Day trip to Neuchatel region – tips requested!

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    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    15 July 2018 at 12:21:37 #891243

    Hi Arno-

    I’m not sure…can’t remember every one, but, I definitely had included the link to the funicular that Peterli had posted in his second attempt above in this thread.

    I probably included a link to the Gasthof Kreuz Ligerz.

    kreuz-ligerz.ch/

    Slowpoke

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    15 July 2018 at 15:01:05 #891244

    Thanks Slowpoke! I just had a look and what I can find so far is a slow working website for a short time period yesterday. This may have caused posts to fail, probably randomly rather than issues with links. I’m not sure if that was it though. Please let me know if issues like this occur again.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    15 July 2018 at 15:24:35 #891245

    Thanks, Arno.

    I’ll let you know if it happens again.

    Slowpoke

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    16 July 2018 at 19:54:36 #891246

    Hello to Lucas and anybody that has been following this thread.

    Rather than continuing with this thread which seems to have deviated from the original topic, I have started a new thread entitled Neuchâtel Tourist Card.

    I don’t know if Lucas has made his day trip over to the area, but even if he has, this is good information for a subsequent trip, which I am sure he will want to undertake. To truly appreciate Switzerland, one has to visit beyond the Alps.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    16 July 2018 at 20:36:12 #891247

    <<“I don’t know if Lucas has made his day trip over to the area, but even

    if he has, this is good information for a subsequent trip, which I am

    sure he will want to undertake. To truly appreciate Switzerland, one has

    to visit beyond the Alps.”>>

    And, even cross the Röstigraben.

    Slowpoke

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    16 July 2018 at 23:01:50 #891248

    Exactly ! This is why when I read that a first-time visitor has say three weeks to visit Switzerland and is really open to suggestions, I try to recommend a visit that includes all three major linguistic regions, and I even go further to suggest that the percentage time allotment for the three be roughly the same as the percentage each group has of this Swiss population. So for 21 days I would say roughly 2 to 3 days in the Ticino, 4 to 5 days in Romandie, and the balance in the Swiss-German part. Not that % of the population is critical, as it could also be done by the % of the surface area occupied by those linguistic groups. I think that doing it by surface area would probably work out to a similar distribution. The following map illustrates what I mean. I know it is not completely accurate as it just shows cantons such as Valais and Fribourg and Berne with a single colour (the language of the majority) and completely ignores the fourth official language, Rumantsch, in the Grisons.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    16 July 2018 at 23:38:22 #891249

    Hi Peterli –

    <<” Exactly ! This is why when I read that a first-time visitor has say three weeks to visit Switzerland and is really open to suggestions, I try to recommend a visit that includes all three major linguistic regions, and I even go further to suggest that the percentage time allotment for the three be roughly the same as the percentage each group has of this Swiss population.”>>

    You are trying to educate the visitors. Many do not want to be educated. They are not there to learn about Switzerland. They want to see the famous sights/sites. They want to “cover” a whole lot of famous places.

    They are the customers. Pleasing the customers rates higher than educatng them in this context….unless you educate about something applicable in all or most of Switzerland.

    My view is that you should not bother with the “good stuff” until the visitor has seen the “famous stuff” — unless they clearly are likely to be receptive.

    FWIW,

    Ooops-

    FWIW is-“For what it is worth.”

    Slowpoke

    PS- Have you been to La Goule?

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    16 July 2018 at 23:49:01 #891250

    <<“Exactly ! This is why when I read that a first-time visitor has say

    three weeks to visit Switzerland and is really open to suggestions, I

    try to recommend a visit that includes all three major linguistic

    regions, and I even go further to suggest that the percentage time

    allotment for the three be roughly the same as the percentage each group

    has of this Swiss population.”>>

    Then, they’ll miss Guarda, Scuol, Ardez, St. Moritz, Pontresina………..

