25 Facts About SwitzerlandPatti - 24. Oktober 2017

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This is simply a compilation of 25 things that have stuck out to me about my 2 years of life in Switzerland. Enjoy!

1. You eat bread for breakfast, a big lunch, then bread or cereal for supper.
2. Desserts are often not very sweet.
3. Everything is baked with baking paper.
4. Using umbrellas in the snow is normal.
5. Everyone has plants of some kind, and they are often given as gifts.
6. Everything is expensive. Including groceries.
7. McDonald’s costs about $10/person for a basic meal.
8. You have to pay for packets of ketchup or mayo at fast food places.
9. Everything is small – roads, stores, cars, parking lots, driveways, ovens.
10. Except the mountains. The mountains are big.
11. Everyone brings their own shopping bags: plastic bags cost 5 cents each at grocery stores.
12. Chocolate is a daily staple!
13. People say Americans are obsessed with their flag. They don’t even compare to the Swiss.
14. The majority of tourists are actually Swiss.
15. You never go barefoot, especially in someone else’s home. You change into house shoes the moment you walk in the door, and many people have extra house shoes for guests.
16. People walk a lot. Walking for two hours is still just a walk. Walking for four hours is a trek. It’s not a hike until there are mountains involved and at least a five hour investment.
17. Not having a car is pretty normal. Many people take public transportation because it is more convenient, if not cheaper than a car.
18. You either live in a village or a city. The only other houses are farm houses. The countryside is strictly countryside or farmland.
19. There are cows everywhere!! I think it must be the national animal!
20. Everything is built to last centuries. When your country is 725 years old, that makes sense. But that means building an apartment building takes months, or even years. All buildings are made of concrete, not wood.
21. I live near a military base, and seeing a tank go down the street is not even noteworthy.
22. Seeing a tractor go down the street is even more common!
23. Throwing garbage away is expensive, but recycling is free, and usually convenient
24. Only restaurants and gas stations are open on Sundays. Stores close at 5 pm on Saturday and if you forgot bread or milk you are out of luck until Monday at 8 am. Unless you want to pay double the price at the gas station.
25. There is a huge diversity of language and culture within the country, but the country itself remains strongly united. Most people are open to foreign people and customs.

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