- Polly Newman - 2015
I’d rather Eat my way through Italy, Pray at an ashram in India and experience the Love of Bali (my favorite place in the world) but alas, at this point in my life, it’s all about flushing, pooping and PRRT. I write this while waiting in Heathrow’s Terminal 5 for my connection back home to Austin after completing my second and final PRRT treatment in Basel, Switzerland. Here’s a rundown of my experiences and thoughts. I am a patient and learned what I mention here by researching NET specialists and their recommendations on options. As you know it seems like every NET specialist has a different opinion on treatment. These are just my opinions based on research I did for myself alone. I am not a doctor. I used bullet points with headings so you can quickly find the specific information you are looking for regarding PRRT in Basel.
- Medical history:
- Midgut, liver mets. Diagnosed October 2012 (Ileum blockage). Familial Carcinoid – mother died of it.
- Debulked: Ileum October 2012; Ileum and Liver July 2013
- My symptoms are diarrhea, extremely sudden blood sugar drops not related to food, and fatigue.
- New tumors started appearing in liver Sept 2014; Serotonin levels rising in Jan 2015
- I needed to do something!
- Treatment options and how I decided PRRT was right for me: I researched options (conferences, online, visited four specialists). I decided against the liver directed SIR Spheres, which had been recommended to me, because one SIR Sphere treatment has four times the amount of radiation as one Lutetium 177 PRRT treatment. The more radiation a patient has the more likely they will have complications with PRRT. The liver is a pretty tough organ but eventually if you beat it up too much it will give up the ghost. I am very careful with what liver directed therapies (LDT's) I choose to do in order to keep treatment options open for me in the future.I have a friend in the hospital with Leukemia after two SIR Sphere treatments. Surgery was no longer an option because tumors kept appearing. Nanoknife was not an option because there were too many tumors. It was between bland embolization and PRRT. I decided PRRT was my best bet. Studies showed that the European protocol of surgery then PRRT early on was giving patients quality of life as well as saving lives. The treatment stops or slows tumor progression (Time to Progression, TTP) for two to three years on average. But for someone with low disease like me, Basel said they have seen six and seven years TTP! The other thing is that my body is swimming with cancer cells and since this is a systemic treatment that works down to the cellular level, why not get as much of the cancer that I can rather than a LDT.
- IMPORTANT! Tumors not showing up on scans – No Uptake: I was told I was not eligible for PRRT because my tumors didn’t show up on the Octreoscan or the Gallium 68, and therefore I did not have receptors/uptake. I learned through ACOR (what would we do without ACOR?!) that Dr. O’Dorisio’s team tested tumor tissue for receptors in the lab. So I went to wonderful Dr. O’Dorisio at the University of Iowa Hospital who had my tumors tested in the lab using a tissue block sent to him from the NIH (I’m in the Familial Carcinoid Study). It didn’t matter which tumors they tested – ileum or liver. I made an appointment, first making sure he would have the results for my appt. and flew up there. Dr. O’Do informed me that 98% of my tumor cells had receptors! I nearly hugged him! Phew…what a relief. PRRT was available to me after all. Now I had two positives on my side: relatively low disease and good uptake, which means I may see more TTP years than the average two to three years.
- SST2a Test for Receptors/Uptake:
- The receptor test, SST2a Test, Dr. O'Do's team does was developed by a pathologist, J-C Reubi, at the University of Basel. He developed a monoclonal antibody which is highly sensitive and highly predictive expressly for SST2a receptors.
- Dr. Andrew Vellizi (not sure of correct spelling) at the University of Iowa Hospital is the one who administers the test for Dr. O'Do's patients and he is willing to teach any facility in the US how to do the test. (Seems like a lot cheaper way to find out if one has receptors versus an Oscan or Ga 68 scan! And less radiation!)
- It doesn't matter which tumors he uses to test for receptors (primary, liver, etc.)