    Slowpoke

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    17 July 2018 at 0:18:37 #891251

    Hello Slowpoke:

    << Then, they’ll miss Guarda, Scuol, Ardez, St. Moritz, Pontresina………..>> Maybe they will miss some of these …… places, but not because of anything I said. I was pretty sure you would micro-analyze my previous post and that’s why I went on to try to clarify, in my best English, << The following map illustrates what I mean. I know it is not completely accurate as it just shows cantons such as Valais and Fribourg and Berne with a single colour (the language of the majority) and completely ignores the fourth official language, Rumantsch, in the Grisons.>> In other words, the places you mentioned are in the green area of the map and so could be visited. So why can’t travelers visit any of them if they so choose ?

    By the way, just out of curiosity (and because I am a life-long learner), I thought I’d look up the linguistic situation in St. Moritz. I found the following in Wikipedia. <<Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (58.8%), with Italian being second most common (21.8%), and Portuguese being third (6.6%). Originally, the entire population spoke the Upper-Engadin Romansh dialect of Puter. Due to increasing trade with the outside world, Romansh usage began to decline. In 1880, only 50.2% spoke Romansh as a first language. Romansh lost ground to both German and Italian. In 1900, 31% of the population spoke Italian as a first language, and in 1910, it was about the same. In the following years, the percentage of Romansh and Italian speakers both decreased against German speakers. In 1941, only 20% spoke Romansh, and in 1970 it was 8%. In 2000, only 13% of the population of St. Moritz even understood Romansh.>> Here (attached) is a table from the same Wikipedia article:

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    17 July 2018 at 2:29:33 #891252

    And to think that all this is because I had the temerity to say << To truly appreciate Switzerland, one has to visit beyond the Alps. >>, and in a thread about Neuchâtel, no less !

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    17 July 2018 at 5:35:01 #891253

    Hello Slowpoke:

    You said to me, << You are trying to educate the visitors. Many do not want to be educated. They are not there to learn about Switzerland. They want to see the famous sights/sites. They want to “cover” a whole lot of famous places.

    They are the customers. Pleasing the customers rates higher than educatng them in this context….unless you educate about something applicable in all or most of Switzerland.

    My view is that you should not bother with the “good stuff” until the visitor has seen the “famous stuff” — unless they clearly are likely to be receptive.>>

    I’ve been thinking for a while about how to reply to your post, or whether it is perhaps best to ignore something I feel is way off-base. I’m not even sure what provoked you to make your comments. Anyway, here goes. First of all, I am an educator and a life-long learner, and will always be so until I am no more. As such, I like to share my knowledge with others, and I usually refrain from stating my opinions in forums such as this one. I suspect many people who travel are life-long learners as well. I believe that going to new country is a learning experience, not just showing up at what you refer to as a “famous place”, clicking a few photos, and then moving on to the next “famous place”. I truly hope that you are wrong when you say that “Many do not want to be educated.” and that “They are not there to learn about Switzerland“. That would be really sad, to use one of your Donald’s oft-used Twitter words. One can please and educate people at the same time. Indeed, some visitors (not sure why you refer to them as “customers“) do want to “cover” a “whole lot of famous places“, but others do not. This reminds me of the 1969 movie “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium. Far be it for me to decide what is “good stuff” and “famous stuff”, as each person will have his or her own ideas about what they want to experience. Bottom line, if even a few are interested in anything any contributor contributes to this forum, that is all that should matter, as long as they respect the rules of the forum. Anyway, you are entitled to your views.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    17 July 2018 at 6:12:12 #891254

    I didn’t make it to Neuchatel the other day. 🙁 But this has been a great thread and some wonderful insight in the area for me and others to use when visiting the area!

    I ended up going with some friends who wanted a closer/simpler trip from Zurich so we went to the Zugerberg – a small trip report and pictures will be coming later this week.

    I’ve also made a trip to Grindelwald and several mountains nearby which will become another report in the coming week or so!

