The Beau-Rivage in Lausanne (© OTL)

A year after her move to Switzerland, we asked Ms B. how she felt about her decision. We met with her at the Beau-Rivage Palace (in Lausanne) in August 2000.

How do you feel after one year in Switzerland?
Wonderful! I really like it in Bad Ragaz. The German part of Switzerland isn’t as popular with the French, no doubt because of the language, but personally, I’ve had no problems adapting. A lot of people speak French and my efforts to talk about cooking in German are greatly appreciated.

If the French sometimes say that Switzerland is very regulated, it’s because they’ve never lived here. In Switzerland I experience a feeling of freedom and peace that I had completely forgotten. What really struck me about Switzerland is the open contact with administration. In France, administrative services treat you as if you were on the verge of a criminal conviction. It’s the complete opposite in Switzerland. Here, civil servants assume that they are dealing with normal, honest people, and it’s very pleasant. When there is a problem, everyone works to try and solve it. In France, you’re apt to be on the aggressive in such situations, which simply isn’t necessary here.

My house is now finished, built with a quality beyond compare. Just imagine! They use copper where the French use zinc (on the fireplace, for example). I chose to have my house built in the Swiss style, like the ones you find in the Jura. In a way, the house was designed around my furniture, with a dirt floor cellar to store my 700 bottles of Burgundy.

I’m delighted to be in Switzerland. I have no regrets. Well, actually, I do have one regret – the fact that I didn’t come sooner.

Is there anything you miss with relation to France?
Frankly, I don’t miss anything. Of course,  I have fond memories of the concerts in Burgundy, in Cluny for example, or in Beaune, it was magnificent. But there are lots of concerts here too, like in Sargans, where there is a New Orleans Jazz festival that I just love. In Coire there is a rock festival and here in Bad Ragaz spa-goers can enjoy a concert every day.

And as they say, When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I didn’t want to come here and try to live exactly as I did in France. You eat very well in Switzerland, and the products are extremely high quality. True, there are some products I cannot find, like faisselles, (an unstrained fresh white cheese), but the ham is excellent, there is a wide variety of cheeses, and lots of wines to choose from. (Editor’s note: you can find faisselles at Migros). You can even find perfectly good local wines in Heidiland. In fact, a duke of Rohan imported the vines from Burgundy.

And for someone like me who loves old ruins, the number of castles in Switzerland is just incredible. It seems there’s one every two or three kilometers. (Editor’s note: The Swiss Federal Office of Topography’s Map of Castles, lists over 1,000 castles, many of which can be viewed on www.swisscastles.ch ).

What do you appreciate the most in Switzerland?
Everything! The country is so beautiful. For example, today I traveled from Bad Ragaz to Lausanne by train. I passed through Aarau and Grandson, where I shed a tear for Charles the Bold, my fellow Burgundian. (Editor’s note: Charles the Bold lost a battle against the Swiss there in 1476). And the vineyards along Lake Neuchâtel are just splendid.

You see, only France has cancelled most of the local rail lines, which has caused many towns and villages to die out and has strengthened the urban centers. Switzerland’s vast rail network has kept a lot of people in the small towns, so that the division between city and country doesn’t exist in the same way as it does in France. Of course, Switzerland is a smaller country, but the difference is still there. The country has retained a human dimension.

What is your lasting impression of your experiences with Micheloud & Cie?
I was wondering how to go about moving to Switzerland. I knew there were certain procedures that had to be taken, but I didn’t know where to begin. When I learned that you took care of things, I jumped at the opportunity.

Your service was excellent. Everything I asked for worked out perfectly.