- Dr. O'Do is happy to accommodate single visits. If you want the test done you will have to have at least one visit with Dr. O'Do (once he has had your tissue tested). You or your doctor can call his nurse to get the checklist of what he needs before you come (he mentioned: tissue block, recent CT scan, history).
- He said approximately 46% of patients who come to him after having been told they don't have receptors/uptake, show uptake with the SST2a test. That's HUGE!
- Why Basel? I chose Basel specifically over the other locations because:
- They have been doing it the longest so are very experienced - (editor's note - Rotterdam was first in 1996 / followed by Basel and Bad Berka in 1997)
- Dr. O’Do has such a good relationship with Prof. Damian Wild who heads the PRRT there
- I have heard nothing but great things about the program there
- I used to live in Switzerland for 20 years so am comfortable with the country, languages and tons of my friends are still there.
- My daughter lives in Melbourne, Australia where they offer only Y-90, otherwise that would have been my first choice. (editor's note they do only lu-177)
- What you need to send to Basel:
- It will be much easier for you to go through your doctor than getting approval on your own but I do know people who have done it.
- You will need to send your history, a recent scan (in my case it was an MRI because it’s best for showing liver tumors), either an Oscan or Gallium that shows your tumors (proof they have uptake and PRRT will work), failing that, the receptor lab test results. Also blood work to make sure your kidneys and liver are in good condition, as well as your red blood cells because of the anemia. I’m not sure exactly what else Dr. O’Do sent. I am not sure if you have to prove progression. I had obvious progression but I don’t know if that is a prerequisite.
- Contact Info: Brigit Avis-Furler, Patient Management Nuclear Medicine, Clinic of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, University of Basel Hospital, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland. Phone +41.61.556.53.84; Fax +41.61.265.49.25; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Brigit is the administrator and can’t answer medical questions but she will forward them to Prof Damian Wild. (In Europe Professor is a higher title than Doctor. He is actually Dr. Dr. Prof Wild.)
- Accepted for PRRT in Basel: Dr. O’Do got the ball rolling immediately by contacting Prof. Damian Wild at the University of Basel Hospital in Switzerland. He has sent over 400 patients there for PRRT. Prof. Wild requires tumors to show up on either the Oscan or the Gallium but Dr. O’Do sent along the results of the receptor lab test and I was accepted. Because I had relatively little disease I only needed two treatments. This was June 2015 and my first PRRT was scheduled for August 19, 2015.
- How many treatments: Basel tells you how many treatments you will need. Minimum two for low disease like me and maximum four at 10 weeks apart. Dr. Wild in Basel said one of his patients has had his 12th treatment with no sign of leukemia. Of course, from what I’ve read, everyone has a different life-time limit of the amount of radiation they can have. Try to avoid as many CT and nuclear tests as possible in your life-time so you can save your radiation up for PRRT. My tumors show up really well on MRI’s.
- Cost:
- Lu 177 is 10,000 Swiss francs per treatment which was around $10,400 for me with the exchange rate at the time.
- It is my understanding Y-90 costs 11,500 Swiss francs but don’t quote me on that.
- They can do one Lu 177 treatment for your small tumors and then do a Y-90 to get the big ones for the second treatment. Pretty cool.
- Round trip flight per person, say around $1500 each, at least one night hotel before and one to two nights afterward, say $300, then the hotel for your companion while you are in the hospital, say another $300, taxi from Basel airport to hotel is about $50 each way, meals (Switzerland is expensive!) plus the PRRT charge so you’re looking at around $14,500 each time you go with a companion.
- You can pay using credit card, which I did so I could get the points ;). I’m sure they don’t take US checks.
- You can take money out of your retirement accounts like 401K and IRA’s without penalty if it’s to pay for medical expenses.
- I have heard other patients have had success with their medical insurance paying at least a portion. I have an EPO, which doesn’t pay any out of network so my insurance paid zilch.
