Sure, it was very cold, wet and windy at times but these were as nothing compared with the warmth and joy we got out of being with our relatives and close friends, and Europe was as wonderful as ever.

17 February: Depart KL for Stansted, UK, on AirAsia-X. A comfortable if long (14 hours non-stop) journey. Overnight at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Stansted Airport.

18 February: Ryanair to Pisa. Jenny Haslett, a good friend from Yemen days, was there to meet us. With her as expert guide we spent the next three days exploring Tuscany, its wondrous walled cities, the imposing cathedrals and churches with their priceless frescoes and art treasures, the beautiful rolling countryside with its vineyards and olive groves, and of course the scrumptous cuisine... and on the 20th a quiet celebration of Hootoksi's birthday in a quaint restaurant and photos in Via Dell'Amore (Love Street) and Kissing Street.

21 February: Eurorail from Siena to Zurich, an 8 hour journey through northern Italy, Ticino in Switzerland, the thrilling ascent to the Gotthard pass and tunnel, then on the other side the picturesque lakeside villages and the final run along the lake to Zurich Hauptbanhof where we were met by Robert's cousin Ronni and Hootoksi's cousin Feroza (the story of their meeting and subsequent marriage can be found elsewhere on this site). We settled ourselves in their home and began our week of visits: Uncle Cavas in Zug, cousin Leo and Tanja Lalkaka and their kids Jason, Liam and Tara near Zurich, Cousin Kaikoo and Silvia Lalkaka over dinner in a restaurant in Germany, cousin Peter Urban and Maya in Gattikon, Heinz and Rita Rieben, our friends from Tanzania days, in Bern, Oskar and Irmgard Hirschbrunner (also from Tanzania days) in Bruttelen, and Rosa's sister Claudia and her husband Nfamara in Zurich. Bern, Switzerland's tiny capital, is particularly beautiful with its cobbled streets and heritage buildings. the whole town dramatically sited on a steep-sided peninsula on a bend in the River Aare, enclosed by forested hills.

Then Ronni skipped work and took us to Engelberg and the triple cablecar ascent to the summit of Mount Kleine Titlis (3028 meters), followed by drinks at the ice bar in the Titlis Igloo Hotel (where some tourists pay substantial sums of money to spend frozen nights in sleeping bags on beds of ice in rooms made entirely of packed snow.)

28 February: Swiss Intercity Rail from Zurich to Geneva, a beautiful ride through rolling countryside then along the northern shore of Lac Leman to Geneva nestled at the lake's southern end. Swiss trains, like everything in this country famous for precision and exactitude, run with the accuracy of seconds, good enough to calibrate one's watch but problematic if one is late or careless! Waiting on the platform were our close friends Sanjay and Sonya Acharya who then whisked us to their home in the picturesque Geneva suburb of Genthod, a couple of minutes' walk from the lake shore and 10 minute's stroll through fields into France. In the evening we met their son Nikhil (who we hadn't seen since 1984 and who, like his Dad, works for the UN) and his French girlfriend Matilde, who also works with the UN (most people in Geneva seem to work at one of the many UN agencies there). We later met Ghislaine, one of our Bahasa Malaysia classmates back in KL, for drinks in one of Geneva's laid back bars.

Because of its international flavour and unmatched setting under the mountains by the lake and next door to France's picturesque Ain region (department), Geneva is a super city to live in, nicer than Zurich and more stimulating than Bern or the other Swiss towns. Geneva's relaxed ambience is immediately felt and its traditional architecture is largely preserved, in contrast to some of the other Swiss cities. One can't help but notice, particularly in Zurich, the stark, boxy, minimalist architecture of the newer structures, devoid of any redeeming embellishments, that appear everywhere in ugly contrast to the beauty of the older buildings nearby and lovely countryside beyond. Sadly this seems to be a common phenomenon; the hideous aluminium-and-glass hotel situated bang opposite the magnificent cathedral in Lincoln, England, and the concrete structures encircling Kuala Lumpur's iconic twin towers are examples that spring immediately to mind, although the Malaysian architects and builders have taken pains and spent money to present interesting facades. Lamentable that nowadays efficiency and cost have so often become paramount considerations at the expense of ambience, aesthetics and comfort.

1 March: Our good friends Rolf and Czikus have lived for years in France just across the border from Geneva so it was with intense pleasure that we spent a couple of days in their home. We were lucky enough to catch their older daughter Michaela (who we hadn't seen since the 1980s) who was visiting from Holland. Rolf was my supervisor at UNICEF in New Delhi and Bhutan and we became good friends with both of them over the years. Czikus took us into the mountains behind their village to the ski resorts, cross country ski slopes and even a cheese factory which we raided with gusto. The drive was thrilling, with spectacular panoramic views of Lac Leman, Geneva and the Swiss Alps, Montblanc towering above the others.

3 March: It's early in the morning and Rolf drives us to Geneva airport. Once again we say à bientôt mon ami, till next time Insha Allah. Easyjet brings us smoothly to Stansted 11 hours before our AirAsia flight back to Malaysia, so we crash in a day room at the Radisson Blu. A couple of hours later we take a train to Bishop's Stortford, the nearest town with shopping, to browse and a late sandwich lunch. That night we settle in for the return run to Kuala Lumpur. The journey is a couple of hours shorter thanks to westerly tailwinds. Is Europe pushing us away?

We love Europe. We love the old cities, the countryside and the food, but the flavours and friendly chaos of Asia are irrevocably part of our genetic makeup. So we are grateful to return to Asia's warmth and into the womb of our own home. We loved being with our cherished relatives and friends and we hope they will give us the opportunity to host them someday soon.

Robert Tyabji

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Tips on using Flickr

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