Polesden Lacey, Surrey

The first signs of spring are here - crocuses and snowdrops have started to lift their heads above the soil.  On the radio, there was a debate on some gardeners' question time as to whether the snowdrops are the last flowers of winter or the first flowers of spring.  No matter, they are here, heralding the arrival of spring.

Today, we cast off our winter clothes perhaps a little bit too early and visited Polesden Lacey, situated in the North Downs, Surrey.  This Regency country house, bought by an Edwardian society hostess in the early 20th century, is imposing both from the outside and the inside.  Mrs Greville, who inherited her fortune from her father, was the illegitimate daughter of William McEwan, founder of the famous Edinburgh brewing business. Backed by her father's great wealth and power, she married into London society - her husband Ronald was a great friend of Edward VII.  At Polesden Lacey, she entertained the rich and famous, and tried to outshine other London hostesses.  But poor Mrs Greville, she could only buy paintings from the likes of Sir Henry Raeburn RA, but was unable to line her grand residence with ancestral portraits.  

View of the Downs 

The house has wonderful views of the Downs, which are breathtaking despite the dullness of the winter sun. The house style is sumptuous, with decoration, furnishings and art on display to create a setting literally 'fit for a king'. A sizeable and diverse art collection provides much fascination, with everything from Dutch Old Masters, an inheritance from her father, to oriental porcelain and expensive objects d'art.

The magnificent drawing room

At the end of the visit, the variable English weather reminded me that winter was not yet over.  Dark clouds loomed on the horizon, and the temperature dropped yet again to single figure.  

The Nut Tree, Murcott, Oxfordshire

Off to Murcott, Oxfordshire for lunch.  The sat nav took us past some dreamy little villages in Oxfordshire, lined with honey-coloured stone houses and cottages, along winding narrow country lanes until we arrived at Murcott.  The Nut Tree exudes old world charm: thatched roof, a duck pond to the front, low beams, a crackling fire, but the menu is modern British, with prices to match (fillet steak is £27 with triple-cooked chips).  Both food and service were a delight, well worth the journey of one and a half hours.  Thankfully on the day, there were no noisy diners, so it was a pleasantly quiet lunch.  But I have a confession to make, it is conveniently located near the Bicester Village, the discount designer shopping outlet, where coachloads of tourists from mainland China descend upon the place like locusts in a storm.  

Zurich Series - Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum Zürich)

I seldom miss the opportunity of visiting a museum when I am in the locality. 

The Swiss National Museum, hyped as the largest historico-cultural collection of Switzerland, is conveniently located next to the Central Station at Zurich, so it was too good an opportunity to miss. The castle-like building, which combines various architectural styles, is impressive from the outside, but rather impoverished in the inside. I was decidedly underwhelmed by the collection, and a bit confused with the layout.  

The Swiss National Museum

Some sleighs!

Stained glass window in one of the rooms

Ornate wood carving that once served as wall paper

Luzern and her quiet charms

The Baroque altar of the Church of St Leodega

A bank of bicycles along River Reuss

An ornate love lock found on the railings of a bridge

Icicles hanging off a chestnut stall

An ornate fascade, steps away from the Town Hall
(Photo by MLP)

Luzern - Shop Windows

The shop windows at Luzern offered a glimpse into the artistic side of her citizens. Thankfully there were a lot less Swiss army knives on display, their varieties were truly bewildering.  At the advent of Valentine's Day, a cheeky display of a man's torso in bright red briefs defied the wintry weather and no doubt was dressed to kill.  Perhaps it was inspired by David Beckham's recent campaign for H&M, or perhaps there is a flamboyant side of the Swiss that is not apparent in the sombre tones of grey and camel that seem to dominate the female apparel.

A great number of the shops were displaying eye-catching masks.  Some looked hideous and grotesque, some funny and humorous.  These heralded the upcoming Luzern Carnival (Lozarner Fasnach) that takes place in mid February.  Who would have thought that these masks would grace the shop windows of the most expensive jewellers?   