- What about CrowdFunding.com or gofundme.com as a way to collect money for the treatment?
- It may be worth itemizing your taxes the year you do PRRT as you can add all your medical expenses.
- PRRT in Basel – The In’s and Out’s:
- Date: Basel gives you the date you need to come several weeks ahead. They moved the date for my second treatment to suit me and my family so it seems they are flexible. They give you the second date a couple weeks after the first treatment.
- Off Sando: You need to be off Sandostatin/Lanreotide for at least six weeks before the treatment. My body tends to “hold onto” the drug, therefore I went off for twelve weeks just to be safe.
- Wednesday to Saturday: For the first treatment I was told to arrive on Wed between 2 and 3 PM. As you can imagine, the hospital is huge and therefore has several entrances. You enter off Petersgraben street. Once inside, you walk behind the middle atrium looking thing to a long row of red elevators (about six or eight of them). Go to the fourth floor and turn right out of the elevators. Then turn left following the sign to NUK. When you get to a glass door, press the red button closest to the glass door and they will open it for you. Martin, Kerstin or Pierre will welcome you and will show you to your room. They are very friendly, speak perfect English and take pride in taking good care of you. The team is very experienced, capable and professional. The hospital is a nice facility and the food is much better and fresher than anything we get in most US hospitals. This is a photo of a typical game meal (October): Venison, Spaetzli and Brussel Sprouts. They try to pair Americans (and other nationalities) together in the same room which can be fun. They then took bloodwork, went through the menu choices and let me go. They gave me the choice to stay overnight that night in the hospital or spend the night in the hotel. I arrived the next morning, Thursday, at 8 AM, unpacked my stuff and was taken downstairs to pay. Back upstairs they inserted the IV to start the Amino Acids (to protect the kidneys) one hour before the Lu 177 injection. They gave me the anti-nausea pill before the AA started and I had no ill effects whatsoever with the amino acids. I have heard that others have had nausea. I waited the hour and was taken downstairs to the basement where they were waiting for me to administer the Lu 177. They took me into a small room, protected themselves, and brought the radiation into the room in a lead case. The liquid radiation was in a little vial that they injected into the IV, which takes all of 10 seconds. I felt ill for about 30 seconds, visions of vomiting but it cleared up very quickly. The 4th floor nurse came down and escorted me back upstairs, making sure to keep his distance from me because I was “hot”. I felt fine the rest of the day and that’s it – easy peasy. They had given me a steroid at some point, something about tumors swelling or something and therefore they said they would give me a sleeping pill if I had trouble sleeping. The next day I continued to feel fine. I had a scan and Dr. Wild came to see me that early evening to go over the scan and to let me know about my uptake and how well he thinks the treatment will work (he’s very positive about my outcome!). I was released on Saturday morning before 9:30. We traveled for another three weeks all over Europe and I only started feeling the fatigue hit on the last week.
- Symptoms after PRRT: Dr. Wild told me I would become anemic around week four because the radiation kills the red blood cells. Pretty much at week four I started to feel the fatigue starting. It was extreme and debilitating for about a week and a half but after that I was able to exercise daily (gardening, riding my bike, walking) but I still had to take short naps every other day. I asked about taking iron and he said it wouldn’t help. By week six my diarrhea was completely gone and most of my sudden blood sugar drops. I had soooo much energy. It was crazy. I had completely forgotten what “normal” was like. I remember being super excited that I was able to actually clean my house from top to bottom in one go! For those friends who only knew sick Polly it was a real surprise. A NET friend told me she had the best three years in a very long time after her first rounds of PRRT. I walked a lot during our three weeks of travel and rode my bike and gardened when I got back home and I feel the exercise helped me recover faster but I have no idea if that’s true. I started losing my hair at week four and it hasn’t stopped yet (week 12). I have a tendency to lose my hair when I become anemic so I assume it’s from that but Dr. Wild didn’t think it was from that so maybe it’s just the radiation itself.
