13 Oct2010

For many of us, visiting Switzerland with Amma brings back our childhood. Most of us grew up reading European fairy tales and Heidi, the classic book describing early Swiss village life, and featuring a blond pigtailed goat herding heroine. We saw many little “Heidis” during the program. Swiss children seem to be very happy and well-adjusted and much loved by the society.

The hall in Winterthur could not have been more beautifully located. It is nestled at the foot of a small mountain, a river running by it, and lined with tiny but charming and productive kitchen gardens. Many of the tour staff made it a point to take a break during the day to breathe the fresh air and to walk or jog for a few minutes on the forest trails.

The tour got off to a wonderful start when Amma called the Swiss satsang and the Europe Tour Staff to the Swiss ashram for a Prasad dinner. As darkness fell, we journeyed over the story book landscape, past tidy farmhouses with flowerfilled window boxes and over rolling green hillsides. The 200 year old ashram features many charming and artistic touches such as carved beams, classic stoves and tile work and a charming garden where Amma met us for dinner.

The Swiss program, of course, went off like clockwork. Everything and everyone was organized smoothly with amazing efficiency. The logistics required to host Amma and her over 200 strong tour group as well as several thousand visitors from around the world are quite complex. To watch Amma’s caravan roll into a city, combine with the local people speaking diverse languages and create a smoothly flowing experience for all, has to be one of the most amazing experiences one can have.

All of Amma’s programs now are stressing environmental awareness. The Swiss set up recycling stations and environmental awareness information at different sections of the venue. Everything was done with great simplicity, but with much taste and elegance. No one wanted to leave, but when Amma stood up in her gold and deep red sari at the end of Devi Bhava, we had pack and board the buses for the short trip to another world- the world of Italy! We rolled across the Alps, through one of the most breathtaking beautiful landscapes in the world, featuring high peaks and sparkling lakes, but alas, most were in deep sleep after being up for over 24 straight hours.
Rta