This frog, sucking a cigar and donning a Napoleon hat, was perched above some extravagantly expensive earrings, perhaps acting as a temporary distraction from the price tag.

But spring is not too far away.  At the Hermes shop, a range of bright spring colours announced the cheerful news that the thaw is just around the corner. The gorgeous orange reminded me of Seville, her streets lined with orange trees.  The green hand is a touch mischievous, inviting the on-looker to ponder the  meaning.  Why would a green hand, a novice, be attracted to such a luxury item?  

By far a much better place to shelter from the winter chill is this cafe which was open on a Sunday.  It sold a varieties of chocolates, cakes and bread, and the shoppers could consume the purchases on the premise and read the newspapers on offer.  Such a civilised way of spending a Sunday afternoon. Interestingly, there was no wi fi and therefore it attracted a more mature clientèle than those young guns at Starbucks.  

Luzern

What a beautiful city, Luzern.  From Zurich, it is just under an hour on the train, although the train fare is quite expensive - 44 CHF return.  On a very cold and crisp winter day, with only a sprinkling of tourists snapping away with their cameras, Luzern sparkled in the snow.  

On the lake front beside the railway station is the culture and congress centre  KKL.  The complex, designed by the Paris architect Jean Nourvel, comprise of a congress centre, the Art Museum of Luzern, and a concert hall.  The Art Museum was a great disappointment.  Despite the claim that it stages cutting edge contemporary art, the exhibits on the day were crude and naive to the non discerning eyes like mine.  Inside the KKL, it was all chrome and glass, but lacking a sense of space.  In all, it did not live up to expectation.

The Chapel Bridge and its octagonal water tower - the main landmark of Luzern, lies on the River Reuss, at the end of Lake Luzern.  In the tourist literature, it was said that the Bridge was damaged by fire in August 1993 and was rebuilt in eight months. Swiss efficiency, no less.  The inside roof of the bridge features a variety of gable paintings - a mixture of advertisements and local sceneries.  


Situated on one end of the Chapel Bridge is the Jesuit Church, a marvel of the Baroque architecture that displays the power and glory of the Catholic tradition.  On entry, the nave and the marble altar dominated the eye.  On a Sunday, the mass was well attended, an indication of the strong Catholic faith that exists in today's Luzern.

Away from the formality of mass, children were having fun with their their sleighs near the impressive Musegg Wall in the Old Town.  The Wall was built in the 14th to 15th centuries, and once had 30 towers.  What remains today is about 870 metres long, and nine towers, four of which are open to the public during the summer months.  It was enjoyable to watch children tumbling down the slope and nudging each other out of the way.

Zurich Series - Minus 19C

Despite the snow and the bitter cold, Switzerland continues to function, in the usual efficient way.  The roads are clear, the trains run on time, to the minute.  Unlike UK, where a few inches of snow can cause massive disruption.  Cue: Heathrow cancelling flights before the snow falls, and when snow does fall, planes sit hours on end at the departing airport waiting for LHR congestion to clear. 


Back to Zurich.  At the first fall of snow, fountains everywhere spotted frozen water, some of them forming curious shapes.  Here, a lion seems to be gushing a frozen waterfall from its mouth.  And in the next, there is the outline of a seal coming up for air.  


Lake Zurich however, remained clear of ice and snow.  The water looked clean - not a hint of algae or rubbish.  The lake's water is purified and fed into Zurich's water system, which becomes potable. The boats that ply the lake were out of service on the day, which is a pity.

In the distant, the snow capped hills looked dreamy and romantic.  On the ground, the bitter wind cut into the face like sharp knives.  Even with gloves on, the hands felt like submerged in icy cold water.  From the Lake, the unmistakable twin spires of Grossmuster rose in their majesty.  Zurich was picture postcard pretty.