- Update 10 weeks after second treatment: I’m suffering from major fatigue even though my bloodwork numbers are almost back to normal. My oncologist said there is nothing you can do about it and it could go on for many more months. My hair is still falling out.
- Monday to Wednesday: The second time, ten weeks later, I arrived on Monday at 9:30 AM, had the PRRT that same day and was released on Wednesday morning at 9:30 AM. Again I felt perfectly fine. Immediately following the injection I was nauseated for about two minutes. That’s it. I spent Wednesday walking all over Basel with a friend, spent the night in a hotel and flew home Thursday. I’m sitting on the plane now surrounded by men and older folk so all is good (need to avoid children and pregnant ladies).
- Sandostatin/Lanreotide After PRRT: Basel wants you to go back on Sando/Lanreotide at week 10 after your last treatment. Dr. O’Dorisio wants you to get back on it immediately after your last treatment. He said in his trial of Y-90 PRRT patients, those who immediately start Sando/Lanreoptide after PRRT have a TTP of 5 years (avg) versus those who don't (3 years avg). I will have my shot very soon. I’m going to start with 60 mg. Lanreotide because the stuff makes me so sick. Sando makes me just as sick. The only reason I choose lanreotide is because the needle is much less painful for me.
- Scan after PRRT: Basel wants you to have a scan (MRI (best for liver mets), CT, PET, whatever works for you) at week 10, I think, after the last treatment but don’t quote me on that. I didn’t register it because, since I can’t get good MRI’s in Austin, I will have to wait until April when I go to the NIH for my twice yearly scans. The NIH has excellent scans.
- Housekeeping and radiation:
- I had brought my own clothes as I knew I would be up moving around so it was much more comfortable to have my own comfy clothes. The woman I shared the room with the first time was mostly bed ridden and she asked to use their gowns, which they supplied.
- They do not want patients to leave clothes behind, especially if they are radiated because they would have to store them in their radiation area until they were no longer contaminated. Clothes get radiation contamination when bodily fluids touch them.
- The nursing staff and doctors stand behind a lead wall to speak to you or to give you your meals.
- Bring a couple plastic bags to put your contaminated clothes in inside your suitcase. I’m not sure how this keeps the radiation off the other non-radiated clothes but that’s what they told me to do.
- Wash the radiated clothes separately when you get home. If you are traveling afterward you can wash them in the sink at your next stop and then wash them in the machine when you get home. Or find a laundromat on your travels so you can wear the clothes before you get home.
- There is a cafeteria on the 2nd floor with good cappuccino and latte. There is also a small kiosk next to the cafeteria which sells English newspapers and toiletries.
- They want you to drink at least a couple liters of water the day you have PRRT to flush the kidneys.
- All bodily fluids are contaminated so you must only use the toilet on the fourth floor radiation section. I walked outside through the park that is located in the middle of all the hospital buildings to the pediatric ward to drop off some English speaking children’s books I didn’t want to bring home with me (I had traveled with my grandson before Basel) but I couldn’t dawdle and enjoy the outdoors in case I had to use the loo.
- Companions must keep at least five feet away and not spend more than a half hour a day with you while you are in the hospital. They told me my friend would be getting the equivalent of an x-ray a day for a few days once we left the hospital.
- You have to stay away from children 13 years and younger as well as pregnant women for ten days after treatment. I made it a point to avoid all young women because who’s to say if they are pregnant or not.
- As far as the flight goes and not sitting near children or young women, I was told by several people that it was better to go to your seat, look around and if there was a problem to let the flight attendant know you need to be moved – rather than let anyone know before you board. You don’t have to say radiation but rather that you have had a medical procedure.
Travel/Flights:- Flights to Europe are cheaper after October 1st. I have found flights to be less crowded in the Fall and Winter as well so it is easier to sit a distance away from children and pregnant women.