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    17 July 2018 at 7:42:30 #891255

    Hej Lucas,

    If you want to have a real blast in Neuchâtel, be there this year on September 28 to 30 for La Fête des Vendanges. You will love it, I promise, and it is only 73 days from now. It’s always the last full weekend of September, so if October 1 is a Sunday, it takes place the week before. For the past seven years I have been set up at la Baie de l’Évole to video record the super pyromusical fireworks. On that same weekend you can usually go to La fête de la désalpe in Lignières and also La fête de la brocante in le Landeron, both in the canton de Neuchâtel and both very close by. This year, the Désalpe is a week earlier, which is great as this way I don’t have to divide my time on Saturday the 29th as much. The cortège in Lignières starts at 2 PM on Saturday the 22nd and is not to be missed. Maybe I should start a thread on each of these fêtes. 😊

    Links: http://www.fete-des-vendanges.ch/ http://www.fetedeladesalpe.ch / http://www.avvl.ch/brocante-landeron

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    17 July 2018 at 7:56:32 #891256

    Sounds like a good weekend Peter!

    Thanks for the tip!

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    17 July 2018 at 8:37:13 #891257

    <<“And to think that all this is because I had the temerity to say << To truly appreciate Switzerland, one has to visit beyond the Alps. >>, and in a thread about Neuchâtel, no less !”>>

    Well, there are the Jura…

    Seriously, you are 100% correct, but it may not matter if people have decided that they want to see the famous mountains. Perhaps you know people who want say ” I went up on the Empire State Building” in New York City after they get home. They couldn’t care less that the views from the Chrysler Building are better. They simply don’t want to say “I went up on the Chrysler Building.”

    Slowpoke

    Snowman
    Participant
    825 posts
    17 July 2018 at 8:48:35 #891258

    < PS- Have you been to La Goule? >

    No, but to Le Theusseret, a few km downstream: letheusseret.blogspot. com

    Quite worth a visit, both for the landscape and for the cuisine.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    17 July 2018 at 9:08:38 #891259

    Bonjour Peterli –

    <<“Anyway, you are entitled to your views.”>>

    And, of course, you are as well. And, peole asking questions on the Forum are entitled to theirs, as well.

    I, for one, appreciate your comments and descriptions because one of my reasons for participating in the forum is to learn new things, mostly about Switzerland. I value your information, as I do that from the other members who teach me new things, or correct my not infrequent errors.

    <<” some visitors (not sure why you refer to them as “customers”) “>>

    I used the word “customer” in a transactional manner, dealing with the forum.

    In the forum, in that perspective, the forum reader who asks a question is a customer for whom we are providing a service or a product. I use it as shorthand because it does provide a mental framework, and many people have heard the phrase “The customer is always right.”

    Here is some background that causes me to think that way.

    I worked in the specialty chemicals industry. In any chemical industry, it is very important to understand and run “processes” ( make things) well, consistently, and safely.

    People who do that sometimes – in that industry at least – sometimes can tend to become so involved in running their beloved “process” or factory that they forget that the ultimate customer wants the product that fits his or her needs, not necessarily the product that the process makes best.

    Educating internally- oriented chemists and engineers to focus on the customer, not the process, is a necessary step before they can be effective on a sales call. There is an old joke –

    “You can have any color you want so long as it is black.”

    That does not serve the customer who wants white.

    In stead of selling our chemicals, we had to learn to say to the customer – “What is the problem you have? Perhaps our products will help you solve it?” rather than “Here is our wonderful product that does the following wonderful things” Things that the customer really might not care about.” We had to learn to what the customer wanted or, more often, needed.

    It is my opinion that we succeed best when we meet the needs of the person asking questions on the forum.

    They are, in the transactional sense, our “customers.”

    That is how I think about it.

    As they say on the internet “FWIW.” For what it is worth. 😉

    Slowpoke

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    17 July 2018 at 9:10:29 #891260

    Your right about German in the Romansch speaking areas.

    Slowpoke

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    17 July 2018 at 9:12:38 #891261

    Hi Lucas-

    <<“I ended up going with some friends who wanted a closer/simpler trip from

    Zurich so we went to the Zugerberg – a small trip report and pictures

    will be coming later this week.”>>

    Nice views of the Rigi from up there.

    Slowpoke

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    17 July 2018 at 9:20:02 #891262

    And Pilatus if I’m not mistaken. We’ll see when I sort through photos and post them later in the week.

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