory of 19th century Zermatt, before railroadsand ski lifts, and of the courageous climbers whoreached the Matterhorn summit or died trying.The Hotel Tannenhof (www.rhone.ch/tannenhof)has an excellent Matterhorn view, and is ownedand operated by a family of three generations ofmountain guides. Dine at Helvetia Restaurant, acozy bistro serving traditional Swiss dishes in-cluding cheese fondue and wild game.

Continuing west, take a short train ride to theSwiss Riviera and French Alps. Montreux, a chicresort city along Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) is anideal base to explore a number of world-class at-tractions. Stay at Tralala Hotel (www.tralalaho-tel.ch), converted from a 400-year-old mansionon a hilltop. Rooms are decorated with posters offamous musicians that call to mind the city’s fa-mous Montreux Jazz Festival held annually in July.

Visit Chateau de Chillon, a 12th century castlebuilt on a rocky island at the north end of thelake. The fortress has captivated writers andartists since its 19th century restoration. Here,Lord Byron was inspired to write his famouspoem, “The Prisoner of Chillon.”

The next day, take the Wine Train to the Vineyardsof Lavaux, a magical place designated as a UN-ESCO World Heritage Site. The 10,000 hillside ter-races stretch for 30 miles along Lake Genevafacing the towering Alps. More than 700 yearsago monks cleared the rocks and trees and culti-vated and crushed the grapes for sacramentalwine.

In Chexbres, Eric Permand is volunteer coordina-tor of Lavaux Panoramic, a delightful wine trolleythat takes visitors through the vineyards withwine tastings along the way. The majority of thegrapes are Pinot Noir, Gamay and a fruity,sparkling dessert wine called Chasselas, a varietyindigenous to the region.

Final stop is Geneva, a short train ride from Mon-treux. Today the breathtaking cosmopolitan portcity is French in language and character, with95% of its border is shared with France. Thoughrelatively small (pop. 400,000), Geneva has allthe sophistication and culture of a major metrop-olis. Known as the “City of Peace,” Geneva is thesite of the International Red Cross and European

United Nations Organization.

Stay two nights at Hotel Central (www.hotelcen-tral.ch), conveniently located at Old Town andwithin a five-minute walk to the lakefront. Top at-tractions include the 12th-century regal Cathe-dral St. Pierre, which flipped from Catholic toProtestant during the Reformation; floral clock inJardin Anglais; Jet d’ Eau, world’s highest foun-tain; Reformation Wall; and Patek Philippe Mu-seum dedicated to the history of watches.

On the south side of the city is Carouge, aMediterranean-style “Greenwich Village” notedfor its art galleries, craft shops and Bohemianlifestyle. Rues Basses, Geneva’s main shoppingstreets, run along the Left Bank with glitzy bou-tiques such as Louis Vuitton and Piaget, antiqueshops, galleries and department stores. End thetrip with an hour-long cruise on Lake Geneva, din-ner in Old Town at Restaurante Hotel D’Ville andan avant-garde performance, film or concert atthe experimental Theatre du Grutli.

Money-saving tips: Be prepared for sticker shock.The Swiss franc is more valuable now than theEuro and prices are high. Purchase a Swiss Pass.They are expensive, but ultimately will save you alot of money for unlimited travel on trains, buses,boats, ski lifts, cable cars (funiculars) and mu-seum admissions. All of the hotels and inns men-tioned in this feature are three-star, which offerexcellent accommodations that are moderatelypriced by Swiss standards. Get a copy of RickSteves’ Switzerland, the best guidebook forbudget-minded travelers. Visit Switzerland beforeor after the ski season when lodging and every-thing else is priced more reasonably.

Getting there: Swiss Air has daily flights from JFKto and from Zurich and Geneva. 877-359-7947, www.swiss.com

For more information: Switzerland Tourism, 800-794-7795, www.myswitzerland.com.

Columbus-based travel writer Aaron Leventhal has a smallgroup travel company offering trips in 2012 to Hollywood, Fla.;New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; and Charleston’s Spo-leto Festival USA. For detailed itineraries and more informa-tion, log on to www.leventhaltravel.com and call Aaron at614-506-9666. Photos by Beth Ervin Leventhal.

Exploring the Swiss Alps

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dec 2011outlookcolumbus.com 51A pearl necklace is always a nice gift.

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