- Kayak.com and Momondo.com are my favorite flight search websites.
- Sometimes flying to a less popular city rather than a major hub is cheaper. For example a one-way ticket from NYC to Geneva was $1500 but a ticket NYC to Lugano in the Italian part of Switzerland (with a change of planes in Geneva ironically) was $700! I rented a car in beautiful Lugano and drove through the Alps to Basel. The second time (mid October) I flew with my son and his family from NYC to Naples for $300, rented a car and visited Italy for ten days before the treatment. Here are a few photos of my second trip. Pizza in Naples for Euro 5.00! My grandson wasn’t happy when it was all gone.
- I guess it depends on how sick you are and if you need to fly directly into Basel. My symptoms seemed to match my one year old grandson’s: eating all the time (my low blood sugar) and napping in between - so it was a win-win.
- Basel has an international airport so you can fly directly there or fly into Zurich and take the train to Basel, which takes approximately an hour and 15 minutes depending on how many stops your train makes. That gives you more options for finding the best price. But don’t forget you’ll have two train tickets to purchase for approximately $40 each. Flying into Geneva isn’t really practical if you are going straight to the hospital. It would require a two and a half hour train ride north along the Jura mountain range (not the beautiful Alps) and would cost about $100 each.
- Companion: The first time I went I dragged a friend along because I was unsure how I would feel after the treatment. We arrived Lugano and traveled around post-card perfect Switzerland for two weeks. I used to live in the French-speaking part for 20 years so it was like going back home. In the end the treatment went so well I didn’t really need anyone with me. So for the second treatment, after Italy, my family carried on to France and I went to Basel on my own. In my case I am very familiar and comfortable with the languages and the country but I would not advise you go alone for your first treatment because everyone reacts differently.
- Hotels:
- The closest hotel is Hotel Rochat, which is literally across the street and up a block on Petersgraben street, the entrance to the part of the hospital you will use. Prices reasonable, elevators, and the room I stayed in was newly renovated, no parking. IMPORTANT: Hotel Rochat seems to be several buildings connected together by tunnels so there are many short flights of stairs. If that’s a problem ask for a room in the main building.
- Hotel Spalenthor is not too far away, a nice walk from the hospital through a park, and is located by the ancient city gate called Spalenthor built in the early 1300’s, which is very impressive and not to be missed! This hotel has newly renovated, spacious rooms. Slightly more expensive than Rochat. Limited parking available for $20/night I think. Reserve a spot when you reserve a room if you need parking. Photo of me and the Spalenthor gate in the background.
- There was a pediatric convention on when I checked out of the hospital the second time, both Rochat and Spalenthor were fully booked, so I booked a room at Steinenschanze Stadthotel. A fifteen minute walk through the lovely old streets of Basel, Tram #16 or a taxi. It was a fine hotel but I’m sure you could find something closer.
- Another American couple I met in the hospital booked an apartment through Airbnb, which is a great idea if you are with a companion. I’m not sure how much it cost but it’s probably cheaper than a hotel.
- Hotels: tripAdviser.com; Hotels.com, etc. For rooms and apartments: Airbnb.com; homeaway.com
- Other Travel Tips:
- Parking: You can park in the underground parking lot (drive to the right end to be closest to the hospital exits) and exit via Petersgraben street. But be aware – 24 hour parking is at least Sfr.25. Parking in Basel is expensive and scarce. We returned our rental car in Basel upon arrival and rented a new car after the treatment to carry on with our voyage.
- Plugs: Always a pain in Europe because every country has their own type. Switzerland has a diamond type which can be hard to find. The best one I have found is made by Go Travel but you can find all sorts online and probably cheaper. Be sure it has the added diamond plug that sticks out, which is the Swiss/Italy plug. Also it’s very useful to bring one of those three way American plugs so you can plug three things in and only need one adaptor, and a plug with two USB ports is real handy. Photo is of our debacle in Italy!
- Car Rental: The smaller the car, the better as streets are so narrow, although Switzerland isn’t too bad. They add on a hefty fee ($450) if you return your car in a different country so we tried to return it in the same country and rent one over the border in the next country whenever possible. An extreme hassle though. For example while you are in the hospital in Basel, your companion can use the train to nip over the border into Germany or France (depending on which country you want to return it to), rent a car and then drive it back to Basel to pick you up. Or you both can go the day they let you out.
- Driving: If you are doing a driving tour be sure to bring a double USB cigarette lighter plug thing and your GPS.
- Using Your Cell Phone: I switched to T-Mobile because they have nearly free International calling World-wide! I think for an additional $10 all international texts are free and calls are .20/minute. Data roaming is free too. You don’t get the best speed but it’s definitely enough to use your phone as a GPS. If you go that route be sure to bring a holder for your phone so you are hands free. I use the one that attaches to the air vent because it’s so small: Kenu Airframe Portable Smartphone Car Mount. It costs $23 but I’ve seen copies on Amazon for $8.00.
- Maps: If you are going to use your cell phone as your GPS, then having a detailed paper map is always handy as a reference while your phone is not available. If you can’t use data roaming while you travel because of your phone plan, then a good paper map is essential if you are traveling by car.
- Google Maps: You can download static maps from google maps onto your ipad or cell that you can use without internet. But don’t do it too far in advance because it won’t let you use them if they need to be updated (which of course you can’t do if you have no internet - frustrating!)
- Radiation and Immigration:
- The first time, we flew home from Shannon, Ireland, which was really great because you go through US immigration in Shannon instead of stateside (Dublin does this as well). It was a lot quicker going through the radiation deal there than doing it stateside. It took me a half hour instead of the three hours it could take in the states. They had me sit in a room with the Geiger counter next to me. I told them they probably wouldn’t find the radiation I had because it wasn’t yet approved in the US, and they didn’t. They were in contact with Washington DC, which is open 24/7. They assured me I wouldn’t miss my flight. If you are arriving stateside, be sure and have a long layover just in case. (Editor's note - it has nothing to do with approvals, it is just the number of isotope that the rapidscan has in the units memory)
- They don’t detect for radiation at European airports, only the international airports in the US.
- On my second trip I flew Basel – Heathrow – Austin. The flight from Heathrow to Austin was direct so Austin was my first stop for radiation screening. I have a Global Access pass, so I went straight to the machines, skipping the lines, but once I tried to leave the area (sneak out!) an immigration officer stopped me (they wear radiation monitors on their uniforms). But all I had to do was show him my PRRT paperwork and he let me go. It was sooooo easy and took all of 60 seconds!
- Basel will give you a paper explaining what treatment you had and the date. When I went through Shannon they told me next time not only to show immigration that paper, but the invoice and the treatment confirmation page as well – in fact he said the more paperwork you can show the faster it will go. So that’s what I did in Austin but he just skimmed them in the end.
- Josh Mailman and Gary Murfin have a questionnaire on their prrtinfo.org site that you can fill out when you get home to make them aware of any issues with immigration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1O7x6mDHuea1QavaH4VLYSqdGxOMtK_6m18MWqMS6hgM/viewform
Basel Itself: Every hotel I stayed in gave me a free tram pass for the period I was at the hotel. The tram system is outstanding but it’s not a large city and so very pleasant to walk about. Basel is a vibrant, international and charming city full of wonderful old architecture, history and museums. In all the twenty years we lived in Switzerland we only drove straight through. What a mistake! Here are just a few things you and/or companion can do in Basel:- While you are in the hospital your companion can rent a Maserati and drive the autobahn in Germany. ;) Our Skoda could only get to 200 Km/hr.
- Marktplatz, Messe, Alstad (old town dating back to 1300's), River Boat tour, Cathedral is one of the most magnificent in the world, three medieval city gates incl. Spalenthor.
- Room Escape Basel, roomescape.ch
- Basel Paper Museum, St. Alban-Tal 37, 41.61.225.9090, papeirmuseum.ch,
- Jean Tinguely Museum, Mechanical machines, Paul Sacher-Anlage 2, tinguely.ch
- Vitra Design Museum, https://www.vitra.com/en-us/campus/vitra-design-museum
- Two (not great) photos of Basel
Travel Information for Switzerland:
- Visiting Switzerland: A few “Must Sees!” - Switzerland is tiny so you can get around in no time. If you only have a day to goof off before or after the treatment I would suggest going to the Interlaken, Thun area to see the Alps. Info at the very bottom.
- Here is a suggested route by driving from Lugano towards Basel. Switzerland is divided into three sections: the Italian (smallest), the German (largest) and the French. This route takes you to all three.
- The Italian part of Switzerland is stunning. Fly into Lugano. You can stay overnight on the Swiss side or the Italian side (you will need Euros). Stunning views along the lakes. Here are some things to do and see (photo is from our Hotel room in Cannero Riviera on the West side of Lake Maggiore, which is supposed to be the most beautiful side):
- Grotto Morchino (traditional old world family style Italian/Techino Restaurant); via Carona 1, Pazzallo; +41 (0) 91 994 60 44; www.morchino.ch. Must reserve.
- Nice hotel right on Lake Maggiore: Hotel Cannero, Piazza Umberto I nr.2, 28821 Cannero Riviera, Lago Maggiore – Italia. Park in public parking and walk along waterfront promenade. Or reserve a spot at the hotel and drive along promenade and try not to run over anyone! Here’s a photo I took of a postcard of the hotel.
- Nice views: Monte Gereroso, 5581 ft peak. 1 hr from airport south east; Via Fam. Carlo Scacchi 6, 6825 Capolago; small cog train takes you to the top. Restaurant closed until 2016.
- Drive to Mount Bre funiculaire at Via Ceresio di Suvigliana 36, 6977 Ruvigliana; 15 min ride to top. Walk or drive to cute typical Tessin village of Bre and its art trail.
- James Bond Golden Eye Damn at Valle Verzasca
- Swiss Miniature, 20 minutes south of Lugano airport, Via Cantonale 3, 6815 Melide
- Botanical gardens in town of Verbania
- Botanical gardens on Isole di Brissaggo
- Beautiful Borromean Islands
- Chamonix is a beautiful place to cross the border from Italy to France to Swiss, especially if you are visiting Como, Italy (nice town on lake). Nice Alp views but not one of the nicest Alpine “villages”. I find it a bit touristy. You will go through the St. Bernard tunnel.
- Or you can go over the Simplon Pass (Sempione in Italian) – no tunnel so it may be closed in winter. It’s less spectacular but saves you from driving south and then west. Here are some photos as we drove over the pass.
- You can also use the Gotthard tunnel or pass depending on time of year, where you will arrive near Lucerne. Lucerne seems to be on every American tourist trip and I’m not sure why. There are so many more quaint towns in the Alps. They do have a great transportation museum there though. And the famous covered bridge has burned down but still looks “old”.
- If you take the Simplon Pass then you will arrive in the canton (state) of
Valais which, if you like dams, holds the Grand Dixence – a very impressive structure. Leave enough time to take the tour of the interior of the dam itself. Tallest dam in the world and collects water from 35 glaciers! - Typical Swiss mountain village: Champery. It’s located in the French speaking part of Switzerland and is less touristy than the well-known resorts. The village is draped with red Swiss flags and red geraniums in the summer. Here’s a photo of the main street in August on my first trip and then I went back on the second trip with my son, daughter-in-law and my favorite little man. Cheese fondue – YUM!
- What to do in Champery:
- Cantine Dents Blanche or Cantine de Barmaz at La Barme: these are chalet restaurants open in the summer months that serve typical alpine meals – great cheese fondue and croute au fromage.
- It’s located in a hidden valley in the middle of the mountains where you are surrounded by Swiss cows (and bells of course!). There are lots of nice walks. You can drive up there so no need to exert yourself if you’re not up to it. Direction: Grand Paradis, then left towards La Barme.
- Chalet Eden is a nice place to stay. Large, comfortable, well-run chalet in the middle of the village. Owner speaks English. Her family has owned the chalet for 500 years +/-. Cynthia Defago; chalet-eden-champery.ch; 12 rte de la Dent de Bonavau. +41.79.302.66.34. This a photo of the chalet and from our breakfast table.
- It’s fun to go up the funiculaire/gondola to the ski area, which is on the French border – we always skied on the French side into Avoriaz as is much more challenging. You may get a discount from your hotel but it only costs fr. 10.- in summer.
- You can also do this!: www.champery.ch, La Vie a la Ferme, Brunch a l'Alpage; Route de Planachaux; Champery; +41.24.479.05.50. Fresh made farm food and cheese; helping with the daily chores, cows, etc. We didn’t do it but it looks fun.
- There are all sorts of sports you can do typical of a mountain resort. Tandem paragliding is always a thrill.
- The Montreux, Vevey, Lausanne area along Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) is so beautiful they have made it into a World Heritage Site. I got this photo off the internet because I didn’t get any good ones.
- Hotel Le Mirador Kewpinski is a nice restaurant up on the hillside with stunning views. Must reserve. Pricey. If not a meal, go for a drink and the view. Photo from web.
- More views of Lac Leman and Alps at the restaurant called L'Hostellerie de Caux, Rte de Caux. Moderate prices. It’s a ways up into the mountains along a winding / switchback road but so nice once you get to the top. Eat outside. Reserve. If you are a hiker you can drive as far as possible up to the Col de Jaman (pass) and hike up to the large antennae on the pointy mountain called Le Nez (The Nose - photo) for a 360 degree view at the top of the world!
- There is a cute village nearby called Les Avants. Nice place to stay and they have a Cog train that may go up to Le Nez. Not sure.
- On the way down you can go thru the vineyards by going to Chexbres and driving along the mountain side. Pretty in fall when leaves turn.
- Old Volkswagon Museum called Musee Oldtimer west of Lausanne in St. Sulpice; 1000 - 1700 weekend only. We didn’t go but very crazy looking.
- Musee Olympique – Olympic Museum
- Chateau Chillon, 9:00 to 19:00 (last entry at 18:00), Av. de Chillon 21, very old castle on the lake. Photo off the internet of the chateau and Lac Leman.
- Gruyere is a town that sits atop a hill with a cool castle at the very top. Famous for the cheese but best of all is the raspberries and double cream. Yum!
- The most famous Alps, Eiger, Jungfrau and Moench, are located in the Interlaken area.
- Lunch with a stunning view: take train or drive to Interlaken Ost train station. Harder Kulm Restaurant on the cliff, no need for reservations. From Hoeheweg (Interlaken's main street) head for the Beaurivage-Bruecke and cross the bridge to the funicular which takes you up the side of the mountain to the restaurant (8 minutes). One hour Loop Trail for good views; Buy round trip ticket including lunch. For reasonably priced parking you can leave your vehicle at Interlaken Ost railway station. Railstation Ost= Untere Bönigstrasse 5. This photo is from their website - we had too much cloud cover.
- I much prefer Grindlewald, Wengen and Thun rather than spending time in Interlaken city itself. If you have time, drive or take the train from Interlaken to one of those cute villages. More stunning views and they are all typical Swiss towns.
- Near Basel: Beautiful town of Colmar in Alsace area of France. Beautiful German villages along the Rhine. This is a photo of Bacharach, Germany along the Rhine.
If you have any questions about PRRT or traveling just shoot me an This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..